Angels Three Six

I'm a little more than half way thru this book, titled "Angels Three Six" by Chuck Lehman.

I know there are a number of aviators and ex AF folks here, and this book had been a real unexpected surprise, so much so that I feel compelled to share with you.

In spite of the corny title and mundane cover, this has turned out to be one of the most interesting and well written aviation books I've ever read.

Justifiably so, many books have been written about the USAF and the Vietnam war years, many are good, some like the Robin Olds book are classic.

But I've seen little written about the early '60s and even less about the F102 & F106.

By the time I joined the USAF in 1976, many of these old guys had either: not survived the war, not survived the bureaucracy the AF had become or were far above my pay grade.

Having spent most of my 11 years outside CONUS, I knew virtually nothing of the Norad mission and besides it had changed so much.

So this book is fascinating: from learning we lost 9 birds due to weather one night (you'd think I'd know that, or remember it at least), to just the loosey goosey era it was, this book is a must read.

Thanks for the review, I'll certainly check it out

Thanks for the recommendation, Richard.

I assume Angels Three Six refers to 36,000 ft in Navy lingo, is that close?

Yes

Just downloaded it on Kindle. I spent 22 years keeping the "slimy tentacles of communism from encircling the earth", most of which was spent around NORAD and Space Command. Didn't get to work with F102/106 since they had already converted to F4E's when I got into Alaska in 1975. I went through the conversion to F-15C's in the 1980s. They have since converted to the F22 now.

Tom

Just finished it. A pretty good quick read. I started flying in the Air Force about the time most of those guys were retiring. I flew a "special" version of the C-130 and we regularly flew intercepts against F-106s out of Tyndall.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Thanks I was ina good while after most of those guys

I was a survival instructor so I got to meet a lot of avaition heros in Panama

Just ordered for my Kindle. Looks like there were some other books about that era that would be interesting to read. Kinda out of boat books to read so I guess it is back to history books.

Later,
Dan

Just watched the Atlas rocket launch of the Navy comms satellite while anchored behind Patrick AFB near Canaveral....

As always....outstanding!!!

Thanks Air Force...Patrick was a nice facility and great host!

Before the rocket launch.....had an air show of a Navy PA doing touch and go's till after sunset, a single engine Huey (didn't know anyone still flew them besides hollywood), several CH-47's and a few others in the parttern.

dannc said:

Just ordered for my Kindle. Looks like there were some other books about that era that would be interesting to read. Kinda out of boat books to read so I guess it is back to history books.

Later,
Dan

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That's exactly why I've started reading all these books. I'm now reading American Sniper, good book, but not as well written as some others I've read.

What is depressing is ever since LBJ and that moron McNarmara, we get these wars in which the morons in the white house make ROE that endanger our guys to no purpose.

I just finished reading "Killing Patton" by Bill O'Rilley. Good read about the General the Nazis feared the most.

timjet said:

I just finished reading "Killing Patton" by Bill O'Rilley. Good read about the General the Nazis feared the most.

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And we almost derailed him also.

i still think Market Garden would have been successful had he been the commander and not Montgomery. I have close friends in Arnhem and Nijmegen, so it's a thing I'm reminded of.

Also, it's why I got out of the Air Force. I reached a point that I felt "Bombs on Target" had become our last priority.

Wxx3 said:

And we almost derailed him also.

i still think Market Garden would have been successful had he been the commander and not Montgomery. I have close friends in Arnhem and Nijmegen, so it's a thing I'm reminded of.

Also, it's why I got out of the Air Force. I reached a point that I felt "Bombs on Target" had become our last priority.

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By the time I got senior enough to speak my mind without winding up in the brig, I was so tired of politicians trying to do my job I would tell them....."please allow me to do my job...I'm a career officer....you are just a temp".....

No wonder I never made it any higher....

psneeld said:

By the time I got senior enough to speak my mind without winding up in the brig, I was so tired of politicians trying to do my job I would tell them....."please allow me to do my job...I'm a career officer....you are just a temp".....

No wonder I never made it any higher....

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See, that's shows how much wiser you are/were than I

But it's taken me many years to realise that what seems obvious to me, is seldom obvious to others, as they have different objectives and I'm the sap who takes everything literally.

Wxx3 said:

Also, it's why I got out of the Air Force. I reached a point that I felt "Bombs on Target" had become our last priority.

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Me too. I wasn't General material, but I could fly an airplane pretty good. Not what they were looking for.

timjet said:

Me too. I wasn't General material, but I could fly an airplane pretty good. Not what they were looking for.

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My company has been prompting people for years based on management/team lead skills and not on technical skills even though the person was in a technical position. One could be great technically but if one was not doing the team lead/management stuff you would be laid off. Tens of thousands of US jobs have been lost through this process. People with critical skills, irreplaceable skills, kick out the door.

Later,
Dan

Watched a C-130 fly over my house yesterday at 300'. There are times I miss the Air Force.

BlueYonder said:

Watched a C-130 fly over my house yesterday at 300'. There are times I miss the Air Force.

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I sure do not miss jumping out of those my body is well aware of a few bad landings

The C-130 was one of the best jump aircraft ever. I also liked the 119 boxcar, the carribou, and the 123. I didn't like the 141. I was one of the first sticks out the door on that aircraft and they didn't have any step or deflector yet. We dented the hell out of that fuselage that day! I never had a bad landing tho. Lord, it was great when we were invincible.

