Oh How They Flew Part 2 of 2 498th FIS Geiger Tigers

This is part 2 of 2 the story of Lt. Col Garth "Gabby" Reynolds, Capt. Bud Sherman, and my father, Tom Dozier, and "The Geiger Tigers".
This video is another in my line of exclusive videos.


Gabby was promoted to Lt Col that spring, and he began building the squadron into tigers. The men needed more than just a motto. Gabby wanted his squadron, to be recognized wherever they went. He authorized a flamboyant paint job for the airplanes. The squadron color was Medium Blue; and Gabby, Tom Dozier (GE Tech Rep), and Bud Sherman designed a paint scheme. The tail, canopy rail, wingtips, and scallops on the drop tanks would be blue with white stars. The star pattern on the tall was 9 stars shaped like an 'N', which stood for 9th Air Division. This was repeated on the canopy rail. On the nose was a fierce looking tiger mouth, a natural for the F-86D. Now the squadron aircraft looked like tigers - GEIGER TIGERS!
COL 'Gabby' gave the squadron an attitude of cocky professionalism - very cocky! When the Tigers deployed to Yuma for their first rocketry training in 1955, they did it in style. Taxiing in, the pilots opened the canopies and donned black 'derby hats' and blue scarves. Attached to the wingtips of each airplane was a plywood cutout of a Geiger Tiger, complete with black derby and blue scarf blowing in the breeze. It was quite an entrance. And one not appreciated by the other squadrons deployed to Yuma.
The other squadrons, not too impressed with the 'entrance', promptly made it known that the Tigers better be able to back up the show. The Tigers wore their derbys wherever they went, even the NCOs. When the NCO Club manager asked them to remove their derbys, the Tigers calmly replied - "The Geiger Tigers don't take their hats off to anyone!" That promptly got the entire squadron banned from the club. SGT Flynn rapidly organized a venture across the border for booze, returning with literally gallons of rum. The Tigers set up their own 'club' in one of the squadron tents, which was soon out-selling the bar at the club they were banned from! Most of the segments are shot at Vincent AFB, Yuma, AZ. But the 'lost pilot' segments showing him stopping to look at highway signs and flying under highway bridges, were shot in Tom Dozier's car with a cameraman shooting over the windshield. 'Inflight' close-ups, including the eager beaver pilot in his coonskin cap, were all filmed on the Yuma ramp. All actual flying was done by Bud Sherman and Gabby. The gaudy Geiger Tiger paint job was further accentuated by the addition of personal markings. The aircraft were all named - "TIGER DEE", "TEXAS
TERROR", "THE BIG WHEEL". My personal favorite was "BIG VIV", with a 4 foot tall brunette in a red bathing suit painted on the nose. North American printed and re-printed the film, Everyone in the Air Force seemed to want a copy. And the Geiger Tigers were famous. Oh yes, even with all the movie nonsense going on, the squadron still won their competition. (Above story excerpted from an article by Larry Davis as told by my father to him)
www.sabre-pilots.org/classics/v52geiger.htm

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• f-86
• sabre
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• geiger
• tigers
• aviation
• flying
• funny
• rare
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• parody
• awesome
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[57buickcentury]

Hi TJ - that B-29 target tug at had quite a career; 44-86291 was the camera ship (later named "Necessary Evil") on the Hiroshima mission and ended up on the target range at China Lake.

[TJDOZIER1]

@57buickcentury

That is an interesting piece of history that I didnt know, thanks.

I wonder if it was the same B-29 they pulled from the range some years back.

I read that the guy/group went bankrupt after they got the aircraft moved over to Inyokern airport. I wonder what happened to that airframe and if it is the same one here.

[wkat950]

TJ you had some real talent in the Air Force- both in aviation and cinema. I think someone had a job waiting at Walt Disney for them because this reminds me of one of their cartoon parodies. This second film was even better!

[TJDOZIER1]

I would like to take credit for this video...but my dad made it. I was only about 1year old when this was made. I would like a job at Disney Pixar though.

[oldF101]

I loved it, as the old saying. Been there done that. The only thing missing was Mexico and the bars there. There were some great parties. While at Hamilton AFB CA in the mid 60's. We made booze runs to Yuma on a pretty regular basis.Good job!!

[TJDOZIER1]

I have the footage of the run to Mexico and the bars, but I edited it out to shorten the video for youtube.

[sologtrstewie]

Looks like they had fun!

[dc8flightdeck]

Now that was funny!!

[Quadrant14]

Bloody funny, always knew the flyboys could put on silly things

[KatsOlman]

Any further questions as to why I was proud to serve? Of course, I was never in such an "elite" squadron...I was in the fabulous, flying, fighting 27th. Home of the REAL Aardvark Aviators!

This was a great film, thanks for posting it!

[Brasstacks11]

Great!

[StevenLC1968]

As told by Larry Davis in the link you provided there was an amateur video made and then "The new camera crew had recently won Oscars for cinematography while working for the legendary Jack Webb". Are both of the videos really in poor focus? I can't believe that an Oscar winning camera crew would produce such an out of focus work. If the original is in better focus could you post it as well?

[anders110]

crazy fun!