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Post by joseph29 on Jun 1, 2010 20:59:16 GMT
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Post by kevinr on Jun 1, 2010 23:56:59 GMT
I believe the Air Force had 'em too ;D
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Post by railrunner130 on Jun 2, 2010 0:11:45 GMT
Yep. The Air Force had the C-9 for medivac and the VC-9 for hauling brass. The medivac birds were based at Ramstein and Scott. The VC-9s were at both Scott and Andrews. I imagine there were a few others around as well.
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Post by red on Jul 29, 2010 9:13:54 GMT
The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), aka the "NATO Commander," dual-hatted as the Commander-in-Chief, European Command (CINCEUR) had one of the Air Force C-9Cs with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" on the fuselage and painted in the "Air Force Two" or "89th Airlift Wing Paint Scheme." It may have in fact been one of the three former AF2 VC-9Cs in General Wesley Clark's time...not sure...but was based at Chievres AFB, Belgium, a short chopper ride from the SACEUR's palatial official residence in Casteau, Belgium. Now, the SACEUR has a newer, equally beautiful blue-and-white B737-7CP "Clipper" Boeing Business Jet in the "Air Force Two" scheme at Chievres...3 BBJs for the 89th Airlift Wing & Presidential Airlift Group (with the 14 other Clipper BBJs assigned to the 9 4-Star Regional CINCs of the Unified Commands as well as for the SecDef, SecState, Chairman of the JCS, etc.) at Andrews to supplement the 4 C-32A B757-200B Intercontinentals and 2 VC-25A B747-2GB4s. SGA has the USAF VC-9C version on FlightSim while POSKY has the C-40B "Clipper" B737-7CP BBJ...but I've not seen the two versions that you're requesting. They look quite well kept considering their age in the photos that you provided!!!
I'm really not sure if any of the VC-9s in the VIP version are in service any more and am curious if anybody knows? They may even have been "cascaded" down into general transport service after their service alternating with 707s to serve as Air Force Two and for other dignitaries, and, to serve the SACEUR. With three more of the 737s on order for the 89th Airlift Wing/Presidential Airlift Group to add to the three already serving, I seriously doubt that any are left at Andrews AFB, or have been for some time, but have never read of the fate of the VC-9Cs in VIP service.
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Post by usafmsgt on Jul 29, 2010 18:39:45 GMT
The 3 USAF C-9C's (73-1681, 73-1682 and 73-1683) formerly assigned to the 89th AW are still flying VIP missions, now with the 932nd AW (AFRES) at Scott AFB, IL. The C-9 that was assigned to SACEUR (71-0876) was a C-9A (MedEvac with cargo door "Nightingale") converted to a VIP configuration, not a C-9C. The aircraft almost had a "SAM" paint scheme, however the bottom was painted all blue, lacking the polished bare metal area of the C-9C's. Oddly enough, this aircraft is now on display at Andrews, although it was never assigned there. By the way, the "V" prefix was dropped from the SAM C-9C aircraft in 1977. I was at Andrews with Special Air Missions from 1984 to 1993.
