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Thread: Tinker AFB

  1. #201

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by bombermwc View Post
    You know, I always wondered why you never see the B2. We see the B1 all the time, but the B2 is hardly ever seen.

    I've often wondered what will happen in the next 15-20 years when so much of the Air Force large fleet is due to be replaced. Some of this stuff is Eisenhower era equipment!!!!! They've done an AMAZING Job in keeping things modernized and running (and a lot of that is because of the Tinker crews and the now nearby Boeing engineers), but there's only so much you can or should do before it's time to retire a plane. The problem is, there aren't really good alternatives for the price.
    The B-52, E3, KC135. They've all older than dirt now. I could (in an uneducated way) say that a new plane would be lighter and more efficient, but I do not know if the cost for maintaining a newer plane is actually better given how different it would be constructed now and the need to retrain the entire force. There are probably a lot of other details that go into why it hasn't been done yet. Heck, we had a KC135 replacement all but done before it was pulled back because of political nonsense between Boeing and Airbus (damned if I am gonna have my USAF fly a Euro bird <- personal opinion).

    I have a few friends that are engineers at the Boeing office. Recently an age issue came up (as it often does) for the B-52. Something I don't seem to understand is that (and this is quite common as well), is that there are certain parts that are old enough (still original) and need to be replaced, but rather than doing that, the USAF and Boeing have decided to spend MORE money and repair/modify the existing structure. I don't understand why anyone would do this....and it's a repeated thing. Metal fatigue should have been a factor long ago so I don't really understand why an original part can be around after 60+ years of operation on this thing.

    But think about the number of people involved in all aspects of this. How much of the Boeing force that just moved here does this? Quite a bit. How much of the Bldg. 3001 force works on these...again, quite a bit.
    There are some in the upper echelons of the AF who think the day of the bomber is gone.

  2. #202

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by BoulderSooner View Post
    Tinker also hosts a major DISA facility AWACS is a tenant of Tinker which is an AFMC base AWACS is an ACC unit. The ALC is the anchor
    Glad you mentioned DISA, I was going to, worked at DISA (right before they turned into DISA, actually) for almost a decade a few decades ago. Heard it had gotten bigger, didn't realize it was "major" now...

  3. #203

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    We never see the B-2 because of its stealth characteristics, right? [Do I need to mention I'm kidding?]

  4. #204

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Just saw this in a recent OKC Economic Development Trust report:

    In January, the Chamber and the BNSF Rail Road have reached preliminary agreement on possible acquisition of the BNSF rail yard adjacent to Tinker Air Force Base for future mission use by the Air Force

  5. #205

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    It was formally called the 'AWACs Alert Facility'. Here is an article from the Oklahoman in 1985 :Design of Tinker AWACS Facility Eyed | News OK
    and and pictureClick image for larger version. 

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  6. #206

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    And another bit of Trivia. The 137 refueling Air Wing Reserve Unit at Tinker use to be the 137 Transport Wing located at Will Rogers ANG base - a second AFB in OKC. They were the first Air National Guard Unit to receive C-130 transport aircraft off the production line instead of 'hand me downs' from the Air Force. They were H models and I spent a lot of time flying the world in those planes. They use to have a 'governors box' which was an official Office room with all the furnishings that was built to fit on a cargo pallet (extra large) that we would roll into one of the 8 C-130' stationed at Will Rogers ANG Base. The Governor then would use one of these planes to travel for official business, etc. It was not a waste of money as the air crews were required to maintain so many hours a month flying to keep qualified. So, we would put in the governors box, put the aircraft into MAC (mobility Air Command) logistics rotation (pick up cargo that needed to be transported for the Air Force) and transport the governor as needed.

    I don't know how many of you remember the 'Air Shows' that use to be held at Will Rogers Airport - on the tarmac in front of the ANG base - during the '80's and '90's. There was a Master Sargent in my Unit who was a plane buff and he created this show for 'beer money'. Our unit use to have parties at the end of monthly drills and sometimes the socials required more money than we had on hand. So, the Sargent called a few friends he had made over the years flying as a loadmaster in the C-130's and got together a little 'Air Show' to help raise money for our parties. More planes came than we had hoped for, a lot of them thought they were going to Tinker when the heard 'OKC'. We were expecting about 10,000 people (if we were lucky) and we set up a food stand in the cargo hanger on the flightline to make 'beer money' Well, we got 50,000 people and the city took notice. We treated the crews so well that word got out that it was a good show to go to. The City of OKC took notice of our success and the very next year they took over .... they let us keep our 'beer stand' for a couple of years - but we had to work the show every year.

  7. #207

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    There used to be an air show/open house at Tinker back in the mid 60's, I remember The Oklahoman would have a full page spread on it showing the different planes. Saw the Thunderbirds there a couple of times. The F-100 was so cool to me as a kid.

