HISTORY OF THE 497TH FIGHTER INTERCEPTOR SQUADRON

















Geiger Field was born in 1941 when the Department of Defense purchased Sunset Field in Spokane, WA to facilitate training of WWII B-17 and C-47 crews.  The name was changed to Geiger Field in honor of Major George Geiger, an Army aviation pioneer.
The winters at Geiger, as many of you will attest, were not conducive to training.  The first squadron was redeployed to Texas.  Many B-17 Bomb Groups and squadrons transferred in and out of Geiger during WWII.
The 445th FIS was born on the 20th of March in 1953 at Geiger Field.  In July, the first F-86D aircraft were assigned.  The pilots and airmen were relatively inexperienced and the maintenance crew small.  Within eighteen months, this group became the finest combat unit in the Western Air Defense Force.
The highpoint in July 1954 was "Operation Checkpoint," a joint SAC-ADC exercise that extended for 3 days.  With sunny days and early takeoffs, the pilot’s proficiency increased rapidly and aircraft maintenance became the best in ADC.
In September of 1954, the 445th FIS was named tops in Western Air Defense, and led in hours flown, 810:30 per U.E., aircraft, scramble to airborne and turn around time.
On November 20,, rocketry training began at Yuma County Airport.  When the smoke had cleared, every important Air Defense Command record in FHRT Air Rocketry had been broken.
In March of 1955, the 445th became the first squadron in the 9th Air Division and the second in the Air Defense Command to fly over a thousand hours (1007:45).  Outstanding maintenance was a key factor.
In July, the W.A.D.F. Shoot Off was staged at Yuma County Airport.  The 445th, once again, took, the 9th Air Division Rocketry trophy.
On July 2, Geiger Field Base Commander, Col. Willcox, presented the 445th with its first Flying Safety plaque,  2,750 hours flown without an accident.
On July 17, 55, Lt. Colonel Squire T. O’Connor was reassigned to Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
The new squadron commander was Lt. Colonel Warren A. Bennett from the 518th FIS, George AFB, CA.  He had been assigned as Executive Officer at George.
In August, "Project Arrow" changed the 445th FIS to 497th FIS.  The 445th was transferred, on paper only, to Oscoda, MI in CADF.  The 498th FIS sister squadron, was activated at Geiger Field in August of 1955.  One of the 497th FIS key assignments was to protect the 498th!!
The first accident free year was achieved on October 9, 1955, earning a second Flying Safety award.  At years end, the Western Air Defense Force honored the 497th with its Ground Safety award for the period.
In February 1956, the squadron made its second deployment to the Yuma desert.  The result surpassed the ’54 competition.  The Air Force record of 225 hits was equaled and all other existing rocketry records were broken.
The 3rd consecutive Flying Safety award was achieved on the 9th of April with 14,005 hours.  The flying safety record continued 23 months for a total of 17,217 hours.  A minor accident in September, caused by material failure, ended the streak. This achievement was the result of the outstanding teamwork of the men of the 497th.
The squadron was not only very proficient at combat readiness, it also excelled at intramural sports.  In 1955 and 1956, the 497th made a clean sweep with championships in softball, basketball, golf, volleyball, and football.
Torrejon AFB, Spain, opened on June 1957.  The 497th FIS was chosen to deploy to Torrejon based on outstanding achievements in maintenance (combat readiness), rocketry proficiency, and flight safety.
Torrejon Air Base History
During the Cold War, the facility was known as Torrejon Air Base and was the headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe Sixteenth Air Force, as well as the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing.
Aircraft based at Torrejon were rotated to other USAFE airbases at Aviano AB, Italy, and at Incirlik AB, Turkey.  Torrejon was, in addition, a staging, reinforcement, and logistical airlift base.  The USAF withdrew its forces on 21 May 1992.
Torrejon Air Base was originally the home of the Spanish National Institute of Aeronautics.  However, following the U.S.-Spanish Defense Agreement of 26 September 1953, construction began at Torrejon on a new 13,400-ft. concrete runway to replace the existing 4,266-ft. grass airstrip and on a massive concrete apron and other necessary maintenance and shelter facilities to accommodate the largest United States Air Force Strategic Air Command bombers, supporting SAC Reflex missions.
Torrejon was one of three major USAF Cold War airbases in Spain, the others being Zaragoza Air Base near Zaragoza and Moron Air Base near Seville.
Strategic Air Command
USAF support activities began under the 7600th Air Base Group located in Madrid in July 1956, to support construction and base organizational functions.  Torrejon Air Base opened officially on 1 June 1957 with the SAC activating the 3970th Strategic Wing on July 1, 1957.
Torrejon Air Base was a major SAC command base, hosting Sixteenth Air Force as well as SACs 65th Air Division (Defense) where it cooperated with Spanish Air Force units in the Air Defense Direction Centers (ADDCs).  The 65th Air Division directed base construction, and the establishment of off-base housing and radar sites.  The division’s fighter squadrons flew air defense interceptions over Spanish airspace.  The division also controlled the operations of numerous attached tactical fighter squadrons that were deployed to Spain for temporary duty.  Assigned or attached units of the division participated in numerous exercises with the Spanish Air Defense Command, and in some instances, with the U.S. Sixth Fleet.
In addition to the command and control mission, Torrejon Air Base hosted SAC reflex operations.  Reflex operations consisted of rotating Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings overseas for extended duty as part of a dispersal program.  Another reason for establishing Reflex bases was the relatively short range of the B-47, unlike the intercontinental range of the Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress which could remain based permanently in the United States.  Also, in this way SAC could spread out its potential as a Soviet target by placing its aircraft, weapons, and personnel on many more bases, with each bombardment wing having two additional installations to which it could disperse.
Reflex bases located from Greenland to North Africa projected American nuclear might to within striking distance of the Soviet Union heartland.(1) 
On July 5, 1958, the 497th arrived at the new Torrejon AFB, Spain.  Many of the facilities were still under construction.  The new barracks were outstanding, the hanger, under construction.  The 497th F-86Ds were transported to Spain by ship from Mobile, Alabama.
In time, all the F-86Ds arrived from the States.  Construction was completed and gear put away.
The new base for Rocketry Training was Sidi Slimane, Morocco.  The competition between squadrons had ceased because now the 497th was under SAC.  SAC may have been the only down side to being at Torrejon.
Spain proved to be some of the best duty in the Air Force.
There were sad times at Geiger Field and Torrejon.  Aviation can be a dangerous occupation.  Several airmen and aviators were lost while assigned to the 497th.  Frederick Davis, III was lost in a T-33 accident, Richard Dill in an auto accident in Spain, and Jim Seigers in an F-86D crash by Torrejon.  An airman was killed on the ramp at Torrejon.  Sorry, we don’t have all the names.
On 26 April 1960, the 497th FIS transitioned to the F-102 Delta Dagger and operated under SAC control until its transfer to the USAFE 86th Air Division (Defense) at Ramstein Air Base West Germany on 1 July 1960.  This transfer was made in order that all USAF fighter assets in Europe could be concentrated in one command.  It operated F-102s until 3 June 1964, when the squadron was reassigned to the 8th TFW at George AFB, California as an F-4C Tactical Fighter Squadron.  Its F-102 aircraft were transferred to other USAFE FIS squadrons. (2)
The 497th FIS survivors are in the autumn of their years.  Many members have passed on.  The squadron has afforded many wonderful memories and more than a small measure of sorrow.  When all is said and done, as we approach the end of our days, we have our memories.
Dave Paup
(1)  Wikipedia (Madrid/Torrejon Airport)
(2) Wikipedia (Madrid/Torrejon Airport