Oh yes, memories! In the beginning of the video, the first still aerial picture of the site was taken by then 2nd Lieutenant Chuck Wilson (me) and then SSGT Richard Hutchinson. I was the pilot and Hutch was the photographer. Year was 1978. We were in a Piper Cherokee that we flew out of nearby Bad Axe Airport. I have fond memories of Post Austin and hope to return someday to reminisce. -Chuck Wilson
I was stationed at PAAFS from February 1983 to September 1985. Awesome assignment. I helped change-out the AN/FPS-24 search and AN/FPS-26 height finder radar sets. An AN/FPS-91A search radar set and an AN/FPS-116 height finder radar set were installed in their place. At the time of the AN/FPS-24's catastrophic antenna main motor bearing failure in 1982, it was the only radar set of its kind still in operation. US Air Force members I remember being stationed with me include (ranks replace first names that I cannot recall): Andrew 'Skip' Sobien, Mike 'Wayne' Curry, Bob Loftus, Gene Cooksey, Paul Burnam, Rich Harvey, Claude Mullins, Cecil Hannah, Tom Quinlin, John Nelson (not the John Nelson I see here, I believe), John DiCicco, Bart Reynoso, Dennis Phillipe, Wally Usery, Ronald Booth, Tom 'Messy Jesse' James, Chester O'Cull (civilian), Scott Gallagher, John Deroger, Chris Ercegovich, Paul Thompson, Johnny Crowe, 'Chilly Willy' Williams, Thor Thomas, Paul Golder, Bob Bond, Doug Sloan, Doug Engelke, Oscar Ben, Scott LaFave, Bill Gerdeman, Wendell Jones, Stan Giles, Tom Troost, John 'Buck-Knife' Riley, David Cook, Neil Kitchen (civilian), Jim 'Height Beer' Grant, Ron Stetson, Steve Stoner, Steve Crowley, Nancy Flugal, Al Chrysler, Gene McDonald, Vivian Garrison, Tim Yurkees, Ssgt Gilligan (NCO club), Ray Manfredi, SSgt King, Don Dobrin, 'Gabby' Hayes, Paul Stepp, Alton Franklin, David Wood, Tammy Bunton, Ron Guvorak, Ray Webb, John Weber, Sgt Deil, Mike Ohman, Adam Shump, Greg Whitaker, Scot Perket, Bob Buchele, Andy Clark, Doug Ellsworth, Richard Funk, Texroy Jones, Earl Kellner, Ron LaValley, Bruce Lucast, Ken Club, John 'Brad' Thompson, Brian Early, Pat Hubley to name a few.
I was stationed at Port Austin AFS in 1973 & 1974. It was my first duty assignment after basic training in San Antonio, followed by tech school (Ground Radio) at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi. I worked at the GATR site (Ground Air Transmitter Receiver) which was on a gravel road located to the south-west of the main site - this was because the UHF radios and electronic equipment were adversely-affected by the intense RF signal radiating from the huge rotating search radar antenna. I never lived on the base because I was married - and my wife accompanied me to this duty location. We lived in a portion of a tri-plex rental home (lakefront property) in town - right beside the Lake Vista Motel & Cottages (which were owned by an elderly couple) - our apartment house was owned by the same couple. I used to help the landlord with handy-man repairs to the cottages. Our rent was $105/month - which just happened to be exactly the amount that the USAF paid a young airman for their off-base housing allowance. The water of Lake Huron was clear and cold - and I had bought an 11 foot Sea Snark Sunflower car-top sailboat (from Sears). I also had my 1973 Honda CB-350G motorcycle with me. We drove to the Farmer Jack in Bad Axe for groceries...and for our single once-a-month indulgence - the A&W Root Beer stand (with car hops) - where we each got a single mug of root beer and we shared an order of onion rings. My total pay was $498/month (including my off-base housing allowance and "separate rations"). For a young couple just starting out - it was a wonderful way to establish the life-long habit of living within our means). Truly, those were the very best days of my life!