  8. #208

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by TAlan CB View Post

    I don't know how many of you remember the 'Air Shows' that use to be held at Will Rogers Airport - on the tarmac in front of the ANG base - during the '80's and '90's. There was a Master Sargent in my Unit who was a plane buff and he created this show for 'beer money'. Our unit use to have parties at the end of monthly drills and sometimes the socials required more money than we had on hand. So, the Sargent called a few friends he had made over the years flying as a loadmaster in the C-130's and got together a little 'Air Show' to help raise money for our parties. More planes came than we had hoped for, a lot of them thought they were going to Tinker when the heard 'OKC'. We were expecting about 10,000 people (if we were lucky) and we set up a food stand in the cargo hanger on the flightline to make 'beer money' Well, we got 50,000 people and the city took notice. We treated the crews so well that word got out that it was a good show to go to. The City of OKC took notice of our success and the very next year they took over .... they let us keep our 'beer stand' for a couple of years - but we had to work the show every year.
    Saw one air show there, the one with the huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge Russian plane (world's largest?) and the same one where the aerobatic pilot dove straight into the ground right in front of us. :-(

  9. #209

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by TAlan CB View Post
    The reasons for building on Tinker are as often political as anything. Case-in-point, during the 1980's Tinker was competing with other maintenance depots to stay open during the consolidation periods in force drawn-downs (from a high during the Vietnam War). The location was good (central), work force good, etc. but because politics does not care about practicalities, but in keeping jobs in their 'neck of the woods', this does not matter for much. But Tinker had a small 'in' that many bases lacked, because of it's central location it was home to the new AWACs fleet. The other 'major' bases were - planes rotated from Tinker - Kadena in Okinawa Japan for Asia, and Reykjavic in Iceland for the European command. But planes could easily be moved to other 'home bases', how to keep AWAC's? Simple, create an emergency alert facility - a base within a base specifically built to house AWAC's crews on 24/7 stand by for immediate deployment. This facility was built in the area near the current Air Reserve base and current Navy facility. Nice quarters, lunch room, etc. and parking for a couple AWAC's planes - totally unnecessary as crews on the 'normal' side of the base are always ready to go. It was built as a political tool to insure AWAC's had an anchor to stay at Tinker. My father was the manpower specialist who did all the hiring for this and all AWAC's crews for more than 30 years (in the Air Force and as civil service). It worked, Tinker kept AWAC's and became the last large Depot repair facility. To further anchor Tinker, the Navy fleet communication plane home facility was located at Tinker. These planes share a similar air-frame (based on the Boeing 707), and similar missions AWAC's is a mobile radar station that can help command and control over a battle field. For a small state, we use to have powerful, intelligent, and well-placed Senators - one of who is now the President of the University of Oklahoma. This same man once asked me what I thought about the B-2, and whether I thought we should build any more .... but that's another (completely true) story.
    The Navy squadrons mission at Tinker is nothing like the AWACS mission.

  10. #210

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by TheTravellers View Post
    Saw one air show there, the one with the huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge Russian plane (world's largest?) and the same one where the aerobatic pilot dove straight into the ground right in front of us. :-(
    Yeah, I remember that show. I was there to greet the Russian Crew to help host, nice people. But, I wasn't there for the crash - sadly ironic he was piloting a Russian design/built aerobatic plane.

  11. #211

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by Dubya61 View Post
    There are some in the upper echelons of the AF who think the day of the bomber is gone.
    Yeah, they were saying that before Vietnam (because of ballistic missiles), Iraq, the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan... No doubt how they carry out their missions has changed, will change again. But as a tactical option it would be foolish to eliminate them altogether.

  12. #212

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Many good memories of the WRANGB air shows and the beloved Herks. 809 was my personal fave.

  13. #213

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Great news for Tinker. $500 million new aircraft maintenance facility with 1,300 new jobs in the next few years, with a possibility of 2,000 more in the future.

    Quality Jobs Act changes could help Tinker add jobs | News OK

  14. #214

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Fantastic!

    Now, we know why they have been working so hard to acquire the rail yard between Tinker and the old GM plant. Article says they are willing to pay up to $45 million for it.

    It says the 1,300 jobs wouldn't kick in until 2018 but it's great to have that locked down so far in advance.


    Wow, the OKC economy is absolutely raging.

  15. Default Re: Tinker AFB

    lol...Maybe I'll move across base...Been looking for a change.

  16. Default Re: Tinker AFB

    This is absolutely wonderful news for Tinker and for OKC. And while not related specifically to Tinker, OKC may soon benefit from some very special job additions at Will Rogers ANG Base just 15 minutes to the west.
    ...this shortest straw has been pulled for you

  17. #217
    HangryHippo Guest

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by AFCM View Post
    This is absolutely wonderful news for Tinker and for OKC. And while not related specifically to Tinker, OKC may soon benefit from some very special job additions at Will Rogers ANG Base just 15 minutes to the west.
    Do you know something but can't tell us?

  18. #218

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    This is fantastic news. Aviation jobs (especially maintenance) bring a ton of support jobs too.

  19. Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by Hemingstein View Post
    Do you know something but can't tell us?
    Well, WRANGB will likely be getting a new airframe (RC-26) next year or in 2016. This will be used to support Army or OBN/DEA operations. The move to RC-26 should add a dozen or more AGR positions, but that's not really the big news.

