Trip Report: Arizona Antics
First published in 2006. Reformatted 2025. A business trip gave me the opportunity to see Arizona. It will not surprise my regular readers to learn that I traveled a day early so I could do some personal recon before settling in for the work. 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, 4 February 2006
After deplaning in TUS and renting a Chrysler PT Cruiser, I made my way directly to Green Valley, home of the Titan Missile Museum. For several years, I've had e-mail correspondence with Chuck Penson, and I finally took him up on his offer of a personal guided tour. (Hey, being a research geek with a web site does have the occasional perk!) Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #8 AZ, ILC FBPK. I met Chuck and his friend Pez at the museum, which is still a USAF-owned installation. The operational designation for this site was 571-7, meaning it was site number seven of the nine controlled by the 571st Strategic Missile Squadron. This is the only one of 54 Titan II missile sites that was preserved, rather than demolished, in accordance with the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT) treaty between the U.S. and the USSR. The other 53 were damaged to render them unusable for their designed purpose. The Titan II missiles around Davis-Monthan AFB were operational from 1963 to 1982. Looking around topside, the site is a bit confusing at first, because of the post-Air Force building which houses the museum operation. Also, the silo door area has been modified with a viewing platform and skylight. These are minor concessions to treaty compliance and visitor accessibility. The facility is in remarkably good condition, considering it was last used by the Air Force almost a quarter century ago. The soft HF antenna still stands, as does the water storage reservoir, and a hardened HF antenna is in the raised position. The intrusion detection antennas are still in place, as is the hardened UHF antenna. A water well still sits in its own compound, and one of the azimuth markers is visible beyond the fence.Gate
Silo door area
Silo door area
Viewing platform and skylight
View of the missile from above
Launch control center equipment
Launch control center equipmenty
Launch control center equipment
Launch control center equipment
Soft HF antenna
Water storage reservoir
Hard HF antenna
Hard UHF anenna
Water well
Azimuth marker
As soon as you enter the access portal, it's as if you are stepping back in time. We went down the stairs, then through the blast doors past the decontamination shower into the tunnel. Moving down the tunnel past various features to the launch control center, the commander's and deputy commander's consoles are intact, along with a confusing array of equipment, much of it shock mounted for protection against a nearby nuclear blast. Chuck patiently explained everything we saw. The launch control center is filled with consoles and racks of equipment. Special suits were needed for fueling operations. Plumbing is carefully marked. Every available space seemed to be filled with some sort of control panel or equipment.
Access portal
Access portal
Access portal blast valve
Suspension spring
Launch control center cableway
Stairway
Blast door
Blast door
Decontamination shower
Tunnel
Tunnel
Tunnel
Launch control center
Diesel engine
Launch control center suspension spring
Launch control center consoles
Launch control center console
Launch control center consoles and equipment racks
Launch control center console
Launch control center consoles and equipment racks
Launch control center equipment suspension system
Launch control center refueling suits
Launch control center plumbing
Launch control center equipment
Launch control center equipment
Launch control center equipment
Launch control center consoles
Launch control center console
Launch control center equipment racks
Walking through the tunnel to the silo itself, the missile is visible through various access doors that ring the silo. Taking the elevator between levels, I was amazed by the complexity of the equipment, especially the complicated flexible connections. From the lowest level, the view of the missile is impressive. Going down even farther, we climbed down a ladder onto the center ridge of the "W," the curved concrete structure that would direct the missile's exhaust off to the sides and up the two giant exhaust ducts to the surface. We also went down into the sump pit, the lowest point in the silo structure.
Tunnel
Tunnel
Missile
Missile and work platforms
Missile and work platforms
Equipment
Elevator
Elevator
Elevator
Equipment
Equipment
Equipment
Plumbing, showing flexible connections
Missile
Stairs
Stairs
"W" Exhaust deflector
"W" Exhaust deflector
Underside of missile platform
Exhaust duct
Exhaust duct
Sunday, 5 February 2006
After an early breakfast, I met up with my newfound friends Chuck and Pez to start our day's adventure. Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #5 (571-4) AZ, ILC FBPG. The fill dirt on the site has been partially excavated. The launch control center, antenna silos, and other features are exposed.General view showing exposed structures
General view showing exposed structures
Antenna silos
Exposed concrete structure
Exposed launch control center Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #4 (571-3) AZ, ILC FBPF. Excavation may allow entry into the launch control center. The access portal is partially excavated, and a hardened HF antenna silo is visible at this site.
Access portal
Access portal
Access portal
Access portal
Hard HF antenna
General view of site Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #3 (571-2) AZ, ILC FBPE. Visible features include the parking area, hardened HF antenna silos, a couple of hardstands, a fenced well, a soft HF antenna mount, and two separate survey markers.
