30 years ago

K.I. SAWYER AIR FORCE BASE — The flying of a B-52H bomber marked the official disbanding ceremony of the remaining units at K.I. Sawyer Air Force on Thursday, signifying a return to civilian control. Col. Regner Rider reflects on the achievements of the base with hope for the future, and confidence that if the U.S. needs Sawyer again, there will be a call to action. Executive Director Thomas Rumora and retired U.S. Air Force chief master sergeant and executive director of the developing K.I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum and Air Park, Daniel Benstrom, both note that this is a new beginning. Despite the inactivation ceremony, much will be done for the area surrounding Sawyer area. There remains 585 military and 230 civilian personnel working at the base, and the instillations primary unit, the 410th Bomb Wing, will deactivate Aug. 31.

60 years ago

MARQUETTE — Dale Roberto and two fellow students of Michigan Technological University were flying to Houghton yesterday on a single engine Cessna when they became lost in cloud cover. Robert Kimball and James Hickey heard a “May Day” signal while at the Marquette Flight Service Station. The circling aircraft was reached via telecommunication, but after 20 minutes of using the VOR (omni-directional radio range), their location remained unclear. Kimball and Hickey were left to give the students verbal directions to the airport with only 15 minutes left of fuel, still flying 1,900 feet above the clouds. In the end, Kimball walked an extension microphone outside and communicated with Roberto over a loud speaker. The location of the plane was definitively established: circling over Teal Lake near Negaunee, to which Kimball could then give Roberto landing instructions. Kimball guided the pilot down the runway at 11:10 a.m., and when Roberto came out, he reported only two gallons of gas remained in the tank. The plane was left in the field at the west taxiway, and the students were shuttled to Houghton by car.