I was on a missile launch crew that worked all three sites. I was the power production specialist. Worked these sites for a year and a half before transferring to the under ground Mace missile in Bitburg Germany for three years. I also worked the Atlas F sites near Dyess AFB in Texas. One of things I remember about the Buttes was it was infested with Rattlesnakes. Lots of memories. I was in the Air Force from 1960 to 1968. I was a Senior Missleman having more than 6 years of service in the missile field with 5 years on Launch Crews. There are several videos on line of the interior of most sites in the U.S.
Hi Ken, thank you for adding your personal and unique perspective on this very interesting part of our regions/nations history. It is sincerely appreciated - and thank you for your service!
Cliff - Great video!! I grew up in Marysville and remember seeing the Sutter Buttes every day. The video answers a lot of questions I had about the missile silos - Well done
It's always strange to see beautiful landscapes like this, and the power and destruction that was there at one time. Great video and drone shots. Such an amazing landscape.
Great video. I grew up about 5 miles from there by Sutter. . We always knew there was a missile silos up there, didn’t know it was towards the Gridley side. We always went to the Sutter Buttes to drink as teenagers!
Thanks for your comment - the Sutter Buttes are full of interesting features. If I had grown up nearby, I am sure I would have explored every square inch of them.
Thank Ina! I have always wanted to explore one of these sites. My DJI drone made it possible - I am hoping to get more video of the Sutter Buttes in the spring. It was pretty smokey this year because of all the North State fires.
Cliff! Great video & informative. I live in the area, too, and found your video while searching for interesting places to fly around the Buttes. Just got my first drone & learning to fly & frame. Cheers!
Thanks Cliff! I live up in the mountains towards Tahoe. Back in the 80's I worked with a guy that claimed he had been underground inside this installation in the 70's. We thought he made up the whole story. Maybe not after viewing your video (?). I think he said that he and some other teenagers snuck in there at night. I may be remembering his story wrong but I know he claimed to have been inside. Thanks again!
One of the 54 Titan sites was preserved and turned into a museum. It is located just south of Tucson Arizona and you can take a tour of it. At all of the other sites the blast doors were removed and the silos filled with debris and capped with concrete to comply with the SALT treaty. The Titans carried a 9 megaton warhead and were essentially a doomsday weapon that would have all been launched (216 missiles) as a retaliatory response to any first strike on the US and of course the Soviets had an equivalent system. A completely insane idea that thankfully existed for less than four years.
You're mixing up two different missile systems. You're talking about Titan 2, the successor to the Titan 1 system shown here. There were 54 Titan 2 sites, active from 1962 - 1987. There were 18 Titan 1 sites, those operating from 1962 - 1965. Titan 1 took about 30 minutes to launch, as they would be raised to the surface and fueled just before launch. A Titan 2, on the other hand, was stored fully fueled, and could be launched in about a minute.
I found the missile silo site using google maps. If you go out North Butte Road, you will find the original service access road to the silos is still in service (up to a point). There are a few private residences that are serviced by the county road that gets you close to the closed gate. I got a close as I could in my car, pulled to the side of the road and launched my drone from the roof of my car. I see no reason you could not do the same. Good luck!
This particular Titan 1 site has been locked up tight. Until recently no interior vides or pictures have ever been posted on YT or the internet. Many of the others have tagging all thru them were 100s of trespassers have got into the complex, one in Colorado every inch of it has been spray painted. These complexes are extremely dangerous asbestos and other hazard are everywhere not to mention they have 3 140 ft empty silos. There is evidence of traffic in this one but its obvious not many have gotten in.
Can confirm, I managed to find a way out there and found it to be totally blocked in. No way of entering ever since that one video about it came out on another platform. Unfortunate.
It is becoming harder and harder to gain access to the interior of these missile sites any longer. They are also becoming much more dangerous because of age.
@@silopediathere is one video of the interior of 851-B, and it gained enough popularity that it led to every entrance being completely closed off for good.
I do believe that the Sutter buttes was a super volcano millions of years ago. The northern California valley was the part like Yellowstone that swells and swells and all that lava erupted out. And when the lava was all out it collapsed forming the northern valley.
The tectonic plates have always moved west into the Pacific ocean I do believe, California was once where Yellowstone is now, and through time , slowly got where it is now. Words of me. (The Pacific rim job.) FVFII
I was on a missile launch crew that worked all three sites. I was the power production specialist. Worked these sites for a year and a half before transferring to the under ground Mace missile in Bitburg Germany for three years. I also worked the Atlas F sites near Dyess AFB in Texas. One of things I remember about the Buttes was it was infested with Rattlesnakes. Lots of memories. I was in the Air Force from 1960 to 1968. I was a Senior Missleman having more than 6 years of service in the missile field with 5 years on Launch Crews. There are several videos on line of the interior of most sites in the U.S.
Hi Ken, thank you for adding your personal and unique perspective on this very interesting part of our regions/nations history. It is sincerely appreciated - and thank you for your service!
Hello, thank you for the interesting back story. I have one question though, where on the map is the entrance for the employees located?
Cliff - Great video!! I grew up in Marysville and remember seeing the Sutter Buttes every day. The video answers a lot of questions I had about the missile silos - Well done
Glad you liked it!
