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KC-135 Parking Only


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I dont think the fighter boys should get all the fun. For some reason I like refuelers and the KC-135 in particular. I am currently scanning in a lot of pics I have had for years/

This is KC-135E "Sprit Of Camden County", 141st Air Refulings Sqn, 108th Air Refuling Wing, New Jersy ANG, these were taken at Tiger Meet RIAT Fairford 1997. Largest Tiger there - You Bet. Can you believe they painted this on for the Tiger Meet only on the understanding they removed it before going back! Killjoy USAF Top Brass!

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Julien :thumbsup:

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The last KC-135T that I was the dedicated crew chief on. It was (still is I think) the wing jet of the 319th ARW at Grand Forks. It was the only 319th jet with nose art and they decided not to put it on the nose! My opinion didn't count! Strangely I only actually took her on a trip once!

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Here's shot of me a couple years ago at Rhein Main AB before it closed down. The place was already shutting down and was practically a ghost town.

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I just posted a few ( and more to come) contributions. The first pic is the last tanker I ever worked on 63-8060 (AD ASTRA) KC-135D. The second pic is of Balls 70 the first tanker I ever worked on at Sheppard AFB. The rest are the NKC-135 Laser Lab and EC-135 that are on display at the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson. It was a shame to see those two birds sitting outside to rot.

Edited by tankerguy
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The second pic is of Balls 70 the first tanker I ever worked on at Sheppard AFB.

I had a hand in why you got to work on that particular serial #.

Was at Carswell with 0070 as a KC-135A, 19th ARW, mid 1992. Not long before we lost the jets to base closure.

My job was NDI/JOAP. A professional crack checker...............

It was about two weeks out of phase. Lots of follow on work, and it was on the outdoor wash rack next to the fuel barn.(Hadn't flown yet)

If you go just outboard of the main strut, there is a small oval access panel, which was removed for some reason. Anyway, I was called out to check a possible crack on some part in the gear well, and while letting the penetrant dwell on the part, I was looking around, when I happened to see something inside where that access panel went. Looking closer, part of the main landing gear trunion support is in there, and it is cracked some 6 1/2 inches. In the wing box itself, not the strut. Steel part, could not get the mag particle stuff in that small hole, but Eddy Current verified it.

Thought I was going to get thrown to the wolves for finding it. "What the hell were you doing looking in there?" came from the phase dock boss, and some of the OMS bosses.

My reply-"It is my job to find cracks." I never back down if I think I am right.

But I had a great relationship with the LG Commander; had worked for him at Kadena. He turned it correctly to "Why was it not found at phase?" Mr Bojangles could not have done a better tap dance routine than that performed by some of those phase and OMS guys.

To end it, the cost of fixing it and the age of the aircraft was combined with the fact it was still an "A" model, and the decision was made to send it to Sheppard as a trainer. They fabricated a huge steel angle that they fastened to the trunion, and did a light-load gear down flight to Wichita Falls.

There's your trainer, tankerguy.

Edited by txtom
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