Buzz Aldrin's Flight Training, Bartow Air Base 3303D PTG

[Speeddemon651]

I'm looking for any pictures From Bartow Air Base 3303 Pilot training group from 1950-1958. Mainly of the T-6G aircraft used, but if you have any other aircraft from there, please post them. If possible I'm looking specifically for any pictures of a North American T-6G, Serial # 49-3048/A (Field # TA - 048) possibly (tail # 93-048 ?) that was operated there from 50-58. Buzz Aldrin graduated class of 1951 from Bartow Air Base, It would be pretty cool if he had flown my T-6 in training there.

Last edited by Speeddemon651 on Wed Nov 06, 2013 10:18 pm, edited 4 times in total.

[mike furline]

Have you made contact here?
http://www.lakelandgov.net/libraryspeci ... rBase.aspx
http://www.bartow-airport.com/museum.html

You might be able to track down his logbook.
http://historical.ha.com/c/item.zx?sale ... IdNo=41007

[Speeddemon651]

Wow thats pretty awesome, I was able to pull these photo's of Buzz's 1951-52 flight training log off of the auction page. Whats the best way to figure out my planes original (Tail number) as it corresponds to serial number ? I'm not sure exactly what my planes tail number was and I've been trying to figure out where to get copies of it's USAF registration/history cards.







I have most of the the aircraft maintenance logs from Bartow AB for my T-6G from 1950 - 1957/58 and I'm not sure what it's tail number was, it doesn't seem to be listed specifically in them.

Last edited by Speeddemon651 on Sun Sep 07, 2014 4:20 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[mike furline]

I'm guessing 49-3408 may show up in his logbook as 93-408.

Contact the auction site and see if they will put the logbook owner in touch with you.

Last edited by mike furline on Thu Nov 07, 2013 3:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Speeddemon651]

It's interesting, because if you look at the log entries, Buzz flew almost a different T-6 each flight and flew a Total of 33.01 hours in that Type. Only 8 hours of that T-6 time is shown here in these pictures but I bet it's a good possibility he flew mine.

You might be right, the serial for my T-6G is 49-3048A and in all of it's maintenance logs since "re-manufacture" in 1949 by North American from a "41- C model" to a "49-G model" its only referred to by it's serial # or Field # TA-048.

If your correct in the tail numbers being the last 5 digits of the serial number, this T-6 below was only 4 planes away manufacture wise from mine. It's is the only T6-G picture I've been able to find from Bartow Air Base so far, 3303D Pilot training group from the 50's.

It's tail number is 93-044 so is it's serial # should be 49-3044 ?

Last edited by Speeddemon651 on Sun Sep 07, 2014 4:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Ken]

The rollover structure on your airplane should have a tag attached with the original C-model serial in case you haven't looked yet. With the C serial and G serial you can contact the USAF Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, a gentleman named Archie Difante is the tail number specialist there who can pull the history cards for your airplane. You can google the HRA or try Archangelo.Difante@MAXWELL.AF.MIL

And, Buzz is certainly still around, he might be interested in speaking with you, you never know.

Thanks for sharing!
Ken

[Speeddemon651]

Thanks alot for the info! I've sent Mr. Aldrin two messages, one through his facebook page and secondly through his official web site yesterday. Hopefully maybe he will get back to me.

[p51]

Odd that he hasn't gotten back to you. Keep us posted on that...

[Chappie]

Very interesting stuff. I love doing Indiana Jones-type work on old aircraft. Where's it been? Who's flown it? Hopefully you'll find evidence Buzz flew and equally hopeful he'll contact you.


Chappie

[Speeddemon651]

I was in Florida for Christmas this week and took some time to go to Bartow Air Base and to Lakeland's public library to check out a special collection they have on Bartow. First off I checked Bartow's museum room, 20+ yearbooks and was able to find one definite picture of my T-6 (TA-048). It was located in Bartow's "Swivel Heads" 1954 R yearbook. The museum room actually didn't have a original copy of the yearbook but did have complete photo copies of it. From there my search went 20 minutes to Lakeland's public library where they had an original copy of the yearbook that I could scan. So here it is.

Last edited by Speeddemon651 on Sun Sep 07, 2014 4:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Speeddemon651]

I really wanted to find out if my specific T-6 had ran a spinner or not but I'm not sure I'll never know. Here are a few more from Bartow as well, different T-6's but same training outfit.

Last edited by Speeddemon651 on Sun Sep 07, 2014 4:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[51fixer]

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Didn't know they were training pre schoolers to fly back in the fifties?
Interesting how all the MLG doors are gone.

[mike furline]

I thought by the 1950's most T-6's didn't have their spinners installed. (The majority of your pictures have no spinners.) I've always heard that besides the cracks it was a pain in the butt to install/remove for any type of maintenance.

[Speeddemon651]

I'm not sure but I haven't seen many spinners that haven't had repairs. At one point before I owned my T-6, it had a spinner but like most I'm sure it cracked and was removed.

Here is an article my T-6 was featured in along with an SNJ and Harvard in 1990 when it had a chrome spinner:
http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepT-6.html

I bought one several years ago that was a original stamped and fabricated spinner and had it re-chromed, it looked good from 5 feet but wasn't perfect so I sold it. If I found another worth using, I'd have it painted yellow which was more original to the G model's delivered to Bartow.

[Joe BARBAUD]

My uncle flew T-6G at Bartow, 1953. I have pictures of some of these, including "048" if still interested.