Another SW Oklahoma day trip, 914 style Options

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Its another relatively clear day here in SW Oklahoma, very windy and still a bit too chilly to go topless. I'm headed to Frederick, the Tillman county seat, for a work day. Its the first day of class for the Airborne Demonstration Team. We need to change the batteries in the airplane, pre-oil and test fly.

On the way, here is one way people earn a living around here - dry land wheat farming. We have had several years of drought and a poor wheat crop. Most of it has been baled and we haven't seen the combine crews thru here in 3 years. But there has been good moisture this Fall and the farmers can make a decent return by grazing the wheat fields in the Fall and Winter. If there is good moisture in the Spring, there will be a good crop. If not, it will be another year of baled wheat.

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So here I am at the Frederick AAF hanger, home of the Airborne Demonstration Team. (Check out wwiiadt.org)

The Frederick Army Air Field began construction in February, 1942 in order to train multi-engine pilots. The first class reported in March or April. In short order there were about 100 buildings, mess halls and barracks, movie theaters and chapels, hospital and headquarters.

At first it was for primary multi-engine training using Cessna "bamboo bombers", but later there were B-25's and B-26's for advanced training. George Gobel was a B-26 instructor here.

Now all the buildings are gone except the major maintenance hanger and engineering building, now the home of the ADT, a non profit organization.



Classes are held in January and July each year. So far hundreds of men have taken airborne training similar to the training done in 1941-1945, using round chutes, jumping at 800'-1200' AGL, wearing steel pots and period uniforms. Today is the first day of class. Class size this time is about 25. You can see them off to the right getting some indoctrination in close order drill. They sleep in the barracks and eat in the chow hall. Reveille is at 6AM...or is it 5AM? They will make their first jump on Thursday, getting jump wings after 5 jumps in a ceremony and open house on Saturday.