Trip Report: Back to Beale
First published in 2006. Reformatted 2025. I lived on Beale AFB in 1962 and 1963 when my father was stationed there. We were at Beale for the Cuban Missile Crisis and the filming of A Gathering of Eagles! We were the first family to live in one of the brand-new Capehart houses. I was glad to have the chance to visit and work on the base for two weeks. Due to having a very full plate these days, I'm skipping my usual trip report format in order to get these photos posted sooner. All locations in this trip report are in California except for Stead AFB which is in Nevada. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.Saturday, 3 June 2006
Beale AF Missile Site #2 (851-B) CA, PIN 7092.View from gate Biggs Communications Site GWEN 647 CA, ILC BPVM.
Equipment shelters
Top of tower
Base of tower and sign
Tower Chico AAFld CA
Hangar
Building
Control tower
Building
184-foot demountable hangars
184-foot demountable hangar
184-foot demountable hangars, control tower in background
Sunday, 4 June 2006
Beale AF Missile Site #1 (851-A) CA, PIN 7091.Gate
Orientation targets
General view Lincoln GLOBECOM Receiver Annex CA, PIN 1724, ILC NFYL.
Access road and building
Building and small tower Lincoln Communications Site GWEN 849 CA, ILC NGJL.
Equipment shelters and tower
Gate and tower Stead AFB NV, PIN 2562, ILC WFUB.
Building
Building and control tower
Control tower
Hangar
Grandstands for air races
Hangar
Barracks
SAGE Direction Center DC-16
SAGE Direction Center DC-16
Building
Building
Hangar and control tower
Hangar
Barracks
Sunday, 11 June 2006
Davis GLOBECOM Transmitter Annex CA, PIN 1723, ILC FBKR.Gate
Building Mather AFB CA, PIN 1256, ILC PLXL.
Elevated water storage tank
Fuel cell maintenance dock
Fuel cell maintenance dock, hangar, and maintenance dock
Maintenance docks
Maintenance dock
Maintenance dock
Maintenance dock
Maintenance dock
Maintenance dock and hangar
Hangar
Warehouse
WWII hangar
Ammunition storage buildings
Ammunition storage buildings
Ammunition storage building
Large WWII hangar
Elevated water storage tank
Double-canteliver hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar and fire protection water storage tank
Hound Dog missile engine test cell
Hound Dog missile engine test cell
Hound Dog missile engine test cell
Hound Dog missile engine test cell
Hound Dog / Quail missile service shop
Hound Dog / Quail missile service shop
Hound Dog / Quail missile service shop
Hound Dog missile run-up shop
Hound Dog missile run-up shop
Building
Fire station
POL area storage tanks
Warehouse building
Large WWII hangar
Large WWII hangar
Large WWII hangar
SAC alert aircraft parking area "Christmas tree" and security watchtower
SAC 70-man "molehole" readiness crew building
SAC 70-man "molehole" readiness crew building
SAC 70-man "molehole" readiness crew building
SAC 70-man "molehole" readiness crew building
SAC 70-man "molehole" readiness crew building
SAC alert area power plant and security watchtower
SAC alert area power plant
SAC alert area security watchtower
SAC alert area power plant
SAC alert area taxiway
SAC alert area taxiway
Three-wing dormitory
Three-wing dormitory
Center of three-wing dormitory McClellan AFB CA, PIN 1720, ILC PRJY.
Large hangars
Water storage tanks
Control tower
Maintenance docks
Maintenance dock
Rear of row of maintenance docks
Elevated water storage tank
Octagonal building
Large hangar
Double-cantilever hangar and fire protection water storage tank
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
Hangars
Unusual hangar
Unusual hangar
Flightline
AN/FPS-117 radar
AN/FPS-117 radar
AN/FPS-117 radar Travis Air Defense Missile Site (BOMARC) CA
General view
Sign
Building
Tuesday, 13 June 2006
Beale ILS Outer Marker Annex CA, PIN 7686, ILC BARZ.Gate Beale TVOR Annex CA, PIN 7687, ILC BASB.
Gate
Thursday, 15 June 2006
Fort Barry CAEarly barracks
Base End Station
Base End Station
Skysweeper gun location
Battery Mendell
Battery Mendell
Battery Mendell
Battery Mendell
Battery Mendell
Battery Elmer Wallace
Battery Elmer Wallace
Battery Elmer Wallace
Battery Elmer Wallace Fort Cronkhite CA
Barracks
Barracks
Distant view of barracks compound
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley Hamilton AFB CA, PIN 1512, ILC JYZJ.
