Scott's USAF Installations Page

All text and images created by Scott D. Murdock unless indicated otherwise.

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Trip Report: Totally Titan

First published in 2015. Reformatted 2025.

For many years, visiting a Titan I site has been high on my list of Things to Do. It's also been a Bucket List item for my research pal Ron, a self-identified "siloholic." Finally, we had a chance to take a legal and safe tour of a dry Titan I complex! Since we had extra time, I dragged Ron to a few other former military sites--just to broaden his horizons. I made use of my friend Pete's fine Titan I website to help prepare for this trip, and Pete was kind enough to help me label some of my photos. Any errors that remain are mine alone, not Pete's! Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.

Friday, 16 October 2015

I flew from Denver to Spokane, and met up with Ron at the rental car counter. I procured a Ford Fiesta for the weekend, and off we went.

Fairchild Radio Relay Annex #9 WA, PIN 7215, 47-35-05, 118-19-08. This microwave relay site was one of nine assigned to Fairchild Air Force Base, supporting communications with the Atlas E missile sites. It was assigned on 30 August 1960, declared excess on 4 January 1965, and disposed of on 8 December 1966.
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Antenna housing
Antenna housing
Antenna housing
Entrance
Entrance and antenna housing
Entrance and antenna housing
Entrance and antenna housing
Antenna structure and intake structure
Exhaust (L) and intake (R) structures

Air Force Plant #53 WA, PIN 4609, 47-11-39, 119-18-04. This plant was operated in the 1950s and 1960s by the Boeing Company. First, to test and maintain B-52 bombers, and later to test engines for BOMARC missiles. The government sold the facility in approximately 1966. The massive hangar housed up to eight B-52s. The roof is constructed of thin-shell concrete designed by engineer Jack Christiansen. The cylindrical barrel vault shells of the hangar span 217 feet and are 3 to 3.5 inches thick.
B-52 hangar
B-52 hangar
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view

Larson AFB WA, PIN 2138, ILC MWDC, 47-12-15, 119-18-50. Larson AFB was home to an ADC fighter-interceptor mission, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) aircraft alert mission, a SAC Titan I missile squadron, and an ADC Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) direction center.
Fighter-Interceptor Alert Hangar, Strobel & Salzman first type
Fighter-Interceptor Alert Hangar, Strobel & Salzman first type
Fighter-Interceptor Alert Hangar, Strobel & Salzman first type
Fighter-Interceptor Alert Hangar, Strobel & Salzman first type
ADC Rocket Storage, Checkout and Assembly, Unit "A", double configuration
ADC Rocket Storage, Checkout and Assembly, Unit "A", double configuration
ADC Rocket Storage, Checkout and Assembly, Unit "A", double configuration
ADC Rocket Storage, Checkout and Assembly, Unit "A", double configuration
ADC Rocket Storage, Checkout and Assembly, Unit "A", double configuration
ADC Rocket Storage, Checkout and Assembly, Unit "A", double configuration
SAC alert area parking lot
SAC alert area "molehole" 70-man alert facility
SAC alert area "molehole" 70-man alert facility
SAC alert area gate
SAC alert area perimeter light
SAC alert area perimeter light, detail
SAC alert area perimeter light, detail
SAC maintenance dock (1)
SAC maintenance dock (1)
SAC maintenance dock (1)
SAC maintenance dock (1)
SAC maintenance dock (2)
SAC maintenance dock (2)
SAC maintenance dock (1) (R) and (2) (L)
Maintenance building (1)
Maintenance building (1)
Maintenance building (2)
Maintenance building (2)
Maintenance building (3)
Maintenance building (3)
Maintenance building (2) (L) and (3) (R)
SAC double-cantilever hangar
SAC double-cantilever hangar
SAC double-cantilever hangar
SAGE Direction Center DC-15
SAGE Direction Center DC-15
SAGE Direction Center DC-15
SAGE Direction Center DC-15
SAGE Direction Center DC-15
Segregated storage magazine
Segregated storage magazine
Segregated storage magazine
Segregated storage magazine
Segregated storage magazine
World War II hangar (1)
World War II hangar (1)
World War II hangar (2)
World War II hangar (2)
World War II hangar (2)
World War II hangar (2)
Chapel
Chapel
Chapel
Chapel
Chapel
Chapel
Chapel
Fire suppression deluge water reservoir and pump house
Fire suppression deluge water reservoir and pump house
Fire suppression deluge water reservoir and pump house
Fire suppression deluge water reservoir and pump house
Fire suppression deluge water reservoir and pump house
Fire suppression deluge water reservoir and pump house
Fire suppression deluge water reservoir and pump house
Jet engine test structure
Building

Ephrata AFB WA, 47-18-30, 119-31-00. Activated in June 1942, this airfield was built with Air Corps use in mind under the CAA's Development of Landing Areas for National Defense (DLAND) program. It started under 2AF, was placed on stand-by status by the end of 1943, and was reactivated under 4AF in April 1944. It was inactivated 30 September 1945 and declared excess in November 1945. After being transferred to the War Assets Administration in late 1946, it was withdrawn by the Army in June 1947. It was redesignated Ephrata Air Force Base on 13 January 1948, remaining in an inactive status until it was declared surplus in August 1949.
General view
Hangar 1 "Hangar, Bom Sq" HANG O-A
Hangar 2 "Hangar, Bom Sq" HANG O-A
Hangar 2 "Hangar, Bom Sq" HANG O-A
Hangar 2 "Hangar, Bom Sq" HANG O-A
Hangar 1 (R) and Hangar 2 (L)
Hangar 3 "Hangar" HANG-PA
Hangar 3 "Hangar" HANG-PA
Norden bombsight building "Bombsight Storage" BOM-B-A
Norden bombsight building "Bombsight Storage" BOM-B-A
Norden bombsight building "Bombsight Storage" BOM-B-A
Norden bombsight building "Bombsight Storage" BOM-B-A
Building "Bomb Trainer" BTB-1
Building "Bomb Trainer" BTB-1
Building "Bomb Trainer" BTB-1
Building "Bomb Trainer" BTB-1
"Parachute Building" PAR-63
"Parachute Building" PAR-63
"Parachute Building" PAR-63
"Parachute Building" PAR-63
Parachute Building and Hangar 3
Building "Paint and Dope Storage" Whse-1-A
Paint and Dope Storage, Parachute Building, and Hangar 3

