(continued from page 3)
self I would say * Well'Done*! "
As final'preparations were made to
transport the battered sailboat to
Seattle aboard a barge ,.another chapter
was closed in the history of Adak’s
SAR (Search and Rescue) operations.
The SAR responsibility of the U. S.
Naval Station, Adak, is probably, as
extensive as any in the world, Adak,
known as"the birth place of the ■ winds",
is located ^approximately 1,000 miles
out on the Aleution chain where adverse
weather is the rule rather than the
exception. ’Winds up to 100 knots are
not infrequent in this area. Captain
S. M. SHELTON, USN, Commanding Officer
of the U. S. Naval Station, Adak,
Alaska, is directly responsible for
maintaining SAR capabilities for.1,440,
000 square miles of the North Pacific
and the Bering Sea. Assistance is
rendered to a&y mariner, regardless of
the flag they fly,that, find themselves
in distress within this storm tossed
area.
V V-2 jN£W$
Patrol Squadron Two will return to
Whidbey Island this fall with a record
number of "Blue Noses".
A "Blue Nose", as any Artie traveler
can tell you,is someone who has cross
ed the Artie Circle and thawed out
enough to brag< about the feat. A hand
some certificate to .this effect is
issued-by "Boreas Rex", ruler of the
"31ue Nose" region.
Patrol Two flew many missions across
the Artie Ocean during the summer,
gathering information on ice and ’weat
her conditions. This, data is of great
importance in planning shipping exped
itions to lonely military • outposts
along the rim of the world.
Crew members have had an opportunity
to see virgin territory of our 49th
state. Flights cross the rugged Brooks
Range and skirt the barren tundra
plains bordering the Arctic Ocean.
Some flights were lucky enough to
catch a glimpse of seal, walrus and
(continued next coluitry)_
polar bears sunning themselves on ice
floes. One crew reported it seemed
quite odd to fly over an ice pack on
the Fourth of July, while people in
the "south 48" were seeking relief
from the heat.
The flights were conducted for the
Navy Hydrographic Office in Washington
and were staged from Eielson AF3, in
Fairbanks.
Four Patrol Two enlisted men are
awaiting BUWEPS approval of two equip
ment modification suggestions which
could save the Navy a sizeable sum
yearly in maintenence and replacement
costs.
The developments are in the Main
tenence and Ordnance Departments. The
embryo inventors are: Paul (n) Perry,
A01, James.B. Wilson, AOCS, Peter D.
Michel, A02, and James V. Gatti, ADR1.
Gatti was assisted by a former Patrol
Two CPO, Laurence Jaworski, ADRC, now
attached to NAS Whidbey Island,
The ordnance personnel, plagued by
breakdowns in the firing mechanism, of
practice depth charge dispensers, re
commended the installation of two
safety switches. These switches pre
vent a material failure in the event
of a misfire, and enable the ordnance
man to quickly reset the dispenser.
The men estimated it will take
three man hours and $3 worth of equip
ment to install the switches.
would prevent damage to a part costing
The maintenence people suggested
that- an engine instrument fitting,
which needs periodic attention, be
relocated closer to an inspection port
on the engine nacelle.
They estimate that three man hours
per engine would be needed to make the
transfer and it would cost $10,
A. trail installation has been made
on both recommendations. Both changes
could be completed by squadrons oper
ating *P2V-7 aircraft with locally
available material.
$150,