A very good picture. Thanks for posting.

Mea culpa also. The centreline container could dispense 6 X 25lb practice bombs. The concrete shape was used for simulated special weapons delivery; but this is patently not what is in the photo I posted earlier. The 38th TRS, 66th TRW also had a nuclear delivery role with their RF-101Cs when they were based at Ramstein. Below another quote from Don karges who flew with the unit at the time. It gives an interesting insight into practicing with the concrete:
“Occasionally we dropped a 2000 pound concrete shape which had a drogue chute similar to the real weapon. This was much more realistic, but caused a few laughs and scary moments. If we were doing a LADD delivery, the shape would release while we were in a steep climb, the chute would deploy immediately and fall behind and below the aircraft. Our escape manoeuvre to avoid the blast was to roll inverted, pull 4gs toward the ground and escape straight at high speed/low level. BUT, once in a while the chute would not deploy and when we rolled inverted to pull toward the ground the 2000 pound concrete shape was right opposite the canopy as if it were flying formation! Obviously the shape goes into a ballistic curve and lands who knows where.”

Note centreline store. Is this a concrete shape used for special weapons delivery practice?

It did indeed signify a mission profile in both recce Fighter bomber sorties. Piece below may be of some help, at least in recce terms:

“The RF-101C pilots of the 66th TRW developed their own particular brand of low level, high speed photographic reconnaissance. The wing received the accolade of the 7th Army for it’s commitment to Exercise Fair Play from February 2nd to 7th, 1959; when sixteen day reconnaissance missions were flown every day under very adverse weather conditions. Don Karges flew with the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing:

“All training in Europe was based on high speed, low level tactics. The reasons were simple – we had only a day, VMC capability with no ECM or radar warning devices. We did not believe we could survive a heavy SAM environment (above 1000’) and the prevailing weather in Europe would force us to photograph targets at low altitude. A typical mission was 2 hours and 10 minutes and consisted of a high-low- high profile. We would climb to 30,000’ and cruise in a straight line for about 40 minutes, let down below the clouds and fly our planned low level mission at 420kts, 500’ for about30-40 minutes – usually with 2-3 pinpoint targets like com sites, bridges etc. and one route reconnaissance of a highway or railroad.”

I spent my early childhood in Orford on the Suffolk coast and close to Bentwaters and Woodbridge. I remember open days, the F-84s of the 81st, the F-100s of the 79th TFS and of course the F-101s of the 81st. We used to picnic at Iken which was on the approach to Bentwaters….now those were the afternoons. I remember seeing the Skyblazers at Bentwaters and the stunning low level flying.
Incidently, why did it never rain then?
All this is probably why I have more interest in the USAF today.
Mind you we did move to Farnborough when I was 13!

I’ll second that. I know that if the opportunity had come to me when I was a headteacher then I would have jumped at it. There is obviously a lot of enthusiasm and that’s a good starting point; and, having had a normal mobile classroom ‘torched by some yobs’ I think that’s an occupational hazard regardless.