Scoring the hits of the Vulcan machine gun on the strafing panel at "Cuddleback Lake" Range, CA

Cuddleback was originally established in the 1940's as a World War II artillery range by the US Army.
Sometime during the 1950's the Air Force acquired Cuddleback range and in 1955 purchased an additional 37.82 acres of adjacent land to Cuddleback.
The Cuddleback range was initially used as a temporary landing site for Air Force Training.
In June 1963, the range was converted to Cuddleback Lake Air Force Range.
This range was utilized until 1983 by all services for pilot proficiency training and primarily consisted of dropping various types of conventional (non-nuclear)
practice ordnance on a total of seven targets constructed within the range.
The ordnance items used and found within the range are: 20MM TP & High Explosive Incendiary, BDU-33 & MK-76 (25 pound practice bombs),
MK-106 (5 pound practice bomb), and Napalm (firebomb containing approximately 300 gallons of thickened fuel).
Cuddleback Gunnery Range is located 50 miles north of the former George Air Force Base.

copyright © Dick Moore