In the Nav Seat again

One last chance to sit in the seat! Thanks to Nick Modders for the pic. The Alaska guys removed the LORAN set and installed a little GPS unit.

The Travis reunion had about 150 at the Friday banquet and nearly 200 on Saturday. The C-133 was pulled into the middle of the museum display area, behind the B-29 and next to the B-52. The 60AW has dedicated space near the hospital gate (west entrance to Travis) for the new Travis Heritage Center. The C-133 will be moved, this summer. That will require removal of the wings and vertical tail. The Nebraska guys will do it, I'm told. They have the experience with the 90536.

Cal Taylor

61999 in Action, 18 May 1968

I am attaching a photo of 61999 which I believe I took while flying between Andersen, Guam and Mactan, Philippines. My pilots were Capt Stan Bryk and Capt Bill Gilbert. We left Andersen on 18 May 68 in 62010; 61999 was right behind us so we made some lazy "S" turns and waited for them. They were cleared 2000 feet above us. When they caught up we flew loose formation to Mactan. The other Nav. (I think it was Jim Woody) and we took turns navigating.

THANK YOU, FRED DIETSCH!!

Teaser video for last C-133 flight

Just in from Inversion Productions is a five-minute film clip that is an excellent summary of the last flight of 61999, last August. Great sound, great video. Progress is slow but it's coming along. Turn the sound WAYYYY up!

Click on this link, or copy-and-paste into your browser:
http://vimeo.com/channels/inversionaviation

The copilot was Tom Carlson (Morrie's son), FET was Ken Kozlowksi, pilot was Mike Congdon, maintenance help by Aaron Henderson and Janice Kozlowski was along for the ride.

The air to air shots were done by Mike Leary. The in-cockpit work was done at Anchorage and, I think, by one of the crew enroute. The clip does not use any of the video shot at McChord.

Update Note: Thank you all for your Comments!! It's gratifying to know we have some "listeners!" Obviously we're all sharing the thrill of this video bringing back the memories! If you're not comfortable leaving your e-mail address on this blog, please forward it to me at rehanson342@aol.com so we can be sure we have you in our data base. The only "requirement" is that you have an interest in 133s.....you're part of our family.

Bonus Comment: Check out this website from one of our "family members!"

http://boeing377.googlepages.com/c133

The Final Flight!

Great photos of what is now the "Travis Bird"......CORRECTION! (my bad, as my grandkids say). These two photos are of the right "Bird," but they were taken by Cal Taylor's brother, Phil, on 28 Aug 08 at McChord AFB after it landed on the "next to the last flight." Still can't wait for those photos, DVDs, and published articles on the Final Flight....



You can still see Mark Meltzer's photos taken at Travis after "the final flight." Click on: http://boeing377.googlepages.com/c133

New Photos of Travis 133

Here's the value of the blogs folks! We, in the 133 community, have a new connection. He left a link to his photos, and in a follow-up e-mail, introduced himself to us. Check out the red links below....

Hi Dick,

I found the blog in a Google search yesterday and just thought I'd drop my link on it. I am not a C 133 vet, just a 58 year old guy with a strong interest in old transport aircraft and their systems. I hope my comments about the Nav's work on 133s was technically accurate. I used Loran A myself in commercial fishing back in the day, mostly old APN 9s and even a few APN 4s. I also did celestial nav, mostly just noon sun shots but some star work too. I like navigation, which is a disappearing art now with cheap GPS on the scene.

Your blog was very hard to find for some reason, but glad to know it is there.

Man what an aircraft. I was knocked out by its size. Astounding that one was flying in 2008 without a giant maintenance and logistics org behind it. (Note: I'm sure all 133 crew veterans are also astounded about that!!)



Regards,
Mark Meltzer

To see Mark's 133 photos, click on: http://boeing377.googlepages.com/c133

Also, Mark's web site is fascinating. Lots of "airplane stuff" from a sky-diver's perspective: http://boeing377.googlepages.com/skydive2

Eyewitness Comments & Videos

Thank you Aeroki and Dan H. for your Comments. You've helped connect the rest of us to the true end of an era we all remember well!! Click on Aeroiki's red youtube link below to see his video of the landing.....then click on Cal Taylor's red link at the bottom of the post....

Aeroiki said...

It was a very moving experience to see this plane land at Travis AFB Saturday. It was like watching an extinction. I posted two videos I shot on youtube.com. Others have started to post too so just search for C-133. Among the hits are a video of the roll out of the first Cargomaster!

Cheers,
Aeroiki

September 1, 2008 6:43 PM

Dan H. said...

