5 December 1956 – A Northrop XSM-62 Snark, 53-8172, N-69D test model, fitted with a new 24-hour stellar inertial guidance system, launches from Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex, Florida. It wanders off-course, ignores destruct command, disappears over Brazil. It is found by a farmer in January 1983. The Day They Lost the Snark By J.
“After the Air Force, I became a born again Fighter Pilot flying F-86s and F-100s for Flight Systems.”
Jim had a long and storied Hun career starting with an A-model gunnery checkout at Nellis AFB in ′58. Next was Turner AFB (309th TFS Jun – Dec ′58); Clark AB, P.I. (510th TFS Sep ′60 – Feb ′62); England AFB (613th/614th TFS Mar ′62 – Jan ′65); Wheelus AB, Libya, (50th TFW/401st TFW Liaison, Feb ′65 – Oct ′67); Tuy Hoa AB, SVN, (306th TFS Dec ′67 – May ′68);Tan Son Nhut AB, SVN, (7th AF Tactics Jun – Dec ′68); Nellis AFB ( F-100 FWS IP Jan – Nov ′69). Then, it was on to the Aardvark world till retirement in Jun ′76.
