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….”