Visiting Midway Atoll

Palmpilot

Palmpilot

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Richard Palm
 
I've landed there back in the day.. one of the worlds best snorkeling places

Does anyone live there now?
 
Tom-D said:
I've landed there back in the day.. one of the worlds best snorkeling places

Does anyone live there now?
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About forty people:

"While the current resident population is approximately 40, much of the original infrastructure still exists. Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, volunteer and contractors live on Midway to support the recovery and integrity of wildlife habitat and species while balancing their own human impact on the land and seascape and protecting historical resources."
​
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Midway_Atoll/more_about_midway.html
 
The Willie Victor squadrons kept about 300 mechanics and support sailors there.
I don't remember when that stopped, because satellites took the job away.
 
In the mid 70's the flight I was on landed there. We were not allowed to deplane.

We were en-route from Hawaii to Guam (to visit my eldest brother stationed there) and the stop was a scheduled supply drop.
 
There's a lot of history there. So I guess if you have a private jet, you can't just land there and check it out? I had never really considered what had happened to the island over the last several decades.
 
The only island harder to get into than Midway is Johnson Island. Don't even think about it. They will meet you with guns and black out your windows.
 
cgrab said:
The only island harder to get into than Midway is Johnson Island. Don't even think about it. They will meet you with guns and black out your windows.
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No worries. I'm a LONG way off from having the means to get there.
 
American Airports Corporation used to (still is?) manage Henderson field on Midway Atoll. It is classified as a FAA Certificated part 139 airport with all the trimmings, including ARFF. Back when I was on my aviation job search, I kept coming across an Airport manager job at Midway. I always thought that would be an interesting job for maybe 6 months; too bad it was a two year assignment. Maybe if I was working on writing a novel or something...
 
Fallsrider said:
There's a lot of history there. So I guess if you have a private jet, you can't just land there and check it out? I had never really considered what had happened to the island over the last several decades.
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The A/FD entry says "Arpt clsd to all tran acft. Arpt open for ETOPS and approved acft ops only." Also, "PPR for ldg for approved acft opns from arpt manager 24 hrs in advance due to heavy bird activity call 808–764–1237."
 

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60 Minutes had a segment on Midway recently. About all the plastic that's washing up with trapped sea life and birds. These views don't show any plastic on the beaches.
 
luvflyin said:
Take offs and landings at Midway

https://hubpages.com/technology/Albatross-Gooney-Bird-Humor
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Funny - but the resolution leaves a lot to be desired. Here is a better quality video about them:

Years ago there was a hilarious video entitled "the Gooney Birds of Midway Island" on one of the nature channels. This is probably it:
https://www.worldcat.org/title/gooney-birds-of-midway/oclc/26146754 But who has a VCR any more?

Here is another site to check out: https://www.eugeneleeslover.com/ENGINEERING/GOONEY-BIRDS.html

Dave
 
cessna182b said:
Funny - but the resolution leaves a lot to be desired. Here is a better quality video about them:

Years ago there was a hilarious video entitled "the Gooney Birds of Midway Island" on one of the nature channels. This is probably it:
https://www.worldcat.org/title/gooney-birds-of-midway/oclc/26146754 But who has a VCR any more?

Here is another site to check out: https://www.eugeneleeslover.com/ENGINEERING/GOONEY-BIRDS.html

Dave
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That’s what I was looking for. It was hilarious, shame it ain’t on the net
 
Brad Z said:
American Airports Corporation used to (still is?) manage Henderson field on Midway Atoll. It is classified as a FAA Certificated part 139 airport with all the trimmings, including ARFF. Back when I was on my aviation job search, I kept coming across an Airport manager job at Midway. I always thought that would be an interesting job for maybe 6 months; too bad it was a two year assignment. Maybe if I was working on writing a novel or something...
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You coulda wrote your novel right here, one post at at time:):)
 
It would indeed be difficult to land on Johnson Island, because it doesn't exist.

Johnston Island, on the other hand, does.
 
I assumed the posters weren't discussing an island on Lake Erie. I don't believe there are military personnel with guns drawn stationed there, as was alluded to.

The other possibilities also seemed farfetched.

Johnson Island may refer to:

Johnson Island (Georgia), an island in Georgia
Johnson Island (West Virginia), an island in West Virginia
Johnson's Island, an island in Lake Erie in Ohio
Johnson Island (Antarctica), an island in Antarctica
 
3393RP said:
I assumed the posters weren't discussing an island on Lake Erie. I don't believe there are military personnel with guns drawn stationed there, as was alluded to.

The other possibilities also seemed farfetched.

Johnson Island may refer to:

Johnson Island (Georgia), an island in Georgia
Johnson Island (West Virginia), an island in West Virginia
Johnson's Island, an island in Lake Erie in Ohio
Johnson Island (Antarctica), an island in Antarctica
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Were you referring to?
https://www.google.com/maps/place/J...047b3cd6523f5!8m2!3d16.7295035!4d-169.5336477
 
Midway home of the gooey birds.The military stopped there on a regular basis,on the way to south east Asia.
 
Another stop for the c135s was wake island,one desolate place.
 
Not Midway, but Johnston Atoll and Kwajalein Atoll. In the mid-sixties after separation from active duty in the Air Force I did two eighteen month tours on Johnston Island tracking Minuteman and Polaris missiles launched from Vandenberg AFB and submarines off Point Mugu en route to the target area in the Kwajalein lagoon. In the early seventies, I spent another eighteen months on Kwajalein tracking incoming ICBMs launched from Vandenberg and Pt. Mugu as part of the Safeguard anti ballistic missile program.

On all three tours, my food and housing was paid for and my earnings were tax free. I saved my salaries on all three tours and it gave me a nice nestegg when I returned stateside.

On Johnston Island I ran phone patches for military and civilian personnel in my spare time; my call sign was KJ6DA. On Kwajalein, we had a C-150 and a Beech Musketeer in the Nike Flying Club, and a bunch of Cal 20 sailboats in the Kwaj sailing club, so there was lots of stuff to do during off hours.

Operating my Heathkit SB series station, KJ6DA, on Johnston Atoll.
Stan%20-%20KJ6DA%20Johnston%20Is%201966_zpsyrumphlu.jpg

Pulling the Nike flying club's C-150 on the Kwajalein flight line getting ready to fly around the atoll in 1972.
1972%20stan%20and%20nike%20flying%20club%20c-150%205x7_zps1abu3umm.jpg
 
Lived on Midway 1965-1966 where my father was the harbor officer. George Cannon Elementary School. Great place to be a kid. Outstanding beaches and cool places to explore and collect glass fishballs. My only warning: don't play on the runways and stay off the fueling pier. Fun watching the Constellation EC-121s depart and arrive. Would love to go back someday, but it's a real bummer seeing all the trash around.
 
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