6-14-06 Air & Space

Here we are at Ellsworth Air Force Base and the South Dakota Air and Space Museum.

We thought that this was going to be a simple museum but they put us on a bus, ran security on us and off we go to a Minuteman missile Silo! This truck was used by the PeaceKeeper Force the maintain security around the silos.

This was a missile transport truck.

This is the access hatch to arm the missile. The 20 ton concrete cover was blown open 7 second before the launch.

Down Coral goes, 30 feet, into the 120 foot silo. As we get deeper in the ground the temperature drops dramatically.

This silo is 105 feet deep and the missile was huge!

Ralph mans the cockpit.

Where's the "Easy Button?"

Ralph actual flew one of the Mustangs 35 years ago.

Ralph cranks this one up for a spin. It's good having Ralph around....he keeps us going.