AFB in Pennsylvania
Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:16 pm
Hi all,
Not too long ago I posted some pictures of a MACE rocket. Well, today I was down by that area again. Low and behold I found anotehr missile mounted on a pole the next town from the MACE rocket. I should have remembered there is an old AFB out that way. I passed it today but I could not find a name. It is located in the Ricketts Glenn State Park area on Redrock hill. From the road is a hnge square gray building with a HUGE round dome which I am guessing is the radar dome. I drove up into this place and found it was home to a Training Center and a job search place. I am waiting a call from my dad to see if he can remember the name of this place. I also am not sure what type of missile I saw. It kinda looked like a X-1 but had bubble cheeks.
The closest town from this "base" is Benton Pennsylvania. My dad said they used to call it Benton AFB but I am not sure that was the actual name.
The base of this thing looked like this but with a large white round dome on top. Can anyone tell me more about this?
The search is on,
-Nate
Not too long ago I posted some pictures of a MACE rocket. Well, today I was down by that area again. Low and behold I found anotehr missile mounted on a pole the next town from the MACE rocket. I should have remembered there is an old AFB out that way. I passed it today but I could not find a name. It is located in the Ricketts Glenn State Park area on Redrock hill. From the road is a hnge square gray building with a HUGE round dome which I am guessing is the radar dome. I drove up into this place and found it was home to a Training Center and a job search place. I am waiting a call from my dad to see if he can remember the name of this place. I also am not sure what type of missile I saw. It kinda looked like a X-1 but had bubble cheeks.
The closest town from this "base" is Benton Pennsylvania. My dad said they used to call it Benton AFB but I am not sure that was the actual name.
The base of this thing looked like this but with a large white round dome on top. Can anyone tell me more about this?
The search is on,
-Nate
Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:21 pm
Holy Shiit!!!!!!!! 
I just found a picture of that missile I found today on the internet. Can anyone tell me what kind it is?
I just found a picture of that missile I found today on the internet. Can anyone tell me what kind it is?
Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:50 am
Nathan,
That blockhouse is part of a SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) system that provided early-warning of Soviet bomber incursions into the U.S. That building contained computers and personnel from the fifties to the mid-seventies, and the radar array is still used by the FAA for air traffic control.
Scott
That blockhouse is part of a SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) system that provided early-warning of Soviet bomber incursions into the U.S. That building contained computers and personnel from the fifties to the mid-seventies, and the radar array is still used by the FAA for air traffic control.
Scott
Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:09 am
Nathan,
That site was the former Benton AFS. For more info on other sites in PA, check out:
http://www.radomes.org/museum/
Also, that last pic looks more like a traget drone than a missile.
That site was the former Benton AFS. For more info on other sites in PA, check out:
http://www.radomes.org/museum/
Also, that last pic looks more like a traget drone than a missile.
Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:34 am
could be a sd-2 overseer/MQM-58a minus the prop 
Re: AFB in Pennsylvania
Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:14 am
Nathan wrote:Hi all,...
The closest town from this "base" is Benton Pennsylvania. My dad said they used to call it Benton AFB but I am not sure that was the actual name.
-Nate
Yes, this is Benton AFS (Air Force Station). I believe a base technically had to have a runway.
Many of these were strategically placed in 50's and 60's for soviet bomber and missile threat. Port Austin AFS near me was one of the last deactivated in 1988-9 and was still a blue suit base used jointly by the military
With the Soviets no longer being a threat (ahem, right!) many were deactivate or changed into joint FAA/Military systems of which are all nicely tied together.
(http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/arsr-4.htm)
regards,
t~