Photo submitted by Steve Laabs
Cold Bay FSS (CDB), Alaska, May 1992
FSS facility, center of photo.
Below are photos of the Anchorage International Flight Service Station (IFSS) video lab reassembly in 1987.
Submitted by Marshall Severson
The Video lab was originally located at Anchorage ARTCC (ZAN). In 1987 we moved it to the Anchorage I/FSS basement, where we made training tapes using 3/4 inch video. I was told that the original equipment cost $500,000. It was a full video studio with cameras, recorders, mixers, graphic equalizers, dubbers, editors, etc. I believe most of the tapes were lost after ANC FSS decommissioning. There are a few tapes still out there. In fact, I dug up a copy of a DF Approach to Talkeetna a few years ago after having it buried among my personal VHS tapes and now digital. We did pilot briefing tapes as well as an FSS modernization tape with Dick Mathews, introducing the AFSS facility. It was strictly a collateral duty, and there was no staff assigned to the video lab.
I kept at making videos at the Regional Office (RO), and the best was when we brought a former ANC FSS guy, Dave Campbell, in from retirement to do an 8-part series on Alaska VFR Routes (and emergency services) in 2010. This was long after we had a studio, partly because people still remembered his original local area knowledge video taped at ZAN studio, which was lost. The replacement video was done in the Air Traffic Division conference room in Anchorage. Dave got an award from the AAL Regional Administrator Bob Lewis for doing the videos.
Here is a sample that is posted on FAA TV: https://www.faa.gov/TV/?mediaId=204
Video Lab Reassembly ANC FSS, Marshall Severson
Video Lab Reassembly ANC FSS, Marshall Severson
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Marshall Severson
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Marshall Severson
Video Lab Reassembly ANC FSS Airway Facilities (AF), 1987
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Jim Burton
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Jim Burton
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS.
L-R Bill Wuttke, Charlie Muhs, Hal Eward, and Jim Burton
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Jim Burton
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS
Far Left Bill Wuttke and AF Team, 1987
Video Lab Reassembly ANC FSS, Bill Wuttke and Jim Burton, 1987
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Marshall Severson
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Marshall Severson, 1987
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Marshall Severson
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Marshall Severson, 1987
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS, Marshall Severson
Video Lab Reassembly ANC IFSS Airways Facility (AF), 1987
Video Lab at Anchorage Center (ZAN), 1985, Marshall Severson
Tucumcari FSS (TCC), New Mexico. mid 1980’s
Person unknown
Tucumcari FSS (TCC), New Mexico. mid 1980’s
Bill Guthery
Tucumcari FSS (TCC), New Mexico. mid 1980’s
Person unknown
Tucumcari FSS (TCC), New Mexico. mid 1980’s
Bill Guthery (foreground)
Tucumcari FSS (TCC), New Mexico. mid 1980’s
Operations area
Tucumcari FSS (TCC), New Mexico. mid 1980’s
Inflight position
Houston FSS (HOU), Texas, mid 1960’s
Inflight, personnel unknown.
All photos taken by Bill Guthery and submitted by Denise Guthery.
Inflight, person unknown.
Houston FSS (HOU), Texas, mid 1960’s
Bill Guthery
Houston FSS (HOU), Texas, March 21, 1977
Gary Shaw at teletype, above.
Houston FSS (HOU), Texas, March 21, 1977
Nathan Curry.
Houston FSS (HOU), Texas, March 21, 1977
Elvera Lee at the teletype.
Photos submitted by Don Ricks
Ken Fix
Robert (Bob) Coffee, Manager, September 2004. Bob took over when Richard Post retired
Wayne A. Catt
Carl W. Anderson, Assistant Manager, September 2004
Don Morris
Bethel FSS (BET), Alaska in the 1970s
Employees, Aurora Campbell and Jerry Kutch
Gage FSS photos are requested
The following remarks regarding Gage FSS personnel were submitted by a very grateful pilot.
“My hats off to the FSS specialists at the Gage Ok facility in cira. 1982. I was in a military T-41 (similar to C-172 with no pitot heat) IFR flight from Lajunta, CO to Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, LA. I was in the clouds at 8000 ft and began picking up rime-ice very rapidly. Long story short, the pitot system froze thereby losing the airspeed indicator, as well as my windscreen icing over. I declared an emergency with en route center and they gave me a heading to nearby Gage OK (KGAG) that had an NDB approach.
I was by myself and had a pad of NOS approach plates and was trying to maintain flight and find the Gage NDB plate. A brief look at the plate and turbulence caused the approach plate book to close and fall on the floor. I thought the NDB beacon was on the airfield and after descending to MDA did not see the field and called missed approach and started a turn back. At that time the FSS told me they were DFing my VHF radio transmission and showed me still 3 miles from the runway.
I immediately turned back on final approach heading and continued on to find the runway and land. I taxied up to the FSS building and they came out to meet me. They (and I) couldn’t believe the amount of ice on the wings, and stabilizers as well as the propeller spinner which had a 9″ cone of ice shaped just like the spinner. Leading edges had 4″ of ice; they began taking pictures as they hadn’t seen an aircraft land with that much ice!
I most definitely had God as my copilot, and Gage FSS personnel as my guardian angles! Thanks to the many dedicated specialists….”
Photos and information submitted by David A. Sbur
If you look closely you can see some faint numbers on the roofs of the sheds for the Portland-Spokane Airway, part of the C.A.M. 32 route. No trace of a concrete arrow could be found on the site.
The airport was listed in the Dept of Commerce listings in 1931 as a DOCILF (Dept of Commerce intermediate landing field). It was also used as an Army Air Force auxilliary field in WW2. It’s pretty sleepy now, the only activity is a local drone company that does it’s testing there.
Department of Commerce intermediate field, site 12, Portland-Spokane Airway. One and one-fourth miles E. Altitude, 850 feet. Irregular shape, 2,400 feet E./W., 2,000 feet NW./SE., sod, level, natural drainage; entire field available. Directional arrow marked “12 P-S.” Pole line to N., beacon tower to NW. Beacon, boundary, approach, and obstruction lights. Beacon, 24-inch rotating, with green course lights flashing characteristic “2” (.._). Aviation fuel. No other servicing facilities. Teletypewriter. Department of Commerce marker beacon, characteristic signal “H” (. . . .), operating frequencies 248 and 278 kc.
Probably the generator shed.
Inside the generator shed.
Possibly the teletype office
Unknown item
Electrical standoffs on the field along the length of the landing area but offset a few hundred yards.
The beacon does not appear to be the original 24″ size, perhaps it is an old course light?
