Lakenheath USAF Base Newspaper Article
August 1956

(Transcript. Clipping courtesy Forrest D. Perkins)

Lakenheath Air Traffic Control Saves USAF B-45 "Tornado"

The new RATCC (Radar Air Traffic Control Center) at Lakenheath, operated by the 1979th AACS Squadron, only a few days old has already started paying for itself. The particular payment started when a B-45 called Lakenheath Fixer for a practice fix at 1814Z, 12 Aug. 56. After T/Sgt. Beckham gave the B-45 his first fix, which was plotted by S/Sgt. John Foundos, the B-45 declared an emergency, and requested assistance to get to Sculthorpe. He advised he had 30 minutes of fuel left at his present altitude.

Shortly after, using the Lakenheath Fixer Net and the assistance of the Army radar operated by P^FC Tawl E. Rupert of the 60th AAA, the B-45 was advised he was 65 miles South-East of Sculthorpe. He was then given a heading to Sculthorpe and Sculthorpe was advised to have all crash equipment standing by. Several more fixes kept the B-45 on course to Sculthorpe.

At 1837Z, the B-45 landed safely on a straight in approach, with less than 5 minutes of fuel remaining.

The members of the Lakenheath Fixer Net that helped out were A/2c Dalton C. Briley at Sturgate, T/Sgt. Eugene J. Hall at Wethersfield, and T/Sgt. Gerald E. Cooper at Bentwaters, and they are to be commended for their part ib the emergency. One more example of the high quality service that is expected from AACS.