Editors Note: There are two pages that comprise the Bodo Recovery operation. They are Skip Hosler's recollections and the Image Archive of SR-71 photos taken at Bodo on the page you are now viewing. The second page consists of Norway newspaper articles that appeared complete with English translations. A Link is provided below to the news articles.
The SR-71 operated from a variety of overseas locations. Although Bodo was not a Detachment, it was an emergency recovery base for European flights. The SR-71 landed five times at Norwegian bases during the time frame 1981-1985. I emailed Clarence "Skip" Hosler , SR-71 Crew Chief, that had recovered #964 in August, 1981 and had previously mentioned the Bodo flights. I requested further information.
#964 Recovery
12 August, 1981
Pilot, B.C. Thomas; RSO Jay Reid
It was a recovery base.
Three days of Hell. I was crew chief on the first trip with
Greg Blas. A1C Mathis was with me and
the rest of my crew. We also took Gene Cowell
. I think it was in 1981. I have the Norwegian newspapers at home.
The plane went down with an engine oil problem. I went to work at 6:45 AM
on Friday, loaded aircraft equipment until noon and then went home and packed.
Left Beale at 5:00 PM and flew to Pease AFB, NH. Got a burger and gas. Flew
over the North Pole and landed just above the Artic Circle at 7:00 AM. We
worked until 11:00 PM. Open ramp, no hanger. No food for the first day. We
went back to the aircraft at 4:00 AM and started one engine. The second one
hung and would not get to idle. TSgt Sullivan
(Engines) had trouble with it the day before but he had got it going. The
pilot couldn't do it. We ran out of gas. He had only enough fuel to get off
and catch a tanker that was waiting. One engine would not start with ground
turbine. The tanker that was waiting landed overweight and ran off the over-run
at Bodo. He proceeded to sink into the asphalt on the over-run and had to
be pulled out. We did the Hot Ground Refuel from the tanker. We had to fly
in a Buick start cart and even that had some problems. We had one cart from
Beale and one from England that was flying around in a C-130 in case we had
problems. The engine start hung the first time, I went from a motor to an
engine start. That was a bad move. The bearing carrier on the top of
the start cart probe came loose and started smoking. We all just ducked down
and let it run. It was a nice bright red but it got the engine started. We
went from there to England. The start cart from England had been rebuilt
and they wanted to check it out. When we went to do the start, AGE
had assembled part of it backwards and the probe turned in reverse. That
would have been fun to explain. I think there was another recovery a few
years after that. The tail art "Bodonain Express" complete with the crab
under the wording was put on by AIC Mathis
or a guy named Kane. I was also in Nebraska
a few months back and went to the new SAC museum. They did a nice job restoring
the SR-71 #964 there on display.
Skip
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Bodo022.JPG 18.29 Kb SR #964 lands in Bodo Norway on 14 August 1981 |
 Bodo023.JPG 44.95 Kb Crew with Norway Newspapers |
 Bodo024.JPG 39.15 Kb Maintenance at work |
 Bodo025.JPG 34.88 Kb Pilot and buddy crew prior to departure |
 Bodo026.JPG 34.42 Kb Nacelles are covered for weather protection |
 Bodo027.JPG 39.35 Kb Crew and the Blackbird |
 Bodo028.JPG 45.18 Kb Crew is strapped in by PSD Technicians |
 Bodo029.JPG 45.86 Kb Crew performs Preflight Checks |
 Bodo030.JPG 48.46 Kb Pilot receives final crew briefing |
 Bodo031.JPG 44.95 Kb Final PSD Checks |
 Bodo032.JPG 34.17 Kb Canopies readied for closure |
 Bodo033.JPG 29.18 Kb Blackbird ready to taxi out |
 Bodo034.JPG 35.52 Kb Blackbird taxis out of chocks |
 Bodo035.JPG 24.02 Kb #964 Taxi for takeoff |
 Bodo036.JPG 37.20 Kb Taxi to parallel runway |
 Bodo037.JPG 30.96 Kb Taxi for takeoff, C-130 loaded with maintenance equipment |
 Bodo038.JPG 35.19 Kb Maintenance crews watch the takeoff |
 Bodo039.JPG 38.99 Kb Takeoff Rotation |
 Bodo040.JPG 31.76 Kb Airborne, gear retraction |
 Bodo041.JPG 16.33 Kb Airborne |
 Bodo042.JPG 13.09 Kb Blackbird departs for Mildenhall, England |
 Bodo043.JPG 34.41 Kb KC-135Q Tanker is loaded with Maintenance personnel and equipment |
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#964 "Bodonian Express" (at Mildenhall, UK)
(Photo: Eric Simonsen)
Editors Note: #964 departed Bodo on 16 August, 1981 and flew subsonic to Mildenhall RAF, United Kingdom. Successful operational missions were subsequently flown in the vicinity of Poland and #964 returned to Beale AFB in California on 06 November, 1981.
