Still in the News....

Flight logs reveal secret renditions.

The Ghost Plane (by Stephen Gray) web site has a set of flight dates, call signs, and passenger lists for most of the Gitmo POW flights.

A Blast From the Past

It's not often you see a photo of a C-141 in any current magazine, but while glancing through the December issue of Vanity Fair (I read the articles, really) I came across this one on page 120:

Hiding in the background, (and in front of a C-17) there's old faithful.

Veteran's Day

This last month has been a bit of a blur -- a vacation, and LOTS of work. Abou two weeks ago I got a note from a former C-141 crew dawg who had been part of the crew on 40614, the aircraft that suffered a massive engine failure down under which caused the other engine on the same side to fail when lot's of turbine blades when every which way, including into the cargo compartment as well. He and the members of the crew were planning a reunion and had arranged a ceremony at the boneyard, where the aircraft still sits, awaiting its final fate. Unfortunately, some business resulted in me not being able to attend...but the base newspaper at DM has published a very nice article about the reunion and the incident. Click here to read it!

When the folks who participated get around to sending them there will be some more photos of the ceremony.

Cover Page-Desert Lightning News (800kb)
Full Article-Desert Lightning News (5mb)

Starlifter Farewell Poem

Got a note from Bob Price ... who had been in the 62nd MAW from '58-66, then off to Viet Nam and seven years in California. He started flying Connie's in 1968 at McClellan and eventually became a Flight Engineer on the C-141. He wrote a nice "farewell to the C-141" poem which appears below:

Last Departure from KTCM.

Bamboo Tree

Quite some time ago George Miller sent me a few sheets of paper with tail numbers that were assigned to KCHS back in the 70's and 80's. One them had a notation on it about "Bamboo Tree Modified Aircraft". See below:

Does anybody know more about this? I've done a bit of Googling and turned up several hints. It appears to be some special radio/radar equipment that permitted aircraft to find their way into Berlin in spite of any jamming those Roooooski Commies might have done.

• An Air Force communications/direction project (Air Access Berlin) involving the AN/GPA-98 Course Directing Radar Set ; the AN/GRC-115 Radio Set (a spread spectrum communication transceiver); the AN/MPQ-T2 Bomb Scoring Range-Radar Trainer (The AN/MPQ-T2 was a SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile) simulator employing three RF bands, "I", "E" and "F/G".) , the MPQ-41, and the ARQ-23.
• Bamboo Tree training missions: a program implemented by President Kennedy as part of the answer to the Berlin Crisis of August 1961, in preparation for a possible repeat of the Berlin Airlift.
• "Bamboo Tree Program: $7.5M project to procure radar ground-based equipment and associated avionics."
• There are references to BAMBOO TREE in Air Force Manual 36-2108 (30 Apr 2003) , enlisted personnel classification manual (Bamboo Tree = AFSC SEI 190 ....)

C141 Party

A little while ago a bunch of folks in Georgia got together for a little "C141 Reunion Picnic". These are the folks that designed, built, and supported the C-141 over the last 40 years. Click here for a page showing the photos. The photos arrived in my inbox without any names attached to them, so if you know who any of these people are contact me via email. I've numbered them for identification purposes, so please provide the photo number along with the name ... and if you know what they did for the C-141 program, include that too.

Vacation ....

I'm just getting ready to head out on vacation to Kauai ... will have email so please don't hesitate to contact me via email if you have anything for C141Heaven. The photos from my last trip (2005) can be found here if you are interested. I will try to get some photos of this trip posted every other day or so as it progresses.

64-0652 Update

A few weeks ago Paul Wood sent C-141 heaven a note detailing his plan to try and get a memorial at the site of the crash of the Charleston-based 64-0652 back in 1982 during a low level training missing on the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. I posted the note and asked for anyone who might have any knowledge about the crash or ideas about how to proceed on getting this accomplished to let us know. I've only half-jokingly suggested garnering the support of some politicians (of any stripe, especially those running for re-election). Since that time a few folks have offered many other ideas and I thought it might be helpful to recap where the project is at this point:

10/1/2007

In response to Paul Wood's 21 Sep 2007 request, I was the Charleston AFB Liaison with the investigation team. I spent a month on the mountain and was a primary source in developing the official Accident Report as well as the C-141 after action briefing. Since Major Meeks and I were the primary SOLL I & II pilots as well as close peers, for the Charleston AFB wing, I have intimate knowledge of the situation. At the time of the accident, he was the Chief of the 41st Standardization and I was Chief of the 20th Standardization. The two of us also led two different SOLL flight crews from Charleston during ten days at Red Flag at Nellis prior to the accident.

Tony Lolas

10/1/2007

I was assigned to the squadron most of these fliers were from, 41st MAS Charleston AFB, at the time (80-85) of the incident. The crew was about the most experienced there was - in this sort of flying. The loss was devastating to both the families of the crew and the base in general. 141's simply didn't crash, ... or so we thought.

Not sure there is more that can be added -- but seeing the website brought back the grief from too many years ago and I can still see those men's happy faces like it was yesterday.

Neal Tiemann

10/2/2007

I believe responses are helpful in (possibly) persuading the right groups- which in this case will be both the State of NC (and county), as well as the USAF - Public Affairs group (Charleston AFB) to move to action to commemorate. At least that is my angle in attempting to obtain the funding, memorial, and site recognition for 64-0652 and her crew. Ultimately, this will include signage recognition (as noted in my initial email), as well as a roadside marker at the ingress of the road leading up to the crash site from the Cherohala Hwy, as well as a memorial to the crew- to be located at the crash site. No fanfare is planned, just the appropriate markers. As for now, this is the route I am pursuing first- and hopefully, I will have to take no other course of action.

As things start to gel, of which I have every expectation of which it will, I would sincerely appreciate your guidance re: (for lack of a better word) the 'protocol' necessary to make all those in the 141 community (as well as the immediate family members) aware of what will be taking place.

Here's a link to info on the Cherohalla Highway.

Paul Wood

10/2/2007

Paul,

I can't say I have any special knowledge of how to proceed as far as getting any sort of sponsorship/support from the State of NC or USAF.

At a time when our returning injured soldiers are shuffled around the VA hospital system for lack of funds, I doubt that the AF will come up with any funds for some memorial markers........however, you might find some support via a state or federal congressman ( especially one running for re-election!!). Perhaps you could also get a local (Charleston area) grave marker company to donate some markers or provide them at reduced cost.

Please keep me posted on your progress ...

Mike Novack

10/3/2007

At the time of the crash I was a 141 load at CHS. I knew each of the crew members personally. I had over 10,000 hrs on the 141 before going to the KC-10. Anyway, I am the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce in Tellico Plains, TN. This is the town where the recovery effort for the aircraft was launched. If you would like I will attempt to contact some of the local people who were involved in the initial search for the aircraft for their first hand accounts. As most of them have previously related to me the aircraft crash location was found when jet fuel began flowing into the Tellico River from several of the tributaries that feed the river. The trail of fuel was followed back upstream to the location of the crash site. At the time of the crash the Cherohala Skyway had not been built and the location of the crash site was extremely remote and rugged.

As for placing a marker on the scenic overlook, I will be glad to assist in any way possible since I am local to the area. I brought up the subject to the Chamber of Commerce in our Monday night meeting and received a unanimous vote of approval to assist in placing a marker noting the crash site and honoring these nine men who lost their lives in this accident.

I also have some details that were relayed to me by some of the military search and rescue personnel that were on the recovery team.

Please feel free to contact me either via email if I can be of any assistance in this effort.

I also think that inviting the surviving family members to attend a dedication of the marker would be wonderful tribute to their loved ones even though it is 25 yrs after the fact.

Dave Brock
SMSgt, USAF, Ret

10/3/2007

Dave,

Thank you for the quick response. I cannot express to you how appreciative I am in regard to you bringing this to the attention of the Tellico Plains, COC, (and your solicitation) and their unanimous vote of approval in recognizing the crew for their service to this country (and the sad fact that they lost their lives while in the serving this country). I say this as not only the proud son of an Air Force flight crew member - who also flew many a (similar) mission, both home and abroad, but for ALL those airmen that have served, and put their lives on the line for this country.

