New KC-135 static display at Altus AFB

[michaelharadon]

64Zebra,

Welcome aboard WIX... When you get the opportunity to do so, please post the pictures you have of 58-0070 when it was in service. We'd love to see them here.

X2

As well as read your dad's stories.

[b29flteng]

Pretty good job of bolting the wings back on.

[64zebra]

Thanks for the replies.

My dad was at Amarillo AFB for the first KC-135 school held there in 1966.
He was then stationed with 58-0070 with the 7th Bomb Wing at SAC Carswell AFB in Ft. Worth.
He told us the tail number on his plane was truncated and shows 0-80070 in the pictures of the plane in service while my dad was crew chief.
His AF hat shows KC-135A Acft58-0070.

I'll get pictures on here soon

[B-25 C]

Excellent pic. Brad that what we need more of. Any and all kinds of pic. I love em!

[mustangdriver]

That is just awesome that you found your father's aircraft.

[64zebra]

Here are the pics I currently have. I'll be getting more when I get some of the slides my dad had made scanned into the computer.
Some are of my dad's plane, others are taken from the plane or at various bases

My dad's plane 58-0070 on the flight line at Carswell


2 of my dad's crew mates John Schaefer and "Speedy", on flight line with 58-0070 at Hickham AFB, Hawaii


The cockpit of 58-0070


Sam Young and John Schaefer with 58-0070


Tanker team 7th Org Maintenance Squadron


my dad in flight gear, note the 7th Organizational Maintenance Squadron patch on left side of his chest


Amarillo AFB barracks 1966


Proctor & Keegan, Amarillo AFB 1966


Proctor, Keegan, and Sam Young Amarillo AFB 1966


F-100 flying by KC-135A after refueling


F-100 refueling from my dad's KC-135A


F-104 flying by KC-135A after refueling


F-4 flying off wingtip of KC-135A 58-0070 after refueling


F-4 refueling from KC-135A 58-0070


Other pictures, taken by Sam Young, some from inside KC-135A 58-0070

KC-135A #0-71483 at an air show, unknown location



Air Force One, carrying President Lyndon Johnson, at Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth, TX, my dad hooked up the tow gear


B-52 landing at Guam, taken from 58-0070


Bay at Thule AFB, Greenland


Diamondhead at takeoff, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, taken from KC-135A 58-0070


F-111 takeoff at Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth, TX


KC-135A takeoff at Guam


Coast of Vietnam, going to PhuCat, taken from KC-135A 58-0070 boom operator's window


Sam Young and "Bumpers" at Ft. Worth (note my dad wearing 7OMS, 7th Org Maintenance Squadron hat)

[mustangdriver]

Wow! Those are great photos!!

[APG85]

Fantastic Pictures!!!!

[Craig59]

Great pictures indeed and thank you for sharing!

Seeing the drogue installed on the boom reminds me of the time we were orbiting in Western Germany, with the drogue installed, in order to refuel German Tornados. The rules of engagement in the eighties was that any NATO fighter could come and get bootleg contacts and if the tanker had extra aboard, fuel as well.

While waiting for the Tornados, two Dutch F-16's appeared on my left wing. in their broken english, they stated they were there to refuel with us. I gently told them, "No, we're refueling Tornados today." They were insistant that they were supposed to tank off us that morning. I finally told them, "Look, if you guys can figure out a way to get your F-16's hooked up to that drogue, I'll give you all the gas you want!"

It took them about five seconds to figure it out before they peeled off to the left and disappeared from sight.

Back at RAF Mildenhall that afternoon, I related the story to one of the guys based there and without hesitation he said, "Now you know why Dutch fighter pilots wear wooden shoes."

"Huh?," I queried.

Came his reply, "They wear wooden shoes to keep the woodpeckers off their heads!"

[hercules130]

I took some photos of the Dover statics on the back end of a tail swap about two months ago, had to borrow a point and shoot so they are not that great. Also have some shots of the SP trainer 141 fuselage at Lackland. Will post if any are interested.

64zebra, great shots from your Dad's collection. The 135 has an ENORMOUS community so we should see some more great stuff soon.

[67Cougar]

Brad, was 070 an Altus bird prior to retirement (AETC on the tail) If so, pretty cool that it was selected to return for display, or just a great coincidence.

[64zebra]

good question Cougar, I'd like to know the history also

I know it was based in Michigan at some point in the 80's but thats it up until we saw in my dad's 135 book (2003) that it was at Sheppard as a maintenance trainer

[67Cougar]

4050ARW, Westover AFB 1964

376SW 1987

46ARS 410BW, KI Sawyer AFB 1988

7ARS 7BW, Carswell AFB 1991

82TRW, Sheppard AFB 2001 (assigned earlier, but I don't have a date)

I know it belonged to many more units over the years, but these are the only ones I have evidence of.

[64zebra]

I know it was with the 7th bomb wing at Carswell '66-'70 while my dad was crew chief on it

[slinky]

64zebra, excellent shots!!! Thanks for posting!!!! Would love to heare some of the stories if you can....
Brad, I work as a Logistics Specialist in the KC-135 Systems Program Office at Tinker, working engineering workarounds and finding parts from AMARG, surplus, whatever. I know several -135 maintainers in the field that would give just about anything to have those latrine parts! AMARG has been picked over so bad...
Those poor old birds are getting long in the tooth with no replacement on the horizon yet. Thanks so much for posting those pix. We knew she was moving to Altus but had no update since her release....
Tailwinds to all....