In 1986 the B-1B flight test program was using F-4 Phantoms, F-111 Aardvarks and
sometimes civilian T-38 for acceptance and test flights. Due to workload
constraints and increasing costs in using these aircraft a dedicated B-1B Chase
aircraft was needed. The F-106 Delta Dart was chosen and in March 1986 the
Det 15 Contract Management Division (AFSC) was started to support the B-1B
program contracted by Rockwell Inc at plant 42 at Palmdale CA. Eight F-106's
were assigned between 10 Oct 1986 and 6 July 1990. The first F-106 was "B"
model 57-2513 from Kelly AFB TX arriving the Palmdale plant on 18 Oct 1986.
The last to depart was F-106A 59-0061 on 06 July 1990 to AMARC. F-106 Crew
Chief Jerry Roth designed the distinctive orange and white tail flash.
Chase flights were also flown out of Tinker AFB OK, which was the B-1B depot. Check out
The B-1B F-106 Chase Program  .
Photo's by Marty J. Isham on Erv Smalley's site
 Click to break these links out of frames!
F-106 Chase Program Aircraft and Crew Members
Aircraft
| Tail # |
Home |
Arrived |
To AMARC |
| 57-2513 (B) |
Kelly AFB |
10 Oct 86 |
25 June 90 |
| 58-0795 (A) |
Kelly AFB |
30 Oct 86 |
03 Mar 87 |
| 59-0008 (A) |
159th FIS |
12 Dec 86 |
18 Mar 87 |
| 59-0060 (A) |
159th FIS |
24 Jan 87 |
27 Jun 90 |
| 59-0061 (A) |
Kelly AFB |
06 Feb 87 |
06 July 90 |
| 57-2535 (B) |
159th FIS |
03 Mar 87 |
03 Apr 89 |
| 57-2509 (B) |
159th FIS |
23 Mar 87 |
24 May 90 |
| 59-0149 (B) |
119th FIS |
02 Aug 88 |
14 Jun 90 |
|
Pilots
Lt. Col. Bob Chamberlain
Lt. Col.Brent Hedgpeth
Major Jim Robbins
Gary Olin (Rockwell)
Ed Ford (Rockwell)
John DaDay (Rockwell) |
Navigators
Lt. Col. Larry Harjes
Lt. Col. Jimmie Luttrell
Lt. Col. Richard Fisher
Capt. Alex Ivanchishin |
|
Final fate of the 8 Chase F-106
Delta Darts
-
58-0795 converted to drone S/N AD180, shot down at Tyndall
on its first pilotless drone mission by an AIM-7 missile on 11 May 94.
-
59-0008
converted to drone S/N AD167, shot down at Tyndall on its
seventh pilotless drone mission by an AIM-120 missile on 05 Nov 98.
-
59-0060
converted to drone S/N AD127, shot down at Holloman on its
third pilotless drone mission by an AIM-120 missile on 16 June 95.
-
59-0061
converted to drone S/N AD156, shot down at Tyndall on
its first pilotless drone mission by an AIM-9 missile on 03 Sept
93.
-
57-2535
converted to drone S/N AD109, shot down at Tyndall on its
third pilotless drone mission by an AIM-9 missile on 01 Sept 93.
-
59-0149
converted to drone S/N AD261, shot down at Tyndall on its
second pilotless drone mission by an AIM-120 missile on 06 Nov 97.
-
57-2509
converted to drone S/N AD268, written off at Tyndall as
being un-flyable after catching fire during pre-flight checks for its
first pilotless drone mission. It and five other written off QF-106s
from Tyndall were subsequently purchased by a private individual and
are being restored in El Paso TX. 57-2509 is the first bird being
restored, with the intention of making it flyable again.
Click here for further details on the private El Paso F-106 project
-
57-2513
returned to DM on 25 June 90. Was never converted to a drone or at
least it never had a drone serial number painted on its nose, however it often flew in support of the drone program as seen
in this 15 Sept 92 photo
and other photos.
Lineage of the B-1B F-106 Chase Planes
F-106B 57-2509
June 58 - 21st F-106
produced (3rd
B-Model)
April 61 - Returned
from
TEST-TO-TACTICAL
25 Jul 61 - 456th
FIS, Castle AFB, CA
15 May 63 - 498th
FIS, McChord AFB, WA
14 Jun 66 - 498th
FIS, Paine Field, WA
09 Sept 68 - 498th
FIS, Hamilton AFB,
CA
30 Sept 68 - 84th
FIS, Hamilton AFB,
CA
29 Aug 73 - 84th FIS,
Castle AFB, CA
05 July 74 - 159th
FIS, Jacksonville.
