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The PROPEOPDEMREP "President's Own" Office of Revisionist History
Presents:
Diego Garcia Air Force Base in Action!

C-141 PHOTOS FROM 8 YEARS FLYING BACK AND FORTH TO
DIEGO GARCIA AND MASIRAH ISLAND OMAN WHILE I WAS IN
MILITARY AIRLIFT COMMAND (THE PREDECESSOR TO AIR MOBILITY COMMAND)

BTW, ALL THE C-141S ARE EITHER IN MUSEUMS OR PART OF YOUR NEW CHEVY...

THEY ARE ALL GONE, AND YOU CAN FIND OUT WHERE AT C-141 HEAVEN


Author on the ramp, Diego Garcia,
          1987
The future President for Life of the PPDRDG with his C-141 on a pre-revolutionary visit to the island, 1987.

I was a C-141 "Star Lizard" pilot from 1979-1987, and although I had over 3,500 hours in the airplane (and another 1,500 in Boeing 737s), I rarely took photos of my comings and goings, even on Diego.  In fact, I never took enough photos of what I was doing in the USAF, because somehow I always figured I'd get a chance to go back and take them some other time!  After DG however, I was sent off to headquarters jobs, and never "flew the line" again, and so missed taking that final, best photo.  So, you'll have to put up with the ones I did get, shown below.

C-141B on left base
                  for Runway 13, Diego Garcia, 1987
C-141B on Short Final for Runway 13, Diego Garcia
                  1987
C-141B over the
                  numbers, Runway 13, Diego Garcia 1987
C-141B Taxiis out for
                  Takeoff, Diego Garcia, 1987

WHY IN THE HELL WERE WE ON DIEGO?
To carry USO tours, of course!
Bob Hope's C-141 -
                  December 24, 1972

Mainly, to fly cargo to the Navy Carrier Task Force cruising at "Gonzo Station" in the Arabian Sea.  On a day to day basis, for decades on end, the only people who did anything on Diego Garcia that mattered were the people who moved cargo and people through the aerial port and on up to Masirah Island for use by the Carrier Battle Group on station.  Oh, I guess you could say the Navy certainly had a job keeping up with the TCNs ("third country nationals," i.e., Filipinos and Mauritians).  After all, somebody had to make sure the grass was cut and dinner was served on time, but all that only served to make sure the people who kept the C-141s and C-5s moving through the airfield were fed and housed.

In the year I was on Diego, and in the preceding 8 years of flying in and out, nothing else of importance happened!   Here's the way it worked:  Military Airlift Command C-5s and C-141s brought cargo and people to Diego Garcia, mostly via Clark Air Base in the Philippines, but some via the Atlantic/Mediterrainian route (through Egypt to Nairobi or Mombassa, or if the Sudanese were acting up that year, via Jordan, Saudi and Bahrain on contract DC-8s).  Then the cargo was resequenced and flown to Masirah Island, off the East Coast of the Sultanate of Oman, where a USN supply ship crew would laboriously offload the aircraft, break down the pallets by hand, sling them under a helo and fly them out to the ship.  Since there were no 463L pallets stockpiled at Masirah, the "retrograde" cargo had to be built up, again by hand, on the same pallets the inbound cargo came in on.  In the early '80s the process took about 6 hours on the apron before the upload was complete, and the crew headed back to Dodge.  NASA has a great photo posted on their oceanography web site of Masirah Island showing the wake of the USS Enterprise off the southeast coast.  (There's also lots of other great island photos, including Diego's).

In those 6 hours, the C-141 crew often got to ride out to the supply ship in the chopper.  The crews on the supply ships were always very helpful and had remarkably good morale, considering that sometimes they'd been away from home for six months or more, and had only had 3 or 4 port liberties in that time!  I guess they lived by the old "Joy through Work" concept - they sure as hell had a lot of work.  The helo pilots told me they just quit logging time when they hit 120 hours per month (the max time they were supposed to fly), and just kept on flying.  Some guessed they were flying 150 hours per month, every month.