Leaving my feelings aside though, I'm sure the entire C141 community would embrace and welcome such recognition. It is here that I must state that if it were not for the C141 Heaven website (its community and members), getting this 'off the ground' would have been extremely difficult, if not virtually impossible. A sincere appreciation goes out to C141Heaven, you, and all that have knowledge of this endeavor. We're moving forward.

In short, your assistance would be greatly appreciated, and I would certainly welcome you to this team. I'll keep you (as well as all others that have responded) in touch and up-to-date.

Thank you for your offer of commitment.

Sincerely,

Paul Wood
and
Col Horace E. Wood, Jr., USAF - Ret

The Charleston Airlift Dispatch

VOLUME XXII NUMBER 31
SEPTEMBER 10, 1982
CHARLESTON, SC


LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT CRASHES; NINE MEN DIE IN TENNESSEE

A routine C-141 training mission ended in the death of nine men of the 41st Military Airlift Squadron when their plane crashed into a mountainside on the Tennessee-North Carolina border in the Tellico Wildlife Management Area, Aug. 31.

Dead are:

Maj. Robert M. Meeks, 36 of Chapel Hill, N.C., Aircraft Commander;
Maj. Robert E. Down, 36, of Salem, Ore., co-pilot;
Maj. Elmer A. McNeilly, 44 of Ventura, Calif., navigator;
Capt. Allan W. Gist, 29, of Bend,Ore., navigator;
CMSgt. Monty G.W. Nicholson, 41 of Manchester, Ky., flight examiner loadmaster;
TSgt. Billy J. Canter, 30, of Bristol, Va., flight engineer;
SSgt. Wayne R. Huggins, Jr., 27, of Summerdale, Ala., flight engineer;
TSgt. Daniel Vanarsdall, 31, of Greenburg, Ky., loadmaster;
Sgt. Jack C. Sweatman III, 26, of Atlanta, Ga., loadmaster.


Cause of the crash has not been determined. An Air Force accident investigation board is at the scene reviewing facts surrounding the accident.

The basic mission of the ill-fated C-141 required the crew to fly from Charleston to an aircraft training area to conduct a low-level flight training exercise. Last reported radio contact with the plane was at 1:50 p.m., Aug. 31, when the crew received FAA clearance to descend into the training corridor area to begin their training. The plane failed to complete its mission.

A coordinated search was initiated at 6:30 p.m. by the FAA and Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Scott AFB, Ill. The crash site was found and reported to the ARFCC at about 11:25 p.m., Sept 1.

The accident investigation board, recovery and support team personnel departed Charleston at 9:40 a.m., Sept. 2. The team arrived at the accident scene that afternoon. The C-141 was located about 75 feet from the peak of John's Knob, a 4,900 foot mountain in the Tellico wildlife area, according to Col. Chester G. Oehme Jr., on-scene commander.

Portions of the aircraft flight data recorder were recovered Saturday evening and were taken to the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington for analysis. However, the Air Force accident investigation board reported Monday that useable information was not recovered from the section of the flight data recorder turned over to the NTSB. At press time, the search for missing pieces of the recorder was continuing.

Memorial services for the crew were held Tuesday at Chapel No. 1.

10/12/2007

Paul,

First of all I would like to thank you for trying to keep the memory of this crew alive.

I remember a lot about this accident. I was on active duty (Loadmaster) here at Charleston AFB when the crash occurred. Even though they were not in my squadron I knew several of the crew members; in fact I had spoken to one of them just hours before the impact. They were a local crew from the 41st MAS ( Now 14TH AS). I have a copy of the local paper that gives information on each crew member (hometown, years of service, ect)..

I went to the accident review briefing and still remember parts of it. I am now retired and still live near the base. I know several people that live in the local area that will have more knowledge about this crash.

What do you think of calling the group The Amour 66 foundation? Amour 66 was 40652's assigned tactical call sign on that ill fated mission. Also as a thought for the monument what about the poem High Flight being placed on the monument? Just a thought there. Anyway, let me know what you and everyone involved thinks about Amour 66 for a group name.

And thanks again for what you are trying to do.

Darrell Parker
USAF/Ret

10/12/2007

Dave,

I totally agree with establishing a call name for our group (and I'm neutral as to its name). Though my primary focus and objective is to bring recognition to the nine men that died on that mountain while serving their country, I would also like to co-dedicate the site to all flight crew members that have served this country- regardless branch, capacity, or period of time. This can be done with simple, but poignant, wording- one that honors all those crew members.

What I envision is pretty much a (granite) obelisk, 5 - 7 feet tall, potentially resting atop a square stone, that sits atop a 10x10 hard surface area. Inscribed on the side facing the mountain would be verbiage re: the aircraft nomenclature, and it's tail number, and below that, the nine names of those that were aboard 0652. I would like to see one of the other three sides with an inscription that addresses all those flight crew members that died while serving their country, another one of the remaining two sides dedicated to those in the military that have served their country. The fourth...?

As to the fourth, it would be nice to dedicate it to the C141 a/c, it's contribution to this nation, and to the entire 141 community... but this is where I envision difficulties. By addressing (first and foremost), the nine men, then the flight crew members (regardless of the branch of military) that died while serving, as well as those that have been so fortunate as to have both served (and survived), you're not excluding any one branch, and it's going to be far easier to get private, as well as potential State and Federal funding. On top of that, we're bringing recognition- as well as it should be, to all branches of the Armed Forces.

It is my belief that if we can accomplish this, it will make it far easier to accomplish other endeavors of a similar nature. However, we have to get our foot in the door on this project- and get this endeavor completely finished before we can move on to others.

Simply my opinion, and I'm certainly open to any suggestions and/or changes. But to get this done (as you well know, and have taken incredible strides in moving this along) we will most likely have to get the county, State(s)- both TN and NC, Forest Service, NC DOT, and hopefully, the USAF to help us get this monument - regardless of it's final shape and/or inscriptions, in place.

When a monument goes up on that mountain, that grass road leading up to the crash site will get a lot of traffic- a lot of traffic! The surrounding view is incredible from that mountain- and if it were not for that 141, that view would most definitely, not be there. Once there, I feel any observer will 'get the message', loud and clear.

Let me know your thoughts, and please forgive me for being so verbose. We've got a long way to go, but we will get there. Again, thanks for ALL you've done, and are doing.

Paul Wood

10/12/2007

Paul,

Thanks for the update. Just a thought here, but one thing that has come to mind as more people come on board and we get more organized is that we need a name for our group. I think that instead of being known as just a bunch of guys that want to erect a monument in memory of 40652 we would seem to the public eye to be more organized and professional if we had a name for our group. It would seem to lend a bit more clout to our endeavors.

Plus once we get this monument completed what are the thoughts on carrying the torch forward and having a monument for close to the other crash sites for those crews. I realize that there are a couple of the sites that are not accessible, but for the ones that are I think that it would be a tribute to all of the crews that lost their lives on the 141.

Dave Brock

AirDrop Question ... got the answer....

Does anyone know what the standard speed for doing paratrooper airdrops from a C-141 were? If you do, please let me know. Someone has posed the question to me and I have no idea. It was not part of my experience in MAC ... All I ever did was just fly around straight-and-level for 10 hours at a time.

Thanks to those of you who responded. Here's what the Dash-1 says:

Air Force Commercial ...

Thanks to Rich Reichelt for alerting us all to this one:

Aviation Cadets Commercial

And if you liked that one, try more You-Tubes:

USAF ... Best Job in the World

Letterman Top 10 Things about being in the AF

Fun at the NCOA

Reading List

I've been cleaning out the garage this week ... I'm not blaming her, but my mother was a bit of a pack-rat ... and it's in my genes too. About 37 years ago, when I left home for good, she sent me a box of my grade-school "art" which I've been carting around, unopened, since then. Among the items unearthed today in a box next to other "good stuff I might need someday" was a construction paper covered sheet of paper. The title page of the little pamphlet was:

Inside was the complete list:

I have no idea when this was created, but I did a Google search on the book title and found it was published in 1957 ... and the University of Minnesota (Duluth) has 3 copies in their archives, filed under the disturbing category of "High Interest, Low Vocabulary (HILO)". I guess that pretty well fits a pilot's reading aptitude, though I must confess, I have added one or two more books to my list of those read since this one was created.

