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Received first F-101 VooDoo in 1962. Started with 2 F-101s at the startup of the flight testing of the CIA A-12 Project OXCART and at the end of the project we had 12. At the beginning of the program no one had worked on F-101's. With only one month of experience MSGT Darlington had more than any of the other crew chiefs chosen for the project for which the F-101s conducted chase, weather, other support flights.
Darlington recalled Dick Wilson contacting him about one of the aircraft being broken down, needing a starter. Lacking a means of shipping the starter, Darlington boarded a T-33 and with the starter in his lap delivered it from Groom Lake to Hill AFB. He recalls the pilot, Captain Wilson singing all the way.
Being a crew chief at Groom Lake afforded him numerous opportunities to fly with the support pilots. One of his thrills was flying with Colonel Burt Barrett on a flight in the A-12 trainer and conducting a refueling. He also flew quite often with CIA A-12 project pilot Jack Layton. He recalled Layton taking off in full afterburner, which was routine for the A-12, but to provide a bit of excitement applied the speed brake. Darlington reported the G force being so strong he couldn't sit back in his seat.
MSGT Sherill Darlington passed away in Las Vegas November 2009.
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