This report is a brief summary of the happenings at the “Meet the Pilots Day” event at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum in New York City. This event was planned and set up by Eric Boehm, Curator of Aircraft restoration and display at the Carrier Intrepid.

I was one of five pilots invited to be parts of the one-day event at the Intrepid. Each of the pilots had flown the type aircraft they were assigned to be part of. In several cases, the pilots had flown the exact tail number bird that was displayed at the Intrepid. Those attending pilots were;

Sam Folsom, retired Lt Colonel, US Marine pilot, attending as the pilot of the Intrepid’s FJ-3 Fury. Sam lives in NYC.

Retired Navy Captain Rollie Shea, pilot of the A-4B Skyhawk. Rollie actually flew this very airplane Rollie lives in Winter Park, Florida.

Retired Navy Rear Admiral Lew Chatham, he flew the #5 marked Blue Angels F11F Tiger displayed there. Lew lives in Tucson, Arizona.
Frank Murray

Eric Boehm presenting Frank with a hunk of real Intrepid flight deck wood

Eric Boehm and the pilots

Retired Air Force Colonel Brent Richardson, he flew the F-16 Falcon on display at the Intrepid. Brent lives in Clayton, New York.

Retired Air Force Lt Colonel Frank Murray, he represented the Air Force and the CIA at the A-12 Blackbird that is on the flight deck of Intrepid. Frank lives in Gardnerville, Nevada.

The day started about 1000hrs on the Intrepid where Eric introduced the pilots to the staff of employed and volunteers that provide tour guidance throughout the Carrier. These docents were anxious to learn more from the pilots and they did!

The next event was done in the Auditorium in the converted aircraft elevator section of Intrepid. This is a well appointed 250 seat theatre, much like you’d see in a modern movie theatre. Eric introduced the seated pilots to the audience, and co-host/moderator Mike Barger proceeded to read the bios with a accompanying picture slide show of each of the pilots. Mike and his brother co-founded JetBlue Airways.

Following the introduction, the audience was invited to ask questions of the pilots. Part of this audience was a group of Boy Scouts seated at the first row. They asked many of the best questions of the day. This meet the pilots panel went on for an hour and was followed by lunch on the fantail for the pilots and selected guests. It was a picture perfect day, cool and calm for a change.

After lunch the pilots made their way to their respective airplanes where they met an enthusiastic public.

I was stationed inside the rope at the Intrepid’s A-12. This being the number 2 produced A-12, Lockheed Article number 122. This airplane was the Radar Cross Section test article that spent a lot of time up on a pole in the West edge of Groom Lake, elevated to 100′ on a pole, subjected to the study of radars and instrumentation measure in the early days of Project Oxcart. 122 was not flown very much, spending much time in the hangar being modified for various system tests.

There was a continuous stream of people of all ages and genders asking very good questions of me about this airplane.

The other pilots were at their appointed vehicles, and I am sure they were busy as was I. This part of the day was finished about 3:00PM.

Attending with me was Tom McGuire, retired Air Force Lt Colonel. Tom lives on Cape Cod, Mass. Tom was my RIO in the years I was stationed at Otis AFB on the Cape. We flew the F-101B for several years there.

BTW, RIO is the acronym for the Radar Intercept Officer that flies in the back seat of the F-101B. Sometimes called the GIB (guy in the backseat) or “gunner” as I used to call Tom.

Tom drove me to the Cape after the “do” where we finished the trip back East.

Follow-on traffic tells me that this was a success from the Intrepid’s view. They plan more of this kind of meeting. Seems to me that the same sort of thing would be a good thing at the other Air Museums across the country.
Intrepid started something I bet, I thoroughly enjoyed this venture. In retrospect, maybe an additional day to train the docents on a complicated airplane like the A-12 might have been a good thing. I did give Eric a CD copy of the A-12 Flight Manual. Tech info like this is important to keep the docent speaking the right stuff.

Frank Murray
A-12 pilot, Callsign “Dutch 20″

A-12 ARTICLE #132

Battleship Memorial Park – Mobile, Alabama

Maintaining the legacy of the CIA A-12 spyplane and the Roadrunners who built and flew it.

Following the lead of the Central Intelligence Agency during its September 2007 dedication of Article 128 the Battleship Memorial Park pays tribute to the Roadrunners. who built and flew Article 132 during Project OXCART at Area-51 during the Cold War. Each June 5, the museum pays special tribute to Alabama born CIA Project Pilot Jack Weeks who died in the loss of an A-12 during Operation Blackshield.

The Roadrunners extend their appreciation to Directer Bill Tunnel and his excellent staff for keeping the legacy of the Oxcart veterans alive and associated to their great plane under the excellent care of the Battleship Memorial Park Museum. More about this Article #132 retired in this great museum

Bill Tunnell- Museum Director

Owen Miller, Purchasing Agent/Property Manager

Mike Thompson-Aircraft Curator

curator Shea McLain – Aircraft Curator

Battleship Memorial Park

2703 Battleship Parkway

P. O. Box 65,

Mobile, Alabama. 36601

251-433-2703

FINAL FLIGHT

BILL D. CHOATE

We regret having to inform you of the final flight of Bill D. Choate of Palmdale, California.

Bill was born on a farm in west Texas and moved to Phoenix at the age of 10. He enlisted in the Army for 18 months in October 1945 and spent a year on Okinawa. Choate was discharged in March 1947. He re-enlisted in the Air Force in 1948 and retired from the Air Force in 1969 after a four-year tour at Area 51 with the 1129th SAS during Project OXCART and and Operation BLACK SHIELD.

Bill Choate entered the United States Army in October 1945 with basic training at Sheppard Field, Texas. After basic training he was assigned to the 623rd AC&W Squadron in Okinawa as an aircraft mechanic. From there he transferred in 1948 to McChord AFB, Washington where he worked in supply.

From July 1949 to February 1952, he served with the 78th Air Bus Group at Hamilton Field, California. In 1952, he transferred to the 44th Fighter Bomber Group at Clark AFB, Philippines.

From 1954 to May 1958, he was assigned to the 5th Bomber Wing at Travis AFB where he was the NCOIC Flyaway Kit.

In June 1958 he assumed the job of Supply Liaison at Chateauroux AB, France. From Chateauroux, He was re-assigned back to Travis AFB in June 1961. In September 1965 he returned to Travis AFB as a supply specialist. Choate spent three months on Okinawa in 1966 and again in 1968 on the CIA’s Operation Black Shield. In January 1969 he retired from the Air Force and moved to Palmdale, California where he worked for Lockheed on the L-1011 until mid 1975. Opened a Gunsmith shop in 1975 (Choate’s Rifle Shop). Sold out in 1983 and left the State of California for a return to Arizona. 1985 Opened another gun shop on the Mongollan Rim and retired in Oct 1997. At that time, he wrote two books, “From Time to Time” and then “Don’t roll over”

Steven has a son, Steven, and two daughters. Other survivors in his immediate family are his wife, Donna, sisters Ruth and Gene, and a half-brother Daniel. Services will be private.