Diego Garcia Ramp

No C-141's to be found there now, of course, but take a look at this interesting shot of the ramp, presumably taken sometime in the last few years (no indication when), showing a gaggle of B-52's and some funny looking light-brown "blow up" hangers.


A very high overview of the runway area(at an angle of approach you might see out the front window of the space shuttle if it ever landed there.)


These are the blow up hangers.

These are B-2 "shelters". In mid-September 2002 it was reported that the US had requested permission to build special shelters for four to six B-2 bombers at Diego Garcia. The portable climate-controlled shelters take about a month to erect. According to American Spaceframe Fabricators, the contractor that designed and constructed the B-2 Shelter System, two shelters had been constructed by late November 2002 and two additional structures would not be completed until June 2003 due to lack of existing concrete foundation. Each one can hold two B-2's. The story is that the special radar absorbent material used to construct the B-2 is especially sensitive to the weather ... so part of the cost of the B-2 program is fully air-conditioned hangers.

Ain't Google Earth Great?


A drag race at Diego Garcia.

Another "Loadmaster" Song

They are coming in slowly. Randy Geisen sent in the "second loadmaster song he's heard in a week." It's a song about low standards, fat girls, and gravy.

"She Tastes Like Gravy" (Right-Click-Save-As to download -- 2.8 mb).

Those long hours in the "back of the bus" seem to have resulted in some fine work. No idea who the 'artiste' is ... but he knows the 'line'. If anyone knows where it came from or how to get more of this fine singer's work, send them in. This one was listed as "Track 20". We've gotten two so far, so there MUST be at least 18 more!!!

64-0652 - The Crash At John's Knob

In 1982 this tail number was destroyed when it was on a low level training flight in the North Carolina / Tennessee area. I got an email the other day from Paul Wood regarding this incident. If anybody has more information to add about the crash, please contact me via email

On September 21, 2007, C141Heaven received the following email from Paul Wood.

I am doing some research on a 141 mishap and would like to obtain as much information as possible about the accident. I am looking for individual accounts of the incident, as well as photos, news articles, and the like.

On 31 Aug, 1982, a C-141B (64-0652) crashed in a remote area in the NC mountains.

My father, Col H.E. Wood, USAF-ret, was stationed at Scott AFB at the time, and sat in on the accident review board meeting. I recall him telling me of the event (when it happened), and given the fact that we have a home in the mountain's of NC, I have been telling myself that I was going to head up to the site, and locate its exact location. I did this on the 25th anniversary of the flight.

In attempting to find the best ingress to the site, I located John's Knob (crash site) on a map, and was pleased to see that it was right off a 'scenic highway' that connects NC to TN. This stretch of highway, which is, and will always be, totally undeveloped from a commercialized standpoint, is approximately 23 miles in length, with numerous scenic overlooks. Each overlook as a large information board which identifies historical data, as well as misc info on MSL altitude, trees indigenous to the area, wildlife, etc.... One such pull off is within a half mile of John's Knob, and it too, has info consistent the others.



What I find particularly disturbing is the fact that on this particular 'board' there is no reference whatsoever of the fact that nine US servicemen lost their lives less than a half mile away.

What is even more disturbing (to me at least) is the fact that the board makes reference to a burial site that is approx a quarter mile away from the 141 impact area - yet does not acknowledge the fact that NINE USAF crew members, for all intents and purposes, are STILL buried throughout that mountain top.



There is a roadbed that goes up to the crash site, and both the road and the actual site itself is maintained by the State of NC.


The road leading to the site


Looking up to the crash site

The grass is cut on both the road going up, as well as the 'field' that was created as a result of the aircraft reclamation- yet nowhere, neither by the road nor anywhere near the site is a marker, or a memorial, of any kind. This is both wrong, and sad. That will change.


Looking Towards John's Knob

I am going to be getting with both the Air Force and the State of NC to ensure a memorial is placed by both the road, as well as being added (in some shape, form, or fashion) to the signage a half mile away. There will also be a marker at the crash site itself; this memorial will honor those nine people that lost their lives serving this country, as well as the mighty aircraft they flew. This is only fitting and proper.

I've obtained the official USAF Mishap Report from Kirtland AFB. -- it's very limited in content. Any additional information anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. My father, being a flight crew member for over 20 years (Nav) and I are working on achieving this objective together, and we will come short off nothing less that success in our endeavor to have the site memorialized in the honor of the aforementioned.

If somebody has ANY information on this flight and its crew, we would appreciate it be forwarded on to me.

Thank you,

Paul Louis Wood, Sr.
Col. Horace E. Wood, Jr - USAF-Ret.

Your Mother Would Say:"You'll be sorry when you grow up!"

"My kid got this for me as a Christmas gift and I just got it on the 11th of September. I wanted to share the photo. I don't put just anything on my body, it has to mean something to me. I worked the C-141 for 20 years as a Crew Chief, stationed at Charleston, Hickam, and McGuire and I wanted something that represented my career in the AF. The 141 had to be a part of it."



Bill Hough

So I looked up on the internet about airplane tattoos. There's a web site that has 'answers' to questions posed by its readers. Here's what they said:

What do airplane tattoos mean?

Answer #1: An airplane tattoo is a tattoo that is put on a body part by a tattoo shop for people who love airplanes and want one tattooed on their body.

Answer #2: It means that you like to be HIGH!

Now Bill probably thinks his was a "first". But while I was Googling "Airplane Tattoos" I happened upon a new Britney Spears photo you may not have seen, taken just after she cut off all her hair. In this shot she's wearing a very good wig, but they haven't figured out how to undo the tattoo yet.

I read where Lockheed is sponsoring all her future rehabs (as long as the tattoo stays in place).

AF Press Releases

While scrounging through my files I located two early AF press releases related to the C-141.

The first is from June of 1965 and is a basic 'backgrounder' on the C-141 issued at or about the time it first went into service. See US Air Force Information Sheet -- C-141A Starlifter - June 1965 to view it.

The second is another News Release issued at some point in the late 60's or early 70's by the Public Information Division at Scott AFB. They should be shot for not putting a date on it...but it is basically just another general fact sheet about the C-141. Click Here to view this one.

Thanks to George Miller for sending these in to C141Heaven. I've been remiss in getting them posted, but am trying to clear out a big backlog of material that's been sitting in boxes piled around my office, and these two just happened to float to the top of the pile today.

Robins Area C-141 "Reunion"

It appears the planning has been underway since late July ... but I just got the email over the weekend. Go figure.

If you are in the Robins area .... you might enjoy it... Note the DEADLINE for tickets is 19 September!!

C-141 Systems Training Materials

Thanks to Lee Corbin (from Graham WA) for sharing a copy of a several hundred pages of C-141 systems training materials from an Altus training course he took back in the mid 80's. I was able to scan them and convert it all to 6 PDF files you can download by clicking on the cover page below. (Note: These are large files ... over 40mb in total.)

Loadmaster Song

It was nominated for a MACKIE(the MAC version of a Grammy):

"A Loadmaster Can Survive" (Right-Click-Save-As to download -- 4.2 mb).

No idea who the 'artiste' is ... but he knows the 'line'. If anyone knows where it came from or how to get more of this fine singer's work, please let me know.

Thanks to Tom Dickerson for sharing this with all of us.

Never Forget

Apollo 11 Stuff

The note from Darryl Bohac, below, got me to Googlin'. See : this link for photos of 66-7958 and the roll it played in the moon mission.

Memories of A Workhorse

A few days ago I got a nice note from Darryl Bohac, who was associated with the C-141 a few years ago.

Monday, September 03, 2007 9:50 PM

I'm sorry the only thing I can contribute is memories and the love for the C-141A. I will try to make this short. I was stationed at Barksdale A.F.B. (SAC) in 1965, when I got orders for Travis AFB, CA.