Sometimes, the whole battle group would be swinging at anchor off the coast, and we could hitch a ride out to the carrier.  I got to tour the USS RANGER there on one of my early trips to Masirah.  The whole group was right there about 5 miles off the coast.  They were anchored in a row, with the current perpendicular to the line, so the ships were all parallel to each other.  I asked the air boss if we could shoot an approach to the Ranger's TACAN, or get a GCA from their radar, but he politely demurred (actually it was more like "Hell NO!")  Apparently a few months earlier a B-52 had gotten a GCA to a carrier in the EASTPAC, and everyone was told to knock off such shenanigans.  However he had no problem with us "flying by" the group after take off as long as we talked with him on the radio, so when we left, I just "trooped the line" at about 500 feet above the water, and maybe a half mile off their bows.  Probably not very impressive to the brown shoe fighter pilots on the RANGER, our big old lumbering C-141 in the pre-CATS days.

Everybody I knew always flew over or by the supply ships, usually at the request of the Captain or XO.  It was just our little way of saying to those hard working, forgotten squids out there on Gonzo Station that we cared enough about them to give them a big, lumbering, wing-waggle at the end of a hard day's work.  The Captain of the USS SHASTA took a video of us flying over the ship ("make sure you clear the masthead, its 162 feet off the water").  If you read this, Captain, e-mail me - I'd love to get a copy of that flick......

Unfortunately, I can't accurately say how often I was out at Masirah, but I think it was a half dozen times or more.  Considering an "Oman Turn" was a 70+ flying hour, 10 day trip, those six trips would represent about 700 of my 3,500 hours in the C-141, quite a bit more than the average line pilot.  The reason I'm not sure how often I went out was that the Air Force computerized all our flight records, and I never bothered keeping my own record until November 1981.  I actually had 2,700 flying hours before I started keeping my own log book showing tail numbers, other crew members, and most importantly where we went!  I'd been flying the C-141 for a over 1,000 hours by that time and looking at those pencil notes in my "MAC Purse" I see I flew out to Diego 15 times and up to Oman twice in the 49 months after that that date.  If the ratio held, I guess I went out another 6 times to Diego in '79-'81, but I know I went up to Masirah several times during that period from Jun. of 79 through Oct. 81 (after which I started keeping a log).

Here are some photos I took on a mission to Masirah (in 1981 I think) when I was an Instructor Pilot in the 8th Military Airlift Squadron.  The supply ship was the USS SHASTA.  After this run to Masirah, we flew a support mission to the SHASTA at Masroor, Pakistan, and were the first U.S. Military flight into Pakistan after they sacked and burned the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad in 1979 (concurrently with the Iranian takeover of the Embassy in Tehran.  Although the Pakistanis didn't take anyone hostage, two US Marine Guards were killed while protecting American Soil there at the Embassy.    Unfortunately, as usual, I didn't have any extra film, or had some other lame excuse for not taking photos up at Masroor.  Sorry.

C-141s on the MAC Ramp at
                    Diego Garcia, 1981

C-141A and C-141B models on the ramp at Dodge.  My aircraft 50280 is the B model aft of the A model.  We were on our way to Masirah Island off the East Coast of the Sultanate of Oman.  Usually, there were two flights a week to Masirah, one on Tuesdays and one on Fridays.  I'm not sure where the A model was headed, but most likely to either Nairobi, Singapore - Clark, or just direct Clark.
 
SPECIAL UPDATE 27 OCT 03:
From: "Bill Crammate" <wjc@oz.net>
Nice website and a good job of representing the C-141.
     On one of the photos you identify your aircraft as 50280 in back of the A model.  Well old home week!  I was crew chief on 50280 when she was a bran new A model in 1966 at McChord.  I wonder if she still had the #2 fuel heater actuator problem?  It would stick in the closed position and we would fix it by putting the switch in the open position and smacking it with a ball peen; it worked every time.  I had a flight engineer tell me on Guam, when 50280 came through, “he wanted a hammer with a long handle on it”.  In fact, I was the left wing walker when the first C-141 arrived at McChord and I think that was 50277.  Those were wild times.  We had no missions to DG, all ours were Vietnam and mostly class A explosives over and air evac back.  We had one aircraft on 15 minute alert at all times to assist in riot control if required.  When I arrived at McChord, there were no jets except the fighters of the ADC and McChord was an ADC base with a MAC tenant unit, the 62MAW.  I was assigned to the 621OMS but worked with the 62OMS on C-124s until we got our C-141s.  I was on what they called a quick service team and we handled all the transit C-141 than came through McChord.  When we got our C-141 the quick service teams were broken up and spread out among the rest of the squadron to spread the knowledge around.
William J. (Bill) Crammatte