I've had guys jump out of the C-130, C-141, and C-5. I never understood why someone would jump out of a perfectly good airplane. I was told that they liked the C-5 because we always sent them out over the ramp. Nothing to hit on the way out.

BlueYonder said:

Watched a C-130 fly over my house yesterday at 300'. There are times I miss the Air Force.

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A few years ago I was taking photos of an Osprey nest on a local lake. I had my camera setup on a tripod with a remote release and the lens was setup perfectly on the nest. All I had to do was wait for Papa Osprey to return with a fish for his mate and young'ns to press the remote release...

I stood there for six hours.

I did get some great photos. Eventually.

While I was waiting for Papa Osprey to return, did I mention I was standing there for six hours, I heard this awfully loud engine noise but I could see nothing. I was on the west side of the lake, looking east with a ridge to my west and a causeway to my south which blocked my view to the south. I have heard loud boat engines on the lake before but this was unlike anything I have ever heard on the lake and it was getting louder and louder as it got closer and closer but as Sgt Shultz would say, "I see NOTHING!"

Then IT appeared over the eastern end of the causeway to my south....

A C130 was skimming the lake and pulled up over the causeway and was heading right at me! WTF!

He was actually loosing altitude as I stood there with my jaw hitting the ground. After I realized what I was seeing, I struggled to get my camera off the tripod to get a photo but by the time I did, he was too close to me and I did not get a good photo. He had to pull up quickly though because he was lower than the ridge to the west that he had to get over.

I missed a great photo of a C130 skimming the lake and heading right at me. Really ticked me off. But it sure was awesome to see.

We have Apaches and Blackhawks fly over the house all of the time as well as some old commie single engine piston planes from a local airport. One night I think two Ospreys, and I ain't talking real fish hawks, flew right over the house just about tree top level in trail. I heard them coming and ran outside to see them pass just over the house. There were loud that is for sure. I THINK they were Osprey's from the sound but I could be wrong. Never seen them before or since but I want too! Fort Bragg has Robin Sage exercises in our county and I think that is what the planes were doing that low.

Later,
Dan

I read this last year, good book about perhaps our finest decade. Mach 2 aircraft designed by slide rules, walking on the moon with all the computing power of today's garage door openers.

True hero's back then, real steely eyed missile men.

I think we had a president that flew one of the century series fighters, the F102 IIRC.


"Bush's four-year part-time obligation to serve required him to maintain his immediate readiness to be recalled to active duty in the event of a national emergency. Bush performed part-time Guard duty as an F-102 pilot through April 1972, logging a total of 336 flight hours"
George W. Bush military service controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BlueYonder said:

I've had guys jump out of the C-130, C-141, and C-5. I never understood why someone would jump out of a perfectly good airplane. I was told that they liked the C-5 because we always sent them out over the ramp. Nothing to hit on the way out.

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My A/C mechanic and good friend who makes his living turning wrenches on aircraft says there is no such thing as a "perfectly good aircraft" he is also a sport sky diver.

The definition of a perfectly good air craft is one that makes a safe landing. In Alaska we sometimes wonder if that will happen.

Gentleman once you have finished this book I would encourage you to add another log to the fire, top off your brown colored drink and download, Bonnie-sue: marine corps helicopter squadron in Vietnam. I asked a friend how he got his Purple Heart. He suggested I read this book and then I would know. Holy cow was he right. This book put it into crystal clear perspective what it was like. TB was on Carlos Hathcock's insertions team and was shot during a mission. To you guys that have served THANK YOU!

If you likes go fasts, here's a link to a nicely done video featuring Navy F-18 flights If I remember correctly, I believe it features launches off the Nimitz as well.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...&mid=A6C8906F4954D020B93DA6C8906F4954D020B93D

My co-pilot Dad's B-17G became an imperfect airplane when AAA blew a hole in the wing, knocked out the oxygen system, started a fire, and wounded most of the gunners, over Merseburg, Germany on Sept. 28, 1944. Crew all bailed out.

markpierce said:

My co-pilot Dad's B-17G became an imperfect airplane when AAA blew a hole in the wing, knocked out the oxygen system, started a fire, and wounded most of the gunners, over Merseburg, Germany on Sept. 28, 1944. Crew all bailed out.

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The courage demonstrated by the pilots and crew of the heavy bombers over Germany was remarkable. I salute each and every one.

I don't know how they did it given the odds of completing the required missions (starting at 25 then as the need required up to 35) were less then 5%.

Greatest generation!!

dannc said:

We have Apaches and Blackhawks fly over the house all of the time as well as some old commie single engine piston planes from a local airport. One night I think two Ospreys, and I ain't talking real fish hawks, flew right over the house just about tree top level in trail. I heard them coming and ran outside to see them pass just over the house. There were loud that is for sure. I THINK they were Osprey's from the sound but I could be wrong. Never seen them before or since but I want too! Fort Bragg has Robin Sage exercises in our county and I think that is what the planes were doing that low.

Later,
Dan

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The army has a Ranger training camp near Suches, GA. That is near our mountain cabin. Training can encompass large swathes of Union and Fannin counties especially along the Toccoa River near the cabin. Lots of helicopters and planes flying around. There are some really funny stories about what happens around their training exercises. They are sent out without supplies, and are in survival mode.

http://www.benning.army.mil/tenant/DOL/CampMerrill.htm