Those Were the Days #01

	F-16A 79-0319 of the 157 TFS, South Carolina ANG, ( the "Swamp Fox"). Returning from a Gunsmoke sortie with an empty BDU-33 practice bomb rack. This Squadron and this aeroplane were to put their bomb aiming experience to good use just eighteen months later over Iraq during Desert Storm. Minolta 7000, 400mm, K64 180/f5.6		A-10A 80-0189 "EL" of the 23 TFW "Flying Tigers" From England AFB. LA. Carrying fin markings for the Wings three Squadrons, the 74 TFS, 75 TFS and the 76 TFS. Also hanging on the wing is a ACMI (Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation) pod or "range spike" for short. This relays information on the aircraft's every move back to Nellis for an accurate debrief. Minolta 7000, 400mm, K64 180/f5.6
	A-7D 70-1008, "HA" belonging to the 174 TFS, Iowa ANG. Shows off the results of many hundreds of man hours of preparation from a proud maintenance team. It's rare nowadays to see even a ANG aircraft look this good. There are no points awarded in today's Gunsmoke`s for aircraft appearance. Minolta 7000, 400mm, K64 180/f5.6		F-4E 68-0418 "HF" of the 113 TFS Indiana ANG. Gunsmoke 89 was the Phantoms swan-song as more F-16`s went into reserve units. Though the painstaking preparation and great experience of the aircrews still enabled the Rhino to show the Viper units a thing or two. Minolta 7000, 400mm, K64 180/f5.6
	F-4E 74-1048 "PN" looking immaculate in 3 TFW markings representing PACAF at Gunsmoke 89. All five competition aircraft wore these markings. Minolta 7000, 400mm, K64 180/f5.6		F-4E 74-1040 "TX" . The 704 TFS from Bergstrom AFB. Texas flew the flag for the AFRES. This unit painted its six competition birds in this striking desert style grey camo. This was also applied to some F-4D`s when the squadron took part in a previous Gunsmoke. Minolta 7000, 400mm, K64 180/f5.6

Following the restructuring after Desert Storm Gunsmoke 95 was a Composite Force competition, looking very much the same as the annual "Longshot" exercises also held at Nellis. The teams were made up of up to twenty aircraft from the numbered Air forces, such as the 12th AF based at Hill AFB and the 9th AF from Shaw AFB, also a PACAF and USAFE team and a ANG and AFRES team. The arrivals day saw some 150 aircraft arrive at Nellis, but unlike previous competitions there was just one day of flying, a rest day with a golf tournament, and a departure day. There were plans to have a longer competition at the next Gunsmoke in 1997 but it was postponed until 1998 then cancelled at short notice last October.

The competition is now supposed to be held every three years but things are looking bleak for future Gunsmoke`s and also William Tell, the Air to Air competition at Tyndall, because it is becoming hard to get units that are already deploying constantly to the Middle East and the Balkans to spare the men and machines for what has wrongly become a low priority. I for one will miss Gunsmoke because it was about pride in every part of a Squadron and was a test for "the best of the best". The USAF needs events like Gunsmoke to remain at the cutting edge of aerial combat into the new Century, they must make an effort keep it alive.

TEAMS AND RESULTS
Team	From	Aircraft	Position	Points
169thTFG/ S.Carolina ANG	McEntire ANGB	F-16A	1st	9313.5
944thTFG/ AFRes	Luke AFB	F-16C	2nd	9254.5
432ndTFW/ PACAF	Misawa AB	F-16C	3rd	9157
388thTFW/ TAC	Hill AFB	F-16	4th	9127.5
347thTFW/ TAC	Moody AFB	F-16A	5th	9091
150thTFG/ New Mexico	Kirtland AFB	A-7D	6th	9052.5
86thTFW/ USAFE	Ramstein AB	F-16C	7th	8994
23rdTFW/ TAC	England AFB	A-10A	8th	8763.5
81stTFW/ USAFE	RAF Bentwaters	A-10A	9th	8664
185thTFG/ Iowa ANG	Sioux City	A-7D	10th	8622
3rdTFW/ PACAF	Clarke AB	F-4E	11th	8367
103rdTFG/ Connecticut ANG	Bradley	A-10A	12th	8299
343rdTFW/ TAC	Eielson AFB	A-10A	13th	8205.5
930thTFG/ AFRes	Grissom AFB	A-10A	14th	7855
924thTFG/ AFRes	Bergstrom AFB	F-4E	15th	7440
181stTFG/ Indiana ANG	Terre Haute	F-4E	16th	6291