FL (ANG)
19 Mar 87 - B-1B
Chase Program,
Palmdasle, CA
24 May 90 - Davis
Monthan AFB, AZ
(Storage)
23 June 94 - Drone,
Tyndall AFB, FL
(AD268)
07 Oct 97 - Ground
fire at Tyndall,
terminated
April 00 - Trucked
to El Paso TX -
Private Owner
|
F-106A 58-0795
Nov 59 - 158th F-106
produced
04 Dec 59 - 27th FIS,
Loring AFB, ME
22 Jun 60 - 94th FIS,
1st FGp, Selfridge
AFB, MI
17 Jan 61 - 94th FIS,
1st FWg, Selfridge
AFB, MI
05 Mar 62 - Blew
tire, sheared nose
gear at Self.
07 Mar 62 - To AFLC
team at Selfridge,
for repairs
03 Oct 62 - 94th FIS,
1 FWg, Selfridge
AFB, MI
24 Jan 69 - TDY to
ADWC, Tyndall AFB,
FL
10 Feb 69 - Bailed
to GD/Convair,
Six-Shooter Proto
25 Sep 69 - ADWC,
4750th Test Sq,
Tyndall AFB, FL
01 Jan 75 - ADWC,
475th Test Sq,
Tyndall AFB, FL
01 Oct 79 - ADWC,
TAC, 475th Test Sq,
Tyn. AFB, FL
15 Oct 83 - ADWC,
Tyndall AFB, FL
02 Apr 84 - San
Antonio ALC, Kelly
AFB, TX
30 Oct 86 - B-1B
Chase Program,
Palmdale, CA
03 Mar 87 - AMARC,
Davis Monthan AFB,
AZ (Storage)
13 Apr 92 - Drone,
QF-106 (AD180),
Tyndall AFB, FL
11 May 94 - Shot
down, AIM-7M,
Tyndall AFB, FL
|
F-106A 59-0061
Mar 60 - 233rd F-106
produced
04 Apr 60 - 318th
FIS, 325th FWg,
McChord AFB, WA (on
paper at
factory/Palmdale ? )
14 Apr 60 - Bailment
to GD/Convair/Hughes
as High Mach
Prototype Test A/C.
No data available as
apparently it was
not an ADC asset.
Could use some
historical help here
?? ??? ?? - AFLC
bird at Kelly AFB,
TX
06 Feb 87 - B-1B
Chase Program,
Palmdale, CA
06 July 90 - AMARC,
Davis Monthan AFB,
AZ (Storage)
31 Jan 92 - Drone,
QF-106 (AD155),
Tyndall AFB, FL
03 Sept 93 - Shot
down, AIM-9M,
Tyndall AFB, FL
|
F-106A 59-0060
Mar 60 - 232nd F-106
produced
05 Apr 60 - 318th
FIS, 325th FWg,
McChord AFB, WA
20 May 66 - 498th
FIS, 325th FWg,
McChord AFB, WA
14 Jun 66 - 498th
FIS, 57th FGp, Paine
Field, WA
09 Sep 68 - 498th
FIS, Hamilton AFB,
CA
30 Sep 68 - 84th FIS,
78th FWg, Hamilton
AFB, CA
01 Jun 70 - 84th FIS,
1st FWg, Hamilton
AFB, CA
01 Oct 70 - 84th FIS,
Hamilton AFB, CA
29 Aug 73 - 84th FIS,
Castle AFB, CA
24 Aug 74 - 125th
FIG, 159th FIS, FL
ANG, Jacksonville
22 Jan 87 - B-1B
Chase Program,
Palmdale, CA
27 Jun 90 - AMARC,
Davis Monthan AFB,
AZ (Storage)
07 Nov 91 - Drone,
QF-106 (AD127),
Holloman AFB, NM
16 Jun 95 - Shot
down, AIM-120, HMN
or TYN (?)
