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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0437.PDF
FLIGHT, 6 April1961 445 Above: Air-refuelling plays a major part in f-101 operations. Here 0/8 is about to hook up to a KB-50. Below: Low-level over the desert, one of the 81st Wing's aircraft on detachment to Whee/us Air Base, Libya, for bombing practice Members of the 81st Wing squadrons do on the average about 25hr flying per month, though this may range from under ten to over 30hr flying. Similarly, their total flying times on the F-101 may vary from more than 800 to less than 50 among the newcomers. Although the Voodoos have an all-weather capability and the pilots are trained to operate at all times under all weathers, normal peacetime safety minima are observed, according to the pilots' green card rating. Similarly, account is taken at Bentwaters and Woodbridge of local conditions: afterburners are cut as soon as possible after take-off; when the Aldeburgh Festival is held, the approach pattern is changed so that the Voodoos avoid flying over the town, which is only some ten miles to the east. The 81st Tactical Fighter Wing was originally formed in Cali-fornia in 1942, with P-39 Airacobras, their first operational assign- ment being the North African landings. For this purpose, theiraircraft flew direct from RAF Atcham, near Shrewsbury, to North Africa in December 1942. Later the Wing supported the Alliedlandings in Sicily and Italy, at this period being re-equipped with P-38 Lightnings. When in 1944 it moved to India the Wingconverted to P-47 Thunderbolts and went further east to China. In 1946 it was re-activated, converting from P-47s to F-80Shooting Stars and then to F-86 Sabrejets before moving to England. Equipment with the F-84 Thunderjet came beforeconversion to F-101 Voodoos. The Wing is proud of the fact that it is the only unit in the USAF equipped with these all-weathertactical fighters. As its official history states, writing of World War II service and the period since 1951: "Since then the type ofaircraft flown, the name and the mission have changed; but the high degree of operational readiness which has always beenassociated with the 81st since its first combat assignment in North Africa during World War II remains the same." Sortie completed, touch.ng-down at Bentwaters with broking parachute deployed
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