flew as flight mech. one mounth in ashiya, japan. had a great flight deck. coming from C-46's

I was in the 101st Airborne Division 1959 - 1962. I have jumped from C-119, C123, C-130 and C-124. By far, the easiest plane to jump from was the C-119 because of the high wing and you could almost go straight back when exiting the aircraft instead of making a 90 degree turn to go out of the other aircraft I mentioned.

Does anybody remember the highly trained, activated and quickly canceled mission with site at Adak, Northern Japan, Tokyo area, Southern Japan and Okinawa?

Nikita had a ****fit on Moscow about it.

Officially it was "Wx Reconnaissance."

One C119 strayed into Russian airspace. Mig 17 got on wing and ordered it to a Russian field. Pilot dropped all the garbage and quickly got in the clouds and safely got the hell out of there.

For LDonDar
51-8031 (c/n 10857) converted to C-119G between 1955 and 1957. Transferred
to Taiwan Nov 1970 as 3212

These Fairchild aircraft built under this USAF Contract"

51-7968/8052 Fairchild C-119F-FA Flying Boxcar
7968/7995 were c/n 10707/10734
7996/8015 were c/n 10739/10758
8016 was c/n 10706
8017/8029 were c/n 10760/10772
8030 was c/n 10822
8031/8032 were c/n 10857/10858.
8033/8034 were c/n 10873/10874
8035/8052 were c/n 10913/10930

This group was in the very first group of F models. Looks like you took pretty good care of it if it made it all the way to Taiwan.

Hope this helps,

Chuck Lunsford (former C-119 radio operator)

As a young Marine Corporal in 1955, I was assigned to H&MS-35 at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. The Group supported two R4Q-2 "Flying Boxcar" Squadrons, VMGR-152 and VMGR-353. The Marines, at that time, didn't call them C-119's several years later when the services shifted to common aircraft designations for all services and they certainly weren't called C-119's in 1952!
I take great exception to the "sea-story" regarding the (?) "Marine" C-119 that "blew out" a brake and "ground-looped" The aircraft would not "ground-loop while taxiing as the aircrew would be using engine power to taxi and would be going too slow to "ground loop." If a brake "blew-out" during taxi, the aircraft would be going slowly enough that it wouldn't swing about with a brake failure. It seems that the writer was more "smart ass" than smart and, as a tow vehicle operator, didn't know much about aircraft terminology, operation or maintenance. Marine maintainers used the U.S. Navy's Maintenance schedule of 30, 60, 90 and 120 hour maintenance check schedules and a major maintenance at 240 hours. I know, as I have pulled each type of those checks and made sure that the aircraft was in the best possible condition for flight! The aircrews put their lives in our hands and we were always aware of that responsibility!! As an Airgroup, we had NO accidents or incidents that were determined to be maintenance issues for the three years I was in the Group!
Semper Fidelis,
Jim Lake, Major, USMC (ret)

I worked on 119's at Hayward Ca. ANG base.I was 18 and it was the only plane I had ever worked on so they are the best.As I recall the landing gear is 16' long,that in its self is amasing.Yeh it is noisy to ride in,but its 1947 technology.

1952, stationed at North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego. Marine (?) C-119 came in. As they wre taxing to our visitor's parking area they suddenly did a ground loop and shut down. They blew out a brake. I drove our tug to get a tow bar. As the crew chief and us visiting a/c people got set to tow the plane, with chock walkers, the piolt came over and told me I couldn't tow the plane as it had no brakes! I asked him if he wanted to push it! We towed the plane. It was my experiance that the Marines didn't have very good maintenance.

1952, stationed at North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego. Marine (?) C-119 came in. As they wre taxing to our visitor's parking area they suddenly did a ground loop and shut down. They blew out a brake. I drove our tug to get a tow bar. As the crew chief and us visiting a/c people got set to tow the plane, with chock walkers, the piolt came over and told me I couldn't tow the plane as it had no brakes! I asked him if he wanted to push it! We towed the plane. It was my experiance that the Marines didn't have very good maintenance.

