bfecpho14b

NASA 428

The End of Goddard Aircraft Operations

NASA 428, a Douglas C-118A, was turned over to the Wallops Flight Center on 28 July 1975. It started out
as a Calibration Aircraft, but as the Connies were retired it also took on the role of a simulator for various
Scientific Satellite missions, in addition to the Apollo-Soyuz mission. The photo here shows both the Bendix
Flight crew and the Wallops crew after a check flight, and turning it over to them.

Left to right: Flt. Engineer, Bill Darr (Bendix), Capt. Joseph Buebe (Bendix), Chief Pilot Curt Allen (NASA Wallops),
Pilot Rip Roarren (Lockheed, Wallops), and Capt. Paul "Stubby" Hendrickson (Bendix).

Although everyone seems to be smiling (thankful for surviving the check flight) it was a sad day for all.

Submitted by Bob Burns (NASA) who flew with the aircraft.

NASA 33

This C-47 was the first BFEC operated aircraft and was used as a Calibration Aircraft.
For you C-47 "Gooney Bird" buffs you will notice that the door is on the wrong side of the aircraft, or at least different than the ones this writer flew on......

NASA 231

First trip to Australia in 1960. Picture may be in Fiji or Sydney. Bill Boyer at rear of picture by ladder headed up this trip for checking out the stations at Muchea, Woomera, Canton Island and Kauii.

Chuck Mason beside his Piper TriPacer

"In 1960 at Wallops we were assembling the first tracking station at the Special Projects Building. After the
acquisition antenna and electronics were installed it was necessary to check out the system. I put a transponder in my Piper TriPacer and flew by the building thus exercising for the first time the acquisition tracking system.

I am enclosing a picture of the TriPacer actually taken at Wallops at the time we were putting the station together.

Chuck Mason

Bendix B-25J N3184G [AF 44-28945] and two others (below) and also an interesting ramp shot (above) at Friendship Airport [now BWI] in the early 60's. The DC-3 and the C-54's were the start of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's fleet. The two C-121G Super Connie's and the smaller C-121A, along with the Douglas C-118A were still in the future.

Contributed by Bob Burns.