Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX, KPHX)

[Joe Copalman]

[Jeff D. Welker]

A couple of 1961 aerials that dad took of Sky Harbor and the ANG base. Quality is not the best. The 4x5 negatives have some type of chemical shift going on that I've never seen before.

The first image is looking north-northeast across the ANG base and Sky Harbor's spartan facilities.


The second image is looking west-southwest towards 24th Street (just outside of the frame). It may not be easy to see, but I believe there are eight F-104's, three T-33's, and one C-47 one the ANG ramp.

[Paul Dumm]

9 F-104's Jeff. One of the is in the Hanger

[Scott Youmans]

Jeff,  Thanks for posting these very interesting photos. The thought of F-104s flying out of Sky Harbor is fascinating and to think I was only four miles away.  Back then the F-104 had an almost supernatural aura about it with its tiny "razor sharp" wings and Mach 2.5 performance.  Leading edge radius was actually .016". Not quite like a razor but you would want to smack your head into it!

Each night when Channel 3 (KTVK) signed off for the evening they played a short film featuring the poem "High Flight" and footage of a USAF F-104. I must have watched that a hundred times over the years.  You can find it on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoL-KCFbIpA

[Jeff D. Welker]

Wow Scott. I had completely forgot about the High Flight sign-off. When I was lucky enough to still be allow up when they ended broadcasting for the day, I remember watching this with my dad. Great stuff.

[Jay Beckman]

Used to see this same High Flight clip (or very similar) at sign off time in Detroit as well.  Never aired it in Dayton, OH though when the station I worked at signed off.  We just played an audio cart over a slide showing our license details and what repeaters we used.

I don't recall playing the National Anthem at sign off but I think we played it when we signed on in the morning.  These were the days before infomercials so when there was nothing to air that generated revenue, there was no point in being on the air.

[Joe Copalman]

We replaced THAT with infomercials?  Ugh.

[Jay Beckman]

A couple of 1961 aerials that dad took of Sky Harbor and the ANG base. Quality is not the best. The 4x5 negatives have some type of chemical shift going on that I've never seen before.

The first image is looking north-northeast across the ANG base and Sky Harbor's spartan facilities.

Interesting to note that even at this "early" stage in the development of KPHX, they've already closed a runway as evidenced by the stretch of pavement that dead ends into the ramp in the upper left-hand corner.  Looks like they used to have one diagonal runway (like Miami International) for those rare times the winds weren't due east or due west.

The square-slab ramp design is so "Hoover Dam" looking!  All of these are simply amazing images Jeff.  Keep 'em coming buddy!

[Scott Youmans]

Jay is correct.  There was a diagonal runway at Sky Harbor.  Remnants of it could still be seen into the seventies at least.  This photo shows it very clearly.  If you look closely you can see a P-38 near the east end of the north runway. The shadow is the best indication that it's a Lightning.  During the late fifties and early sixties there used to be a place not far from where the Left Seat is (was) along Airlane where several WWII aircraft were kept.  It was just a dirt area with a couple of old hangers. I seem to recall a Corsair and possibly a P-38. Four or five aircraft altogether.  Also parked along Airlane were several Lockheed PV-2 Harpoons fresh out of Litchfield still with spraylat on them.  I think a couple of these are still at Falcon Field.  They were originally owned by Floyd Stilwell.  I didn't know that at the time.

[Jay Beckman]

We're looking NE to SW here, yes?

[Scott Youmans]

Jay, Yes that's correct.

[wingsnstuff]

Nice landing sequence Dave.  I've never seen this aircraft in the air.  Maybe one these days.  Thanks for sharing. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and all the AZAP members

[Chris Kennedy]

This is a really lousy image, because it's a scan of a Zerox of an aerial photo poorly printed on the page of a 1944 Army airport directory, but it shows Sky Harbor in 1943. You can see that there were three runways then. It was also surrounded by mostly farm fields. North is up.

[Scott Youmans]

Very interesting indeed.  The diagonal runway in the 1943 photo is perpendicular to the later diagonal runway.

[Jeff D. Welker]

Wasn't sure where to post this. Self portrait of Technical Sergeant Welker flying rear seat in Copperhead 2. the 197th FIS had a couple of "F" model 2-seater F-86 Sabres in their inventory. This particular model was configured as a photography platform. Dad spent a bunch of hours in the rear seat. He took this self portrait with his Fairchild K20 aerial camera. Not the best image he's ever made; however not too bad - all things considered.