STARFIGHTERS - This photo illustration
blends the past with the present. Below are
the old fighter hangars at Westover, which
were later used by the Army National Guard
as helicopter hangars until about 2002. The
F-104 Starfighters that prowled the skies
above New England in the late 1950s are
superimposed by my friend Stan
Lukasiewicz. According to Alan Hayes, a
member of the 814th Air Police Squadron
during that era, the pilots of these aircraft,
when scrambled, would put these sleek jets
straight up into the sky , and at full
afterburner, depart the base in a matter of
seconds - after using just a couple of
thousand feet of the Runway 5 end of the
main runway! I took this photo from a
helicopter in February 2005. Please scroll
down for more information about
Westover's fighter squadrons, much of
which Stan has provided.
blends the past with the present. Below are
the old fighter hangars at Westover, which
were later used by the Army National Guard
as helicopter hangars until about 2002. The
F-104 Starfighters that prowled the skies
above New England in the late 1950s are
superimposed by my friend Stan
Lukasiewicz. According to Alan Hayes, a
member of the 814th Air Police Squadron
during that era, the pilots of these aircraft,
when scrambled, would put these sleek jets
straight up into the sky , and at full
afterburner, depart the base in a matter of
seconds - after using just a couple of
thousand feet of the Runway 5 end of the
main runway! I took this photo from a
helicopter in February 2005. Please scroll
down for more information about
Westover's fighter squadrons, much of
which Stan has provided.
Four fighter squadrons once made their home at Westover
While Westover will always be
known as a major SAC installation,
it's important to remind people that
another very important command
also conducted operations at the
base from the early 1950s until
1963.
The Air Defense Command
occupied a large portion of the
base near the "Christmas Tree"
and Mole Hole areas on the
southwestern end of the base.
Four fighter squadrons (the 60th,
76th, 324th and 337th) flew F-84,
F-86, F-102, and F-104 aircraft at
Westover. One way to remind
people that fighters were at
Westover was when a scramble
alert order would come from the
North American Air Defense
headquarters.
Pairs of fighters roared from
Westover's runways, their
afterburners lit as they sped on
another practice mission to
intercept Soviet Union bombers
crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Stan Lukasiewicz, who continues
to kindly assist me with research for
my upcoming book and this site,
recently sent me an e-mail which
details some of this history of these
fighter squadrons. Please scroll
below to see it.
known as a major SAC installation,
it's important to remind people that
another very important command
also conducted operations at the
base from the early 1950s until
1963.
The Air Defense Command
occupied a large portion of the
base near the "Christmas Tree"
and Mole Hole areas on the
southwestern end of the base.
Four fighter squadrons (the 60th,
76th, 324th and 337th) flew F-84,
F-86, F-102, and F-104 aircraft at
Westover. One way to remind
people that fighters were at
Westover was when a scramble
alert order would come from the
North American Air Defense
headquarters.
Pairs of fighters roared from
Westover's runways, their
afterburners lit as they sped on
another practice mission to
intercept Soviet Union bombers
crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Stan Lukasiewicz, who continues
to kindly assist me with research for
my upcoming book and this site,
recently sent me an e-mail which
details some of this history of these
fighter squadrons. Please scroll
below to see it.
A B-52 leads a formation of F-102 Delta Dagger
fighter-interceptors (right) and a pair of F-84F Thunderstreaks
from the New Jersey Air National Guard, in this impressive photo
during the 1959 Armed Forces Day at the base. Westover not only
housed an armada of SAC airplanes, but several squadrons of
fighter-interceptors as well, until 1963.
fighter-interceptors (right) and a pair of F-84F Thunderstreaks
from the New Jersey Air National Guard, in this impressive photo
during the 1959 Armed Forces Day at the base. Westover not only
housed an armada of SAC airplanes, but several squadrons of
fighter-interceptors as well, until 1963.
The 337th was deactivated on 8 July 1960. I had mentioned they were at Westover from 50 - 61, but it was 1960. The 60th moved to
Westover from Otis (planes and personnel) 10 August 1950 with their F-86A Sabrejets. Sometime in late 1951 early 1952 they began
getting F-86Es. The Air Force needed the Es in Korea, so in early 1953 they began flying them to Oakland, CA for shipping via boat to
Korea. In May 1953, the first F-86D all-weather interceptor arrived and they flew them until 18 August 1955. That's when the 60th was
sent back to Otis (Unit designation only, planes and personnel stayed at Westover and the unit was redesignated the 337th Fighter
Interceptor Squadron), the 60th began flying F-94C Starfires - two seater interceptors.