On Saturday, Aug. 30 I took a trip back in time. It was the mid-60's, the war in SEA was going strong and the sky above Travis AFB was filled with the sight and sound of the mighty C-133. Unknown to most and relegated to Air Force footnote status, those who flew and maintained her will long treasure her memory. Welcome home61999! Dan H.

September 1, 2008 9:14 PM

And Cal Taylor said..

This clip shows C-133A 61999 landing at McChord AFB, WA, 28 Aug 08. There is great sound of those huge propellers. We were also filming at the other end of the field and got great video of the entire movement of the airplane, from taxi to parking to taxi out and takeoff. Turn your sound up high. There will be a DVD in a while that covers the entire operation of moving the airplane from Anchorage, AK to Travis AFB, CA.


http://www.airshowbuzz.com/videos/view.php?v=7027bdddIf

61999 final shutdown

On 30 Aug 08, the airplane launched on its final flight. Takeoff at McChord was 0800 and landing at Travis at 1101 PDT. At shutdown, the airplane had logged some 18,250 flight hours with more than 6,100 landings. Thanks to all those who made this last flight possible. It will be an excellent display in the Travis Museum. There will be lots of excellent footage from which to create a superb C-133 DVD.

61999 at McChord, 28-30 Aug

The airplane touched down on a cloudy evening at just before 1900. We got really good footage of the roll-out, taxi-in and shutdown. Over two hours, three photographers shot a whole bunch of film, including interior and exterior shots, cargo handling and interviews. On Saturday morning, the subject will be engine start, taxi out, takeoff and departure. Hopefully, the active will be 16, which will take the departing airplane past the camera spot, with Mt Rainier in the background. Pray for clear skies.

There were only some minor squawks, including cracks in the outer pane of the right side forward windscreen. The engineer said not a problem. They are not carrying a high pressurization differential.

Some of the new USAF markings peeled in flight. But, that will not be a problem to fix. It will still be a USAF airplane on landing at Travis.

The engineer says 61999 is a great airplane that has never given much problem, over close to 35 years. The museum is getting a good airplane and he is happy that it is getting a good home.

61999 Now at McChord AFB

First leg successful! Go to Cal Taylor's blog and scroll down to the 28 Aug update for the latest report.

Click on: Cal Taylor's Blog

61999 to arrive McChord AFB

The airplane now belongs to the Travis Museum. The ferry permit is in hand. Departure from Ted Stevens IAP, Anchorage, AK is at about 1100 local, with ETA to McChord at 1630 today, 28 Aug. There, it will park on the Echo Ramp, near the McChord Museum restoration hangar. If the crew is up to it, there will be a cargo swap this afternoon. Some stuff for the McChord Museum off load, onload of stuff to Travis Museum.

I will be there with still and video camera. There will be a professional videographer, working for the Travis Museum. PAO has been alerted. The plan is to film as much of the approach as possible, plus taxi-in, shutdown, and loading evolution. I hope also to shadow the engineer, during his preflight on Saturday and then to get engine start, taxi-out and takeoff (from a distance). Departure from TCM is probably NLT 0730, to make Travis at 1030.

There was an engine run at Anchorage, all okay, then two flights. One had a video team aboard to document the operation. Shots of takeoff/departure and of landing were also done.

The airplane has been re-militarized with stars and bar, tail number, etc, so it will be a USAF airplane landing at TCM and SUU.

Cal Taylor

Alaska Bird

Fred Galey provided the following photos of a C-133A (tail number N199AB, formerly 61999 at Dover AFB) "still flying in Alaska," taken by his son, Fred Galey, Jr, from the cockpit of a FedEx MD 11 in July, 2007. THANK YOU, FRED & FRED JR!!!!

The following is a relevant excerpt from Wikipedia:

"Two C-133As have been in storage at Mojave Airport, California, since the 1970s. They are N201AR (ex-62001) and N136AR (ex-40136). They are owned by Cargomaster Corp, Ted Stevens International Airport, AK, which also owns and occasionally flies C-133A N199AB (ex-61999). That aircraft was never certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration for civilian operation. Thus, it must fly as a government aircraft, mostly for the State of Alaska, where the last known flights were in the summer of 2004. The ANC based aircraft flew test flights and then a real flight, carrying fire trucks and heavy equipment to the bush, on April 18th, 2006."

*

I then Googled the Cargomaster Corporation mentioned above and discovered the following two websites with more description & photographs of their three aircraft. Click on Cargomaster on the Go! and Goleta Air & Space Museum.