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Post by red on Sept 13, 2010 6:19:20 GMT
The 3 USAF C-9C's (73-1681, 73-1682 and 73-1683) formerly assigned to the 89th AW are still flying VIP missions, now with the 932nd AW (AFRES) at Scott AFB, IL. The C-9 that was assigned to SACEUR (71-0876) was a C-9A (MedEvac with cargo door "Nightingale") converted to a VIP configuration, not a C-9C. The aircraft almost had a "SAM" paint scheme, however the bottom was painted all blue, lacking the polished bare metal area of the C-9C's. Oddly enough, this aircraft is now on display at Andrews, although it was never assigned there. By the way, the "V" prefix was dropped from the SAM C-9C aircraft in 1977. I was at Andrews with Special Air Missions from 1984 to 1993. Indeed, I thought every last one was gone (and knew about the SACEUR C-9A, which is the basis for the SGA FS9 repaint by the way, being on display at Andrews). And I'd just found out that the SACEUR aircraft was in fact a C-9A, and was only replaced around '06 or so by SAM 40, AF 10040, which served for a short time with two other C-40B 737-7CP Boeing Business Jets...the other two remain...at Andrews AFB. YouTube has been getting some very nice "goodies" lately: if you punch in "US Government DC-9 Departing YHZ," you'll get a very nice 2-to-3 minute clip with good sound of one of the C-9Cs from Scott (formerly from the 89th) taxiing and then taking off from Halifax, Nova Scotia with Senator John McCain aboard after a gathering of defense ministers, dated February 2009. This really threw me off as I thought these planes were all gone. But, as good of shape as they are in, it would be a waste to get rid of them, though I wonder if the two (or three...can't recall) new additional C-40B 737-7CP Boeing Business Jets and the 3 new C-37Bs (Gulfstream 550) being built for the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews might not displace them. I hope not...they should have at least 5 if not 10 more good years on them...between the amount of care they receive, there's also the fact that despite their 1973 build date, they probably do not have as many cycles or flight hours on them as an MD-80 one-fourth their age. There's just no way to equate "VIP" service with the ravages of "never let 'em sit still" airframe "max utilization" a commercial airline must subject an aircraft to just to break even on acquiring it in the first place. And, for fans of the VC-137C B707-320B, SAM 26000 itself, represented here on HJG, somebody FINALLY posted the first-ever video clip of one serving as Air Force One for President Bill Clinton in January 1994 (in the Air Force Two paint scheme, obviously 4 years after the VC-25A B747-2GB4s were assigned to the primary AF1 role)...a nice BROADCAST-Quality landing, then takeoff of the "JFK Air Force One" (and the plane that took Nixon to China) in Burbank, CA. To find this one, simply type in "VC-137C" in the search function (I may narrow this down later in an edit, and also place this in another section of the forums). Good sound quality on the unmuffled Pratt & Whitneys that I'm sure all here will enjoy. Here's the YouTube URL for SAM 26000 landing, then taking off, Pratt & Whitney's screaming in reverse thrust in the first portion, the roaring and smoking in the takeoff sequence at the end (available in various resolutions including 720p HIGH DEFINITION): www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0BHNo2Jz-M |
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Post by red on Sept 14, 2010 20:18:37 GMT
The 3 USAF C-9C's (73-1681, 73-1682 and 73-1683) formerly assigned to the 89th AW are still flying VIP missions, now with the 932nd AW (AFRES) at Scott AFB, IL. The C-9 that was assigned to SACEUR (71-0876) was a C-9A (MedEvac with cargo door "Nightingale") converted to a VIP configuration, not a C-9C. The aircraft almost had a "SAM" paint scheme, however the bottom was painted all blue, lacking the polished bare metal area of the C-9C's. Oddly enough, this aircraft is now on display at Andrews, although it was never assigned there. By the way, the "V" prefix was dropped from the SAM C-9C aircraft in 1977. I was at Andrews with Special Air Missions from 1984 to 1993. As additional info, your response above depicting the current assignment of the USAF VIP C-9Cs formerly assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB for primary usage as Air Force Two and VIP Transport (and occasional use before the C-32A B757-2G4s and C-40B "Clipper" B737-7CP Next Generation Boeing Business Jets as Air Force One for transporting President Clinton, for example, on his summer vacations to Martha's Vineyard), I was able to look in the August 2010 issue of "COMBAT AIRCRAFT" which had a roster inside in its "Free USAF 2010 Supplement" and found that Scott AFB, IL's 932nd AW, 73rd AS has C-40B 737s BBJs assigned along with the 3 remaining C-9Cs. And in the "fine print," there is a sad little footnote by the C-9C assignment notation: "932nd AW will retire C-9C in 2011." So for those in the area who are into aviation photography or videography, time is running out...there is exactly ONE nice full color, full sound video on the vast expanse of YouTube (title of video listed above), in addition to the single broadcast quality color/sound video of VC-137C SAM 26000 