IV
Lieutenant Colonel Fackler, as special projects officer, handled the

air controller's functions with a staff of two officers and two airmen.
The colonel ; probably the most experienced man in controlling aircraft
during miclear testing, was assisted by officers from the Special Weapons
Center:

Colonel Kurt M, Landon, Vice Commander, and Lieutenant Colonel
1

James S, Starkey, Special Project Officer, rotated this assignment. 3

~Sampling the Shots
Again as in previous operatims, routine for a shot began the day

before.

All aircrews participating received briefings on their missions

and weather,

Specialized briefings were held at the Test Operations Unit

Number One briefing room, aircrews received badges and dosimeters, and
the ground crews installed filter papers into the holders on the wingtips

of the F-8),G samplers,
On the morning of the shot, the test operations unit's personnel

controlled all takeoffs and landings from Indian Springs and directed
aircraft to the Nevada Proving Grounds.

At the control point, inside

the testing grounds, Colonel Fackler's air controllers took over and
directed the aircraft during their stay over the test site,

Aboard the

B-50 sampler controller aircraft, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
personnel (usually Dr, Plank) directed the actual cloud penetrations of
the sampler pilots,

Dr. Plank watched the radiation exposures and as

soon as the pilots approached allowable dosages, directed them to return
to Indian Springs,

After landing they taxied to the east end of the

field where radiological monitors determined the extent of contamination

8

SWEH-2-003;
\b?

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