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Ron Waggoner | all galleries >> Cold Bay Air Force Station, Alaska >> Morzhovoi Bay Exploration (Click on Image for More Photos) > Loading Up
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May 28, 1970 Ron Waggoner

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Cold Bay, AK

I had arrived at Cold Bay in the middle of May,1970. In two weeks, a group planned to fly to Morzhovoi Bay to spend Memorial Day weekend. I was asked if I wanted to go, and I jumped at the chance. This is a photo of the "Blue Goose" being loaded just before we left. The landing gear of the amphibious "Blue Goose", as it was called, retracted for landing and taking off on water. The aircraft's hangar was constructed completely of wood, despite the fact that all wood had to be shipped in from elsewhere (There were no trees out there). The wooden beams in the hangar were remarkably huge.

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Erik 04-Oct-2017 05:05
The Grumman Goose belonged to Reeve Aleutian. It was parked in this hangar, which was located on the other side of the long runway (14/32 at the time). One night myself, my brother and a Reeve employee were drinking and me and the Reeve employee went inside the Goose and started it up, with the Reeve employee showing me while I was in the left seat and he in the right seat. Once we got it started up we actually taxied forward a little bit. My brother, who was sitting in the truck parked right in front of the Goose, fled in terror as we moved forward! This would have been in the early 70's.
Ron Waggoner05-Dec-2009 07:59
I can't say for sure whether it belonged to Reeves, but it sure wasn't a USAF plane. We didn't have any at Cold Bay in 1970 either. Thanks for commenting!
Robert Budlong 03-Dec-2009 23:44
Is this the Reeves Aleutian Airways goose? In 1969 the Air Force didn't have any aircraft at Cold Bay.