Holy Cow! Went to the first F-111 maintainer's school over 50 years
ago. (it hadn't flown yet)

No, it hadn't, and it wouldn't fly for more than four more years. Hard to
believe "the first F-111 maintainer's school" was conducted over 50 years
ago.

Yup, our unit at Edwards AFB was supposed to get one or two of the
first three off the line for flight testing. Maintenance familiarization
classes were held at Air Force Plant # 4, Ft. Worth, where General Dynamics
was still in pre-production stages.

When I left Edwards AFB about a year after the classes, there were
still no F-111's there for tests.

I think the engraved cigarette lighter General Dynamics gave us at the
school is still buried somewhere on my "work" bench.

Old Chief Lynn