Mason City FSS Photos, 1963

Mason City FSS Inflight, Iowa 1963
William Lyons broadcasts weather reports twice each hour

Preflight position

Using Aircraft Orientation, William Lyons and William Short assist a pilot who is lost.

Cleo W. Minker, Mason City FSS Facility Chief, in 1963. Later, Mr. Minker, was assigned Facility Chief of Omaha, Nebraska FSS from the late 1960’s to about 1970.

Montezuma Radio Building, about 1944

Montezuma Radio (KCEV), Iowa 1944-47
Photos submitted by A.C. Miller

Submitted by A.C. Miller

Montezuma Radio (KCEV), Iowa 1944-47

My mother, Gwendolyn Jeanette Miller was an Aircraft Communicator, CAF-5 and CAF-7 in Montezuma, Iowa during WWII, between 1944 and 1947. Submitted by Gwendolyn’s daughter, A.C. (Ace) Miller.
View photo of Gwendolyn’s CAA class photo, 1944

Submitted by A.C. Miller

Montezuma Radio (KCEV), Iowa 1944-47

Efficiency rating for Gwendolyn Jeanette Miller. Aircraft Communicator, CAF-5.

Chicago-Midway Facility

Chicago-Midway Facility, 1960
Air Traffic Controllers. Facility type unknown

Group of air traffic controllers at work, 1960

Mason City FSS Building, 1962

Mason City FSS (MCW), Iowa
Mason City Radio was commissioned in September 1941 as a U.S. Airways Communications Station.  William C. Lyons was named the first Chief.  Services at first were limited, since service “A” teletype and commercial telephones were the only means of communications. In October 1947 Cleo R. Minkner arrived to assume the duties of Chief, following the resignation of Lyons to enter private business.

Activity continued to grow and in February 1951, the operation was moved to the tower cab and all personnel were qualified as control tower operators.  No action ever followed, however, to make the site a Combined Station/Tower type of operation. Ground breaking came for the new Flight Service building in August 1961.  Dedication of the building occurred in September of the following year.