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572479 and 498th Pilots

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F-106A 57-2479 of the 498 FIS Geiger Field, Spokane WA around 1963. Notice something removed from the MA-1 door panel behind the third pilot from the left standing.

Jim Mcnab writes: The pilot in the back row 3rd from the right standing in front of the intake is Richard Johnson. The pilot in the back row 2nd from the left is Bill Neville. Both Johnson and Neville came to the Fresno Air National Guard after serving on active duty with the USAF. I flew many times with both of them. They were both a wealth of F-106 knowledge and both ended up flying for Pan American Airlines (PanAm). I posted an email with the photo to numerous friends who flew F-106s at Fresno with me and I received the following response from one of the folks at Fresno:: "Most of you probably already know this...Bill Neville was one of the few that had a successful ejection with the F-106 "B" seat...the Weber seat went into service about 1965". Captain William D Neville, Missoula - ejected .Dick Johnson was my Flight Commander for a time and Bill Neville eventually became the Wing Commander at Fresno and promoted to Brig Gen. Sadly, both are deceased.