What I was told .. "nobody leaves SAC" ... but there it was, TRAVIS AFB, CA. I was in maintenance, an AIC crew chief at the time. I got there in early April 65. The first C-141A got to Travis in 23 April 65.

All I know is they were brand new, we had one or two what we called LEAD THE FLEET aircraft, Lockheed was still testing the plane, but I gather because the AIR FORCE needed them so bad for Nam they were pressed into service. I think we set a record for flying one about 23 hours a day for a month, is that possible? Some of the inspections were actually done while flying. I also remember the pressure doors in back on a couple flights blew, killed a couple of troops by being sucked out the back. Soon Lockheed fixed that by putting in stronger latches. We flew and worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ... not like SAC where we took weekends off.

In 1970, I ended up going to Nam, where I worked on 01's & 02's, FAC's. This tour was also rewarding, aircraft-wise @ people and pilots. BUT -BUT-, I saw more of Nam at Travis, than in VIET-NAM. My GOD, C-141's full of aluminum caskets, the wounded, mail at Christmas stacked to the ceiling, troops, army & marines, put on C-141's in full combat gear ready for war. Choppers (LOACH) all shot up ready to go back to factory for I gather a re-do, probably salvageable.

One last thing, when we went to the MOON, I know AIRSTREEM built two trailers, (may have been one), but I heard two. Anyway they didn't want any bugs or disease coming back from the MOON, so the astronauts, after they were back on earth they were put in these trailers for a time for decontamination.

How do I know this? One night at Travis word got out one of our C-141's had one on board, went to the bird there it was, probably fresh from the factory, wonder what that cost UNCLE SAM???? I ran engines, at the time state of art, get air, juice, push a button, go - not like a KC, push switch, certain RPM push throttle to stop, certain RPM over the hump- you were finally there, IDLE.

Like I said in 70,1 was in NAM. In '71 it was back to SAC, Ellsworth AFB, alert force ,off weekends. I would have loved to get back to MAC, but I had SAC on my resume, so back to SAC for the rest of my career.

Why was the C-141 let go so soon I ask you???? IT WAS TO ME A DAMN GOOD WORKHORSE. Were they just worn out?????? B-52'S are still going.

I'm retired now, well years ago, but what an experience it was for D+ student from NORTH JUDSON, IN. I was never coming back to this dull town of 1,800 people, but I did — and am glad I did.

But I can never or will never forget C-141A .... what a HELL OF A BIRD !!

Sincerely,

Darryl Bohac TSGT U.S.A.F. RET.

eBay again...

Last week I saw an eBay listing for a very nice little bit of C-141 memorabilia ... a 'first day cover' ( you stamp collectors know what this is ) created by Lockheed to promote the FIRST FLIGHT of the C-141 on Dec 17th, 1963. This one was mailed to the "Aviation Writer" in "Detroit"... and the PO just stamped it "Insufficient Address". It must have eventually gotten to him as the eBay listing said it was "From the Estate of Edwin Pipp", who was the addressee. I bid very high to insure a win ... and in today's mail it showed up with a big stack of bills and pre-Christmas catalogs.

I removed the mailing address and PO notice about the address with PhotoShop and here's what it looks like. I'm sure Lockheed sent these to "Aviation Writers" all over the country so there might be more of them floating around out there but this is the only one like it I have ever seen.

Inside there was an insert with a little C-141 history, before there was any C-141 history.

It's going to get framed and will hang on my C-141 "Wall of Glory".

BLUE BARK

Hal Maynard, a former C-141 Navigator, submitted in a new T-Tail Tall-Tale,Blue Bark.

Unit History--Preliminary Listing

Our project to gather a complete unit assignment history for all C-141's is moving along. A very preliminary listing can be seen at this link. If you have additional records that can aid in filling in missing details or correct anything in this list that is wrong, please send what ever you have to me via email.

62nd MAW Breakfasts

For a few months now Bill Crammatte and Mike Cole have been organizing a monthly breakfast for former 62nd'ers (and any other C-141 fans who might be in the Tacoma area). The next one is on Saturday, September 8th at 10am ... at the Denny's on Bridgeport way just outside the main gate at McChord on the west side of I-5. If you need more info or would like to chat with Bill his email address is wjcrammatte@comcast.net , phone 206-243-1786.

New Tall Tale

Hal Maynard, a former C-141 Navigator, submitted in a new T-Tail Tall-Tale,Dinner's Ready.

89 C-141 Questions

Here's a little test for all you old Flight Engineers. How many of these questions can you answer correctly without referring to your dash one and other rules and regs? Click Here to see the test. I'm not grading them but I will post an answer key in a few weeks so you don't drive yourself crazy wondering about all your answers.

20th AS Reunion Update

The 20th AS is having a reunion Oct 11th through the 14th in Myrtle Beach, SC. The deadline for hotel registration discounts is 9/11! See the Fall 2007 Twentieth Timesnewsletter for details and a registration form.

There's also a very interesting article about the Star Spangled Banner.

3rd ATS/MAS Reunion

The 3rd ATS/MAS has an officer's reunion in Charleston, SC from Oct 17-21, 2007. The 3rd flew the C-141 at Charleston AFB, SC from 1965 to 1970.

You can contact Frank Elam at frankeye@knology.net for details.

Plan B

These girls met me when I came home from my initial line check to become an Aircraft Commander.

OK, so we can't view Tech Order data for now. Here's a link to some much nicer alternatives that you might find interesting and which are not restricted in any way. There's lots of nice diagrams and explanations about all the C-141 Systems. There's also a link to a similar document for the C-5 and an early version of an Avionics Training Manual. Note that the sizes of these files are quite large, so be sure to have a fast connection or lots of patience before downloading them.

• C-141 Handbook - 896 pages - 21mb
• C-5 Handbook - 585 pages - 21mb
• Avionics Training Book - 367 pages - 37mb

More Secret Info

Someone just sent me this. I don't think it had any Export Controls on it, but maybe it did at the time.

Department of the Army

Regulations For Operation Of Aircraft

Commencing January, 1920

1. Don't take the machine into the air unless you are satisfied it will fly.
2. Never leave the ground with the motor leaking.
3. Don't turn sharply when taxiing. Instead of turning sharp, have someone lift the tail around.
4. In taking off, look at the ground and the air.
5. Never get out of the machine with the motor running until the pilot relieving you can reach the motor controls.
6. Pilots should carry hankies in a handy place to wipe off goggles.
7. Riding on the steps, wings, or rail of the machine is prohibited!
8. In case the engine fails on takeoff, land straight ahead regardless of obstacles.
9. No machine must taxi faster than a man can walk.
10. Never run motor so that blast will blow on other machines.
11. Learn to gauge altitude, especially on landing.
12. If you see another machine near you, get out of the way.
13. No two cadets should ever ride together in the same machine.
14. Do not trust altitude instruments.
15. Before you begin a landing glide, see that no machines are under you.
16. Hedge-hopping will not be tolerated.
17. No spins on back or tail sides will be indulged in as they unnecessarily strain the machines.
18. If flying against the wind and you wish to fly with the wind, don't make a sharp turn near the ground. You may crash.
19. Motors have been known to stop during a long glide. If pilot wishes to use motor for landing, he should open the throttle.
20. Don't attempt to force the machine onto the ground with more than flying speed. The result is bounding and ricocheting.
21. Pilots will not wear spurs while flying.
22. Do not use aeronautical gasoline in cars or motorcycles.
23. You must not take off or land closer than 50 feet to the hanger.
24. Never take a machine into the air until you are familiar with it's controls and instruments.
25. If an emergency occurs while flying, land as soon as possible.

Certain info that was posted here on C141Heaven related tounclassifiedTech Orders has been removed. I got some rather threatening emails from some folks stating that an unspecified agency is upset that these TO's are present on C141Heaven but have not been released for public consumption. Even though the the last C-141 came off the assembly line 40 years ago and the last one flew about a year and a half ago there seems to be some issue with posting them. We can all rest better knowing that they are protecting us from Osama and other unspecified enemies. (Of course, the White House is still free to release the names of CIA agents any time they want to, since AF regulations don't apply to the White House.)

