PV-2 Tanker 112 at Cody in 1980

[Larry Kraus]

Pooner,here are the pictures from Cody.I'll post what I have of Tanker 39 and Tanker 101 at McCall later.They aren't as detailed.I hope the cockpit pictures help.

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Last edited by Larry Kraus on Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Tillerman]

You're not pleasing just Pooner with these pictures, Larry. I love them too!

Tillerman.

[Ryan Keough]

Man, those shots are Sierra Hotel! Great to see ops back in the days... and ol' 3703C on the flight line too! Thanks for posting Larry!

[Larry Kraus]

I'm glad that these pictures are of interest.I'll post the ones that I took at McCall according to my notes,these were taken on 6 August 1980 when we were all working the Rattlesnake Fire in the deep canyon by the Salmon River north of McCall.Not one of my favorite areas to work.The info that I wrote on the back of the pictures includes this:

1&2.Looking west toward the north end of the runway and the old tanker base at McCall,Idaho on 6 August 80

3.Looking north

4.Looking east from just south of tanker base

5.From left to right under the wing of Tanker 68:

Lyle Rosendahl Pilot of PV-2 Tanker 39 (N7080C)

Jim Keele Pilot of PV-2 Tanker 101 (N86570)

Ralph Glasgow Pilot of DC-6 Tanker 20 (N80MA)

Bob Franklin (USFS) Tanker Base Manager at McCall

Gary Packard Pilot of B-17 Tanker 22 (N207EV)

Behind Gary is Carl,Bob Franklin's assistant

6&7 Tanker 101

8-11 Mostly Tanker 39



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[Nathan]

WOW! Fantastic!!

[RNDMTRS4EVR]

Larry;
Do you have any pictures of any other tanker bases in Wyoming? Its ironic we do not have one in this state today!
Scott……

[Larry Kraus]

Scott,I think that the only Wyoming Tanker Base that I've worked out of,other than Cody is Greybull.I don't have any Greybull pictures with me.I've got a whole album full of pictures from my West Yellowstone days in Tanker 68,but,as you know, that airport is actually in Montana.

[Pooner]

Gulp.

Thank you, sir. While you may not think your shots of the 'Poons are detailed or perhaps engaging, to me, well, they certainly are.

I spent most of the afternoon yesterday out at Memorial readying a trailer which had the remains of tanker "Moby Dick" (PB4Y-2 BuNo 59905) on it. This tanker died eight years prior to your shots of the PVs or your time as a -17 tanker driver, but it's still got that tanker spirit in her. All day I kept looking over at 112 a few hundred feet away and wondering where she'd been in her post-war career. Lots of tanker airplane thoughts filled my empty little head. It was at this field when I first fell in love with the -4Y - Charlie 30, now safe and sound at Lone Star. Ditto the PV. At one time Memorial was like beehive of activity for all kinds of tanker traffic. There's nothing here now - just quiet airplanes and mounds of junk aero scrap awaiting shipment to China. To me, it's like attending one's own funeral. In my mind, I still see the radial engined monsters dripping oil in the dirt and blotted red bellies stained with firetrol retardant. The reality is obsolete equipment and decaying airplanes.

So much has happened to all of us since the 1980s, when you were flying these old beasts. How the world has changed. While I am greatful the tanker B-17s have been saved, and some of the -4Ys as well, I couldn't help but feeling a little melancholy about the fate of the 'Poons. Granted, a few have been preserved, but not very many.

About mid-day I took a break and crawled into the cockpit of 112 to have a few minutes to myself and sat in both seats. I suppose I ought to send you a few updated shots, but needless to say I am saddened to see how the last 25+ years have been to this ship. There's a bird's nest in what was the autopilot panel. The control wheels are checked and cracked and faded. Only a few instruments remain. The aircraft interior that shows a bike and duffel bag is now full of dust and dirt and a few engine cowling panels pulled during an engine inspection a few months ago. Dust. Dirt. Silence.

It's just sad. Your pictures are such a "then and now" contrast, but it furthers my resolve to do what I can to try to save this ship, too. Dunno how I can possibly do it - I'm officially "Harpoon Whored Out" at this point financially and emotionally saving the two we've got here at FFZ, and I have no more space... or money. Crap. So much for the kids' college funds or my daughters' weddings if the old man blows it all on Harpoon rescues. I suppose in the long run they're just like the manitees in Florida - big, gentle and ugly, but deserving of a little protection for future generations.

