Post by natoflyer on Aug 12, 2008 18:28:06 GMT
Greetings,
Tony Madge suggested I submit a repaint request. This is for an EC-135, Tail number 53118. She led quite a life in the USAF and had the distinction of being the first production KC-135. She later was converted to and EC-135 and found herself at Tinker AFB OK, assigned to the 8th Tactical Deployment Squadron.
118 has had quite a service history from tanking, to escorting fighters accross the pond, to transporting VIP's like Kissenger. I would love to see her flight log...its probably thicker than the Flight Manual....she's been round the world many many times.
I was lucky enough to be with AWACS at Tinker AFB where we shared the ramp with the 8th Tactical Deployment Squadron, one of the last working homes for 118. My next door neighbor was a hydraulics troop for the 8th...and the stories he could tell...like cannabalizing static display aircraft for parts...as well as having to make so many custom lines since no others of that kind existed.
The 8th took great care of her and not a day went by without someone touching up her spit and shine. Since she served as a VIP Jet in her later years, they also revampt the interior, such as building in a custom kitchen to replace the plain jane galley (stuff from local harware stores). It's an odd thing to hear Maintainers complaining about a clogged sink drain on a debrief...(they used the old urnal dump tube as the drain for the sink...as you can imagine...not a really big hole.
During the 1st Gulf War, during Desert Shield, we almost lost her to an engine fire. I believe it was NO. 3 that caught on fire during descent into Riyad AB, Saudi Arabia. The fire was intense enough to melt much of the Engine Cowl and trailing edge of the wing. She sat at Riyad until a special Depot crew flew out, performed temporary repairs, then shuttled her back home. She was a godsend for us AWAC'ers in Riyad because family members could give the crews stuff to bring to us...wont mention some of the more popular contraband like Jack Daniels...cough....
Anyway....here's a link with information on her. Oh...she was a beauty too...since she was so old, the skin on the lower fuselage was too thin to prep for paint...(at least that was what the story was) so they polished her belly to mid line. Lots of blood sweat and tears when into her. She ended up a pig on stick (static display) at McConnell AFB....I know I was surprised as were others, that she didnt end up in the Air Force museum. I guess much like the Apollo Missions....the 135 has been around so long its a routine thing to see....ahhh...but some of us know better.
Anyway...keep up the great work!!!
Link to site that highlights her beginning with some photos (scroll down the page once it loads..its at the end):
www.707sim.com/texjohnston.html
More facts:
www.theaviationzone.com/factsheets/kc135.asp
Nice Photos:
aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/database/aircraft/getimage.htm?id=14460
aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/database/aircraft/getimage.htm?id=11092
Pat Collins Ret USAF
Tony Madge suggested I submit a repaint request. This is for an EC-135, Tail number 53118. She led quite a life in the USAF and had the distinction of being the first production KC-135. She later was converted to and EC-135 and found herself at Tinker AFB OK, assigned to the 8th Tactical Deployment Squadron.
118 has had quite a service history from tanking, to escorting fighters accross the pond, to transporting VIP's like Kissenger. I would love to see her flight log...its probably thicker than the Flight Manual....she's been round the world many many times.
I was lucky enough to be with AWACS at Tinker AFB where we shared the ramp with the 8th Tactical Deployment Squadron, one of the last working homes for 118. My next door neighbor was a hydraulics troop for the 8th...and the stories he could tell...like cannabalizing static display aircraft for parts...as well as having to make so many custom lines since no others of that kind existed.
The 8th took great care of her and not a day went by without someone touching up her spit and shine. Since she served as a VIP Jet in her later years, they also revampt the interior, such as building in a custom kitchen to replace the plain jane galley (stuff from local harware stores). It's an odd thing to hear Maintainers complaining about a clogged sink drain on a debrief...(they used the old urnal dump tube as the drain for the sink...as you can imagine...not a really big hole.
During the 1st Gulf War, during Desert Shield, we almost lost her to an engine fire. I believe it was NO. 3 that caught on fire during descent into Riyad AB, Saudi Arabia. The fire was intense enough to melt much of the Engine Cowl and trailing edge of the wing. She sat at Riyad until a special Depot crew flew out, performed temporary repairs, then shuttled her back home. She was a godsend for us AWAC'ers in Riyad because family members could give the crews stuff to bring to us...wont mention some of the more popular contraband like Jack Daniels...cough....
Anyway....here's a link with information on her. Oh...she was a beauty too...since she was so old, the skin on the lower fuselage was too thin to prep for paint...(at least that was what the story was) so they polished her belly to mid line. Lots of blood sweat and tears when into her. She ended up a pig on stick (static display) at McConnell AFB....I know I was surprised as were others, that she didnt end up in the Air Force museum. I guess much like the Apollo Missions....the 135 has been around so long its a routine thing to see....ahhh...but some of us know better.
Anyway...keep up the great work!!!
Link to site that highlights her beginning with some photos (scroll down the page once it loads..its at the end):
www.707sim.com/texjohnston.html
More facts:
www.theaviationzone.com/factsheets/kc135.asp
Nice Photos:
aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/database/aircraft/getimage.htm?id=14460
aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/database/aircraft/getimage.htm?id=11092
Pat Collins Ret USAF