It's always strange to see beautiful landscapes like this, and the power and destruction that was there at one time.
Great video and drone shots. Such an amazing landscape.
Thanks for checking it out. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for a great video! God bless you!
You are so welcome!
What an awesome relic of the past🚀
Thanks Alex - it was a lot of fun getting to explore over there.
Super cool! Love the history!
Thank you Mary - it was fun to put together.
Great video. I grew up about 5 miles from there by Sutter. . We always knew there was a missile silos up there, didn’t know it was towards the Gridley side. We always went to the Sutter Buttes to drink as teenagers!
Thanks for your comment - the Sutter Buttes are full of interesting features. If I had grown up nearby, I am sure I would have explored every square inch of them.
Didn’t know that was even there. Heard stories about area in Chico. Great video.
Thank Ina! I have always wanted to explore one of these sites. My DJI drone made it possible - I am hoping to get more video of the Sutter Buttes in the spring. It was pretty smokey this year because of all the North State fires.
Cliff! Great video & informative. I live in the area, too, and found your video while searching for interesting places to fly around the Buttes. Just got my first drone & learning to fly & frame. Cheers!
Hey, thanks for Stopping by and I’m glad you liked the video. The drones are a fun way to explore our area - good luck!
Hey, thanks for Stopping by and I’m glad you liked the video. The drones are a fun way to explore our area - good luck!
Thanks Cliff! I live up in the mountains towards Tahoe. Back in the 80's I worked with a guy that claimed he had been underground inside this installation in the 70's. We thought he made up the whole story. Maybe not after viewing your video (?). I think he said that he and some other teenagers snuck in there at night. I may be remembering his story wrong but I know he claimed to have been inside. Thanks again!
Thank you for your comment!
Very interesting. Nice distance on the Mavic.
Glad you liked it - I am still a complete rookie, but learning day by day. Cheers!
One of the 54 Titan sites was preserved and turned into a museum. It is located just south of Tucson Arizona and you can take a tour of it. At all of the other sites the blast doors were removed and the silos filled with debris and capped with concrete to comply with the SALT treaty. The Titans carried a 9 megaton warhead and were essentially a doomsday weapon that would have all been launched (216 missiles) as a retaliatory response to any first strike on the US and of course the Soviets had an equivalent system. A completely insane idea that thankfully existed for less than four years.
Thanks.
You're mixing up two different missile systems. You're talking about Titan 2, the successor to the Titan 1 system shown here. There were 54 Titan 2 sites, active from 1962 - 1987. There were 18 Titan 1 sites, those operating from 1962 - 1965. Titan 1 took about 30 minutes to launch, as they would be raised to the surface and fueled just before launch. A Titan 2, on the other hand, was stored fully fueled, and could be launched in about a minute.
@@heypalthatsnotscience3469 Thanks for that info, I just learned something!
Cool video!
Thanks Chris - glad you liked it.
Born on Beale AFB, I lived in Yuba city. Heard plenty of stories about people trying to go out there.
Thank you for your comment!
Hi Cliff I'd like to head out there as well with my mini 4 pro. Do you have any advice on where is the best location to take off from?
Also, did you experience any signal degradation, interference or anything else someone should be aware of?
I found the missile silo site using google maps. If you go out North Butte Road, you will find the original service access road to the silos is still in service (up to a point). There are a few private residences that are serviced by the county road that gets you close to the closed gate. I got a close as I could in my car, pulled to the side of the road and launched my drone from the roof of my car. I see no reason you could not do the same. Good luck!
How far is this from the Chico site? Btw very nice video...
Hey thanks for checking in! The distance between the missile sites is about 32 miles as the crow flies.
This particular Titan 1 site has been locked up tight. Until recently no interior vides or pictures have ever been posted on YT or the internet. Many of the others have tagging all thru them were 100s of trespassers have got into the complex, one in Colorado every inch of it has been spray painted. These complexes are extremely dangerous asbestos and other hazard are everywhere not to mention they have 3 140 ft empty silos. There is evidence of traffic in this one but its obvious not many have gotten in.
Thank you for your comment and your insights!
Can confirm, I managed to find a way out there and found it to be totally blocked in. No way of entering ever since that one video about it came out on another platform. Unfortunate.
There's a video I saw long time ago a group of kids went down there
It is becoming harder and harder to gain access to the interior of these missile sites any longer. They are also becoming much more dangerous because of age.
Can you send me the video? I saw it a while ago and wanted to rewatch it
Are you sure it was 851-B and not Chico?
@@silopediathere is one video of the interior of 851-B, and it gained enough popularity that it led to every entrance being completely closed off for good.
You'll catch a felony for visiting this site, and the locals are not too friendly.
Thanks for the comment.
Since when has trespassing been a felony? This isn’t owned by the government anymore
I do believe that the Sutter buttes was a super volcano millions of years ago. The northern California valley was the part like Yellowstone that swells and swells and all that lava erupted out. And when the lava was all out it collapsed forming the northern valley.
Thank you for your comment!
The tectonic plates have always moved west into the Pacific ocean I do believe, California was once where Yellowstone is now, and through time , slowly got where it is now. Words of me. (The Pacific rim job.) FVFII
It is a very interesting graphic feature.