The old air force base is now a homeless shelter. It has been since 2010 I live in one of the barracks and I am currently staff here at the ministry. It is interesting to see what it looked like before. It is not abandoned though.
Not anymore we have Puerto rico (working in the factory's in the area) people living there well some and it has campers. Wish they kept this and the old Junior High building as a history building! Little Caesars used to be there also before moving!
I believe the USAF considers it 'closed', even though civilian activities continue to take place on it. You are probably correct in saying it is not 'abandoned'.
Steven Novakovich yes. I’m not there anymore but drove through just the other day to see what was going on with the place now and it is very well in use still. Just for a different reason..
My grandparents had a farm in Port Austin. My dad did more than thirty years in the Air Force, I think in part because of this station. I spent many of the happiest days of my life in the shadow of that radar station. Thanks for the memories.
Brings back memories. Although I was never stationed at this particular radar site, I was sent here several times to work here while I was stationed at Calumet Air Force Station in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I worked in the block house, which was the tallest building they keep focusing on. I would not call this an abandoned. What I mean to say it is occupied, whereas the radar site near Calumet is abandoned with no occupants.
I was stationed at Calumet Air Force station from November 1969 to March 1971 before going to Iceland and then Key West Florida. I have fond memories of Calumet also. Met my first wife up there. Had fun in the snow! Saw a video of The Calumet Station yesterday. Interesting after 50 years!
I lived there as a kid. Must have been 1962 or so. I can see the quarters we lived in next to the bean field. Second house on the right. Housing was right before the gate. I see the quarry we played in. Perfect.
Really great video. I remember as a kid having the spinning radar help navigate me back to the harbor as it was so much higher than Port Austin. The history section is great too! Interesting.
Wow, this video brings back memories. I was stationed at Port Austin twice while in the Air Force, including from June-December 1982. Yes, it was 1982--September, I believe--when the bearings failed, and I was right under the antenna (on the 5th floor) when it stopped. There was an urban legend going around the whole time I was in that another FPS-24's bearings had failed in California somewhere, and that the side of the building had literally cracked when it happened. So I was surprised at how anticlimactic this failure was--it just stopped. No cracking of the building, no shaking, nothing.
I was stationed at PAAFS from Feb 1983 to September 1985. Both the A/N FPS-24 and the A/N FPS-26 (height finder radar) were dismantled and replaced by a bunch of us enlisted guys and a superb crew from northern California somewhere (McClellan AFB?) who specialized in such swap-outs. T'was a LOT of work, but no better way to learn the ins and outs. I worked on the A/N FPS-116 height finder radar set and when it was all tuned-up it cut aircraft height very accurately, especially as compared to modern, phased-array sets.
I was there from 73 to 75 and it was my best station , it was funny to see the town go dead the day after labor day . I think in 75 there was a thing going on about the cannon is coming lol well some of the Sgts when into town an stole a light field cannon on main st. , they were in big trouble but cleaned it all up and repainted it to look way better than it had . Then back it went . The winter was a fun time , then winter festival and broom ball was the big thing for the guys to go an get into . In town was the best butcher shop and everyone hit that on payday . Good times . In 78 I almost transfered back there as a civilian in charge of the Boiler Plant but couldn't manage it at the time , glad I didn't because 11 yrs later it closed :( , it was my dream place .
My family has been members of the private campground nextdoor for over 20 years. I remember as a teen, my sister and I walking our dogs through those grounds many times, admiring all the cool old military buildings (our dad was a USAF vet but not stationed here) long ago before the area was off limits to us. I remember when the KOA was bought by some people who started the campground as an endowment towards some college they wanted to build there. But that fell through and I think the original park manager was embezzling the money or something. So the campground became it's own private thing. I've been curious what it looks like over there now, since I haven't been in like 16+ years but drive past it all summer.
