Mysterious Pacific island runway?

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

G

grampz

Airman
13
0
Sep 23, 2007
Orlando, FL
All of you Pacific Ocean aviators..... I recently recieved an email from a friend that claimed the attached foto is Wake Island. As a typhoon chaser, I have been to Wake Island manytimes and this foto is not Wake.... Do any of you intrepid flyboys recognize this island landing strip.... At first I thought it might be Kwajaline but now realize it is not...... The hard dock on the left indicates it might be a government (Navy?) facility....Can't for the life of me pull up this island from my memory... just curious and I know that one of you characters out there has been to this atoll..... thanks.... grampz
 

Attachments

  • Island.jpg
    Island.jpg
    47.4 KB · Views: 7,675
Well Guys........ so far good try but no cigar.... as a typhoon chaser. I have been to Johnson Island, Palmyra atoll. and nearby Christmas island. Also Midway and French Frigate Shoals.....was staioned on Guam for 3 years and it is none of the Marianas islands.... I know Ive seen this runway but I believe there have been additions and improvements that are confounding my tired old brain..... This apparently appears to be the tail end of a rather linear atoll as opposed to a circular ring.... which is what caused me to think of Kwajaline but that ain't it...... keep speculating please ....some on is sure to come up with the answer...... I'm thinking it might be down around Indonesia?
 
If my memory is right Palmyra Island and Christmas island are part of the chain known as the "Line" islands.... These two islands are located on the equator due south of the Hawaiian islands..... Interesting that the two islands that you folks came up with were Palmyra (and adjoining Christmas) and Johnson isalnds..... In the early 60s, I was involved in Operation Domonic, Operation Windlass and Exercise Roundup....all concerning the testing of nuclear weapons in the Line? islands..... Various aircraft were involved from Hickam AFB Hawaii and Johnson island dropping shapes of nuclear weapons for ballistic table purposes and then we did actual atmospheric nuclear shots from Johnson island with ballistic missles.... for yeild and other data collection.
What you see in that Johnson foto is all that there is of that island. The island actually exceeds the area of the reef and additions have been poured into the ocean in places to create more real esate. I also believe that Johnson has been or is going to be abandond
 
YOU MUST HAVE A LOT OF STORIES TO TELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Start a thread on your experiences with the nuke tests.



Im pretty sure its Palmyra. Kwajelein and Eniwetok are definatley not it. I looked at Canton and the airfield isnt the same. The same is true for Christmas Island.

I will have to look at the larger islands of the Marshalls, Carolines and Kiribati.
 
Charles..... I believe Dan McDonald would be a good place to start.... how do we get to him?

Keep at it guys........ FYI - Kiribati is also known as Christmas Island western hemisphere..... there is also a Christmas island in the eastern Hemispher south of India

The mystery is gratifying when your running outa fuel... grampz
 
Hi Grampz,

Here it is:

pkmj - Google Maps

Unfortunately, only the far end of the runway is in good resolution!

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)
 
Many Thanks HoHun.... It looks like you may have found it...... I used to ziggy around Truk and Tarawa..... so I'm sure I have over flown that runway a time or two..... Just couldn't find it in my memory..... Now I have to look for a good satellite foto........ chores for tomorrow........ Mabuhy
 
Well folks...... my trust in you has been rewarded.... The runway in question is indeed Amata Kabua International Airport located on Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands.... I remember over flying this airfield while searching for tropical storm develoment..... At first I thought it was Kawjalien which turned out to be in error but it is in the same island group. Many thanks to Ho Hun for steering me straight.........

Now a couple of other remarks...... I stand before you hat in hand and appologize for refering to Kiribati as Christmas Island. September 1966 is a long time ago and was my last visit to Kiritmati in the Line Islands along with Palmyra and Kingman Reefs......So Kiritmati is the one refered to as Christmas Island and not Kiribati....... age doth weigh heavily on ones brain cells.

Finally to syscom3..... Can't say any more about the nuclear programs. What you read in news papers and magazines and periodicals is all heresay until some knowledgable official confirms certain statements or developements... at that point it becomes official and is no longer heresay..... All I can say is it was very interesting and educational and made a believer out of folks like me (who once upon a time was a SAC B-47 Select Aircraft Commander)....that we don't ever want to go to war with nuclear weapons..... no winners there everybody loses..........

You folks might google Operation Corona for a little window into some of my other adventures in the Pacific.... I got into all kinds of stuff in my 30 years of airplane driving for Uncle Sam.......

11 PM here in Orlando and rapidly nearing my bed time so.... my friends I bid you adieu and thanks again for helping to clear up some of the fog in this old head........... good site........ keep it up!
 
grampz said:
Well folks...... my trust in you has been rewarded.... The runway in question is indeed Amata Kabua International Airport located on Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands.... I remember over flying this airfield while searching for tropical storm develoment..... At first I thought it was Kawjalien which turned out to be in error but it is in the same island group. Many thanks to Ho Hun for steering me straight.........

