The 55th Anniversary of the Big Sandy Cornfield Bomber

Next week marks the 55th anniversary of the February 2nd, 1970 unmanned landing of an F-106A Delta Dart in a field north of Big Sandy. The story of an emergency landing alone is more than enough to be memorable in small town lore. The event's significance is amplified by the fact that the jet completed its near perfect "belly landing" without a pilot at the controls. Dubbed "The Big Sandy Cornfield Bomber," the jet was quickly collected by the Air Force, returned to Malmstrom Air Force Base, repaired, and returned to active duty.

According to Rob Turnbow, who runs the Malmstrom Air Force Base...