C-141 on the ramp at
                      Mashirah Oman, 1981

That's a U.S. Navy C-2 COD (for Carrier Onboard Delivery) on the ramp behind 50280.  There was often a COD waiting at Masirah for the people we brought in, if they were important enough for the carrier on station to need immediately.  Later on, when I was on Dodge in '87-'88 the Navy used S-3s for COD, and flew direct from DG to the battle group, and so Masirah became a lonely, cargo only stop.  The crewmembers on the ramp are MSgt Dallas (flight engineer on the left of the photo) and Capt. Rittenhouse, who was getting a "Route Familiarization Flight" (practice for his imminent Aircraft Commander checkride).  Giving "route fams" was my primary responsibility as Chief Instructor Pilot of the 8th MAS.
Battle Group
                  Support Operations at Masirah Oman, 1981
After the Iranian and other regional crises in the latter days of the Carter Administration, the U.S. sank LOTS of money into airfields in friendly countries in the mid-east.  That build up proved essential to Desert Shield (the buildup to the war with Iraq).  Here you can see that the apron at Masirah was significantly improved over the following photo, taken in 1979 or 1980.
Masirah
                  Oman, 1979
Sling Load CH-46 at
                  Mashirah Oman, 1981USS SHASTA off the coast
                  of Masirah Oman, 1981Helo Ops, USS
                  SHASTA, Masirah Oman, 1981More Helo Ops, USS
                  SHASTA, 1981

MASIRAH UPDATES
From:  "David Goss" <hanzzsolo@hotmail.com>
To:  easy501@zianet.com
Date:  11 Jan 2007, 08:19:24 PM
Subject:  Masirah
I was on the crew of the USS SHASTA in 1981 when you were in Masirah, I was part of the crew on the island helping to stage the cargo for the SeaNights to take back to the ship. Do you have any more pictures of the Shasta or the crew working on the beach? I read the reference to how the Captain told the mast heighth, and you would like the flyby video, His name was Capt Therien if that helps you find him. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
David Goss
 
From:  easy501@zianet.com
To:  "David Goss" <hanzzsolo@hotmail.com>
Date:  12 Jan 2007, 05:38:26 PM
Subject:  Re: Masirah
Hello David!
It's a small world, isn't it?  Thanks for writing.
Do you mind if I put the info you sent on the web site?  As I recall the XO was on the beach too.  If you remember any names at all, I'll put them on the site.
Also, we flew to Masroor Pakistan about a week later, and it was the same beach det from your ship.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to take any photos there.
Best regards,
Ted.
From:  "David Goss" <hanzzsolo@hotmail.com>
To:  easy501@zianet.com
Date:  12 Jan 2007, 10:45:52 PM
Subject:  Re: Masirah
Hi Ted,
Yes it is a small world.
The XO's name was LCDR Wozniak. I don't know first name of the officers as I was enlisted.  Yes you have my the information I provide on your website.
Till next time,
David

*****************

June 2007
From: Jim Richards <chief43a@hotmail.com>
I was just on your site and come across the photos of the island.  To my amazement the 46's shown were mine .  I noticed the HW call signs and the a/c # 08 with the 8 ball painted on the fwd pylon.  Couldn't believe it.  Took a pix out of my scrapbook to make sure.  The photos shown were from the summer of 1981.  The ship was the USS MOUNT BAKER AE-34.  I believe the first 2 in one of the photos was LCDR Harper and LT Derby.  Great site, thanks for the memories...
Jim Richards formerally AE-2, helicopter combat support squadron six

