I remember passing Titan II missile sites in Kansas and Arizona when they were still on alert. In Kansas, there were blue square reflective plates with an M on a post to identify the location of the entrance road to each site. A few of those sites were in the trees out of site from passers-by.
When I was in my early 20's (1980-1986) I used to work at all the Titan II sites, on every level of the Silo and MCC as a Facilities Electrician @LRAFB. I'm not sure why the museum blocks off Levels 1 & 3 in the Motor Control Center, especially Level 1. While not much to see up there it still would be cool for people to see the crew quarters and kitchen. I'm 61 now but back in 2018-19 I was planning to flying out to AZ from the East coast, stay in a hotel just to see this Museum via the 4 hour "Top-to-Bottom" tour they offered. They even had an option to stay overnight in the Crew Quarters but that was a very expensive option, like $1000 /night. Then Covid-19 hit in 2020 and the Museum closed. When they reopened, they eliminated the "Top-to-Bottom" tour and apparently closed off Level 1/3 of the MCC. VERY disappointing to me and NOT worth my expense of a cross country trip + hotel + rental car just to see Level 2 of the MCC and Level 2 Silo. I REALLY wish they would give us Titan vets the option to see the entire silo once more before we all age out. :(
Thank-you for sharing. I ended up there twice last year. They claim the top to bottom tour will be replaced by a virtual tour on their website so look out for that coming soon. I asked about going upstairs and they said it was being used for storage.
Thanks for doing another video on this. I so enjoyed this tour. I was by myself and I got paired up with a history teacher who was also unaccompanied. She said it was remarkable and I pointed out at the end of the tour that while the missiles are different, every day in the US, launch crews still do this job, and she was kind of surprised to know that there were still ICBM silos that were operational. She had thought that when the Titans were de-commissioned it was over. I think it kind of gave her a realization that we are never safe from this threat.
Nitrogen Tetroxide and Partially unstable Dimethyl Hydrazine. Basically an acid and a base - the two things they told us never to combine in chemistry class.
14:50 “the section that goes on top of the last booster” not mentioned but I think on the plaque -the silver tubes are part of the decoy system and contain balls or balloons released to confuse enemy anti-missile radars. Unfortunately I hear these engines are the ones from the display missile - so if you take the tour to the bottom of the silo you don’t get the full effect.
@@johnwatson3948 They stopped it with Covid in 2020. They told me they were putting together a virtual tour for their website that would show much more than the walking tour. They said they would not do the bottom tour ever again.
Thank-you form the info that the engines are not on the silo missile. That would explain the brand new set up on the surface display. I'll bet removing the engines had some thing to do with the treaty that allowed USA to keep the decommissioned silo.
Thanks, I had guessed probably stopped bottom tour due to Covid - since a virtual tour is nothing like the real thing they must have some other practical reason for not wanting to continue it.
I remember passing Titan II missile sites in Kansas and Arizona when they were still on alert. In Kansas, there were blue square reflective plates with an M on a post to identify the location of the entrance road to each site. A few of those sites were in the trees out of site from passers-by.
When I was in my early 20's (1980-1986) I used to work at all the Titan II sites, on every level of the Silo and MCC as a Facilities Electrician @LRAFB. I'm not sure why the museum blocks off Levels 1 & 3 in the Motor Control Center, especially Level 1. While not much to see up there it still would be cool for people to see the crew quarters and kitchen. I'm 61 now but back in 2018-19 I was planning to flying out to AZ from the East coast, stay in a hotel just to see this Museum via the 4 hour "Top-to-Bottom" tour they offered. They even had an option to stay overnight in the Crew Quarters but that was a very expensive option, like $1000 /night. Then Covid-19 hit in 2020 and the Museum closed. When they reopened, they eliminated the "Top-to-Bottom" tour and apparently closed off Level 1/3 of the MCC. VERY disappointing to me and NOT worth my expense of a cross country trip + hotel + rental car just to see Level 2 of the MCC and Level 2 Silo. I REALLY wish they would give us Titan vets the option to see the entire silo once more before we all age out. :(
Thank-you for sharing. I ended up there twice last year. They claim the top to bottom tour will be replaced by a virtual tour on their website so look out for that coming soon. I asked about going upstairs and they said it was being used for storage.
Thanks for doing another video on this. I so enjoyed this tour. I was by myself and I got paired up with a history teacher who was also unaccompanied. She said it was remarkable and I pointed out at the end of the tour that while the missiles are different, every day in the US, launch crews still do this job, and she was kind of surprised to know that there were still ICBM silos that were operational. She had thought that when the Titans were de-commissioned it was over. I think it kind of gave her a realization that we are never safe from this threat.
Nitrogen Tetroxide and Partially unstable Dimethyl Hydrazine. Basically an acid and a base - the two things they told us never to combine in chemistry class.
Wish I would’ve known about this when I passed through Arizona this summer. Wonderful video!
I was there earlier last year and made this video that has 80,000 views:
th-cam.com/video/TeL7Ak_4c3M/w-d-xo.html
14:50 “the section that goes on top of the last booster” not mentioned but I think on the plaque -the silver tubes are part of the decoy system and contain balls or balloons released to confuse enemy anti-missile radars.
Unfortunately I hear these engines are the ones from the display missile - so if you take the tour to the bottom of the silo you don’t get the full effect.
They have discontinued the silo bottom tour unfortunately. And the engines used to be under cover but now are out in the open.
Wow did not know that - did they say why they stopped the bottom tour?
@@johnwatson3948 They stopped it with Covid in 2020. They told me they were putting together a virtual tour for their website that would show much more than the walking tour. They said they would not do the bottom tour ever again.
Thank-you form the info that the engines are not on the silo missile. That would explain the brand new set up on the surface display. I'll bet removing the engines had some thing to do with the treaty that allowed USA to keep the decommissioned silo.
Thanks, I had guessed probably stopped bottom tour due to Covid - since a virtual tour is nothing like the real thing they must have some other practical reason for not wanting to continue it.
Did I imagine it or did someone purchase one of these and live in it?
What a great video. Well done, Norm.
Thank-you, I was also there earlier in the year and made a video that has 80,000 views now. Check it out.
th-cam.com/video/TeL7Ak_4c3M/w-d-xo.html
That's not the correct procedure Captain.
What is?
@@ontheroadwithnorm2024 th-cam.com/video/5bF1_PGMAj0/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=CodeOptimizationWare
Enjoy.