Bill & I were Air traffic Controllers in the USAF. I got out in '77 and became a cop. Bill retired from the USAF and went to work for a private ATC firm and currently works out at Ryan Field, which is 40 minutes South of Tucson. I spent an entire shift in the tower with Bill and Dale & I rode out there and surprised Bill on another day. I can't remember which day was which so I combined them both. This is a view of Ryan Tower from below the cab. REMEMBER: if ya want to see it bigger, click the pic.
A view of some of the airfield from the base of the tower.
Dale at the base of the tower.
Bill & the bikes at the base of the tower. My Vulcan (blue/silver) & his Harley Fatboy (red).
Dale by the bikes at the base of the tower.
Dale's Harley Fatboy.
Another view of Dale's bike.
A view of Dale & the bikes from the stairs going up...
Dale giving me the international sign of distress...
The bikes from the tower cab.
Bill hard at work...
Bill hard at work. The advancements made in ATC since I was a controller is mind numbing. I told Bill I wished now that I had stayed in ATC to see it evolve into what it is now. A world of difference from the 70's ATC that I knew..
The day crew: Dave, Brian & Bill.
Bill & Dale in the breakroom below the cab. One thing that has not changed are the stairs into the cab. You can see them behind Bill..They go almost straight up just as they did in the ancient times of my days of controlling.
This is Bill & Dale out on the catwalk, which runs around the tower windows..In our USAF days we had to clean the windows every Sunday. You cleaned the outside of the windows by leaning over the catwalk while you squeegeed the windows. Ryan Tower is only about 68' high. The control towers in the USAF were 110-120 ' high, except for Thailand & Vietnam, where they were 40' ft high due to snipers....Anyway, now they have contract workers cleaning the tower & windows..What a life!!!
Bill & I out on the catwalk. 
Dale out on the catwalk.
Me on the catwalk... 
While out on the catwalk, Bill pointed this out to me..It was a Mig, complete with the red stars being pulled out. Bill said a retired Colonel bought it, restored it, inside & out and now flys it. I just hope there isn't an old F-86 Sabre jet jock, with flashback problems, out flying a Sabre jet & sees this in the air...
Mig going through pre-flight.
Mig pre-flight, checking what needs to be checked...
Mig taxing to the runway...
Mig airborne!! It was faster than I anticipated and as a result only got 90% of it in the viewport when I clicked the shutter...
Last but not least, the tower radar. We had these big radar monstrosities in the tower called Brite II..worked the same as this console radar but a lot bigger. Ours had to sit on the floor or hang from the ceiling...Wow...must be nice to work traffic with all the stuff electronically updated.... That's it for now..Scroll down for more of the Tucson run......John
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