*********************************

romajen@tiscali.co.uk
Hi Ted,
I was delighted to find your site.
The photos of Masirah and the ships and aircraft were a real find.
I was the base Medical Warrant Officer from 1981 to 1983 serving with the Sultan of Oman's Airforce.
Tuesday and Friday's were busy days with the 'Big Mac' and all the Helli traffic. My duty those days was to be stationed either at the Fire Station or alongside the pan in an Ambulance.
I remember there was quite a bit of unofficial bartering for goods.
Your guys wanted beer to take back to DC and we wanted tinned ham.
On one occasion of the C-141s got stranded because of trying to do a 'wheellie' on the runway and damaged part of the nose wheel. The crew was 'entertained' to Brit style Masirahan hospitality for several days.
No one managed to escape with any insignia or badges - some guys even left without their flying suits!! I still have a fine selection of unit patches.
I shall continue to check out your site again, in the hope that more photographic memories may be shown.
Regards,
Robb Jenkins
Happy days.

**********************************

13 July 2008
Wow!!!!!!!!
Your site brings back some very vivid memories.  I was the OIC of the 1st cargo evolution on Masirah in the spring of 1980.  As the Asst Supply Officer of the USS Mars (AFS-1), I put together the crew to clean up the “mess” left by the team involved in the ill-fated Iranian Embassy hostage rescue attempt.  We took all the staging materials, etc. back to the ship and began planning for the initial C-141 offloads which I believe began around April 1980.
Our first few visits on Saturdays to meet the Air Force team were preceded by stern warnings not to leave the tarmac area—just get the C-141 unloaded and the cargo re-palletized as quickly as possible.  We had to be off the island by 1500 sharp.  In fact, there were AK 47-armed Omani guards lining the tarmac to ensure we behaved!!
Never in my wildest imagination when I entered the Navy in 1968 as a Supply Corp ensign could I have predicted what I would be doing on those HOT, DUSTY Saturday mornings thoughout the spring and summer of 1980.  As I look back on it, it is a great source of pride in the entire Navy/Air Force team.  As with most military assignments, you do what’s required and wait to bitch about it after its over.
Thanks again for the great service in maintaining your Dodge City site.
Marv
Marv McWherter
Major Accounts Executive
The Herald-Sun
2828 Pickett Road
Durham, NC 27702
(919) 419-6714
(919) 419-6878 (Fax)
mmcwherter@heraldsun.com

**********************************

3 October 2008
I saw your name looking through some shasta stuff on the net. The island Masirah, I was on the beach party loading the pallets going back to the ship also. Lester Hollyfield (3rd division). Yes Capt. Therian was my best Captain. Take care...
Lester Hollyfield <lesterhollyfield@msn.com>

********************************** 

1981
Pete Ewert = petemwc@cox.net
Citizenship = USA; Service = USN
Outfit = Transit from USS America CV66 to Diego Garcia
My_Warstory = I was transferring off the USS America enroute CONUS. Route was from the America to a supply ship which delivered me to Masirah AB. After waiting on the side of the runway for about 6 hours, a C 141 arrived to take me and two others to Diego Garcia. After residing in Splinterville for 5 days we caught another C141 to Nairobi, Athens, Lajes, and Norfolk.
Reading the stories on the C141 page, which is what I was looking for originally, I noticed the mention of a B52 flying a CCA/GCA to a carrier in Westpac. As an fyi, it was a CCA to the America but the aircraft couldn't decent below 1500 ft due to the height of ships island and antennas. Additionally, he didn't "dirty up" because he didn't want to risk having to fly back to England with his gear down. He did complete the CCA then came back for a low pass to the side of the ship "significantly lower than 1500'.

******************************* 

 


Combat Aircrew Training School Comes to Diego Garcia


Sometime in the early Reagan Administration, someone in MAC finally realized that the argument du jour for purchasing the C-17 wasn't working.  That argument went something like this:  "We need the C-17 so that we can take Army men and stuff to the front lines direct from the States."  The counter argument was:  "MAC would never risk airplanes and crews that close to the FEBA (forward edge of battle area), especially big, expensive jet airlifters."

