Gage FSS, Oklahoma

Posted: April 29, 2022

Gage FSS photos are requested

The following remarks regarding Gage FSS personnel were submitted by a very grateful pilot.

“My hats off to the FSS specialists at the Gage Ok facility in cira. 1982. I was in a military T-41 (similar to C-172 with no pitot heat) IFR flight from Lajunta, CO to Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, LA. I was in the clouds at 8000 ft and began picking up rime-ice very rapidly. Long story short, the pitot system froze thereby losing the airspeed indicator, as well as my windscreen icing over. I declared an emergency with en route center and they gave me a heading to nearby Gage OK (KGAG) that had an NDB approach.

I was by myself and had a pad of NOS approach plates and was trying to maintain flight and find the Gage NDB plate. A brief look at the plate and turbulence caused the approach plate book to close and fall on the floor. I thought the NDB beacon was on the airfield and after descending to MDA did not see the field and called missed approach and started a turn back. At that time the FSS told me they were DFing my VHF radio transmission and showed me still 3 miles from the runway.

I immediately turned back on final approach heading and continued on to find the runway and land. I taxied up to the FSS building and they came out to meet me. They (and I) couldn’t believe the amount of ice on the wings, and stabilizers as well as the propeller spinner which had a 9″ cone of ice shaped just like the spinner. Leading edges had 4″ of ice; they began taking pictures as they hadn’t seen an aircraft land with that much ice!
I most definitely had God as my copilot, and Gage FSS personnel as my guardian angles! Thanks to the many dedicated specialists….”

Arlington, Oregon Intermediate Field, Site 12

Posted: September 13, 2020

Photos and information submitted by David A. Sbur 

If you look closely you can see some faint numbers on the roofs of the sheds for the Portland-Spokane Airway, part of the C.A.M. 32 route. No trace of a concrete arrow could be found on the site.

The airport was listed in the Dept of Commerce listings in 1931 as a DOCILF (Dept of Commerce intermediate landing field). It was also used as an Army Air Force auxilliary field in WW2. It’s pretty sleepy now, the only activity is a local drone company that does it’s testing there.

Department of Commerce intermediate field, site 12, Portland-Spokane Airway. One and one-fourth miles E. Altitude, 850 feet. Irregular shape, 2,400 feet E./W., 2,000 feet NW./SE., sod, level, natural drainage; entire field available. Directional arrow marked “12 P-S.” Pole line to N., beacon tower to NW. Beacon, boundary, approach, and obstruction lights. Beacon, 24-inch rotating, with green course lights flashing characteristic “2” (.._). Aviation fuel. No other servicing facilities. Teletypewriter. Department of Commerce marker beacon, characteristic signal “H” (. . . .), operating frequencies 248 and 278 kc.

 

Probably the generator shed.

 

Inside the generator shed.

 

Possibly the teletype office

 

Unknown item

 

Electrical standoffs on the field along the length of the landing area but offset a few hundred yards.

 

The beacon does not appear to be the original 24″ size, perhaps it is an old course light?

 

 

 

 

Los Angeles Mayor Sends Letter to New York, 1926

Posted: August 26, 2020

April 17, 1926
The mayor of Los Angeles sent an oversized letter to the mayor of New York City proudly stating it would cross the country in just 30 hours. This was only possible without the new lighted airway system. Once the new lighted airway was in place, that same letter that used to take 83 hours took just 33 hours to get from New York to San Francisco.

Montgomery FSS (MGM), Alabama, 1970

Posted: April 5, 2020

Submitted by Charles Blankenship

Montgomery FSS, Alabama Employees, 1970
Names L-R:  Cecil Strickland (Supervisor), Charles Blankenship, Unknown, Helen Shope, Ned Scruggs (back row), Chester ? (tallest person), Grady Denson (Supervisor-2nd row), Don Macomber (Supervisor-front row), Hillary McMillan (back row), Merle Hagler (finished her career at ZME ARTCC), Lewis Grimes (became Manager years later), Ben Hardin (far right).