Parking area
Hard HF antenna silo
Concrete pad
Concrete pad
Water well
Soft HF antenna mount
Survey marker
Survey marker Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #2 (571-1) AZ, ILC FBPD. Surface features include a hardened HF antenna silo, a soft HF antenna mount, and a manhole.
Hard HF antenna silo
Soft HF antenna mount
Vault with manhole Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #11 (570-2) AZ, ILC FBPN. Typical features were visible including a parking area along the access road, a hardened HF antenna silo, and a soft HF antenna mount.
Concrete pad
Concrete pad
Parking area
Hard HF antenna silo
Soft HF antenna mount Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #10 (571-9) AZ, ILC FBPM. We noted helipad markings on the access road, and an azimuth marker still in good condition. Excavation has undermined a hardstand. A hardened UHF antenna on its concrete mount shows remnants of the radial elements. Several features are still in place, or demolished. The well site can be seen amongst much debris.
Helipad markings on access road
Azimuth marker
Azimuth marker
Concrete pad
Hard UHF antenna mount
Debris
Debris
Debris
Water well After all this fun, I was happy and tired when I arrived Davis-Monthan AFB. I spent the next two weeks working on the base, and staying in lodging.
Saturday, 11 February 2006
Sahuarita Flight Strip AZ, ILC SACV, 31-57-50, 110-55-20. I had to work most of the day, but I awarded myself an hour off for good behavior and pointed the rental car south toward Sahuarita. Much of the former runway is crumbled and overgrown by brush, but a narrow strip in the center is now a road leading to a park at the NW end of the strip.Road on former flight strip
Road on former flight strip
Road on former flight strip Sahuarita Air Force Range AZ, ILC UQRB, 31-57-50, 110-53-55. I drove east a short distance and looked north over the land that was formerly a bombing range. It was activated in 1942, and disposed of in 1980.
Former bombing range land
Former bombing range land
Former bombing range land
Saturday, 18 February 2006
Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #13 (570-4) AZ, ILC FBPQ. This site has a new, non-original fence around it. The current owner has excavated the access portal and gained entry to the launch control center (LCC). Some topside features have been excavated but remain. A new building sits atop the access portal, with new stairs leading down to the blast doors and the LCC. Interesting features include this sign on one of the blast doors, and this nearby telephone. Stairs connect the two levels of the LCC, with spring mounts and shock dampers visible. On the upper level of the LCC the curvature of the domed structure is clearly seen. The water storage reservoir is still in place. The hardened UHF antenna has been excavated showing the massive concrete base, and the hardened HF antenna silos are still there.Non-historic fence
Entry portal
Launch control center
Excavated surface feature
Excavated surface feature
Non-historic stairway
Blast door
Blast door
Equipment
Launch control center restroom
Blast door sign detail
Blast door
Telephone
Launch control center stairs
Launch control center stairs
Launch control center shock damper
Launch control center showing curve of dome
Water storage reservoir
Hard UHF antenna
Hard UHF antenna
Hard HF antenna silo Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #12 (570-3) AZ, ILC FBPP. Surface features at this site include two different survey markers, the parking area along the access road, hardened antenna silos, and an antenna support mount.
Hard VHF or HF antenna
Hard VHF or HF antenna
Survey marker
Survey marker
Parking area
Hard HF antenna silo
Antenna support block Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #14 (570-5) AZ, ILC FBPR. The access portal is partially excavated. We also observed a fenced water well, soft HF antenna support, hardened HF antenna silo, survey marker, and other features.
Access portal
Access portal
Antenna silo
Water well
Soft HF antenna support
Hard HF antenna silo
Survey marker
Antenna silo Davis-Monthan AF Missile Site #15 (570-6) AZ, ILC FBPS. D&T Tree and Cactus Inc. uses this site as a nursery. The access portal has been partially excavated. The hardened HF antenna silos and a concrete antenna support are visible, as are some excavated concrete features. Many of the distinctive features are obscured by the nursery operation.
Antenna silo
Access portal
Access portal
Hard HF antenna silos
Concrete pad
Excavated concrete feature
General view Marana AB AZ. I had hoped to explore the former base, but it is private property with no public access. Aircraft were visible from a distance.
Distant view of Marana AB
Sunday, 19 February 2006
My plan to visit a few more locations was thwarted by an electrical problem in the rental car. I eventually got it running (barely) and returned it to the rental agency. From t-shirt weather in Tucson, I returned to fog and freezing drizzle in Dallas-Fort Worth.Updated January 26, 2025
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