Makes me want to to get on the next crew bus! Made my first C-141 flight in 1970 and the last one was on Christmas Day 2004. Managed about 11,000 hours all together. Diego Garcia was far from McGuire but was probably my favorite trip to fly. The Starlifter was kind to her crews and and she served the nation faithfully and effectively throughout her long and proud span of service. Thanks for posting Jose.
If you were at McGuire, you were there when I was. I worked in the 21st HQ building most of the time I was there. What a small world! 305thAMW has so many great people in it. I was saddened by the loss of the C141 Crew members in the accident, I went to the Ceremony that day.
Worked flightline ACFT maint. on C-141A models at McChord AFB, Tacoma, WA from 1978 to 1980. 62 AW. Beautiful bird! Later worked on C-141B models, again at McChord AFB, WA, as a Crew Chief and Flying Crew Chief from 1991 to 1999. 446 AW. Even better aircraft w/ the stretch, in-flight refueling, and other changes. Flew on that great bird to every continent on earth except South America and Africa. Participated in overseas missions, local missions, training missions, day and night airdrops, low level penetration airdrops w/ runs right up canyons (in a C-141!!), winter and summer airdrops, etc., etc. Australia, New Zealand, Guam, Pago Pago, Okinawa, South Korea, Canada, all over the U.S.A., Germany, Italy, Azores, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, England, McMurdo Station, and the list goes on and on. Even flew missions to Antarctica 4 times during Reverse WinFly (Operation Deep Freeze), Jan. - Feb. 1999. Also worked on C-130 and C/KC/RC-135 ACFT during my USAF career from 1977 to 2011, and appreciated it all but really grew to love the C-141 and all the people involved with flying it and keeping it flying. What an amazing aircraft! Thank you!
I was at McChord as well, 1977 to 1980, working as a jet engine mechanic in hanger 2. The start up brought back memories since I was run qualified.I attended on base classes with Embry Riddle, and managed to get into UPT and become a pilot. After 22 years in active and the reserves, I hung it up, but I really do miss the camaraderie.
Many hours on the A model out of Norton in the 70’s. Loved that bird, but noisy and cold in the back. Good times. That intercom bleed of the igniters would often solicit a “shields up, Clingons attacking “ comment. Things were a little looser in those days..like crew smoking in the cockpit.
"Clear forward number 1? Clear number one. Button in, Pressure drop, Rotation, Indicated, N1, 15% going to Run, Ingnition, Fuel Flow, EGT, N2 on the rise, Hydraulics, Oil pressure, Gen OUT Lite out, Gen 1 online, number 1 button out, light out, switching to aircraft power". Or something like that, it's been 25 years . I was a C141B crew chief from 90-94 then an FE on HH60G s . I was engine run qualified on 141s, this brings back some serious memories. love it!!
Jerome Hansen WOW you did it all. The C-141b is my favorite for ever. It was the work horse. My carrer was almost like the the C141b I spent 25 years in the Air Force. Thank you for your service and dedication to the best aircraft in the world.
Great airplane, great mission, great people to work with. Probably the favorite job in my 26 year career. I remember snorkelling at Diego Garcia -- outstanding!. And rivalry with the British folks -- someone put green dye in their swimming pool (limeys). Small outpost, but morale was high.
retired as an instructor in the airplane with 7200 hours in the airplane bore a lot of holes in the sky at night over the Atlantic in it. enjoyed every minute of my service in it, met and worked with a great many great people in it.
6 years and 3500 hours flying that beast. Really enjoyed it! Got to do it all- airdrop, air-refueling, SOLL-I and SOLL-II. Flew with XX MAS out of CHS. Some really great people and lots of fun.
XX at Dover, 69- Jun 70: 15MAS at Norton Jun 71-75: 15 MAS and Wing Staff at CHS 82-86: McGuire Wing Staff 88-90: 834 Airlift Div, in Hawaii 90-93.. about 5500 hrs total in the C-141.
+JerryinCHS Yes, memories! My Flight Nurse checkride was on 0177, The Hanoi Taxi. The MCD and AET's in the back appreciated everything the guys up front and the loadmasters did for us and our patients. 445AES Wright-Patt
Alan Fitzsimmons I was a FN with the 445 AES in the mid 90s (I martialed through the current patch through design and approval process). I think I only did training on the HT.
+Drew Abas, I remember you! And, it's my recollection the current patch design can be largely attributed to your efforts, along with the coin! Saw 0177 when I was the museum in 2015 and quite honestly got goose bumps seeing her again.
I need to get up there and take a look. I was at the c-141 retirement party and remember signing my name on the inside of the crew latrine door on the HT. I'd love to see if I can view it and grab a pic of my name there. You know you're old when....*the* plane you once flew on is in a museum!
My dad was Flight Engineer on KC-97s out of Mountain Home AFB Idaho, and Kindley AFB Bermuda for a total of 15 years before transitioning the C-141s in 1966 out of McChord AFB. He loved the 141, even though the turbofans weren't nearly as challenging to manage as the reciprocating engines on the 97s.