The Second Emergency Landing at Bodo, Norway:
05 April 1984 SR-71 #974
(Photo courtesy Olav Aamoth, Bodo Norway, Regional Air Force Commander, 1985)
In an email from Olav Aamoth dated 7/10/2004, he recalls some of the activities during these two SR-71 visits to Bodo Norway:
As for the SR 71 landings at Bodø. I was the Wing Commander at the time of the first one and the visit certainly caused a stir and some commotion. We still remembered the U 2 affair and had no desire to have a repeat of that affair. The Wing Commander at the time was demoted for just being there! The CIA and their contacts did not cause us any joy with their cloak and dagger game! However with the SR 71 it was a genuine aircraft problem and we were able to handle it. I well remember the starting problems and the unhappy tanker when he landed overweight and ended up in the overrun. The KC 135 pilot was most appreciative when I told him there would be no Norwegian board of Inquiry! When the second visit took place, I was the Regional Air Force Commander and went down to the base to see the crew. When I came up to the cockpit I could greet an old friend, same pilot as last time, he gave me a grin and said "I didn't do it on purpose, Sir" They were very nice people and I still have a signed picture of the SR 71 in my den. I attach one of my slides from the second visit, I have many more. If you would like more information I will do my best to help. I looked at your Web sites on the A 12, SR-71, Area 51 and found them very interesting. I will certainly revisit them regularly.
Olav Aamoth
Norway Regional Air Force Commander, 1985
In an additional email dated 7/22/2004, Olav recalls the landings at Bodo:
I dug up some more slides from the two visits to Bodø,
#964 in August, 1981 and #974 in April,
1984. Thinking about the visit in
August 1981, it came as a surprise not only to us at Bodø AFB. On the morning in question I was in my office, which is overlooking the runway, when there was a call on the line from the tower. They informed me that an unidentified
aircraft with some kind of emergency was on final to runway 08. I turned and looked out to the west and saw a very
unusual visitor on short finals. I recognized it immediately as a Blackbird. My next actions were to direct the aircraft to our western
squadron area and scramble the military police to cordon off the area, I then called the US embassy in Oslo and asked for my old friend the air
attaché. When he got on the line I asked "Do you know what I am looking at?" He admitted he had no idea. I told him: "I am looking at an SR 71
taxiing past my window" I well remember his response "You are looking at what! !!!" He got on the next airplane up to Bodø and arrived later in the
afternoon. I then got into my car and went down to the flight line to meet our unexpected visitors.
Although this was the first landing of an SR 71 in Norway, fighters from Bodø on routine patrols had seen them in the distance when they were down at lower altitudes to refuel. I enclose a slide of such a meeting. They were
friendlies operating well outside our area in international waters, we were much more
interested in all the Soviet activity that operated in the areas around our Northern coast line. On the average in those years we had several hundred intercepts every year. We got to "know" some of them rather well since we saw them so often. A typical target is enclosed.
Some of them were also high speed and high altitude airplanes. I enclose a slide from one intercept where one of our
F-104's managed to zoom up and get a picture of a FOXBAT recce airplane. They normally came past our area at Mach 2.5 plus and at high altitude, but they had nothing like the range of the Blackbird.
I hope this may be of interest to you. I enjoy your web pages. Those fascinating years deserve to be remembered by future generations.
Sincerely
Olav
Olav Aamoth SR-71 Photo Archive (Norway)
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On 29 April, 1985 SR-71 #979 diverted to Bodo, Norway for maintenance problems. The aircraft departed Bodo three days later on 01 May 1985. (Arthur Enck).
There were five total landings in Norway from 1981 to 1985. The following is an accurate accounting of the SR-71 Emergency landings in Norway. To read the data here is what it means:
Tail Number / FSR's name / Destination / Arrival Date / Departure Date / #of days / Reason for landing
#964 Cook, Jim Bodo Norway 12 Aug 1981 16 Aug 1981 4 Recovery
#980 Troll, Ray SL-9-Andoya Norway 01 Feb 1982 04 Feb 1982 4 Recovery
#974 Chiappetta, Tony Bodo, (SC-9) Norway 08 May 1982 09 May 1982 2 Recovery
#974 Huddy, Tom Bodo Norway 05 April 1984 06 April 1984 2 Recovery
#979 Enck, Arthur Bodo Norway 29 April 1985 01 May 1985 3 Recovery
The following information was researched and provided by Bjarte Olsen, Noway:
#964 landing on Stavanger Airport Sola with engine failure on 20 February 1987. Sola Air Station got a rare visitor. An American photo recon aircraft, the SR-71 Blackbird had to make an emergency diversion to Sola. It rested in a hangar there for a two weeks. A C5 brought in a new engine and some mechanics to fix it up. Then a KC-135 came with some JP-7 fuel and they flew off to Mildenhall .
A complete listing of all landings at bases from 1966 to 1986 other than Beale AFB, CA is available at this URL:
Take
me to the Bodo Newspaper Articles on the Arrival of #964
Return
me to the Theaters of Operation Page
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| First Created: April 15, 1996 - Last Revised: July 11, 2004 | ||||
| Copyright © 1996 Leland R. Haynes Email: sr71webmaster@sr71.us | ||||
Data and Photos derived from the "Auburn Files"
Photo Archive of #974 and #964 at Bodo courtesy of Olav Aamoth, Norway Regional Air Force Commander in 1985. Thank you, Sir for your contribution