If you really want this info (such as the Dash-1), you can easily seek it out on eBay just about any time or from dozens of other web sources (e.g., www.eflightmanuals.com) and get it no problem, but for now, you can't get them for free here.

Go figure. I am investigating the procedures needed to have this material reviewed and moved from the totally unjustified 'not classified, but still not public' status they seem to have. Of course, it makes no sense, but keep in mind that we are talking about DOD and USAF regulations (not always full of common sense).

If at some point it can be determined that the threats I received are inappropriate for this material or the restrictions on C-141 information is no longer valid, or if there is a way around this in some way, I will place the information back on the site. It may be possible to place a disclaimer of some sort on the site and have folks 'certify' they won't export the items before they can access it. This seems to be the approach taken by other sites that make this information available.

Ironically, much of the information that was previously posted on the site was downloaded DIRECTLY from publicly accessible USAF/DOD web sites. For them to try and put the cat back in the bag at this point is absurd, of course, but that's what they are trying to do.

Part of the new paranoia present in our country these days means that, for now at least, you can't see these items any longer but I've left theindexes in place so you can see the names of what items you now can't see.Maybe we will return to sanity at some point, but don't hold your breath. Sorry, but I have no money for lawyers at this point and I don't have time right now for an all expenses paid trip to Gitmo.

More Spare Parts....

You can't live without these:

Blessed Be the C-141

John Broughton submitted a new T-TAIL TALL TALEinvolving, beer, wet t-shirts, and the POPE. Really.

I'd like to see photos of this one!

Another Pair of Shoes for the Wife

A local aircraft parts collector here in Tucson was moving and needed to unload his prized C-141 nose wheel landing gear door. Here's the original tag from the item:

I don't know if the $11,595.63 price shown on the item tag is for two or just one of these doors, but either way, my $23.00 investment will assure a healthy return when I resell this back to the government (the next time they need a C-141 landing gear door.)

Nice C-141 Tail Number List

Dave Grant sent me a spreadsheet file of all the C-141 tail numbers with a few key bits of information of note about many of the tail numbers. This information came from the Lockheed magazine called CodeOne. You can view it here: C-141 Notables

Bored? Need Something to Do?

Hey C-141 fans...I've got a little project I'd like you to volunteer for. We are trying to gather together in a single place the complete history of all base assignments for all C141s from the day they left the factory to the very end. Through the efforts of several people I've managed to gather bits and pieces of this but we need to get it in a form that would be usable.

As a first step, I've got over 700 pages of old computer print outs from Maxwell AFB that were converted to MicroFilm, then copied. They are reasonably legible but not suitable for OCR scanning. If you are interested in helping out on this project please let me know. I've created a special data entry program you can use on your IBM PC...(no Apples..sorry). To read about the program and a bit more on the project,click on this link to download a pdf File describing it all

To download the data entry program click here..

If you want to assist in this please contact me via email and I can mail you some copies of the printouts for you to enter. I'm looking for about 20 people to share the load. If we can get that many we should be able to get the 700 pages loaded in a few weeks at most.

Pimp My Ride .. (Low Budget Comfort)

As discussed in the C141Heaven Blog a few entries earlier there was a big dust up back in 1994/5 following a trip from Italy to the US by a general, his young female aid, and his cat. The special 'extra-plush' VIP pallet was a central part of the story. A few photos of these already exist on other pages of C141Heaven, but I just got a set of additional ones, that look to be some sort of attempt to fabricate such an environment ... but I must say, it does not look very plush to me ... especially when you compare it to some of the corporate 'business jets' you see from time to time.

Here's the photos .. to me this looks like a 'fake' room that you might use for making movies in Hollywood ... only 2 walls and no ceiling .... this would not have been a very quiet traveling environment, but most of the wild parties I've ever attended have not been too quiet so perhaps no one noticed.

I don't believe this was the unit in which the general and his cat traveled, but I'm not sure who might have used it or for what purpose. Personally, I liked that old stale coffee from the little galley next to the crew entrance door.

You be the judge of how plush this one looks:

Now, to put the above into perspective, check out these shots of some Boeing Business Jet interiors. It's proof that serving in the Military (or at least riding around in a C-141) requires sacrifice that civilians just can't understand.

C-141 Unit Histories

Does anyone know where we might gather a complete history of the chronological units of assignment of all C-141's from the time they left the factory to the time they were retired?

Please contact me via email if you know where to go to get this information.

A little more on the "Presidential Paint Scheme"

I got a note from Bill Verno .. who was a crew chief at McGuire back in the early 70's. Here's what he said:

I was a crew chief at McGuire from 1972-1975 and recall Nixon's trip to China. News crews from NYC had their equipment transported via 141's for the trip. As I recall, China did not want US Air Force jets to overfly or land in China. I can recall two 141's being repainted in Air Force One paint schemes ..... Including UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on their fuselages. No stars or USAF logos anywhere on them. Once they returned, they were promptly repainted. They looked awesome in their paint schemes, but alas I never took a picture of them .......... I should have. Hope this sheds some light and may help others recall this also.

Bill Verno

Nixon arrived for his visit to China on 17 February of 1972. This was quite a while (20 years!) before the 'Ashy'' incident mentioned in the post below... and doesn't indicate if 166 was one of the aircraft involved, though it certainly seems plausible that it could have been used for that purpose.

According to the McChord Museum web site, "On 1 February 1972, the first MAC aircraft to land in the Peoples' Republic of China was 62 MAW C-141A number 60141, supporting President Nixon's trip to communist China." There is no indication whether it was painted in special colors or not on the site.

Here's a quote from Brent Scowcroft about his flight to China on a C-141. He made them at a State Department Sponsored "China Conference" conducted in September 2006. (He accompanied President Bush [the first] on his trip to China as president) : "So Larry Eagleburger, who was Deputy Secretary of State, and I went over there. We went on a C-141 with aerial refueling so we didn't have to land anywhere between Washington and Beijing. The Chinese President told me later that as we were approaching the entryway in through Shanghai that he got a call from the border patrols that an unknown aircraft was approaching, should they shoot it down. And he said, no, let it through."

If anyone has any photos of the 'presidential' paint job versions of the C-141, it would be great if we could get them for the site.

Photo ©: Byron Schumaker

After a little bit of additional Googling, I turned up this report from the AmericanHeritage.com website.

AMATEUR AMBASSADOR

It was February 14, 1972, and early morning in the local time zone. I pressed the aircraft transmitter switch and spoke. “Shanghai Tower, this is MAC four-zero-six-two-niner on Victor one-one-niner-decimal-seven, over.” The response was immediate. “Roger, MAC four-zero-six-two-niner, this is Shanghai Tower. Read you loud and clear. Maintain this frequency. You have been radaridentified. Descend to fifteen hundred meters, and proceed to X-Ray Quebec [Longhua radio beacon]. Landing Runway thirty-six. Report field in sight, over.”

The voice on the radio, while unmistakably Asian, spoke with a British accent. Within minutes our U.S. Air Force C-141A aircraft would be landing at Shanghai Airport. For the first time since 1949, when Communist forces under Mao Zedong had ousted the Nationalist forces, an official delegation was the guests of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Although the cloud cover was negligible, the early-morning haze restricted forward visibility.

As a new Air Force major recently returned from Vietnam, I had been flying C-141s with the Military Airlift Command (MAC) at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, since January 1971. In mid-1971 President Nixon revealed that Secretary of State Kissinger had secretly visited the People’s Republic of China to arrange for a presidential visit within the year. Since MAC had responsibility for supporting presidential travel, I thought idly how terrific it would be to take part in this prestigious mission. Some months later, after the White House had announced that the visit would take place February 21-28, I was in my office grappling with a pesky scheduling problem. Lieutenant Colonel Miller, my squadron commander, poked his head in the door and nonchalantly asked, “Major Robertson, how would you like to go to China?”

Air Force One, the presidential jet, flew as “Spirit of ’76” for the trip. Six C-141s and three commercial charters also made the journey. Fewer than five hundred Americans actually entered China. Most of the C-141s preceded the President by a week, delivering support equipment and advance teams to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Beijing before returning to the United States. Only the President’s official party remained in China during the visit. Unfortunately I was not scheduled to spend even one night in China. After the President had left, the C-141 crews would make a second trip to pick up the equipment and advance teams for return to the United States.