I go there every year, my grandparents own a lot there and I love it there, still nice and quiet there but I believe Joe the manager retired in 2023, but there has been rumors about it and I’m not sure if it’s entirely true
My dad and his family grew up on farm not that far from there and we owe a field close to it. He used to tell us stories about the station and what the Airmen and their families ment for this town espically during the winter when it was dead now we are just a tourist area with the farmland
I was a census supervisor in the 1980 census, although I think I was really doing things there early, like 1979 or early in 1980 because I went to work for the state later on in 1980. I was a "special places" supervisor, meaning I oversaw the counts in places like this but I also oversaw some of the regular census and mapping. I worked for a couple of years. I had a brother-in-law in the Air Force at a base in the Upper Peninsula that was huge so coming onto this small base was interesting. I had to laugh because technically I was suddenly the boss of the officers there. I swore them in and they answered to me.
awesome video, sky cam! hopefully more people will subscribe to you (like i did) when they see how fascinating your uploads are. under-noticed channels like yours and mine could use the validation. : )
I remember when Little Caesars used to have a place located at the base and now has moved to Bad Axe we used to go there and order a pizza last time i was there you can still see the Little Caesars man on the front of the building but it's faded
I now own the building at 4:06. I'd love to get in contact with anyone who worked here . I'm trying to start an indoor food farm for the community. Please search Elevated Earth on gofundme to help support our efforts. Thank you for posting this.
Oh yes, memories! In the beginning of the video, the first still aerial picture of the site was taken by then 2nd Lieutenant Chuck Wilson (me) and then SSGT Richard Hutchinson. I was the pilot and Hutch was the photographer. Year was 1978. We were in a Piper Cherokee that we flew out of nearby Bad Axe Airport. I have fond memories of Post Austin and hope to return someday to reminisce. -Chuck Wilson
I served with Hutch in Greece. 2140th Comm Gp Det-11
I own the radar tower now. Trying to start an indoor community food farm inside. My building is at the 4:20 mark.
I was stationed at PAAFS from February 1983 to September 1985. Awesome assignment. I helped change-out the AN/FPS-24 search and AN/FPS-26 height finder radar sets. An AN/FPS-91A search radar set and an AN/FPS-116 height finder radar set were installed in their place. At the time of the AN/FPS-24's catastrophic antenna main motor bearing failure in 1982, it was the only radar set of its kind still in operation. US Air Force members I remember being stationed with me include (ranks replace first names that I cannot recall): Andrew 'Skip' Sobien, Mike 'Wayne' Curry, Bob Loftus, Gene Cooksey, Paul Burnam, Rich Harvey, Claude Mullins, Cecil Hannah, Tom Quinlin, John Nelson (not the John Nelson I see here, I believe), John DiCicco, Bart Reynoso, Dennis Phillipe, Wally Usery, Ronald Booth, Tom 'Messy Jesse' James, Chester O'Cull (civilian), Scott Gallagher, John Deroger, Chris Ercegovich, Paul Thompson, Johnny Crowe, 'Chilly Willy' Williams, Thor Thomas, Paul Golder, Bob Bond, Doug Sloan, Doug Engelke, Oscar Ben, Scott LaFave, Bill Gerdeman, Wendell Jones, Stan Giles, Tom Troost, John 'Buck-Knife' Riley, David Cook, Neil Kitchen (civilian), Jim 'Height Beer' Grant, Ron Stetson, Steve Stoner, Steve Crowley, Nancy Flugal, Al Chrysler, Gene McDonald, Vivian Garrison, Tim Yurkees, Ssgt Gilligan (NCO club), Ray Manfredi, SSgt King, Don Dobrin, 'Gabby' Hayes, Paul Stepp, Alton Franklin, David Wood, Tammy Bunton, Ron Guvorak, Ray Webb, John Weber, Sgt Deil, Mike Ohman, Adam Shump, Greg Whitaker, Scot Perket, Bob Buchele, Andy Clark, Doug Ellsworth, Richard Funk, Texroy Jones, Earl Kellner, Ron LaValley, Bruce Lucast, Ken Club, John 'Brad' Thompson, Brian Early, Pat Hubley to name a few.
