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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1992.PDF
FLIGHT International, 14 November 1963 795 Deuces High . I 6110* USAF F-102s ON DUTY IN GERMANY Story by Mark Lambert: "Flight International" pictures by Michael Barnes IN modern USAF parlance the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger has achieved the nickname "Deuce," short for "One O Deuce." Because there are quite a number of these aircraft in Europe, we recently welcomed the opportunity to see how they are operating in their interception role. The accompanying photographs were taken from a T-33—itself universally known as the "T-bird." There are in fact four F-102 squadrons in the 86th Air Division, with headquarters at Ramstein. Three squadrons are based respectively at Ramstein, Hahn, and Bitburg and a fourth is under Dutch control at Soesterberg. The German-based squadrons operate, with Luftwaffe F-86 day fighters, in NATO's Sector 3 based at Langerkopf, with the objective of providing identification and interception of unidentified aircraft entering the central European airspace. Our visit took us to the 525th Fighter Intercepter Squadron, which has its own flight line and operational organization at one end of the vast flight line area at Bitburg, occupied otherwise by the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing with F-105s and a tactical missile squadron of Maces. The "ground environment" is provided by a classic sector operations centre to which various radar stations report and from whence the air defence situation is evaluated and interceptions directed. An Army control centre controls associated Nike SAM sites under overall direction of the SOC. Each F-102 squadron has about 25 aircraft and is divided into four flights. Pilots work an eight-day duty cycle, two days on day The battling bulldog emblem (heading picture) and blue and white stripes on some aircraft (below) distinguish the grey F-I02s of the 525th Fighter Intercepter Squadron at Bitburg. The cockpit, right, is distinguished by the twin control-column grips, and the reflection-eliminating black partition, folding gyro gunsight and radar viewing hood in the windscreen area. Autopilot and missile controls are on the lower panel and pedestal
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