    Nothing may come of the efforts, but officials are trying to land special operations squadrons. If this occurred, WRANGB would move from the Mobility Command to Special Operations Command. This would be good news because AFSOC bases get tons of funding and support. It would mean that WRANGB would add positions, infrastructure, and funds while essentially making itself immune from BRAC for the foreseeable future.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    ...this shortest straw has been pulled for you

  20. #220
    HangryHippo Guest

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by AFCM View Post
    Well, WRANGB will likely be getting a new airframe (RC-26) next year or in 2016. This will be used to support Army or OBN/DEA operations. The move to RC-26 should add a dozen or more AGR positions, but that's not really the big news.

    Nothing may come of the efforts, but officials are trying to land special operations squadrons. If this occurred, WRANGB would move from the Mobility Command to Special Operations Command. This would be good news because AFSOC bases get tons of funding and support. It would mean that WRANGB would add positions, infrastructure, and funds while essentially making itself immune from BRAC for the foreseeable future.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Very interesting. Hopefully their efforts are rewarded. Is there any way to track progress on this somewhere? Or do we just wait for a decision to be announced?

  21. Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    Just saw this in a recent OKC Economic Development Trust report:
    Yep, it is an ongoing and very difficult process to get the railroad to move. There are a lot of people involved in this.

  22. Default Re: Tinker AFB

    I'm not sure how reliable the information happens to be, but I recently heard that the City of Midwest City had agreed to handle (normal) waste disposal for Tinker AFB, at the city's expense. Some in MWC might object, but the municipality seems to be doing everything it can to make the OKC metro an attractive location for DOD, and the end result of these efforts is a benefit to the OKC metro. Other than that, I also heard that, should Tinker close it's golf course due to the budget cuts, the base would open up the course to the public and both Tinker and MWC would share in operation costs and revenue.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    ...this shortest straw has been pulled for you

  23. Default Re: Tinker AFB

    If that's true, MWC wouldn't be able to handle it with the infrastructure in place today. Tinker is a "city" of 50k people. There's no way that MWC could almost double it's amount of waste to process in a day without a HUGE plant construction project. Plus, since Tinker already has a plant, it wouldn't make sense to do it that way. Perhaps MWC will be staffing it rather than piping it all several miles up to the plant????

    As for the golf course, they would really need to set up an access road to do that. The parking lot is on the opposite side of the course from 29th, on Arnold. Somehow I think it would defeat the purposes of security on the base if they regularly let the general public in unescorted. They never ended up opening up the plane museum for the public like was supposed to happen with the re-vamp of that park. With such a simple project there, it seems highly unlikely that they would just open things up like that. I'd bet first, they'd eat up the land for new construction since it's such a big parcel in a very tightly squeezed base. Being on the resident side, it would be prime land for a million uses.

  24. #224

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by bombermwc View Post
    If that's true, MWC wouldn't be able to handle it with the infrastructure in place today. Tinker is a "city" of 50k people. There's no way that MWC could almost double it's amount of waste to process in a day without a HUGE plant construction project. Plus, since Tinker already has a plant, it wouldn't make sense to do it that way. Perhaps MWC will be staffing it rather than piping it all several miles up to the plant????

    As for the golf course, they would really need to set up an access road to do that. The parking lot is on the opposite side of the course from 29th, on Arnold. Somehow I think it would defeat the purposes of security on the base if they regularly let the general public in unescorted. They never ended up opening up the plane museum for the public like was supposed to happen with the re-vamp of that park. With such a simple project there, it seems highly unlikely that they would just open things up like that. I'd bet first, they'd eat up the land for new construction since it's such a big parcel in a very tightly squeezed base. Being on the resident side, it would be prime land for a million uses.
    Midwest City likely has a contract with Tinker whereby Tinker pays Midwest City as a (not-so) typical customer. I haven't been out there to look, but Tinker may already have its own transfer station for solid waste, and it is likely that Midwest City's contract includes operations and maintenance of that facility as well. Often these contracts include the purchase of the AFB's old equipment and the hiring of their personnel, all wrapped-up in the fee paid to Midwest City for solid waste collection service. Privatization/municipalization of DoD ancillary functions is a big program.

  25. #225

    Default Re: Tinker AFB

    Quote Originally Posted by bombermwc View Post
    As for the golf course, they would really need to set up an access road to do that. The parking lot is on the opposite side of the course from 29th, on Arnold. Somehow I think it would defeat the purposes of security on the base if they regularly let the general public in unescorted. They never ended up opening up the plane museum for the public like was supposed to happen with the re-vamp of that park. With such a simple project there, it seems highly unlikely that they would just open things up like that. I'd bet first, they'd eat up the land for new construction since it's such a big parcel in a very tightly squeezed base. Being on the resident side, it would be prime land for a million uses.
    If they do it like the base I'm currently working at, they'll have an authorized entry list that will allow people to enter the base. They'll have already gone through all the required screening before allowed access and their access will only be for the golf course.

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