F-106 Corn Field Bomber, Convair Delta Dart

This is an unusual story. The jet you're looking at is an F-106 Delta Dart. A storied interceptor in its day. It was built to exceed an Air Force requirement for 1.9 mach and continuous flight at 57,000 feet. It did both. And in December 1959, it set a speed record, of 1525 mph, or about 2.3 mach, while flying at 40,000 feet. Its pilot at the time, Major Joseph Rogers claimed the record might not be accurate. He was still accelerating, he said, at the time.

But this particular jet is famous for a different reason.

As the story goes, the aircraft you see here on February 2, 1970 flew itself into the ground -- a snowy field in Montana, where its engine continued to run for another hour and 45 minutes. Grounded, pilotless and still under power, with its radar still sweeping, the jet sometimes crept forward foot by foot through the snow as a small collection of onlookers watched. Its pilot, 1st Lieutenant Gary Foust, had ejected roughly two hours before that show was over. Foust's trip was just as interesting. He'd lost control of the jet while flying a mock engagement that led his and two other jets into harsh maneuvers in the thin unforgiving air at 38,000 feet. Attempting to match a high-g reversal by another pilot, Foust's jet bucked. He entered a flat spin, and the jet fell, spinning slowly like a model on a turntable. The flight's two other pilots came to his aid, calling out recovery procedures. But by 15,000 feet the result seemed certain, and an instructor in one of the other jets ordered Foust to eject. Foust obeyed.

But for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction and it could be it's that law that saved the jet. As Foust shot up, the jet's condition changed -- just enough for the it to recover on its own and head off for the horizon. Legend has it that one of the observing pilots said on frequency, "Gary, you better get back in."

In the end, the jet was recovered, rebuilt and put back to work as tail number 80787. But it was forever known as the Corn Field Bomber. Delta Darts were phased out in the 1980s.

Glenn Pew http://www.glennpew.com for http://www.avweb.com

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[jerrysanty424]

I was the F106 MA1 flight chief and this was one of my birds! I had to bring a crew out to the aircraft and remove all the MA1 equipment ASAP. It was cold and windy, but my troops did a great job. Jerry Santy, retired USAF in Goodyear, AZ!

[budandbean1]

Great story! Thanks for bringing it to us!

[graycloud057]

W O  W !

[weaponeer]

we have an F106A and the rare F106B tandem side by side trainer, on display a Volk Field WI

[modelleg]

Great story...thank you for posting.

[DrOlderDan]

So refreshing to hear somebody talking about action/reaction properly as something that Newton understood to occur simultaneously, NOT sequentially as it is so often misused by the masses. One of my pet peeves- I couldn't resist noting it.

[justaflyguy3]

What a great story. Thanks

[tsns1]

Funny end of the year story

[anybody1955]

Same aircraft now resides at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. A must see place for aviation enthusiatist

[knucklenutz1947]

I supported the F106 at Selfrigde AFB, Mount Clemens Mi just prior to this miraculous landing. The bird was assigned to the 71st FIS out of Malmstrom AFB, in Great Falls Montana. This occurred about 1 year after the 71st returned from a 6 month tdy at Oasn Ab, Korea. F106 Squadrons were rotated there on a 6 month basis after the Pueblo incident in Jan of 1968.

[hotelgulf]

Important info for those starting out with interest in military interceptors~ You just don't see this great stuff in books all the time. Thanks for making the "verse" aware!