I was stationed at Port Austin AFS in 1973 & 1974. It was my first duty assignment after basic training in San Antonio, followed by tech school (Ground Radio) at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi. I worked at the GATR site (Ground Air Transmitter Receiver) which was on a gravel road located to the south-west of the main site - this was because the UHF radios and electronic equipment were adversely-affected by the intense RF signal radiating from the huge rotating search radar antenna. I never lived on the base because I was married - and my wife accompanied me to this duty location. We lived in a portion of a tri-plex rental home (lakefront property) in town - right beside the Lake Vista Motel & Cottages (which were owned by an elderly couple) - our apartment house was owned by the same couple. I used to help the landlord with handy-man repairs to the cottages. Our rent was $105/month - which just happened to be exactly the amount that the USAF paid a young airman for their off-base housing allowance. The water of Lake Huron was clear and cold - and I had bought an 11 foot Sea Snark Sunflower car-top sailboat (from Sears). I also had my 1973 Honda CB-350G motorcycle with me. We drove to the Farmer Jack in Bad Axe for groceries...and for our single once-a-month indulgence - the A&W Root Beer stand (with car hops) - where we each got a single mug of root beer and we shared an order of onion rings. My total pay was $498/month (including my off-base housing allowance and "separate rations"). For a young couple just starting out - it was a wonderful way to establish the life-long habit of living within our means). Truly, those were the very best days of my life!
The old air force base is now a homeless shelter. It has been since 2010 I live in one of the barracks and I am currently staff here at the ministry. It is interesting to see what it looked like before. It is not abandoned though.
Not anymore we have Puerto rico (working in the factory's in the area) people living there well some and it has campers. Wish they kept this and the old Junior High building as a history building! Little Caesars used to be there also before moving!
That's true 🤔😜
I believe the USAF considers it 'closed', even though civilian activities continue to take place on it. You are probably correct in saying it is not 'abandoned'.
I posted this 2 years ago when it was a shelter. It isn’t anymore. They do house Puerto Rican’s now.
Steven Novakovich yes. I’m not there anymore but drove through just the other day to see what was going on with the place now and it is very well in use still. Just for a different reason..
My grandparents had a farm in Port Austin. My dad did more than thirty years in the Air Force, I think in part because of this station. I spent many of the happiest days of my life in the shadow of that radar station. Thanks for the memories.
Brings back memories. Although I was never stationed at this particular radar site, I was sent here several times to work here while I was stationed at Calumet Air Force Station in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I worked in the block house, which was the tallest building they keep focusing on. I would not call this an abandoned. What I mean to say it is occupied, whereas the radar site near Calumet is abandoned with no occupants.
I was stationed at Calumet Air Force station from November 1969 to March 1971 before going to Iceland and then Key West Florida. I have fond memories of Calumet also. Met my first wife up there. Had fun in the snow! Saw a video of The Calumet Station yesterday. Interesting after 50 years!
I lived there as a kid. Must have been 1962 or so. I can see the quarters we lived in next to the bean field. Second house on the right. Housing was right before the gate. I see the quarry we played in. Perfect.
Really great video. I remember as a kid having the spinning radar help navigate me back to the harbor as it was so much higher than Port Austin. The history section is great too! Interesting.
Jody Glancy thank you Jody!
Wow, this video brings back memories. I was stationed at Port Austin twice while in the Air Force, including from June-December 1982. Yes, it was 1982--September, I believe--when the bearings failed, and I was right under the antenna (on the 5th floor) when it stopped. There was an urban legend going around the whole time I was in that another FPS-24's bearings had failed in California somewhere, and that the side of the building had literally cracked when it happened. So I was surprised at how anticlimactic this failure was--it just stopped. No cracking of the building, no shaking, nothing.
