Cessna L-19, O-1 Bird Dog & Variants

[Jeff D. Welker]

I did not know where to post this, so I made a new topic. If I've misstepped, I hope the mods will please feel free to relocate.

This is an A2A image Dad made of an L-19A out of the Papago Army Air Field in Phoenix. After dad got out of the Air Force, he did a lot of free-lance work for the AZNG and USAF. In this particular case, the squadron had flown to the Grand Canyon to shoot Christmas card photos (looking for those negs also). On the way back, they were flying low through the Verde River valley chasing coyotes. Dad shot this image with his trusty old Fairchild K-20 aerial camera that he had been using for years. It used roll film that was 5.25"x20' and produced 4x5 negatives. The K-20 was made by the boys at Folmer Graflex - another mainstay of the military photographer. The K-20 was a heavy old beast and not his first choice for this type of work; however, he tells me had just sold his Linhof and was waiting delivery of a new Hasselblad. So he made do with the K-20 until his Hasselblad was delivered. As best as I can tell this was shot in 1963.

[Scott Youmans]

Well this is obviously not a photo of a Bird Dog but it is the base from which it was flying.  Taken around 1953 about ten years before the Bird Dog photo.  Notice the diagonal runway.  The runway (now closed) that runs parallel to Oak on the north edge of the base appears to be unpaved at that time.  They used to have a few Bird Dogs including a red and white one.  Also a Cessna U-3, Beech U-8, and some Bell UH-13s.

It always amazed me that there was an airfield almost right in our neighborhood.

Garrett Photo

[Paul Dumm]

I know this is not the best, Taken from Goolgeearth.

[jslugman]

Early morning arrivals at Chino.


Cessna O-1/L-19A Bird Dog 2-ship KCNO by James O'Rear acm2795 by James "JSlugman" O'Rear, on Flickr

[Jeff D. Welker]

Well dad and I dug through a pile of his "stuff" and found an Epson Perfection 1240U scanner. It apparently was designed to scan negatives and prints. I've got it working on my iMac and so far (keep your fingers crossed) things seem to be working. All those that have offered scanning assistance in the past week; I think you can "stand down" for the time being. If this thing gives up the ghost, I may be back with hat-in-hand.

1961 over the Grand Canyon. Dad says this was for the units Christmas card.

[Jeff D. Welker]

Here is an aerial that dad took of Papago in 1962. It appears the north runway adjacent/parallel to Oak St. is paved.

[Chris Kennedy]

I like the aerials, Jeff. You can see several firing ranges on the east part of the base.

Check this site for some history on the Papago field.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/AZ/Airfields_AZ_Phoenix_NE.htm

[Jay Beckman]

Ready Break!
Air To Air at Oshkosh 2015