Meanwhile, the 337th kept flying the F-86Ds until mid-1956 when F-86Ls began replacing the Ds. They flew the Ls until April 1958
when the first F-104 Starfighter landed at Westover. They flew the F-104s until their deactivation on 8 July 1960.
The 76th FIS arrived at Westover in 1961 from McCoy AFB, FL where they were flying F-89 Scorpions and transitioned into the F-102
which they flew until 1963. Then the unit was deactivated in 1963 and it was the last fighter outfit assigned to Westover.
The sleek lines of this F-104 Starfighter, taken at Westover in 1959, show the ahead-of-its-time appearance.
(Photo taken by Charles Moore, provided by Clarke Ketter)
(Photo taken by Charles Moore, provided by Clarke Ketter)
Recapping the history of the 60th and 337th
photo by Stan Lukasiewicz
The following information was provided by Stan Lukasiewicz, whose name appears on this site more than anyone else's! Stan
is a wealth of information and grew up in Holyoke, Mass.
is a wealth of information and grew up in Holyoke, Mass.
This photo shows what appears to be a
William Tell competition. The F-104s and
personnel are certainly from the 337th
FIS; it's the location that is unknown.
(Westover archives)
William Tell competition. The F-104s and
personnel are certainly from the 337th
FIS; it's the location that is unknown.
(Westover archives)
Upper right, a TF-102A two-seater
lands over Cooley Brook Reservoir
in Chicopee, April 20, 1962. Tom
reports that the trainer version of
the "Deuce" was called "The Tub"
in many units. He adds that so
much additional drag resulted from
the side-by-side seating, it was not
capable of supersonic speeds in
level flight. The 76th FIS was
assigned to Westover from 1960 to
1963. The unit lost a half-dozen or
more of these aircraft during this
time.
76th FIS "Deuces" -- Tom Hildreth took this
shot at Westover some time in 1962. He has
never seen a photo of a 76th F-102 in unit
markings published anywhere, so such shots
may be pretty rare, like this one.
shot at Westover some time in 1962. He has
never seen a photo of a 76th F-102 in unit
markings published anywhere, so such shots
may be pretty rare, like this one.
Read about the fighters at Westover!
While SAC owned and operated Westover for 19 incredible and exciting years, we can't forget
the other Air Force commands that also had an important role in defending America. My
friend Stan Lukasiewicz has just published a book on the 60th and 337th Fighter Interceptor
Squadrons. These were Air Defense Command units that were assigned to the base from
1953 to 1960. I just received a copy and it is an excellent and thorough account of these
fighter units. Stan's work is detailed with photographs of the sleek F-86s and F-104s and the
pilots and maintenance crews that flew them. Stan is a major contributor to this web site and
to my book that is still in the works. It will be called "Westover Heyday: The Strategic Air
Command Years, 1955-1974" and will document the tremendous activity generated by SAC
and other Air Force units at Westover.
For more information on getting a copy of Stan's book, e-mail him at par3club@yahoo.com
While SAC owned and operated Westover for 19 incredible and exciting years, we can't forget
the other Air Force commands that also had an important role in defending America. My
friend Stan Lukasiewicz has just published a book on the 60th and 337th Fighter Interceptor
Squadrons. These were Air Defense Command units that were assigned to the base from
1953 to 1960. I just received a copy and it is an excellent and thorough account of these
fighter units. Stan's work is detailed with photographs of the sleek F-86s and F-104s and the
pilots and maintenance crews that flew them. Stan is a major contributor to this web site and
to my book that is still in the works. It will be called "Westover Heyday: The Strategic Air
Command Years, 1955-1974" and will document the tremendous activity generated by SAC
and other Air Force units at Westover.
For more information on getting a copy of Stan's book, e-mail him at par3club@yahoo.com
1955 Yankee Flyer
This photo shot by Tom Hildreth shows the 337th FIS hangar at Westover.
The old alert sheds are shown in this photo from Tom Hildreth.