I was stationed at PAAFS from Feb 1983 to September 1985. Both the A/N FPS-24 and the A/N FPS-26 (height finder radar) were dismantled and replaced by a bunch of us enlisted guys and a superb crew from northern California somewhere (McClellan AFB?) who specialized in such swap-outs. T'was a LOT of work, but no better way to learn the ins and outs. I worked on the A/N FPS-116 height finder radar set and when it was all tuned-up it cut aircraft height very accurately, especially as compared to modern, phased-array sets.
I was there from 73 to 75 and it was my best station , it was funny to see the town go dead the day after labor day . I think in 75 there was a thing going on about the cannon is coming lol well some of the Sgts when into town an stole a light field cannon on main st. , they were in big trouble but cleaned it all up and repainted it to look way better than it had . Then back it went . The winter was a fun time , then winter festival and broom ball was the big thing for the guys to go an get into . In town was the best butcher shop and everyone hit that on payday . Good times . In 78 I almost transfered back there as a civilian in charge of the Boiler Plant but couldn't manage it at the time , glad I didn't because 11 yrs later it closed :( , it was my dream place .
🤔 I live at this place and you are
My family has been members of the private campground nextdoor for over 20 years. I remember as a teen, my sister and I walking our dogs through those grounds many times, admiring all the cool old military buildings (our dad was a USAF vet but not stationed here) long ago before the area was off limits to us. I remember when the KOA was bought by some people who started the campground as an endowment towards some college they wanted to build there. But that fell through and I think the original park manager was embezzling the money or something. So the campground became it's own private thing. I've been curious what it looks like over there now, since I haven't been in like 16+ years but drive past it all summer.
I go there every year, my grandparents own a lot there and I love it there, still nice and quiet there but I believe Joe the manager retired in 2023, but there has been rumors about it and I’m not sure if it’s entirely true
My dad and his family grew up on farm not that far from there and we owe a field close to it. He used to tell us stories about the station and what the Airmen and their families ment for this town espically during the winter when it was dead now we are just a tourist area with the farmland
I was a census supervisor in the 1980 census, although I think I was really doing things there early, like 1979 or early in 1980 because I went to work for the state later on in 1980. I was a "special places" supervisor, meaning I oversaw the counts in places like this but I also oversaw some of the regular census and mapping. I worked for a couple of years. I had a brother-in-law in the Air Force at a base in the Upper Peninsula that was huge so coming onto this small base was interesting. I had to laugh because technically I was suddenly the boss of the officers there. I swore them in and they answered to me.
In 2011, they had part of the base set up for homeless or low income individuals. I lived up in the toen of Port Austin.
It was used as a homeless shelter several years ago. I believe it has been purchased by some company and is being turned into something.
I was at the shelter and they sold it to the owner of Huron castings as he sent some 300 Puerto Rican’s to live there and work at his factory.
@@meghan95 They don't get paid enough to purchase houses? That's rough. Living in a homeless shelter. smh
awesome video, sky cam! hopefully more people will subscribe to you (like i did) when they see how fascinating your uploads are. under-noticed channels like yours and mine could use the validation. : )
I remember when Little Caesars used to have a place located at the base and now has moved to Bad Axe we used to go there and order a pizza last time i was there you can still see the Little Caesars man on the front of the building but it's faded
Rent it out, make it live.
wonder if it is true that the one building is locked up and nobody has the key but the Air Force still owns the building (tower)
I now own the building at 4:06. I'd love to get in contact with anyone who worked here . I'm trying to start an indoor food farm for the community.
Please search Elevated Earth on gofundme to help support our efforts. Thank you for posting this.
💪🏻 HOW MANY ACRES IS THAT ❓❓😄🤷🏻♂️
Doesn’t look so abandoned now.
Every time we go to port austin i think when i get older i am going to get my friend and we will go down the road that leads there