McChord Memories 
 
This painting was inspired by photos I took with my trusty Instamatic 110 film camera in 1971, my first year at McChord AFB as a flight line mechanic with the 62nd OMS.
 
The quality from the time was pretty low, but they still bring up lots of memories of spending hours at the observation area. I can still hear them powering up the hill to the South end of the runway.
 
I decided to do a scene mostly based on memory. The 318th FIS F-106s regularly shot touch and go landings, ending with an awesome full burner high G 180 deg. climbing turn to go around and do it again. The weather shown is typical of Tacoma winters and shows why some days on the flightline were more fun than others. When the weather was good, we would look for an excuse to climb the very narrow ladder inside the vertical fin, pop the hatch and sit with our legs in the opening and enjoy the 360 deg. view. When I first got to McChord, some of the Starlifters were still in the bare metal finish. There were still a couple of C-124 "Shakeys" and a couple of Convair T-29 Navigation trainers. The brakes on those C-124s made a sound like a wounded Pterodactyl. I chose to show aircraft 50277, the first and last C-141 assigned to McChord.
 
Now a B model, it is preserved and on display at the Base museum. It only took me 55 years to use these pictures for my first painting of a Starlifter, I'm glad I finally got around to it.
 
Original painting is available.18"x36", acrylic on gesso boardSigned, open edition giclee prints are available for $150 plus $15 shippingImage size 11"x22" on 13"x24" paper.