I flew the last C-141 mission into China before the President’s arrival and the last one out after the visit concluded. My crew of eleven was nearly twice its normal size so that we could operate safely for twenty-four hours without a ground rest stop. We carried Air Force members of the White House staff, Air Force One security teams, various pieces of aircraft support equipment, and California champagne for a banquet President Nixon would host at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Uncertain how some of their allies would react to the visit, both the U.S. and PRC governments decided to operate solely from U.S. and Chinese soil. The tiny island of Guam, a U.S. possession in the Pacific, made this possible. The PRC civil aviation administration provided detailed information on operations within Chinese airspace. From Guam all flights entered and departed the mainland at Shanghai. Here a Chinese navigator and radio operator joined each U.S. crew for all flights within China to translate instructions, report flight progress, and provide navigation assistance.

So on that February morning I found myself straining against the shoulder harness to catch a first glimpse of the Chinese coast and the city of Shanghai beyond. Through the haze the city was barely visible, but it was not difficult to sense the vastness of its metropolitan sprawl. After an uneventful approach and landing, I cleared the runway and taxied the C-141 to the ramp. As Air Force “crew dogs,” whose idea of luxury after a long day was a beer and a burger, we were unprepared for the lavish pampering our hosts were about to confer on us.

A large group of people met us, beginning a routine repeated at each stop throughout the trip. The airport manager, an interpreter, a protocol official, and a political representative of the local government headed the group. After our passports had been checked, Capt. Bill Brinks, one of my navigators, and I (my hosts referred to me in civilian jargon as the captain) were escorted past a large shrinelike statue of Chairman Mao inside the terminal to a lounge. Here other officials joined the group to drink hot tea and share a few polite, if tentative, exchanges.

My first test arrived with the tea. The political officer, a stern-looking fel. low, presented me with a radar tracing that compared our actual flight path into Chinese airspace with the directed flight path. Although the tracing showed only a momentary deviation from the directed track, this gentleman seemed intent on making an issue of it. Perhaps he merely wanted to impress us with the accuracy of the PRC radar. Nonetheless this unexpected challenge created an awkward moment for me, and some of our hosts seemed similarly affected. “Our excitement at seeing Shanghai for the first time must have caused us to stray momentarily,” I declared. As the interpreter translated, broad smiles spread across the faces of our hosts, and a lively exchange ensued. Preparing for our visit, we had been cautioned to steer clear of political subjects. Although this warning inhibited our first attempts at conversation, my band of amateur ambassadors gained confidence quickly.

At each stop, after tea, conversation, and business, came the inevitable offer of “a bite to eat,” a nearly mandatory multicourse feast. We stuffed ourselves with the most delicious and varied dishes I’d ever had. We were not always sure what we were eating, but it was all savory. And our hosts reacted with genuine pleasure and amusement at our clumsy attempts to master chopsticks. From the lively table talk a recurring theme soon emerged. Our hosts advanced the notion that the PRC was replete at every level, neither wanting nor requiring anything outside its borders—a remarkable conviction for a nation with so many mouths to feed and so few resources save manpower. They expressed little interest in learning about us.

A delicate problem surfaced early on. Our hosts enjoyed a toast or two with food. They were not the least concerned that we might have eight or so hours o/ flying ahead of us. Each table setting included beer, wine, and a pungent clear grain spirit distilled from millet. After the first toasting duel I picked a crew member we could spare for the rest of the day to become our official toastmaster. Not surprisingly I had many volunteers for this duty. After all, the safety of the aircraft and crew was at stake, as well as the honor of the United States. This arrangement served us well for the remainder of the trip, as did the hammock we rigged at the rear of the aircraft for our toastmaster to use between meals.

My first test arrived with the tea, when our host questioned our flight path into Chinese airspace.

After a two-hour flight from Hangzhou, we landed at Beijing/Capital Airport in the early evening. None of us were looking forward to the long flight back to Guam. A reprieve came at the last moment. A White House aide with urgent business in Guam needed a ride but could not leave until morning; we would stay overnight after all! Our hosts promptly gathered up our baggage, delivered it to our rooms at the airport hotel, and took us on a quick shopping trip to the airport concession. The following morning we were awakened, fed breakfast, and efficiently shuffled through the steps necessary to ready us for our departure. We left China on February 15, 1972, and returned to the United States a few days later.

We caused quite a stir at U.S. customs in Hawaii. At the time the PRC was one of several Communist countries from which it was illegal for a U.S. citizen to import anything. Most of us had purchased small gift items and loads of souvenir Mao buttons (a large red lapel button with Mao Zedong’s gilded profile set imposingly at its center). We had also picked up free copies of the little red book, Quotations of Chairman Mao. The customs officers, who could be cantankerous, seemed unsure how to handle this breach. I’ve never tried to bribe anyone, certainly not a customs officer. But the offer of a button or a little red book did seem to help these fellows resolve their predicament amicably and in our favor.

Just like everyone else in the nation, we witnessed President Nixon’s visit unfolding on television in the comfort of our homes. Most observers declared the visit a diplomatic coup of epic proportion. After twenty-two years of diplomatic silence, the freely elected leader of the world’s most powerful nation met with the Communist leader of the world’s most populous nation and reached an understanding. A joint communiqué announced policy positions aimed at assuring peace in Asia and resolving sovereignty disputes in Korea, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan. The country was fairly awash in optimism and, like the biblical Jehovah, saw that it was good. Maybe that’s why the White House added an overnight stay in Beijing to our return itinerary. Whatever the reason, the entire crew was thrilled. Some of our excitement must have rubbed off on our hosts. When we returned to Shanghai early on March 2, 1972, the airport manager, a rotund and jolly fellow, greeted us as old friends. We reciprocated. After a short ground time we departed for Beijing, where we were greeted with similar enthusiasm.

We arrived too late for a trip to the Great Wall. But after a quick check-in at the hotel (unadorned, comfortable, and spotless) we were treated to the consolation prize, a tour of the Forbidden City. Officially the city was preserved in its grand state only to remind the people how decadent and wasteful Imperial China had been. However, I sensed that pride in the rich legacy of the past also played a part. After a shopping spree at a concession and a quick stop at our hotel we ate a farewell banquet of Peking Duck at the famous restaurant of the same name. The next morning we exchanged token gifts with our hosts, said our good-byes, and took off for Shanghai one last time.

That March morning it began to sink in that my euphoric brush with history was nearly over, and I was not happy about it. Unwittingly I was about to set myself up for a brief but poignant dose of reality.

When we landed at Shanghai, the group that had met us on our first visit was on hand to greet us again. After taking care of business, our hosts treated us to one final “bite to eat.” Over the course of my short stay in China I had learned to appreciate something of the country, its people, and their sense of self-sufficiency. But I may have become too confident. As we enjoyed our last meal, I complimented the airport manager on how fortunate it was that even in winter we could enjoy fresh fruit from Guangdong Province in the south. I went on, perhaps a bit smugly, about how much I had learned about many of the twenty-one provinces in the PRC.

The political officer, who seldom smiled and rarely spoke, interrupted to engage the interpreter in a terse exchange. The smiles suddenly faded from the faces of our hosts. I turned toward the political officer as the interpreter anxiously translated, “You are mistaken, Captain. The People’s Republic of China has twenty-two provinces—including the province of Taiwan.” Somewhat startled, I did not respond directly but instead offered a toast to the health of our hosts and thanked them for their fine hospitality. The Chinese, clearly relieved, lifted their glasses and gave a hearty cheer. The moment passed quickly, but the political officer had made his point and I’ve never forgotten it.

I clearly recall the lofty promise of President Nixon’s visit; indeed, it spawned the evolution of a beneficial relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China that continues today. However, recent events in the Formosa Strait also stir in me other vivid images of my brush with history.

—Marion D. Robertson, Jr., retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1990 and now lives in Herndon, Virginia.

CINCMAC Aircraft Paint Scheme?

