[MRCA] Fwd: Control Tower

[Ray Fantini]

Was there for the Air Show/ Concert thing earlier this month. Very impressive facility, hard to find but very impressive. Saw the tower building but that was on the VIP side of the complex and people in general admission weren’t allowed around there.
They are looking for some common items along the line of EE-8 sets and command radios and the like and also for other items that are a bit more of an issue, but after seeing all the other work they have accomplished at that facility can’t see them not getting everything they want.
All there volunteers appear to be proud and happy to be involved and have to say that the quality of everyone’s work that I saw was all first class, but did not see anything that would imply anything regarding period  communications or electronics.
Can’t say I blame them being that any of the period radio systems would have the issue of not only being non dependable but also would not come close to anything that would be type accepted today and in a scenario where you have flying aircraft the addition of lots of dead weight to make something historically correct but have no real world function can be an issue.
Somehow think that in other collections or museums there may be one or two ARC-8 set ups that are still in operational aircraft and used for Ham radio but not certain about that.
Would be something to see that facility get something like a ground base ARC-8 set up installed and working if not for aircraft but just for use by Ham operators / volunteers if they had that sort of interest.
I know that if there was some sort of event that involved ground operations and other reenactors and the like there are several of us that would drag out equipment and set up. At the Georgetown Airport we have an event once a year at their airshow where the local WW2 group sets up vehicles including command and control and maintenance facilities for the public to see and I have been known to set up the mutt there in an ad hoc FAC set up.

Ray F/KA3EKH




From: mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of WW2RDO via MRCA
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2018 9:56 PM
To: mrca at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [MRCA] Fwd: Control Tower

Hello Everybody,
      Some of you folks were wondering about what to do with your older vintage military aircraft radio equipment that there seems to be no market for, and were looking for a museum to donate to.  Well, here's a candidate, and they're looking for the old stuff.  If you guys haven't met Gerry Yagen, he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.  What he is setting up in Pungo, Virginia is fantastic.  The air shows he puts on are second only to the shows in Oshkosh.  Makes seeing his stuff in action an absolutely must do.

Mark
WW2RDO

________________________________
From: epy1 at aol.com<mailto:epy1 at aol.com>
To: mkdorney at aol.com<mailto:mkdorney at aol.com>
Sent: 6/26/2018 5:05:22 PM Eastern Standard Time
Subject: Re: Control Tower

Mark, Take a look at the attached and see if you might have access to anything that would work for our tower. Thanks, Jerry


Gerald Yagen, President
Aviation Institute of Maintenance
4455 South Boulevard ~ Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452 - USA
Phone: (757) 490-3157    Fax: (757) 497-8083
We train more FAA licensed engineers than anyone else in the world!
www.AIMschool.com<http://www.aimschool.com/> www.CENTURAcampus.com<http://www.centuracampus.com/>
www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org<http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/> www.Facebook.com/FighterFactory<http://www.facebook.com/FighterFactory>


In a message dated 6/26/2018 12:40:08 PM Eastern Standard Time, mkdorney at aol.com<mailto:mkdorney at aol.com> writes:

Hello Mr Yagen,
        It's been a couple of years since I've been able t get down to Virginia Beach.  I remember your newest project than was importing and rebuilding an Army Airforce Airfield control tower. So how's it coming along?  Is this tower going to be functional, or just for show?  It sure would be neat if it was a functional tower.

       My interest s in vintage military radios - my favorite right now being the BC-654, one of which I operate out of my 1942 Dodge WC-52 Weapons Carrier.  Among the "Old Timers" in our local Ham Radio Club, the ARC-5 radios ( US Army Air Forces ) are popular. Some of our folks have commented that when they've toured historic aircraft at shows, more often than not, the fuselage is a hollow tube - with very little original radio gear. they don't seem to realize that the FAA probably requires the use of more modern gear, but still, even if the stuff doesn't work, it would be nice to see an original radioman's station onboard some aircraft.

       Being a Ham radio operator myself, I'm delighted with the resurgence of interest in some operators learning Morse Code, since there is no longer any Morse Code requirement to get a Ham Radio Operators Licence.  Do you use any original radio gear in either the aircraft or in vehicles or in ground installations at the museum?

Mark Dorney
callsign - WW2RDO

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