EMERGENCY LANDING "As I brought the prop control back to climb power, the reduction gear in the nose case of the engine failed and broke the casting.  All the oil exited the sump and came out through the cowl flaps and other openings, flaming as it passed the exhaust stacks ---" ( Click here for the rest of the story) Contributed by Tom Carlson <silverfox_44@yahoo.com>

THE AVIATION CADETS OF 57-U  Click here for enlarged image and names. Contributed by Tom Carlson <silverfox_44@yahoo.com>

Spence Trained Astronauts

Stuart Roosa climbs aboard his T-6 trainer at Spence Air Base, 1955.  Roosa, a retired USAF Colonel, was a member of Spence pilot training class 55-K and later flew to the moon as Command Module Pilot of the Apollo 14 mission in 1971.

Charlie Duke, retired USAF Brig. General, got his initial pilot training at Spence Air Base.  Duke later walked on the moon as Lunar Module Pilot of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972.

Above photos and captions by Brett Brammer - See his GUESTBOOK entry of April 21, 2010

Old Friends Picture of Skeet Vaughan, Class 52-G <skeetv@knology.net> standing on the wing of the North American T-6G aircraft (TA-330) in which he took his first orientation ride in on November 5, 1951 after he started his USAF Pilot Training at Spence.  In September 2007 he purchased a ride with the Warbirdskyventures Company of Gallatin, TN and got to fly the same airplane again after 56 years.  He flew it for about 45 minutes with an instructor.  He says it was great to fly the aircraft again and do some of the same maneuvers that he had done in his flight training with his Spence/Hawthorne instructor, Bob Burris.

Georgia Postcard (Circa mid-50's) Description on back of card reads, "U.S. Air Force Cadet at Hawthorne School of Aeronautics.  Spence Air Base.  Type of Aircraft T-34.  Moultrie, Georgia". Contributed by Ismail Nuri, Jr. of Class 62-B.  See his March 3, 2006 message in the Spence Guest Book.

Luck of the Irish In class 56-V, by coincidence or design, our dear departed Irish friend IP Walter J. "Pat" Dunnigan was assigned four compatriot students.  Pictured (L to R) are Carlon O'Malley, Paul Flanery, IP "Pat" Dunnigan, Harvey Callahan and Richard Murphy. The USAF found this Irish matchup unique enough to include this picture in Air Force Times in early 1956 while 56-V was training in T-28's. Picture contributed by Paul Flanery of 56-V.

Click to Enlarge

Early Instructors ( click for enlargement and names )

Early Instructors Photo taken soon after Spence re-opened in 1951. Thought to be the first group of Hawthorne instructors to go through Instructor Pilot Training at Craig AFB.  The original Squadron Commanders and Flight Commanders were selected from this group.   Photo contributed by Jim Butler, Jr. of Moultrie, GA, son of one of the original two Squadron Commanders.  Unfortunately Jim Butler, Sr. lost his life in an automobile accident in June 1953 while employed at Spence.

From Spence to France Former Spence T-6G TA-669 is now based in France and frequently seen at French air shows.  Pictures at right were taken at an air show at Toulouse. Contributed by Bernard Lemarchand who was a French Aviation Cadet (NATO) with class 54-L at Spence.

Last T-28 Student Flight The last T-28 student flight at Spence ended at 11:16AM on July 14, 1960 flown by Aviation Cadet William B. Hayes of Class 61E who had won the honor by a coin toss with Cadet Blaine Cornick.  The last T-28 down was TA-555.  Photo at left (L to R) Raymond Plymel, Block Chief; Cadet Hayes; George Freeman, Flight Commander, Polecat Flight; and Edwin Walters, Crew Chief. Total T-28 time at Spence was 340,741:51 hours; student time was 311,275:31; and number of landings 500,903 - exclusive of final ferrying time. Photo and information contributed by William B. Hayes of Class 61D. Statistics are from the July 22, 1960 edition of THE SPENCE APPROACH.

The Early Days - Class 52F

Former Spence T-6G TA-799 The airplane was initially delivered from California to Spence Air Base in 1951.  It flew at Spence from 51-54 then was sent to Arizona in late 54 for surplus storage.  In late 57 it was shipped to Spain and saw extensive training duty at multiple bases.  It flew pretty routinely in Spain until 1988  at which time it was shipped back to California where it was recertified in the Normal Category.  It flew a couple hours in California then was shipped to Dayton Ohio to Wright Patterson Air Force Base's Museum as a flying display. It was repainted to the AFTC colors and flew about an hour each month for demonstration. In 1998 the wings were removed and the plane put in storage until early spring 2003 when two surplus T-6's from WPAFB were sold to a gentleman in Fargo, North Dakota.  He reassembled and annualed the two airplanes, sold TA-799 to me, and kept the other.  I purchased the plane in August 2003.  I am in process of putting the Spence insignia back on the cowling.  The 1940's style nose art just aft of the cowling is a tribute to my five foot tall wife, the "Little Texan".  Picture and history contributed by the present owner,  Ron Staley, of Brighton, MI.

Former Spence T-34 I own an Air Force T-34 Mentor, AF 52-7630, that was based at Spence in the mid-50s.  It is an historic aircraft since it was one of three sent to Edwards AFB in Oct. '53 for acceptance testing.  There is a great picture of it circa '53 in the Poncho Barnes Room in the O'Club at EDW.  After EDW it went to Marana and then to Spence.  It finished its AF career at Tinker and then went into the Aero Club and finally into civilian hands.  I have owned the plane since '85, when I put it through a complete ground up restoration at Parks Industries in Amarillo TX.  It is marked in the original markings as delivered to the AF in '53, and "lives" at Chino Airport in Southern California where we enjoy flying it very much.  Mike Talbot, Newport Beach, CA

Cadet Parade Review (Circa 1953)