The Snapshots in Time Collection

Outdoor Free-Air Temperature Sensor Stand on Flight Line, Likely Fresno Air National Guard Base

Outdoor Free-Air Temperature Sensor Stand on Flight Line, Likely Fresno Air National Guard Base

This outdoor instrument stand held a temperature sensor used to measure free-air and runway temperature at an Air National Guard airfield, almost certainly the home station of the 194th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in Fresno, California. Accurate temperature readings were essential for calculating aircraft takeoff performance, particularly for the jet interceptors flown on Cold War-era continental air defense alert. Project: 218663