Saturday, 17 October 2015

Larson AF Missile Site #1 (568-A) WA, PIN 6986. Ground was broken for this Titan I missile site on 3 December 1959, and it began service in 1962. Life was short for Titan I, and the site was inactivated 25 March 1965. Site owner Bari Hotchkiss was our knowledgeable and gracious tour guide.
Gate
Antenna silo 1 (L) and 2 (R) (roofs added)
Antenna silo 1 (L) and 2 (R) (roofs added)
Antenna silo 1 (L) and 2 (R) (roofs added)
Orientation targets
Orientation targets
Orientation targets
Portal (roof added) and powerhouse dome fence
Personnel entry and portal (roofs added)
Powerhouse air intake (roof added)
Maintenance building and hardstand
Silo cap
Silo cap
Silo cap
Silo cap
Silo cap
Silo cap detail
Chemical waste clarifier
Chemical waste clarifier
Powerhouse dome, opened by USAF for generator removal
Concrete removed from powerhouse dome
Powerhouse exhaust (roof added)
Television camera and instrument mount
Personnel entry
Personnel entry
Personnel entry
Personnel entry
Personnel entry
Portal, view from personnel entry
Portal, view down from stairway
Portal, center shaft with doors above
Portal, center shaft
Portal, stairway
Portal, stairway
Portal, lowest level
Portal, lowest level
Portal, lowest level
Tunnel Junction (T.J.) #10, view from portal
T.J #10, water storage compartment
T.J #10, water storage compartment
T.J #10, water storage tank
T.J #10
T.J #10
T.J #10, water storage (L) and powerhouse access (R)
T.J #10, from control center toward powerhouse
T.J #10, view toward control center
T.J #10, view towards fuel terminal (T.J. #12) and on to blast lock #2 and launcher areas
Control center
Control center
Control center
Control center
Control center
Control center
Control center
Control center
Control center
Control center, upper level, phone and telecommunications room
Tunnel to antenna silos
Antenna terminal
Antenna silo
Antenna silo
Antenna silo
Antenna silo
Antenna silo
Antenna silo
Antenna silo
Antenna silo
Tunnel, view from antenna terminal toward main junction
Tunnel, view toward main junction
Missile fuel tank
Escape hatch at blast lock 2
Silo 1, view from blast lock #2 into personnel tunnel leading to launcher area #1
Silo 1
Silo 1
Silo 1, view from personnel tunnel towards utilities tunnel to equipment terminal #2
Silo 1
Silo 1, view into propellant terminal #1 from the entrance
Silo 1, view into propellant terminal #1 from entrance, towards the LOX tunnel to the silo
Silo 1, view into propellant terminal #1 from entrance, towards roof access hatch in ceiling
Silo 1, view from T.J. #2 towards blast lock #2
Silo 1, view from inside blast lock #2 down personnel tunnel towards blast lock #1
Silo 1, view from just outside equipment terminal #1 into T.J. #1
Blast valve, removed from opening
Blast valve, empty opening
Tunnel
Blast valve
Silo 3, view from inside T.J. #9 into propellant terminal #3
Silo 3, view through blast lock #1 into personnel tunnel leading to launcher area #3
Silo 3, access
Silo 3, view through blast lock #2 to personnel tunnel leading to launcher area #2
Silo 3
Silo 3
Silo 3
Silo 2, view from utilities tunnel
Silo 2
Silo 2
Silo 2
Silo 2
Silo 2
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, equipment terminal
Silo 2, view from silo side of utilities tunnel connecting silo to equipment terminal
Silo 2, view through equipment access hatch from level II to level I of equipment terminal
Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Powerhouse, salvage hole in top of dome
Powerhouse, rattle space around side of dome
Powerhouse, under-floor structure
Powerhouse, under-floor structure
Powerhouse

George LORAN Site WA, 47-03-48, 119-44-39. This Coast Guard Long Range Navigation (LORAN) facility was placed in service in September 1976, and disestablished 20 August 2010.
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Sign

Larson AF Missile Site #3 (568-C) WA, PIN 6988. This Titan I missile site began service in 1962, and it was inactivated 25 March 1965.
General view
General view
Gate
Sign
Gate and sign

Sunday, 18 October 2015

Plancor 0226-S WA, 47-45-15, 117-22-35. This 1,000,000 square foot aluminum plant situated on 254 acres served the defense industry during WWII. Built and owned by the Defense Plant Corporation, it was operated for the government by the Aluminum Company of America.
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Elevated water storage tank
Elevated water storage tank
Sign

Nike F-07L WA, 47-40-50, 117-36-28. This Nike launcher site was only in service from 1957 to June 1960.
General view
Buildings
Building
Building

Overjoyed with our accomplishments, yet saddened to leave such a target-rich research environment, we returned to the Spokane airport. I bade farewell to Ron and we went our separate ways, content to check a major item off of our Bucket Lists.

Updated January 26, 2025



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