Now a couple of other remarks...... I stand before you hat in hand and appologize for refering to Kiribati as Christmas Island. September 1966 is a long time ago and was my last visit to Kiritmati in the Line Islands along with Palmyra and Kingman Reefs......So Kiritmati is the one refered to as Christmas Island and not Kiribati....... age doth weigh heavily on ones brain cells.

Finally to syscom3..... Can't say any more about the nuclear programs. What you read in news papers and magazines and periodicals is all heresay until some knowledgable official confirms certain statements or developements... at that point it becomes official and is no longer heresay..... All I can say is it was very interesting and educational and made a believer out of folks like me (who once upon a time was a SAC B-47 Select Aircraft Commander)....that we don't ever want to go to war with nuclear weapons..... no winners there everybody loses..........

You folks might google Operation Corona for a little window into some of my other adventures in the Pacific.... I got into all kinds of stuff in my 30 years of airplane driving for Uncle Sam.......

11 PM here in Orlando and rapidly nearing my bed time so.... my friends I bid you adieu and thanks again for helping to clear up some of the fog in this old head........... good site........ keep it up!
Click to expand...

By "Select Aircraft Commander", do you mean "nuclear-armed B-47E standing on alert"? My uncle flew B-47's, but I don't know any of the details. I do know he had a ground accident in one at some point; probably ended his career.
 
Well now Mr. Stitch....... can I call you Sod?
In it's hayday SAC had three classes of nuclear crews.... Combat Ready,Lead, and Select. You have to remember that during the cold war, SAC was in the Nuclear Bomb business. All crews that were combat ready and above stood alert armed to the teeth and dedicated to obliterate the Soviet Union / Warsaw Pact nations.... Crew structure was like a team structure. Starters, 1st string, 2nd string, etc.....
The Select crews were generally the old heads, many with Korea and WWII experience....... Lead and Combat ready were usually the younger guys....At the time, I was the only First Lieutenant in SAC that had a Select Crew and I earned it. I was actually outranked by my crew. My co-pilot was a Captain and my Navigator was a Major.
I have no doubt that if your uncle had any type of accident or incident concerning the handling or security of nuclear weapons, he was pulled out of the alert structure........ Remember ...to this day.... those folks who guard and ride herd on the world nuclear bomb inventory (friend and foe) literally have the potential to destroy all living creatures on Planet Earth......
SACs' take on nuclear alert was ZERO TOLERANCE.... absolutely no room for error...... serious business.....very serious business. I spent my share of alert time at home and overseas for seveal years during the cold war and the cuban crisis and was totally dedicated to deliver my weapons load to the enemy should the need arise...... serious business.... very serious business...and with all of the nuts running amuck out there now, we aren't out of the woods yet!!!!...... Stand Proud guys!!!
 
grampz Well now Mr. Stitch....... can I call you Sod?
In it's hayday SAC had three classes of nuclear crews.... Combat Ready,Lead, and Select. You have to remember that during the cold war, SAC was in the Nuclear Bomb business. All crews that were combat ready and above stood alert armed to the teeth and dedicated to obliterate the Soviet Union / Warsaw Pact nations.... Crew structure was like a team structure. Starters, 1st string, 2nd string, etc.....
The Select crews were generally the old heads, many with Korea and WWII experience....... Lead and Combat ready were usually the younger guys....At the time, I was the only First Lieutenant in SAC that had a Select Crew and I earned it. I was actually outranked by my crew. My co-pilot was a Captain and my Navigator was a Major.
I have no doubt that if your uncle had any type of accident or incident concerning the handling or security of nuclear weapons, he was pulled out of the alert structure........ Remember ...to this day.... those folks who guard and ride herd on the world nuclear bomb inventory (friend and foe) literally have the potential to destroy all living creatures on Planet Earth......
SACs' take on nuclear alert was ZERO TOLERANCE.... absolutely no room for error...... serious business.....very serious business. I spent my share of alert time at home and overseas for seveal years during the cold war and the cuban crisis and was totally dedicated to deliver my weapons load to the enemy should the need arise...... serious business.... very serious business...and with all of the nuts running amuck out there now, we aren't out of the woods yet!!!!...... Stand Proud guys!!!
 
Grampz, lets hear some of your Pacific stories.

The obscure airfields you were at, the unusual charachters that spring up on those islands.....
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

nuuumannn
Cockatoo Island Shipyard
2
Replies
22
Views
2K
GreenKnight121
GreenKnight121
Clave
Airfields Hangars and Runways
2
Replies
26
Views
4K
Wayne Little
Wayne Little
seesul
Pics from our visit of New Jersey, N.Y.C. and Long Island
2
Replies
25
Views
6K
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Back