San Francisco Air Defense Sector facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Francisco Air Defense Sector  |
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Emblem of the San Francisco Air Defense Sector
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| Active | 1959–1963 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Defense |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Carroll W. McColpin |
The San Francisco Air Defense Sector (SFADS) was a special group in the United States Air Force. It was created to help protect the skies over a part of California. This group was active from 1959 to 1963. Its main job was to keep an eye on the air and be ready to defend against any threats.
The SFADS was based at Beale Air Force Base in California. It worked under a larger group called the 28th Air Division.
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Protecting the Skies: A Look at the SFADS
The San Francisco Air Defense Sector started in February 1959. It took over the job of protecting the air in a large part of California. This area included places west of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It stretched from Santa Barbara in the south to Eureka in the north.
The SFADS was in charge of many aircraft and radar stations. Their main goal was to watch for any unknown planes and make sure the skies were safe.
How They Tracked Planes
On December 1, 1960, a new system called the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-18) began working. This was a very advanced computer system for its time. It used powerful AN/FSQ-7 computers to track aircraft.
The SAGE system helped the SFADS keep track of all planes in their area. It could tell if a plane was friendly or if it might be a threat.
Training and Jet Fighters
The SFADS had an important daily job: to train its pilots and maintain its jet fighter planes. These planes included fast interceptors like the F-94 Starfire, F-102 Delta Dagger, and F-106 Delta Dart. They also used F-101B Voodoo squadrons.
Pilots would fly training missions. They would practice intercepting other planes, sometimes even simulating "enemy" aircraft. This made sure they were always ready to protect the country if needed.
Why the SFADS Ended
The San Francisco Air Defense Sector was closed down on August 1, 1963. This happened because the Air Defense Command decided to combine and reorganize some of its units. The groups that were part of the SFADS were then moved to the 28th Air Division at Hamilton Army Airfield.
Important Units of the SFADS
The San Francisco Air Defense Sector worked with several different units to do its job. These included fighter wings and squadrons, as well as radar squadrons.
Fighter Squadrons
These squadrons flew the jet interceptor planes. They were ready to take off and check out any unknown aircraft.
- 82d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (at Travis AFB, California)
- 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (at Castle AFB, California)
Radar Squadrons
Radar squadrons operated the radar stations. These stations used radar technology to detect and track planes in the sky. They were like the "eyes" of the air defense system.
- 666th Radar Squadron (at Mill Valley AFS, California)
- 682d Radar Squadron (at Almaden AFS, California)
- 774th Radar Squadron (at Madera AFS, California)
- 776th Radar Squadron (at Point Arena AFS, California)