I recently got a query from someone asking if the CINCMAC C-141 (67-0166) had been painted in a blue and white color scheme resembling Air Force One. At first I was a bit skeptical that anyone would have had the balls to actually do this ... but after a bit of Googling I did find a reference to the possibility that this may have been the case. See Roger Charles: Education of a Skeptic -- Lesson # 2 The Four-Star Hugh Hefner Wannabefor more details. It's a sordid tale of lust, misconduct, waste of government funds, and a cat.

You can alsodownload the complete IG report about the 'incident' involving 67-0166.NOTE: It's 4mb in size, so if you suffer from 'connectile dysfunction', (e.g., you are on a dial up line) be patient, or skip the download altogether.

Does anyone who visits C141Heaven know if it was ever painted in anything other than 'standard' MAC colors? I have photos of it in the old Gray/White and flat gray colors. I don't know if it ever didn't have a paint scheme as it was the LAST C-141 ever built and I'm not sure when the AF started painting them gray/white. It might have come off the Lockheed line in the gray/white colors right from the start as far as I now.

However, I do not have any of it in the European Green colors, and certainly not in the AF One 'Blue and White' scheme. I read somewhere that a 'few' of the C-141's were never painted in the camo or gray colors so they could be used for diplomatic missions from time to time. Certainly 166 might have been one of these tail numbers.

If you know any details about this, pleasesend what you know in to me especially if you have any pictures in any colors schemes other than gray/white and the 'ghost gray' that it ended up in for the last few years of its service.

Rickenbacker ANG base, Columbus OH

I got an email from a guy named Rob Stroup who is working on a book about this history of Lockbourne/Rickenbacker AFB/ANGB which was near Columbus.

As best as I can tell, there were ten C-141's assigned there in the late 80's/early 90's before the base was closed and the aircraft were transferred to the 445th at Wright-Patterson.

If you know anything about the tail numbers of these aircraft or have any war-stories or photos of any of the missions flown from there please send them in to mefor possible inclusion in his book.

435th OMS (Rhein Main) Reunion - Branson, Missouri

Richard Figueroa, a former 435th OMS'er, sent me a few photos of a variety of tail numbers and a note about a pending reunion.(September 27-30, 2007)

435th Organizational Maintenance Squadron
27-30 Sep 2007
Attention, Rhein-Mainers!!! There is a 435th OMS reunion planned for Sept 27-30 2007 in Branson, Missouri! This is for all sections, Enroute, C-130's, C-9's, T/A, Q/C, Job Controll, CTK, Bench Stock etc. Maintainers should look for lodging at the Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills. Be sure to tell them you are with the 435thOMS 07 group!!! The OMS folks have an itinerary page up on their website. For more information you can contact John "Bruno" Potter Sr @ john@johnsenterprizes.com OR Joe "The Rhindz" Leonard @ jjleonard@sbcglobal.net. Also stop by the 435th OMS Chat Room to catch up with your old buddies.

Check out their web page at this link"435 OMS REUNION"

Scott AFB AirShow, 2007

Nicola Wheeler sent me a bunch of photos of 67-0166, which has been sitting at Scott AFB since April 7, 2006, when it made it's last flight and ended up at Scott.

Clickhere to see them.

Howell M Estes, Jr. Dies

From the AF Times:

RETIRED GEN. HOWELL M. ESTES JR. DIES AT 92

By Bryant Jordan - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 5, 2007 13:21:58 EDT



Retired Gen. Howell M. Estes Jr., who began his military career with the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division and ended it as commander of Air Force mobility operations, died July 2 at his Bethesda, Md., home. He was 92.

Estes commanded the Military Air Transport Service, later called Military Airlift Command, from 1964 to 1969, at the time the C-141 Starlifter was entering service. Authors Roger D. Launius and Betty R. Kennedy, writing in Airpower Journal in 1991, said Estes “perhaps understood better than most people the revolution in airlift that came with the acquisition of the C-141.

“He suggested that the revolution really encompassed two phases,” they wrote in “A Revolution in Air Transport, Acquiring the C-141 Starlifter.” “The first, which he believed was nearing general acceptance, was a recognition of the importance of airlift as a tool for executing U.S. foreign-policy objectives, whether in a peacetime or contingency environment.”

Estes, they wrote, perceived the second phase “as more ethereal and less easy to conceptualize and understand.”

Retired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald Fogleman got to know Estes in the early 1990s, after Fogleman assumed command of Air Mobility Command and U.S. Transportation Command.

“He had an amazing breadth of experience in terms of assignments prior to becoming the commander of ... Military Air Transport Service,” Fogleman wrote in a July 5 e-mail. “While he had little or no previous experience in the transport business he had been on the [U.S. Air Forces in Europe] staff during the Berlin Airlift.”

It was a critical time for mobility, Fogleman said, with jet aircraft being integrated into what still was a large fleet of older planes. And with the buildup in Vietnam, it was a time to validate the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, which included World Airways, Flying Tigers and Southern Air Transport, among other carriers.

“While a few of these civilian carriers are still around today, they played a major role in support of military operations during the period,” Fogleman said. “General Estes played a key role in getting the CRAF on a solid footing.”

Estes was born in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., in 1914. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1936. Assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, he was appointed platoon and troop commanding officer of the 7th Cavalry there, according to his official biography. Following assignment to Headquarters First Cavalry Division, where he was an aide to the commanding general, he entered pilot training school.

During World War II he was a flight instructor at Brooks Field, Texas, and eventually was named director of flying for the school. In 1946 Estes was named chief of Plans and Policy Branch, Operations Division, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Wiesbaden, Germany, and a year later became assistant chief of staff, plans, for USAFE.

During the Korean War, on temporary duty from March to July 1951 as vice commander of the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, Estes flew 25 combat missions over Korea in B-29s.

As the United States continued development of nuclear weapons, Estes, as commander of the 12th Air Division, in 1952 commanded Air Task Group 7.4, Joint Task Force Seven, for Operation Castle, overseas atomic testing. During the operational testing in 1954, he commanded the task force at the Pacific Proving Grounds on Eniwetok Island.

“He was really proud of the hydrogen bomb testing at Eniwetok,” said his son, Charles, of Washington, D.C., recalling that his father brought home glass slides of the testing, and the family viewed them over TV dinners. Later, deputy commander for aerospace systems, Air Force Systems Command, in Los Angeles, Estes helped oversee development of the Minuteman missile silos.

“When we lived out in Los Angeles, we were there about 15 months,” Charles said, “and he was probably on the road three-quarters or more of that time, visiting the silos” that were being built.

In 1964, he was named commander of Military Air Transport Service, later renamed Military Airlift Command and now Air Mobility Command, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. He retired in August 1969.

His marriage to Annah Verbeck Estes ended in divorce.

In addition to his son, Charles, Estes is survived by two other sons, retired Air Force Gen. Howell M. Estes III of Colorado Springs and Michael S. Estes of Lafayette, Calif.; a sister, Katherine Estes of Bethesda; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Internment at Arlington National Cemetery is scheduled for Oct. 3 following a 12:45 p.m. service in the Old Post Chapel at Fort Myer.

Link to AF Times Web site article

Readmore about General Estes at Wikipedia

Kent Brown sent the following email to C141heaven....

TO ALL C-141 FANS

I am the president of the Professional Loadmaster Association (Liberty Chapter) here at McGuire. Along with the Thomas B McGuire Foundation we are selling memorial bricksfor the C-141 Memorial that is by the BX here. The C-141 has been moved and mounted in its final position now the work begins on making it look good.

These bricks will be laid on the ground around the C-141.

Click here for a link to the web site containing the order forms for the bricks.

Thanks

Kent Brown
C-141A/B Loadmaster Retired
(609) 562-2747
Fax (609) 562-5299

Sheppard 141's Meet the AX

This morning I got a note from Tom Horan, who works at Sheppard on ground ATC Radar. He reported that 66-0126 and 66-1076 have finally started their last trip to the scrap yard. Here's his note:

I am an ex-141 avionics troop spent 15 years working the AC at Norton AFB CA with the 445th & March ARB with the 452d. I now work at Sheppard AFB on ground ATC RADAR. These two C-141's have been sitting just outside my shop at the 82d Comm Squadron for about 6 months now and just this Monday they started demolishing them tail #'s 66-0126 & 66-0176.