So CINCMAC decided to prove that that he was part of the Army's Air Land Battle Doctrine cheer leading team and would risk big expensive jet airlifters when the war started; in fact, he would train all the MAC crews how to cross the FEBA to put whole battalions of paratroopers or other bullet stoppers behind Russian lines in support of the Army's then-fashionable, but ultimately discredited "AirLand Battle Doctrine."  Each C-141 wing went from 2 airdrop-qualified crews per squadron to 12, and the remaining 24 "strat" crews in each squadron would learn how to navigate low level and land at the bases secured by the preceding dirt darts.  "Selected" pilots were sent to the MAC CATS at Nellis AFB, NV.  I was among the select few.  I was all fired up about CATS, believed in it, and so on.  Looking back, I realize I was probably sent because other pilots (the ones with professional futures) were busy that month or needed to play a round of golf with the wing commander the weekend the class started.  Just kidding, Col. Tenoso (retired as Lt. Gen. in '97).   I guess I just spent 20 years or so getting snookered into lots of hard work by Colonels who today don't remember my name!  Oh well.  In my next reincarnation, I'll know better.  At least I got a real cool patch out of the deal:

C-141 Combat
                    Aircrew Training School Patch

So, after completing the CATS course in 1985, I returned to McChord AFB and proceeded to teach a couple hundred crew members in the 62nd MAW how to mission plan around "threats" (AAA and ADA and Missiles, etc.), how to navigate while flying low and fast in a great big huge airplane, and how to zig and zag when the fighters showed up and started trying to shoot you in the lips.  By the time I got orders to Diego, I guess I'd trained most of the wing, and all the IPs, and they got along fine without me.

Like I said, I really believed in CATS, and figured 50%, maybe 65% of us would actually get across the FEBA, thanks to my brilliant instruction.  Or maybe it would have just been during the reloading periods for the Russian missile crews.  Anyway, I really thought CATS mattered, and that everybody should think combat every day.  So, when things got boring in the fall of 1987 after the War with Iran (Earnest Will), I decided to ask various crew members I'd trained if they wouldn't mind practicing a "low escape maneuver" on their way back to Clark AB in the Philippines.  This essentially is a low maneuvering turn to avoid being seen by enemy radar by staying below the radar thus hiding in the earth's curvature shadow.  I then proceeded to take some videos of the flights, and the photos you see below.  The crews were more than happy to oblige, as we all (in the lower ranks out there on the fringes of the empire) believed at the time we would be called upon to use these skills shortly over Ishfahan or Tehran.

In the series of photos below, the pilots, who as I remember (but would never swear) were Capt. Dave Fillipini and Lt. Col. Gary Keethler (there were two separate maneuvers photographed) went on to speed up the lagoon side of the west arm of the atoll, over flew the yacht club, accelerating to around 300 Kts., and then did a steep pull up maneuver over downtown.  After the second call from Captain Barker, the NSF Commander, complaining of the disruption of a regatta, I stopped asking for the fly-bys, and things went back to being boring on DG.

As for CATS, the part where the strat crews were trained in it died shortly after Congress approved the purchase of the C-17, and was not used in Desert Storm.  However, the airdrop buildup and training was instrumental in the invasion of Panama in 1989, when over 25 drop zones were used simultaneously.  From my personal observations during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, no C-141s entered the AOR.  A sad, slow end for a beautiful old girl.

C-141 Approaches Speed of Sound, Diego Garcia,
                    1987
C-141 Departure, Diego
                    Garcia, 1987

C-141 Fly-by, Diego
                    Garcia, 1987
C-141 Heads for the
                    Weeds, Diego Garcia, 1987
C-141 in the Weeds,
                    Diego Garcia, 1987

There was in fact, one other use for Diego Garcia in those days.  You needed to stop somewhere for fuel on your way to other interesting destinations.  Ever wonder how the mudmen of Afghanistan got the equipment they needed to turn the tide of the Soviet's "airwar" up there?  Did you really think they got their stuff shipped out in tramp steamers, and carried in a caravan of camels and yaks?  Do you think they might still use DG for the same or similar purposes today?


