PE interview on Insideanalogphoto.com

[Kirk Keyes]

In case you haven't found this, take a listen. There's a nice interview with our one Photo Engineer, Ron Mowrey at:

Dead Link Removed

I waiting for the next installment!

 

[MattKing]

It's great to be able to attach a real voice to PE's posts.

I too am looking forward to more.

Matt

 

[Sean]

Fascinating stuff Ron, loved it and look forward to more!

Sean

 

[rwyoung]

Greatest interview ever! And I'm still downloading the MP3 to listen to it!!!

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Very interesting. It's great to have Ron Mowrey at APUG!

Jeff

 

[Photo Engineer]

Thanks. I believe that Scott will be doing another one in the near future.

Ron

 

[Chazzy]

I too found it wonderful to be able to connect a voice to Ron's posts. I'm looking forward to the next one!

 

[Kirk Keyes]

Ron - I really liked the photo of you in the flight suit!

 

[Photo Engineer]

Thanks. I still have my flight suit here. It is getting kinda old, like me. I actually got to fly the plane for a few minutes. We were in the air for about 8 hours on each mission and the pilot wanted to take a short break, so I held it level for him and did a few "moves" until I annoyed him enough to tell me that he was taking over again.

I don't remember giving Scott that picture. I gave him another "head shot".

PE

 

[Anon Ymous]

I actually got to fly the plane for a few minutes.

And what was that plane? An RF-101?
BTW, great interview!

 

[Photo Engineer]

Thanks.

I was to fly in an RF-101B (two seat model of the RF-101C which our unit flew). For that and other potential assignments, I had to undergo high altitude and explosive decompression training. I was certified to fly up to 100,000 ft. The AF did not deliver the B model, so I ended up flying chase in a T-33 which was a modified fighter with no weapons.

A lot of us were trained for ultra high altitude back seat work, but the whole thing was kinda cancelled when a certain pilot was shot down by a certain country at about that time.

PE

 

[Kirk Keyes]

Thanks. I still have my flight suit here. It is getting kinda old, like me. I actually got to fly the plane for a few minutes.

That's cool - I've got my autoracing firesuit hanging on the wall of my office. I don't know if I'll ever drive a racecar on the track again, but if I get to, I'm ready!

That's me wearing red. (It's a right-hand drive Lotus, that's why I'm on the "wrong" side of the car.)

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

That's cool - I've got my autoracing firesuit hanging on the wall of my office. I don't know if I'll ever drive a racecar on the track again, but if I get to, I'm ready!

That's me wearing red. (It's a right-hand drive Lotus, that's why I'm on the "wrong" side of the car.)

Nonsense, that`s the correct side.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Kirk;

My flight suit has shrunk alarmingly over the years. I thought that the fabric was stable but it seems to shrink just hanging in the closet! Can you get yours on? I can't!

PE

 

[Derek Lofgreen]

It was great to hear your interview Ron. Glad to hear there is still a lot of "tinkering" going on. I do like that site a lot.

D.

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks.
A lot of us were trained for ultra high altitude back seat work, but the whole thing was kinda cancelled when a certain pilot was shot down by a certain country at about that time.

PE

That wouldn't be a certain Gary would it? There was a re-inactment of his capture on the BBC fairly recently. It was based on interviews with each of his inauspicious captors recalling the incident. He was seen parachuting down by some Russian agricultural workers on their way to a May Day celebration in a local village. Despite fun and frolics calling them to the village they thought they'd be good citizens and help the distressed Soviet pilot

While he was approaching the ground they all thought that something didn't quite look right about the clothes and parachute but weren't sure. It was only when they saw the American gun round his middle that they realised he was the enemy but even then they couldn't quite believe that they had an American pilot in their midst.

The rest as they say is Ike's embarassment and Nikita's gloating and is now old enough to be called history. Fascinating stuff

pentaxuser

 

[Photo Engineer]

Ike actually said something like "what else do you think we were doing when we could get away with it". He was rather unapologetic IIRC. He came to Japan and Okinawa about a year later. I was part of the honor guard at Kadena when he arrived and my crew took the majority of the USAF photos.

AAMOF, I do believe our operation was part of this whole thing as it was based out of Area 51. If you go to my old unit and click on Black Ops, you are taken to the official Area 51 web site. I can't really say, because if I told you I would have to shoot you.

The U2 was replaced by the B57D and then by the Blackbird.

PE

 

[pentaxuser]

PE. As young schoolkids say to "vets" telling them about their experiences: "You were there while history was being made". They simply can't quite get their heads around that it wasn't history then. I liked your interview but a recent picture might have been useful. The one shown was a little like looking at a mid 1950s shot of Liz Taylor. You know she has aged well but you can't help but suspect that she now no longer looks quite as she did then.

pentaxuser

 

[Photo Engineer]

I gave Scott a recent photo. He chose to use that one. Maybe if there is another interview, he can use the more recent photo.

BTW, whats wrong with a 1950s photo of Liz Taylor. I remember her in some wonderful movies back then.

PE

 

[Kirk Keyes]

My flight suit has shrunk alarmingly over the years. I thought that the fabric was stable but it seems to shrink just hanging in the closet! Can you get yours on? I can't!

I'm sure it hasn't shrunk, but I'm sure I haven't either... I've been thinking the whole outfit would make a good Halloween costume someday. An $800 Halloween costume... got to get my money out of it somehow.