|
F-106B 57-2535
Oct 59 - 137th F-106
produced
25 Nov 59 - 27th FIS,
Loring AFB, ME
20 Jul 60 - 94th FIS,
1st FGp, Selfridge
AFB, MI
17 Jan 61 - 94th FIS,
1st FWg, Selfridge
AFB, MI
07 Mar 67 - 4756th
ADWg, Tyndall AFB,
FL
10 Apr 67 - 94th FIS,
1st FWg, Selfridge
AFB, MI
28 May 69 - 71st FIS,
Malmstrom AFB, MT
01 Jul 71 - 319th
FIS, Malmstrom AFB,
MT
14 Mar 72 - 460th
FIS, Grand Forks
AFB, ND
04 May 73 - ADWC,
Tyndall AFB, FL
10 June 73 - 460th
FIS, Grand Forks
AFB, ND
17 May 74 - 144th
FIG, 194th FIS, CA
ANG, Fresno
15 Nov 83 - 125th
FIG, 159th FIS, FL
ANG, Jacksonville
03 Mar 87 - B-1B
Chase Program,
Palmdale, CA
03 Apr 89 - AMARC,
Davis Monthan AFB,
AZ (Storage)
26 Apr 91 - Drone,
QF-106 (AD109),
Tyndall AFB, FL
01 Sept 93 - Shot
down, AIM-9M,
Tyndall AFB, Fl
|
F-106B 59-0149
May 60 - 254th F-106
produced
22 Jun 60 - 27th FIS,
Loring AFB, ME
28 Sep 65 - 4756th
ADWg, Tyndall AFB,
FL for William Tell
65 support.
09 Oct 65 - 27th FIS,
Loring AFB, ME
01 Oct 67 - 1 FWg,
Selfridge AFB, MI
24 Oct 67 - 27th FIS,
Loring AFB, ME
23 Feb 68 - Landing
incident at Loring,
not reportable
10 Apr 68 - In
commission
01 Jul 71 - 83rd FIS,
Loring AFB, ME
05 Jun 72 - 95th FIS,
Dover AFB, DE
24 Sep 72 - ADWC,
Tyndall AFB, FL
03 Jan 73 - 177th
FGp, 119th FIS, NJ
ANG, Atlantic City
02 Aug 88 - B-1B
Chase Program,
Palmdale, CA
14 Jun 90 - DM/AMARC,
arrived 18 Jun 90
19 Apr 94 - Drone,
QF-106 (AD261),
Tyndall AFB, FL
06 Nov 97 - Shot
down, AIM-120,
Tyndall AFB, FL
|
F-106A 59-0008
Dec 59 - 171st F-106
produced
18 Apr 60 - 319th
FIS, Bunker Hill
AFB, IN
09 Mar 63 - 71st FIS,
1st FWg, Selfridge
AFB, MI
01 Feb 65 - 94th FIS,
1st FWg, Selfridge
AFB, MI
29 May 69 - 71st FIS,
Malmstrom AFB, MT
01 Jul 71 - 319th
FIS, Malmstrom AFB,
MT
03 Apr 72 - 460th
FIS, Grand Forks
AFB, ND
01 Jul 74 - 125th
FIG, 159th FIS, FL
ANG, Jacksonville
12 Dec 86 - B-1B
Chase Program,
Palmdale, CA
18 Mar 87 - AMARC,
Davis Monthan AFB,
AZ (Storage)
26 Dec 91 - Drone,
QF-106 (AD167) HMN &
TYN
05 Nov 96 - Shot
down, AIM-120,
Tyndall AFB, FL
|
F-106B 57-2513
April 58 - 33rd
F-106 produced.
Never assigned to
ADC. After some test
work at Edwards, A/C
was assigned to AFLC
with the majority of
the flights
conducted from Kelly
AFB at San Antonio
ALC, TX
10 Oct 86 - Arrived
Palmdale CA for B-1B
Chase Program.
25 June 90 - AMARC ,
Davis Monthan AFB,
AZ for storage &
display on Celebrity
Row
F-106B 57-2513
April 58 - 33rd
F-106 produced.
Never assigned to
ADC. After some test
work at Edwards, A/C
was assigned to AFLC
with the majority of
the flights
conducted from Kelly
AFB at San Antonio
ALC, TX
10 Oct 86 - Arrived
Palmdale CA for B-1B
Chase Program.
25 June 90 - AMARC ,
Davis Monthan AFB,
AZ for storage &
display on Celebrity
Row |
|