 
 

A Crew Chief Remembers C-141s 50255, 50256 and 50257

My name is Harold Humphries.   65-0256 had less than 300 hours when I was assigned with 6 others to crew on her in October 1966.  Wet behind the ears, the first day on the tarmac.  Lou Caricalla, my boss, was the crew chief of 65-0256 at Travis, when she came through, with wounded, going to Texas to the burn center.  Lou told me just go in and open the rear troop doors, then to jump out and help hook the hose to refuel.  Easy, right?  All I remember is seeing the guys with burns so bad, the only thing white was the white in their eyes.  Don' t remember jumping down.  Grew up fast!

The best four years of my life.  256 had over 3300 hours by 1970.  In 1997, I went to an air show in las Vegas and she was there.  The major told me she had seen 65-0256 at Mc Cord AFB.  [editor's note:  When they moved the C-141s out of Travis, they must has put her at McChord.  I only flew her once, out in the system, from Clark to DG to Masirah Feb. 11-16, 1982, and she was a Travis bird then.]

In 1967 65-0256 took Bob Hope on his Christmas show.  The winds were high all night before it was to leave for LA to pick up him and his crew.  Engine #1 cover hook has been beating up all staters and roters, we pulled off all the engine covers, had to use a broom handle to slow it down.  Called the engine shop to measure the damage.  Jesus Christ, you thought the President was flying on it.   Every General on the base pulled up.   An E-9 under stress gave a go to go.  A buck Sergent Red X'd it.  We never changed a engine so fast, in about 1 hour, but could not trim it, because of the wind.

During Tet 1968, 256 came back to Travis after 3 week in the system with the air pack stuck in cold position - you'll love this - would not shut off, would not respond to any thing.  Cold air full blast.  An 8 hour job to change the pack out.  The maintance officer told me it had a mission before it ever came back, it came back full of only dead boys, full, top to bottom.  We were told just get enough fixed to go.  All the tacs were out, CADC, one radio was working, plus the cold air problem.  We got most of radio, radar etc. fixed, washed out the inside as one of the metal coffins leaked.  Reloaded with supplies.  The maintance officer a major, plus the Squadron Commander, and he signed off the forms.  He told me not to fix the air pack, it was going with as it was.  If the new crew had a problem, to let him know.  Well, this 1st Luey was a little put out with the cold air.  I called the major, he told them to put on their cold weather gear and shut up... As we blocked it out you could see the blast of cold air just pour down the pilot window.

During Tet, we were running out of flight crews, and had to used some reserves.  Those guys were from WWII, and 256 had came back fuel leaks, rudder pedal steering hydrolic leaks, but these guy, they just wanted to fly.  It was a minium of one or two NORS [Not Operationally Ready - Supply, i.e., no spare parts available] aircraft on the gound.  We had 60 C-141s at Travis and they were all out.  Remember it was Tet, plus the Korea crisis.

65-0255 and 65-0257 were also in our flight, we 250 to 260 in our flight.  In 1968, during a local night training mission,  0257 doing night drops, and had a jeep that was not secured on pallet correctly.  During the release, the pallet and jeep came out standing up right, took out rudder hydro system, riped the pressure door out, and damaged the ramp. The loadmaster crapped in his pants, and 0257 was on the ground for a year,   As we had to baby sit her.  GNORs.  The factory did all the repairs.  The poor crew chief was a former B-52 crew chief.  He was assiged to her after she was grounded, and he worked his butt off to get her up.  Being GNors it had the lowest priority.  It took a month after the factory finished to get it flying again.  Day after day, it was one thing after another.  It would abort at take off, over heat this, warning light that, this leaked, this was missing.  This poor thing was stripped.  We all had to help.  We would sit in the truck, waiting to see if would abort, and it always did. The poor flight crew, was a training flight crew, that was assiged to shake her down. We got know them very, very well.  Man did we party after she finally pulled up her landing gears.

0255 blew an inboard tire on take off.  Took out outboard.  The pilot could of not done a better job. He jettisoned the fuel and transferred over to the left wing. Landed on the left side (on the good side) and came to a stop, just to drop the right side down. The problem was low air pressure. The tires were not checked.

