I knew the Lockheed aircraft like the back of my hand as I served as a Crew Chief for about 9 years on this one of kind work horse. Watched them go from A to B models. These babies accomplished a variety of missions over the years. I'll never forget running the huge turbofan for electrical shop and jumped chocks at McGuire as I tossed #2 and #4 engines up to full throttle without brakes back in 79. Oops! That morning my boss said your not going home ...your going to jet engine training for certification. Loved having my name proudly displayed on the crew entrance door.

My one and only flight on a C-141 was with my 823 rd Red Hourse group going to Bien Hoa, September 1969. Sure was a good flight flying backwords for the many hours. We even had to stay at Elmendorfe over night as a window had to be replaced on the plane.
Good times were had by all.

My one and only flight on a C-141 was with my 823 rd Red Hourse group going to Bien Hoa, September 1969. Sure was a good flight flying backwords for the many hours. We even had to stay at Elmendorfe over night as a window had to be replaced on the plane.
Good times were had by all.

I was a USAF Flight Nurse on this aircraft and met my husband,the Aircraft Commander on one of my Clark-Guam-Hickam missions in 1968. I practically lived on this wonderful aircraft...many memories of the numerous flights with my husband.

I was a Flight Engineer on the C-141A&B models from 1969 to 1986,Stationed at Norton A.F.B.,Ca. 14TH.Squadron 1969 to 1977, Altus A.F.B. Ok. 57TH Squadron 1977 to 1980 also 1ST. Sergeant, Travis A.F.B.,Ca. 1980 to 1986 when I retired as Chief Flight Engineer 60 MAW. The C-141 was a fantastic aircraft and the work horse of it`s time, I have many memories of the aircraft and crew members I flew with.

My first assignment out of Pilot Training was as a "141 Driver" in the 15th MAS, Norton AFB. There were no B models, it was just the 141, the droopy winged bug sucker. What a fabulous airplane! By the time I went to my next assignment five years later, I had moved up to Flight Examiner, Select Lead for Airdrop, had been a simulator instructor and ground school instuctor and had thousands of hours of wonderful experience and memories to last a lifetime. Most of the memories are good, some still give me goosbumps. If there was a crisis, a natural disaster, a war, a relief effort, an evacuation to be done anywhere in the world, the 141 was there. I would not have missed it for the world. Now Norton is no longer an Air Force Base, the 141 is retired and so am I. What a ride!

I flew the 141 at Travis & Dover (Vietnam FAC tour in between those locations) in the mid-late 60's. Great airplane. Many trips to SEA and later, Europe & Middle East as well. Someone mentioned the AWL's system. I hated the auto throttles on AWL's when I was checking out in it in hot, bumpy weather. They would spool the engines down way lower than I would have. We used to routinely beat the 707's to altitude - but they were faster and would eventually pass us by. I saw the one that had the rear pressure door blow out at Wake, the day after it happened. I recalled seeing that door bulge lots of times at altitude and never went near one again in flight. When I flew it at Travis, we were still picking up new ones from Lockheed & I flew on 3 or 4 of those pickups. Twenty years later, I picked up a brand new C-130H from Lockheed from the very same place (Dobbins) - for a Reserve unit. Nobody but me cares, but it was a neat personal thing to do. We didn't call the 141's the A model - it was the only model when I flew it.

I was a Flight Engineer Instructor , Flight Examiner when I retired in 1974 from the 53rd MAS at Norton AFB, CA. Actually I was also in the 14th,&15th MAS' as we formed the New 63rd Wing in 1967. Coming out of C-124s with about 10,000hrs and going into the C-141 it was like going from a Model A to a Cadillac. Seven years of flying in and out of Vietnam every month with every kind of emergency you could name, three engine take-offs out of Danang, around the world trips with the 22nd Air Force Commander, Bob Hope USO trips, maximum range 8000 mile flights from Kadena to San Bernardino, CA, this airplane did it all. I picked up several new aircraft as our new Wing formed in 1967 and among them was 60177 which as we all know now as "The Hanoi Taxi" the first aircraft to pick up our POWs in Hanoi. 177 is in the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB now. It was a historic trip for our combined Squadrons. I ended my 23 year career in September 1974 with 16000 plus hrs with 6000 plus hrs in the C-141. I am 76 years old now but I would do it all over again if they asked me!!