Thanks for the pics! Keep 'em coming!

[GARY HILTON]

Hi Larry, thanks for sharing all of you pics and experiences with us...you've truely lived the dreams many of us have had!
Tanker # 39....Who operated #39 when you took these photos? As you probably know, N6080C is in Buffalo, Wy. now owned by a character (a good one!) from in the deep south

Do you know or have any idea when this PV was accuired by John and Connie Hirth? Gary

[GARY HILTON]

Tanker 101 N6657D PV-2D...Pic taken last summer by Ralph Johnson's grandson, owner.

[GARY HILTON]

I took these pics of tanker#112 at Chandler last Nov. Quite a drastic difference with your photos! Gary

[cadet77]

Larry, Thanks for the great pictures of 112 at Cody, WY. Here are a few photos of 112 that were taken at Chandler Memorial Airfield in 2005 and 2006.
This one was taken before the PV-2s were moved to the concrete hangar pad on November 13, 2005.

This is 112 taken on August 6, 2006.

There might be time yet to save the PV-2s that remain at Chandler Memorial Airfield and various other airports around the country. It just takes money, time, and interested individuals to move them to safe locations and do the restoration work that needs to be done after many years of neglect. It is sure easy to say, "I wish I were around after WWII to buy some of the surplus warbirds that were being scrapped", that is a great thought, but the past is what it is and the fact is we are still seeing many of the warbirds that remain go the same route. Get involved and make a difference so that those in the future that have an interest in these old warbirds can see and touch the airplanes that made a difference.

Fly fast, fly safe,
Larry

[Larry Kraus]

First off,thanks to Gary and Cadet77 for posting the more recent photos.Hopefully all three PV's will survive.As to who operated C 39,I really can't remember.I have fairly extensive notes for some pictures and none at all for others.The best that I can do for T39 is the info from the back of the picture with the two bicycles in the foreground at McCall that was posted earlier in this thread.Here's what I wrote down:

Lockheed PV-2 Tanker C39 N7080C

Contract airplane for Grangeville and McCall,Idaho

At McCall for the Rattlesnake Fire on the Nez Perce National Forest on 6 August 80

Lyle Rosendahl (Pilot) BuNo. 151465

[Pooner]

Nice archival shot of 112 along side of the old C-54 tanker, cadet77... seems like just yesterday we were busting bolts and knuckles out there on "derelict's row" on 57C and I was wondering if we were ever gonna make any progress or actually do anything other than take parts home piece by piece.

Funny how seeing her in the hangar this afternoon and then seeing your shot from those many months ago to have it all sink in that we actually took one apart and moved one. Gonna be a harder job to make beer cans out of this one as long as I've still got a little "go" left in me.

You do know, of course, it'll only take a couple of drinks to convince me we've got yet one more to knock down and save. I think that D model would've been a sure bet with a little museum swapping we all had in mind, but perhaps I'm talking out of church after a cockpit comes up missing thanks to a mindless (and morality deficient ) oaf....

(Shameless plug for 'Stolen Aircraft Cockpit' thread on WIX - to be updated soon! Gotta love an aviation soap opera...)

But back to the saving of at least one out there, I couldn't have done it without your help, brother! Now, let's get cracking on that Stearman of yours! Been a while since I've been in a "real" airplane....

(For those of you who didn't know, Larry was one of the driving forces behind saving the most recent (but not the last) 'Poon out of Chandler. He was bleeding and sweating and grunting with all of us weekend wrenchies there in the dirt, but never did I ever hear a discouraging word out of him when things went bad or got nasty and downright difficult. Well done, man. I aspire to have one-tenth of your patience!)

The Tanker 112 story is far from over...

[Larry Kraus]

I found two more pictures from Cody that feature Tanker 112.Admittedly,they aren't the best,but might be of interest.The first was taken from inside the tanker base office and I believe that the vertical streaks by the nose of the PV are reflections on the office window.The other picture is a Polaroid.Also,in case there might be some confusion,the Larry that Pooner is talking about as a driving force is Cadet 77,and not me.

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