Yes, I know this aircraft well having flown in it from 1951 through 1953. It was a very reliable aircraft even if it only flew us one way and that was up. You see I was a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne. I would guess that I jumped out it about twenty three or so times. But what a ride!

In 1954 I was stationed in eastern France at Toul-Rosiere AFB, a C119 air base. I was in the army engineers, attached to the USAF, called SCARWAF. In December, 1955, when Russia invaded Hungry the air base was put on alert. I was on guard duty, 24:00 to 2:00, in freezing rain. with a parka shell to protect from the weather, a M-30 carbing, sut no ammunition. The ice storm was raging so bad there was no way that I would need any ammunition. What fool would be out there anyway. By the way, there is one place around the C119 to find protection from bad weather, and there locked up, can't get inside. My relief came and I was glad to say goodbye to that big hulk. Broke about a half inch shell of ice off my parka and had to be helped into the deuce and a half. Never got to see the inside of one.

Lot of Memories.Stationed in Ashiya 52-54, 319th TC SQ Packet Rats. Flew to Haiphong via Okinowa to Clark AFB where US markings were removed and replaced with French Markings, then onto a secluded base in Indo China named Touraine.90 day TDY. French Forces lost their stronghold at DenBinFu (excuse spelling) and we departed In a hurry I might add. While there the French hired Civilian Pilots to drop supplies to the encircled French Forces. I later learned that no US Forces were knowmed to be in Indo China. The base came under small arms fire at night but were always beaten off by the French Military. Most of our C-119s returned to Clark pretty well shot up but.all returned safley . I often think about my AirCraft Commander, one Captain Knebusch who I most respected.

Flew the Flying Boxcar out of Iwakuni ,Japan in the 60-61 for VMR 153..learned alot about flying going all over SE Asia.. Great group of guys to work with and we completed our missions. Replaced by the new C-130, which I never flew...

My father was a flight engineer on the 119 for many years and went back to them with the 18th SOS flying Stingers, I think the time frame was 70-71. His name was Emile L. Johnson, some called him Jonny. He always spoke well of this aircraft. Talked about getting a field Goal one night while on the trail.. you guys that were there will understand the statement. Dad is gone now but I have fond memories of his stories.

Flew on the AC-119G in TSN Vietnam, in 68-69. They were a pretty reliable aircraft as we flew 110 consecutive missions on time, which is a good record for a old aircraft that was cannon fodder. Obviously they brought me home every night, which I am grateful for.

My father (Col.Charles Daily, USAF(res), was CO of the 442nd TCW from about 1953-62 at Olathe, NAS then later Richards-Gebaur AFB near Kansas City. He loved flying the C-119 and I remember watching them come in for landing at an air show -- they came over in Vs of 3 each and peeled over like fighter planes and landed -- very cool!

I worked the AC-119's at Danang '69-'70. Nice looking gunship but hated the hydraulic platform. When you climbed up there to do work, you would burn your head and/or back on the aircraft skin.

I had jumped from them in '52 after having jumped from C-46's in '51, and it was a different experience, and I am thankful for the opportunity to have done so. Coming out of the doors on the 46's, one jumps right into the propwash, but on the 119's you come out below it and just drop until the 'chute opens. I thought the 119's were neat.

I was in the 4th Aerial Port Squadron and we went to Chateauroux, France in 1954 to open up air terminals in Europe. We used the C-119. I was a loadmaster. We flew all over Europe. We also dropped cargo and troopers. We lost two planes in the black forest area of Germany in 1955 55 troppers and crew were lost when the planes collided. The plane was a dandy with much power.

What ever happened to those birds stationed at Harmon AFB in Newfoundland? We were attached to the SAC unit out of N
EB. Im looking for Serial #8031 I was a crew chief in the 1956_1957 time frame. Thanks

I was an Army air traffic controller in the 1960's and got to fly as a passenger in the rear of a 119 out of Chanute AFB. The noise level in the cargo area was beyond the level of pain in my ears. Does anyone know the decibel level of a 119 on full take-off power?