Tag Archives: Addison

Take Your Pick When Refueling

The F-105 Thunderchief (or Thud) is a beast of a plane. Sadly I never got to seem them in action.  One is parked outside at Cavanaugh in Addison TX.  Its camo is a bit bleached by the Texas sun (it was just over 100 degrees the day I arrived and that was towards the end of the afternoon).  The thing that caught my eye, though, was the refueling receptacle or, more specifically, receptacles.  USAF aircraft have the flying boom refueling system.  This was not always the case and jets like the F-100 had flight refueling probes for the hose and drogue method.

I assume that the Air Force was in a transition mode when the F-105 was being designed so they had both.  On the upper side of the nose there is a ramp for boom refueling to take place.  Below that on the port side is a retractable refueling probe for hose and drogue use.  I didn’t realize that any jets had been built for both (aside from the UK and French E-3s which are a bit larger and more able to accommodate the extra kit.  I wonder which one was more regularly used since the techniques for each type differ.

Cavanaugh Air Museum

I have been to Addison in Texas a few times recently for work.  The trips have been pretty much in and out with little spare time so I have not been able to check out the Cavanaugh Air Museum before.  On a recent visit, though, my flight got in at a time that meant I could get there for the final 45 minutes that they were open.  Not a lot of time but better than nothing and the temperature was over 100 degrees so being out for too long was not going to be fun!

It was a quick trip around but still fun.  Some nice examples of aircraft in the hangars and a few interesting bits outside.  The intense sun meant they were hard to photograph and I wasn’t going to hang around out there too long.  The ramp was reflecting the heat even more so it was roasting out there.  Lots of nice stuff but the F-104 and the pair of A-1 Skyraiders were probably the high points for me.  The painting gallery was also well worth a look and it was in the air conditioning so definitely a welcome spot.

Building a Big Box

I have stayed in the same hotel in Addison TX a couple of times recently for work trips.  The view from my window has been of a building site that has been progressively developing on each visit.  On one morning, I was just getting ready to check out when I could see the crew getting ready to lift a concrete panel into place.  The crane they were using was a substantial beast.  The crew were scattering to different locations to carry out their roles and then they started lifting the panel.  They had several lift lines which could be controlled individually to allow the, to rotate the panel as required.  Sadly I had to go before they finished.  I should be back before too long, though, so I shall see how progress is going.