serving as Air Force One landing and taking off at the airport in Burbank, California in January, 1994 (painted in the Air Force Two, or, "89th Airlift Wing Paint Scheme" exactly as the FS9/FSX model of SAM 26000 is rendered here on HJG). Hopefully in the coming year additional images and videos of the C-9Cs will emerge before they are retired, and perhaps, too, as more people upload old video to YouTube from old Air Force One/Air Force Two events, perhaps even some of the VC-137B/VC-137C aircraft that are available here on HJG...I don't know about the rest of you, but while quality photographs of these aircraft in service (or as static displays in museums) are nice, there's NOTHING like being able to see them, and HEAR them with their loud Pratt & Whitneys, without "noise abatement" equipment to muzzle them down. That's one good thing about the C-9Cs...unlike the many videos of Northwest Airlines DC-9-30s which are nice to view on YouTube, the C-9Cs never were "hush-kitted" as this was not required of "military aircraft." But, perhaps it is what doomed them to a 2011 retirement date, too, as we all know that a USAF VIP DC-9-30 built in 1973 with the fanatical attention to maintenance and "spit and polish"...it would probably be AMAZING to compare them to the amount of cycles and flight hours accrued by the NWA DC-9s which I believe are still in service and while "kept safe," do not receive the tremendous level of loving attention the USAF gives to its VIP aircraft, past and present. |
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Post by red on Sept 14, 2010 20:27:45 GMT
Here's the link to the C-9C video of Senator McCain departing the Defense Minister's Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia (the videographer was surprised to see this as he'd caught Secretary of Defense Robert Gates departing the same location the day prior in a USAF 89th AW C-32A B757-200B the day before...this is in November, 2009...note the bright strobes suddenly light up on the aircraft just before takeoff): Here's the YouTube URL: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhxXmNGSfjA |
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Post by red on Sept 14, 2010 22:43:44 GMT
The 3 USAF C-9C's (73-1681, 73-1682 and 73-1683) formerly assigned to the 89th AW are still flying VIP missions, now with the 932nd AW (AFRES) at Scott AFB, IL. The C-9 that was assigned to SACEUR (71-0876) was a C-9A (MedEvac with cargo door "Nightingale") converted to a VIP configuration, not a C-9C. The aircraft almost had a "SAM" paint scheme, however the bottom was painted all blue, lacking the polished bare metal area of the C-9C's. Oddly enough, this aircraft is now on display at Andrews, although it was never assigned there. By the way, the "V" prefix was dropped from the SAM C-9C aircraft in 1977. I was at Andrews with Special Air Missions from 1984 to 1993. Yes...count this as my formal request for a Historic Jetliners Group version of the C-9C (DC-9-32). The SGA version, an older model at any rate, is the C-9A that you mention with the all-blue lower fuselage rather than the beautiful shiny Alcad Aluminum lower fuselage behind the blue up front (same pattern as the VC-137Bs and VC-137Cs in the "Air Force Two" scheme), so an HGJ version of this aircraft would not be "redundant" by ANY means, and would fit "hand in glove" with all of the Boeing 707-variant 89th AW VIP aircaft in the download section. Here's a photo at Airliners.Net of 73-1682, tail number AF 31682 as "Air Force Two" at LAX with Vice President Walter Mondale in October, 1977 (same appearance as in the video above except it appears they added a Sat Dome sometime after 2000 as can be seen in the video, but they didn't have this for most of their careers): "Air Force Two" C-9C: www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/McDonnell-Douglas-VC-9C/0494299/&sid=7f6f7fda264c797d6352cd4dc0aaa9cc |
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Post by usafmsgt on Sept 16, 2010 0:29:22 GMT
red
There's an excellent "real" SAM repaint of C-9C 73-1681 by Henry William at FlightSim for the SGA DC-9-30. It's file "vipdc9hw.zip". Or just search " vip henry william". Check it out...
usafmsgt
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Post by red on Sept 16, 2010 23:27:06 GMT
red There's an excellent "real" SAM repaint of C-9C 73-1681 by Henry William at FlightSim for the SGA DC-9-30. It's file "vipdc9hw.zip". Or just search " vip henry william". Check it out... usafmsgt Thanks for that info!!! Looks like I should be able to just pasted it in and combine with my existing SGA DC-9-30 (and C-9A). |
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Post by joseph29 on Apr 8, 2011 20:40:34 GMT
I guess no one is interested in painting these.  |
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Apr 9, 2011 2:00:04 GMT
It's not that nobody's interested !  it's just that most of our team members have other subjects prioritized over these ones ;D It must be understood that whilst our guys do paint according to request .... they also paint according to what appeals to them first and foremost .... and then at their own private convenience too of course. One day .... we'll see these here .... eventually .... you bet !  Mark C AKL/NZ |
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