Best Aircraft I ever jumped out of.

I was a flight examiner flight engineer in the 41st MAS at Charleston when I retired in 1972. My career on the C-141 began in 1966. I always enjoyed the trip around the world. It averaged 55 flying hours and a few 18 hour days. I had very few inflight emergencies in all my time on the C-141. What an airplane!!

I started as a crewchief on them in 1967 at Charleston AFB. That is also where I started flying as a Flt Engineer in late 1974. After that I went to Altus Ok as a Instrutor/Examiner. I ended my career at McChrd AFB. My career was a great time on this beautiful aircraft. I was also at McChord wnen the last C-141 departed. It was a sad day as I watched the last takeoff.I still have alot of stories and I'll tell them everytime I get the chance.

As a C-141 driver, I had the privilege of attending the USAF Test Pilot School and then getting to fly Starlifters #1, #2, #3, and #5 (12775, 12776, 12777, and 12779 respectively) in the 4950th Test Wing at Wright-Patterson from 1979-1981. I have some great pictures of 61-2775 taken in Dec 1981. There is something special about getting to fly the very first Starlifter ever made (and we didn't have to abide by 60-1 limits!). We could fly them at the Dash 1 limits and, for a four-engine airlifter, it could perform. Flying with the F-15s in the pattern at Holloman AFB was great fun. The birds were modified to fly a variety of test programs after the initial IOT&E program was concluded. In that timeframe Triple-7 was the only bird that was radically modified. We flew them all low and fast, and high and slow. A great, just great, aircraft! Those were the days.

I was a navigator in the 20th MAS at Charleston from 1976 until 1985 (Initial Soll II). From 1985 until 1988 was the command tactics navigator at Hq MAC and worked on C-17 acquisition and SOLL II enhancements for the Starlifter. A great airplane. Currently working with a great bunch of guys restoring 60186 (first B model) at the aviation museum in Marietta, GA. Anyone in the Atlanta area who wants to help is welcome. Just show up any morning. Museum is off Atlanta Road Just off Delk Road. Can't miss it. It's where all the old aircraft are parked.

Hello I worked as an air craft maintance crew chief on both C-130A'S an C-141B'S n fell off the C-141B at the first hatch.It messed up my whole right side but I lived Thru it an had to retire from the air force. I have to say the best all around was the C-130A's sorry we could do more in the field with it .

Flew the C141A at McChord AFB, 8th MAS from 9-70 to 5-74. Great airplane, best flying worldwide, ever. I went on to G3's and the airlines, but there was never anything that handled, worked, and performed like the C 141. A treasure and absolute priviledge to fly. I thought all airplanes flew like that, but I learned different.

I performed part of the post flight on the first C-141A (The Golden Bear) at Travis AFB. I was a crew chief with the 602 OMS and was on flight status with the aircraft during the transition of the C-124 flight crews. I flew with a lot of cargo and troops into Viet Nam and when Travis resumed the Embassy Flights westbound I was one of the 4 Crew Chiefs that flew with those flights. This was one of my most exciting times of my life. After my discharge in 1967 I was employed by United Airlines as a Mechanic and then a Engine Maintenance Foreman for 33 years.
The Golden Bear is parked at the Travis Air Museum for those of us that remember one of the 'flyingist' machines the U.S Air Force ever had.

Flew as Flight Engineer at Dover AFB, Dover Delaware, 1965-1968.(9th MAS) A great airplane.

One great aircraft! I logged over 4000 hrs and flew fantastic trips all over the world in this plane. I still remember the numbers like 204,620 and 153,352 that were drilled into us by stan eval. A very enjoyable and forgiving aircraft to fly.

What was the air speed for parachute jumps from this aircraft?

I first saw this aircraft at Columbus AFB prior putting in our requests. I immediately fell in love with it, and its mission. I flew it from 1971-1977 at Travis AFB. It was an absolutely great aircraft and very dependable. It was a real workhorse during the Viet Nam war and carried me all over the world. To this day, I am amazed at how versatile it was and all the different configurations it was capable of. Truly a great aircraft.