Pictures of Cold War aircraft. (47 Viewers)

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Kara-Balta Airfield. Instructor pilot V.P. Babko, leading a Yak-18A pair 1974 the net
Kara-Balta Airfield. Instructor pilot V.P. Babko, leading a Yak-18A pair 1974 the net.png
 
This is an incident that an F-106 pilot told me about. Two F-106 were performing Air Combat Maneuvering practice when one departed controlled flight, entering a post-stall gyration. Unable to regain control of the aircraft, the pilot ejected. The aircraft made a landing in a filed with heavy snow cover and was found by a Montana farmer, the engine still running at idle and the radar still scanning away. An Air Force team responded, walked up to it and shut off the engine. Damage to the aircraft was minimal and it was recovered and put back into service.

Screenshot 2026-08-01 at 10-25-38 Delta Dart in Distress - Flight Journal.png
 
This is an incident that an F-106 pilot told me about. Two F-106 were performing Air Combat Maneuvering practice when one departed controlled flight, entering a post-stall gyration. Unable to regain control of the aircraft, the pilot ejected. The aircraft made a landing in a filed with heavy snow cover and was found by a Montana farmer, the engine still running at idle and the radar still scanning away. An Air Force team responded, walked up to it and shut off the engine. Damage to the aircraft was minimal and it was recovered and put back into service.

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On display at Wright Patterson AFB.
 
This is an incident that an F-106 pilot told me about. Two F-106 were performing Air Combat Maneuvering practice when one departed controlled flight, entering a post-stall gyration. Unable to regain control of the aircraft, the pilot ejected. The aircraft made a landing in a filed with heavy snow cover and was found by a Montana farmer, the engine still running at idle and the radar still scanning away. An Air Force team responded, walked up to it and shut off the engine. Damage to the aircraft was minimal and it was recovered and put back into service.

View attachment 889487
There is an article in an Air Force magazine issue about the incident. Apparently, without the weight of the canopy, seat and pilot, the 106 recovered on its own, flew along gradually losing altitude until it bellied in. I mentioned the account to a retired Lt. Col. who began his career on F-102s and ended on F-106s having never been assigned to any others. My friend had never heard the story, so I had to copy the article for him. He gave me a call just after he moved away thanking me for the article because it told him of an F-106 pilots association that he also had not heard of .
 

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