I loved the C-141 Starlifter more than any other airplane I worked on. It was a well built aircraft and could carry so much and also got to fly on many flights from the West Coast to the East Coast, and back, as well as flying up and down the West Coast on them.
Best years of my life. Flying as FE out of McGuire 80s and 90s. The C-141..a true Workhorse! Wish I could turn back the clock and do it all over again! LOL!
I too had the privilege to of worked and yes flew on the C-141 as a crew chief with the old 438th MAW , out of Mcguire new jersey, way back in 1967-1969. loved flying world wide and I was only 19 years of age. docs.google.com/document/d/1Fh9cn97AQZx4kRf79tI4tsOeClKezLw-k595WCPgxH8/edit Iam in the middle. wow!! some 57-Years ago.
Was a engine mechanic and run qualified on C141s at Yokota AB Japan back in the day before they stretched them. Didn’t have those fancy David Clark headsets back then. Great airplane and lots of fun to run.
I too, was a jet engine mechanic and run qualified stationed at McChord AFB, when I got there they had just started stretching them. I am surprised they didn't give you a pair of the David Clark headsets in fact, I still have mine.
I guess Im asking the wrong place but does any of you know a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I was dumb lost the login password. I love any tricks you can give me.
I recognized Diego Garcia right away! Many memories and many trips there from Clark AB. The Green Lizard was a great airplane and it's too bad the Air Force retired it.
Sgt. Dean here, 8th ALS out of McChord 1989-1993 My memory is so bad now trying to remember people, but lots of memories! I can't believe someone found this rare clip of the crew, what a gem!
It's been over 40 years since my Starlifter days, but sometimes to test my memory I try to mentally recite various checklists. I figure when I can no longer call them off, it's time to start worrying. So far, so good.
4 years as a jet engine mechanic on 141s. Norton AFB first then Yokota AB Japan. Loved running the engines especially early in the morning when it was nice and cool.
Robert Lewis You must have worked on the same 141 aircraft my father flew out of good ole Norton in San Bernardino. He flew them from the Vietnam era until the early 90's. Great aircraft and I know he loved flying them. Thank you for your service.
The C-141 was a beautiful bird, we lived close to the north end of McChord AFB and as soon as it started to rain or blow those guys would have 4-6 aircraft in the pattern doing touch & gos. I took many MAC hops to see my brother, I was Navy, he was Air Force. The 141 wasn’t a comfortable passenger aircraft when it was configured for cargo but you could sit near the heat and get sorta comfortable in the red nets.
I flew out of CHS from 82-88. I seem to recall the copilot read some of the checklists on the ground but the f/e ran them in flight. Been a long time though.
Ahhhh...Diego Garcia!!! This must be a 8th Airlift Squadron Crew possibly? Wow, good to see this very rare video footage! Sgt. Dean here, 8th ALS 62nd AW Flight Engineer reporting for duty. :) The memories are flooding back! Thanks for posting this! I know this Airfield all too well! :)
yes from the intercom system and if listen closely when he turns on the ignition you can here the fire warning alarm. there isnt a fire just it goes off in head phones until engine is on speed
Not the fire warning. When the pilot turns on the fuel switch the igniters start to fire until the starter button pops out. You could usually hear the igniters through the headset. Was not as loud as this video seems to be.
Jose, do you remember a 141 engineer named Cornelius T. Cummins, from Charleston AFB? T was for Ted but everyone called him TEX. Went to AFLC Leadership school or Academy with him and we became best buddies. I have lost track of him but he retired at Charleston and moved off base. We used to go shrimping together in the Bay inlets nearby. He flew for Evergreen and Emery Worldwide (met up with him since I worked the HUb in Dayton). He had been the 141 Simulator Chief at Charleston for some years when I turned him onto Emery Worldwide Airlines. I hope he is still with us. We had some good times in Ramstein Germany on occasion and I MISS HIM. If anyone has contact info or what his status is, I would appreciate hearing it.
In humid locations like this in Diego Garcia, heavy condensation from the Air Conditioning system...hehehe. The Alarms you hear on Engine start is just because the system thinks an engine has spooled down. Notice the alarm sounds go away once each engine reaches 70% power. :)
@JOHN e BOB - Reserve crews generally speaking were more qualified than their active duty counterparts. You must be either being cute or possibly just not well informed. 🤔
@@mrcappetto Its so good to hear from fellow McChord people, Loved the people and the aircraft. Started out as OMS , then FMS , then a engineer for the 4th, then the 8th . After that the 728th, 313th, 97th and then down to March ARB, for the the 729th on C141C.
First C141 flight for me was September 16th, 1969 Istanbul Yesilkoy to Izmir Cigli...about a 45 minute flight....supposed to go to Wheelus, Tripoli Libya that night but got cancelled because of Gaddafi and King Idris...
Totally flawed aircraft - Every time I lifted off in it, I arrived at my destination landing on my feet : ) ... Yuk, yuk, great bird and miss that they no longer cut through the sky.
