Captain Phil G. Loignon flew his first Mach 3 flight in SR-71 #958 on 21 October, 1966 at Beale AFB in California. He qualified as a Reconnaissance System Operator (RSO) on 10 November, 1966; Checkride #153, sequence #037. This collection of early Beale AFB, 1st SRS/99th SRS photos is from his personal collection and was scanned in June, 2001 by David Allison at www.Habu.Org . He has granted permission to repost his photos to the "SR-71 Blackbirds" website. Captain Loignon flew combat sorties in the SR-71 from the OL-8 Kadena AB, Okinawa location with Major Walbrecht as his pilot. In 1966 and through 1972, he flew over Vietnam and other areas of interest gathering Photo and Elint Intelligence. Captain Loignon logged over 300 Hours in the SR-71. He later wore the maintenance hat and was inducted into the "Royal Order of the Bat Cavers" on 14 December, 1979. Some of these photos were Poloroid originally and the quality is not the best, but they do represent the 1st SRS and the 99th SRS at work in the very early days of flying the Blackbirds. Additionally, some photos were taken during the short-lived 4200th Recon Squadron that later became the 9th SRW. There is also an extensive collection of photos he provided of the "Crews of the Blackbirds" at this URL:
http://www.sr71.us/crews001.html
Captain Phil G. Loignon is now retired with the rank of Colonel
Major Walbrecht, Pilot and Captain Loignon, RSO
Page 1 of 1
66 Images in 640X480 Resolution/Click to Enlarge
L001.jpg 33.39 Kb 1st and 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadrons |
L002.jpg 16.05 Kb Philip G. Loignon, SR-71 Reconnaissance System Operator |
L003.jpg 36.10 Kb Flight Plan for Walbrecht and Loignon on 21 October 1966. Aircraft #958 |
L004.jpg 26.29 Kb Phil Loignon is certified as SR-71 RSO, 21 Nov 1966. Signed Colonel Nelson and General Ryan (CINCSAC) |
L005.jpg 37.59 Kb Flight Crew Briefing |
L006.jpg 19.20 Kb Walbrecht |
L007.jpg 36.39 Kb Loignon, Storrie, Dempster, Watkins, Campbell |
L008.jpg 26.62 Kb PSD inspects helmet |
L009.jpg 38.44 Kb VIP Tour |
L010.jpg 24.95 Kb Early Flight Scheduling Techniques |
L011.jpg 19.97 Kb Chief of Maintenance Colonel Carl Estes behind desk. |
L012.jpg 31.96 Kb PSD held class Fams with school children on the pressure suit |
L013.jpg 35.82 Kb RSO, James Fagg |
L014.jpg 26.96 Kb Major Asbury |
L015.jpg 25.54 Kb Ferrell, Unknown |
L016.jpg 32.67 Kb Campbell, Watkins, Hayes |
L017.jpg 37.45 Kb 26 June 1967 - Bazura, Unk, Unk |
L018.jpg 30.18 Kb Daubs, Loignon |
L019.jpg 34.12 Kb Bowen, Minter |
L020.jpg 22.70 Kb Sowers, Hain |
L021.jpg 20.43 Kb Loichinger, Unk |
L022.jpg 23.34 Kb Colonel Confer |
L023.jpg 37.49 Kb PSD Classroom |
L024.jpg 34.29 Kb PSD Classroom |
L025.jpg 34.46 Kb Unk, Locke, Maier, Payne, Fruehauf |
L026.jpg 27.00 Kb Sowers, Hain |
L027.jpg 39.83 Kb September 1967 - Coleman, Pugh, Parrish |
L028.jpg 42.16 Kb Campbell, Kardong, Boot |
L029.jpg 34.38 Kb Vick, Sheffield |
L030.jpg 33.59 Kb Unk, Unk, Shoemaker, DeVall |
L031.jpg 40.07 Kb Locke, Maier, Al Payne |
L032.jpg 38.97 Kb Bull, Unk, O'Malley |
L033.jpg 27.79 Kb Martinez |
L034.jpg 24.91 Kb Loichinger |
L035.jpg 26.72 Kb Olson |
L036.jpg 23.63 Kb Coleman |
L037.jpg 24.57 Kb Major Cottam |
L038.jpg 37.04 Kb Unknown |
L039.jpg 33.96 Kb Schmittou, Vick |
L040.jpg 36.64 Kb Bessette, Shoemaker |
L041.jpg 22.81 Kb Crew Chief-4200th Recon Squadron |
L042.jpg 18.61 Kb Colonel Nelson |
L043.jpg 23.46 Kb Altitude Chamber |
L044.jpg 22.62 Kb Covered J-58 Engine |
L045.jpg 26.48 Kb AGE Ground Equipment |
L046.jpg 23.79 Kb SR's #968, #978 |
L047.jpg 35.99 Kb Side Looking Radar Nose |
L048.jpg 34.36 Kb Gornick at Maintenance Debriefing |
L049.jpg 44.89 Kb Walbrecht, Loignon - Two Habu's on fuselage |
L050.jpg 46.43 Kb Walbrecht, Loignon |
L051.jpg 38.06 Kb Walbrecht, Loignon - at OL-8, Kadena, Okinawa |
L052.jpg 39.74 Kb Walbrecht, Loignon-Seven Habu's stenciled on fuselage |
L053.jpg 46.25 Kb Loignon, Walbrecht, Gornick |
L054.jpg 36.68 Kb Loignon, Walbrecht, Gornick-Payoff Bet? |
L055.jpg 27.49 Kb Walbrecht, Loignon - Second hot mission for this aircraft |
L056.jpg 48.01 Kb Walbrecht, Loignon, Eugene Darby, Crew Chief |
L057.jpg 40.98 Kb Walbrecht, Loignon Second Hot sortie at the OL |
L058.jpg 21.38 Kb Another Habu Mission |
L059.jpg 25.47 Kb Loignon, Confer |
L060.jpg 42.72 Kb Loignon, Bush |
L061.jpg 20.10 Kb Colonel Nelson Awards the Air Medal to Capt. Loignon |
L062.jpg 30.08 Kb Colonel Minter Awards the 2nd Air Medal to Capt. Loignon |
L063.jpg 36.00 Kb Colonel Hayes Awards the Distinguished Flying Cross to Capt. Loignon |
L064.jpg 134.49 Kb Bat Cavers Certificate |
L065.jpg 33.07 Kb No, It is not the KKK but Induction into the "Bat Cavers"- Johnson, Loignon, Walbrecht, Smith |
L066.jpg 36.83 Kb SLR Imagery, Southwest Arizona |
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Take me to "Flight Crews of the Blackbirds"-106 Photos of Crewmembers
Credits:
This entire set of 68 Photos is the copyrighted property of Philip
G. Loignon (Reprinted by permission). Copyrighted on August 04, 2001. All
rights reserved. Revised on August 31, 2001. All images are Digimarc (C)
embedded and may not be reproduced in any format nor stored on any
retrieval system without permission of the copyright holder. Web page design
and HTML formatting by Leland Haynes, Webmaster, SR-71 Blackbirds. Data
derived from the Auburn Files.
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