Hangars
Hangar interior
Hangar sign
Control tower
Control tower
Hangar / control tower
Remodeled hangar
Remodeled hangars
Building
Building
Theatre
Theatre
Officers Club
Officers Club
Building
Building
Hangar
Hangars
Hangars
Dedication markers Nike SF-88A CA
General view
General view with Battery Mendell in background
General view with Battery Mendell in background
General view with Battery Wallace in background Nike SF-88C CA
Distant view Nike SF-87L CA
Distant view Nike SF-88L CA
General view of refurbished magazine
Building
Radar units, from an Integrated Fire Control site
Radar units, from an Integrated Fire Control site
Warheading building
Warheading building
Launcher area with missile in firing position
sentry box, with older barracks in background
Elevator control equipment
Nike Hercules missiles in magazine
Magazine elevator and doors
Magazine interior
Nike Hercules missiles in magazine
Nike Hercules missiles in magazine
Top of magazine emergency exit
Nike Hercules missile on raised elevator
Rails and launchers
Nike Hercules missile on elevator, starting to descend
Nike Hercules missile on elevator, descending
Nike Hercules missile on elevator, descending
Nike Hercules missile on elevator, descending
Magazine doors closing
Magazine doors closed
Entry gate to Launching Area
sentry box at Launching Area entrance
Control vans
Interior of control van
Interior of control van
Interior of control van
Interior of control van
Interior of control van
Interior of control van
General view of other magazine
Magazine rails and elevator interface
Nike Hercules missile on elevator in magazine
Nike Hercules missile on elevator in magazine
Nike Hercules missile in magazine
Control room in magazine
Closeup of Nike Hercules motor nozzles
First aid sign on magazine wall
Switches on magazine wall
Magazine interior
Stairs in magazine personnel entryway
Elevator at other magazine
Survey marker
Launcher and rails
Nearby barracks
Sign on fence
Flammable storage building
Cutaway model of Nike Hercules conventional warhead
Friday, 16 June 2006
Camp Stoneman CARifle range target butt
Rifle range target butt
Warehouse
Warehouse
Warehouse
Warehouse
Saturday, 17 June 2006
Castle AFB CA, PIN 2319, ILC DESR.Elevated water storage tank
Chapel
Dormitory
Parade field
Building
Building
Building
Operations building and control tower
Engine test cell
Hound Dog missile engine test cell
Hound Dog missile engine test cell
Hound Dog missile run-up shop
Hound Dog missile run-up shop
Hound Dog / Quail missile service shop
Hound Dog / Quail missile service shop
Hound Dog / Quail missile service shop
Engine test cell
Engine test cell
Engine test cell
184-foot demountable hangars
184-foot demountable hangars
184-foot demountable hangar
Maintenance docks
Maintenance dock
Maintenance docks
Maintenance docks
Maintenance dock
Maintenance docks
Maintenance dock
Maintenance docks, with double-cantilever hangar in background
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
SAC 70-man "molehole" readiness crew building
SAC 70-man "molehole" readiness crew building
Distant view of SAC "molehole" and ADC fighter alert hangar
ADC fighter-interceptor alert sentry box
ADC fighter-interceptor alert hangar, Strobel & Salzman first-generation design
ADC fighter-interceptor alert hangar, Strobel & Salzman first-generation design
ADC armament storage building
ADC armament storage building
ADC armament storage building
ADC armament storage building
ADC armament storage building
ADC armament storage building
ADC readiness dormitory
ADC readiness dormitory
ADC readiness dormitory
ADC maintenance hangar
ADC maintenance hangar
ADC maintenance hangar and building
Two-bay hangar
Two-bay hangar
Building, with double-cantilever hangar in background
ADC fighter-interceptor alert hangar showing rear of crew quarters
Building in ADC area
Building in ADC area
Building in ADC area
Building in ADC area
Engine test cell
Engine test cell
Engine test cell
Engine test cell
Engine test cell
Engine test cell
POL area fuel tanks
POL area fuel tanks Parks AFB CA, PIN 1259, ILC ETVM.
Building and satellite dishes
Distant view Sharpe General Depot Field Annex CA. I originally thought this was Stockton Air Force Station, which is actually a few miles away.
Warehouses
Warehouses
Warehouses
Warehouses
Stockton Field CA
Two-bay hangar
Control tower
Warehouse
Warehouse
WWII hangar
WWII hangar
WWII hangar
WWII hangar
Buildings
WWII building
WWII buildings
WWII building
WWII building
Sunday, 18 June 2006
Nike T-10C CAGate and sentry box
Buildings from outside fence
Gate and sentry box Nike T-33C CA
Gate and sentry box
General view
Buildings from outside fence
Buildings from outside fence
Buildings Nike T-53C CA
Distant view
Distant view Nike T-86L CA
Gate and sentry box
Gate Updated January 26, 2025
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