One early morning in 1969, blocked out 0256, we had just switched to plastic pitot covers, from canvas.  The flight engineer was not using his check list.  Forgot to take off the pitot covers (was not on my check list).  The plastic melted inside.  No airspeed.  Believe me, they had to send out a chaser to give information to come back and land.  I thought of only how I was going to pay for a C-141 at $350 a month.

Travis was a very busy base, we also had the 5th bomb wing and a C-131 squardon.  When they had a alert. the base came alive.  KC-135s taking off every 30 secound, then the 52's.  We also were on standby.  I loved it.  The C-5A's were just being built, they were not there yet. The base was building the hangers etc., when I got out.

Also, Just a few months ago, remember the Alaskian Air DC-9 that when down off the coast of California?  My first thought when they said the pilot radiod a stabizier problem was that we had a the same problem with the worm gear in C-141s.  In fact a McChord one stripped out a gear coming out of Camrahn Bay.  We had to pull the tube off and check for metal, and put in new desiged fitting to lube.  The whole fleet had to be refitted.  In the early days, the pressure door and ramp had a lot of probems because of heavy use.  We did not have a lock system, we had incorret readings, the factory had to modify the locks so the loadmaster could inspect each lock on the ramp and plus there was new cam lock along the pressure door, plus a net.

They also put in an All Weather Landing System.  I don't think the pilots trusted it [editor's note:  I never did].   We knew how to preflight it, but it never seem to prefight correctly. The factory techs never seemed to know what to do with it. The toilet aways caused probems too - it leaked.  I knew 256 like my daugther - I always had a CADC on order before it came back.  We worked the crew chief system and eventually I had 6 others working for me.  I would get the call at Clark.  I would have to call my crew.  As the war boiled down we would have to double up on other crews, since every one was getting out.

Every one I worked with loved it.  I'm still in touch with Harland Hall.  We worked together.  He stayed up in the Northern California area.  He and his wife kept a eye on my son when he was in the Navy for me.  He was a fight enigeer on a C-130 for the Navy.  Harland would have him over for dinner.  Give me updates.  He should of stayed in - had great job. He joined the AF reservse. The Air Force was good to me.  I was a SSgt under four years.

Thanks for listening
Harold Humphries
haroldh@gettherock.com

Here's Harold's latest news:   09/13/00 - found 65-0256 at Wright Patterson, she is a C model now.  On her way to total upgrade with all the bells and whisles.  65-0257 is on display at March mususum in Califoria, retired.  She'll miss the boneyard.


September 2008 update:   The last C-141 flight took place when 66-0177 flew to her permanent home at the USAF Museum on May 6, 2006.  All the C-141s were sent to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB AZ and broken up and sold for scrap - the ones pictured above and about 100 more - except some fuselages used for training at various tech schools, and these:

61-2775 - Dover AFB DE Museum.
61-2777 - Edward AFB CA Museum.
63-8088 - Travis AFB CA Museum.
63-8079 - Charleston AFB SC Museum.
64-0626 - Dover AFB DE Museum.
65-0236 - Scott AFB IL Museum.
65-0257 - March AFB CA Museum (see below).
65-0277 - McChord AFB WA Museum.
65-9400 - Altus AFB OK Museum.
66-0177 - US Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.  This is the "Hanoi Taxi".
66-0180 - Robins AFB GA Museum.
66-0186 - Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.  Located on the west side of Air Force Plant #6 (thanks to David Long, IFE 92-01 for the info)
66-7947 - McGuire AFB NJ Museum.
67-0013 - Pima Air Museum, Tucson, AZ.
  Thanks to Barry Geier for this info - Norton crew dog '66 - '72.
67-0166 - Scott AFB IL Museum.

Read everything you ever wanted to know about C-141s at Mike Novak's C-141 Heaven

The airplanes in the above webpage article wound up this way:

65-0255 - Destroyed in a mid-air collision with 66-0142 over Montana, 30 Nov 1992, with the loss of all crewmembers.  Flying hours:  37,744.  See photos of her and a description of the accident here.
65-0256 - Sent to the boneyard on 9 Sep 2003.  Flying hours:  42,927.  See photos of her here.
65-0257 - On Static Display at the March AFB, California since November 1999.  Flying hours:  43,570.  See photos of her here.






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