Tag Archives: gate guardian

A-4s In Various States Of Decay

Our return trip from Klamath Falls also provided a bunch of opportunities to stop en route and see different aircraft.  We had seen some images on Google Maps of A-4 Skyhawks at Albany in Oregon.  The airport is right next to I-5 so we decided to take a look.  Sure enough, the airframes were on the field but not where they had previously been seen.  However, we had missed that a preserved A-4 was on a pole at the entrance to the airport so we got some shots of that first.

The stored airframes were now along a fence line on the east side of the field.  This did not seem immediately accessible but, it turned out the the next property was an event center and it had a parking area that was open.  We were able to get up to the fence amongst the parked RVs and get some shots of the airframes as they sat on the ground.  No idea what the plan is for them but it doesn’t look like much at the moment.

Gate Guards At Klamath Falls

The 173FW at Klamath Falls has flown a variety of types over the year.  One of the advantages of the base being open for Sentry Eagle 2022 was the chance to check out the preserved examples that they have.  There is a central avenue on base that is the location of an F-4, an F-15 and an F-16.  They are mounted on poles and in the colors of the unit.  The lighting can be a bit tricky depending on the time of day but there are ways of making the most of what you can get.

Each plane is set up in a dynamic pose as is appropriate for a fighter aircraft.  They are well looked after and there aren’t too many items on them that you would want removed, like spikes to deter birds from landing.  I was surprised how few of the visitors to the event actually came to check them out as they weren’t far from the main route to the ramp but it certainly made it easier trying to get some shots.