It's sad to see the other pics you have of 176 flying with the thunderbirds and it today.

Anyway thanks for your site

Tom Horan

20th MAS Reunion

The 20th MAS will be having a reunion in October (11 through the 14th) in Myrtle Beach, SC.

I'm not speaking for them in any official capacity but I would guess if you are a lonely old airlifter (from any squadron) who will be in the area of Myrtle Beach around then and are willing to pay the reunion fee and perhaps buy a beer or two for strangers you'd be welcomed with open arms. Check with them first in case you need a secret password or handshake to make it through the door.






You can download the complete Summer 2007 newsletter as a PDF file by clicking here.It's got an interesting article about running out of fuel!

McGuire History

Thanks to Hiram Hernandez for sending me a heads-up on a new book about McGuire AFB History. by G. W. Boyd, the McGuire official historian. You can see a bit about the book at Amazon. The book costs about $14.00.

Boyd was recently named the "Best Historian in the AF". You can read an article about Boyd on the AF Print News Today web site.

Now that Amazon.com has entered into the world of history books somehow related to the C-141, I thought I'd do a search on other AF bases. Starting with McChord AFB as my search term, here's what came back for me:

Of course, I had to click on the middle cover photo.

That's me in the lower left-hand corner of the cover photo (forget the 'Navy looking' uniform -- that was just artistic license on the part of the cover illustrator). I was based at McChord back in the 70's. It's hard to believe that way back then they actually recorded any of my proclamations for posterity but I guess they must have. After my search came up with this book, I've temporarily suspended looking for other bases histories.

I do know they have one about Travis similar to Boyd's book.

NASA Project Eclipse

I have previously mentioned this project elsewhere on C141Heaven. This was a test in which a C-141 was configured to tow an F-106 off the runway into flight with a "big rope". You can see some great NASA pictures of this experiment at this link:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/Eclipse/index.html.

There are hi-resolution stills and some movies to view as well.

About a year ago I made the mistake of buying a copy of the project report from a yahoo on eBay, who appears to have simply grabbed thing from the NASA website and printed it. Spend your $25 on beer instead and just download your own copy, courtesy of NASA.

You can get a complete (8mb) copy of the report in PDF form from the NASA website at this link:

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20010056676_2001086803.pdf

Scott AFB Air Show

Scott will have an air show on July 7th and 8th. They will be opening up 66-0166, the old CINCMAC aircraft (which had about 50% the number of hours of all the others prior to its retirement) for people to walk through. If you are in the area and interested in assisting with crowd control and providing tours of the aircraft you can contact Geno Carvotta ( geno.carvotta@scott.af.mil ) or Jon Wheeler ( jonathan.wheeler-02@scott.af.mil ) and volunteer.

Seethe official web sitefor more details on the airshow.

Here's a cop of a press release about the show

375th Airlift Wing Phone: (618) 256-4241/4206
Public Affairs Office FAX: (618) 256-8837
Scott AFB IL 62225-5004
Date: 25 Apr 07
Release Number: 07-04-25

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE TO WELCOME B-2 STEALTH AIRCRAFT TO AIR SHOW 2007

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – Scott Air Force Base will welcome a B-2 “Spirit” stealth aircraft to fly over the crowd and be on public display as a highlight of Air Show 2007.

The base will open its gates to the community for this year’s show July 7 and 8. This year’s theme, “Heritage to Horizons,” will celebrate the Air Force’s 60th anniversary and the base’s 90th birthday. The B-2, from Whiteman AFB, Mo., will fly over Saturday only, but a static display of the aircraft will be available for viewing on both days..

Air shows offer the American public a rare inside look at the United States Armed Forces by highlighting the best and the brightest among its servicemembers, as well as some of its most technologically-advanced assets.

Other premiere acts scheduled for this year’s show include the West Coast F-16 Demonstration Team, a performance by the Black Daggers parachute team, the SNJ-2 Skytypers and many others.

For 90 years, Scott AFB and the surrounding communities have shared a close friendship. Air shows are the base’s way of thanking the community for their continued support, encouragement and loyalty.

In Addition, this year’s show is the culminating event for St. Louis’ second Air Force Week, held between July 2 and 8. During the week, representatives from the U.S. Air Force will be at events throughout the city, interacting with the community and sharing the Air Force story.

For more information about Air Show 2007, visit www.scottairshow.com or call the Air Show 2007 Hotline at (618) 256-2007. For more information about St. Louis Air Force Week 2007, call (618) 229-7843.

Spoiler Artist!

I got an email from a lady named Nicki Wheeler. Here's her note:

I painted The Hanoi Taxi onto a C141 spoiler panel for an engineer friend, it got a lot of interest on the base (Wright-Patterson) at the time.



Now I've just about finished with another one and am wondering if anyone has an interest in buying it. These panels are very hard to get hold of.

If people have items and they want a C-141 painted on to it I would be more than glad to use my brushes !

My husband was a flight engineer on the C-141's so we have lots of memorabilia of this plane. We were the couple that married on the plane on May the 5th on its retirement weekend.(Click on the link for details!)

I have a fond attraction to this plane also! I hear about nothing else!! It is a plane that should never have been retired.

Nicola Wheeler     nicolajwheeler@hotmail.com

If you are interested in contacting Nicki about commissioning a painting use the email address shown above.

A400M. Outsourcing/Offshoring airlift production? A bad thing.

The article below appeared in Aviation Week, Jun 13, 2007.Click here for the original web page..

A400M Could Dominate Strategic Lift
Bill Sweetman/Defense Technology International

Washington policy hawks are having fits about the fact that the U.S. Air Force has two choices when it comes to a new tanker aircraft: accept Boeing as a monopoly supplier, or accept an open, equal competition that could result in the aircraft being assembled in France.

The scene is being set for even more fun a few years down the road. When USAF's fleet of long-range airlifters starts to wear out--a date being driven closer by combat operations--there will be one military cargo aircraft in production that can do a long-distance mission for the U.S. military, and it will be made in Europe by Airbus.

Predicting a big future for the Airbus A400M may be a long shot. It has not been a strong player on the world market, having scored 12 orders outside its partner nations. The A400M may also be underestimated because, for years, progress was slow. Studies of what was first called the Future International Multirole Airlifter were announced during the Farnborough air show in 1982.

The problem was not technology so much as getting seven European partners to agree on something at the same time, a task on which no progress was made for many years. The solution was to hand the project to Airbus, which is running the A400M as a commercial program. It took time to get the partners to sign the contract; but an agreement was reached in March 2003, and the project has been moving forward since then.

The main reason that few of the A400Ms have been sold, however, is that Airbus does not have many to offer. By the time the program started, the partners' C-130s and Transall C160s were overdue for retirement. Airbus plans a ramp-up to 30 deliveries a year by 2012, but the company has virtually no delivery positions in 2010 and only a few in 2011.

The launch contract covers 180 aircraft for seven NATO nations, with Germany (60), France (50), Spain (27) and the U.K. (25) placing the largest orders. The other national partners' and customers' orders are Turkey (10), Belgium (7) and Luxembourg (1). South Africa and Malaysia have orders for eight and four aircraft, respectively.

The 300,000-lb. A400M is twice the size of a C-130J and half the size (and price) of a C-17. With an 81,500-lb. payload and twice the volume of a CC-130J, the A400M will haul loads that are too large for the C-130, including a pair of Tiger helicopters with their rotor heads in place or modern infantry fighting vehicles.

Although the A400M has propellers, its maximum cruising speed--Mach 0.72--is not much less than that of the turbofan-powered C-17. The engines are fuel-efficient, which, combined with 105,000 lb. of fuel tankage, gives the aircraft a robust ability to trade payload for range. With a 44,000-lb. load, the A400M has an oceanic range of 3,450 naut. mi.




Noteworthy design features include the main landing gear, with three independent twin-wheel units on both sides. Many airlift designers have skimped on the wheels to save weight. "It's not a question of whether you can land on a soft field, but how many times you can do it before you chew the field up," says one