Active-duty C-141 makes final flight around the world

Twelve crewmembers departed McGuire Aug. 19 for the last active-duty C-141 flight before the aircraft’s retirement Sept. 16.

The hand-selected crew included eight members from the 6th Airlift Squadron, primarily seasoned veterans in the C-141, and four flying crew chiefs from the 305th Maintenance Squadron.

“We wanted to do something special for our last [active-duty] overseas flight,” said Lt. Col. Juan Sotomayor, 6th AS operations officer.

The flight was an extension of the normal Bahrain run that the 6th AS has done on a weekly basis for some time now, according to Colonel Sotomayor.

The first stop of the normal mission is Norfolk Air Station, Va., followed by other various stops before arriving in Bahrain. Following a stop in Bahrain, the McGuire crew -- with more than 59,000 hours combined flying experience between them -- traveled to Diego Garcia.

While at Diego Garcia, the crew was tasked with evacuating a patient to Singapore. Although the C-141 is known for hauling troops and cargo, the aircraft’s ability to accomplish aeromedical evacuation missions is also significant.

The crew brought the patient -- a child -- to Singapore, before heading to the next stop on the C-141’s trip around the world, Yokota Air Base, Japan.

From Yokota, the C-141 carried the crew to Kadena AB, Japan, and back to Yokota, before making its way back to the states. The crew made stops in Hawaii, Travis AFB, Calif., and Dover AFB, Del., before returning to McGuire AFB Aug. 28.

“Not everyone gets to put an airplane to bed,” said Sergeant Thompson of the only plane he’s flown and worked on in his 24-years of flying. “It’s a milestone.”

This trip around the world has helped Sergeant Thompson log almost two and a half million miles during his career. And he, like several other C-141 crews, will end his career with the C-141.

“I love the 141,” said Sergeant Thompson. “And I loved every day I stepped on the airplane. This is my closure – I’m going to the bone yard with it.”

Master Sgt. Don Cool, 305th Operations Group flight engineer, is also retiring with the C-141.

“I loved every minute of it,” said Sergeant Cool.

One of the things Sergeant Cool said he liked most about the Starlifter was its versatility. “It’s a very forgiving airplane,” he said. “If you make a mistake, she’ll compensate for you.”

One of Colonel Sotomayor’s most memorable missions in the C-141B was a mission to Homestead AFB, Fla., during the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.

“Just three years earlier I had lived through Hurricane Hugo and had experienced, firsthand, the devastation and suffering a hurricane could bring,” he said.  “As I flew down the east coast of the Florida peninsula, it was dark, and as we got further south and closer to the Miami area, the lights below were less and less until there was complete darkness. When we landed it was just before dawn using emergency lighting to illuminate the airfield.

“While we offloaded the pallets of food, medicine and supplies, the sun came up and then we saw the effects of one of God's most awesome forces.  There wasn't one tree standing from our vantage point.  I understood firsthand the suffering and sense of despair losing everything can bring, and knowing that we could make a difference in these people's lives gave me a great sense of accomplishment.”

The Starlifter has aided in humanitarian missions in the United States and other oversea locations, such as Antarctica.

The trip to Antarctica is one that stands out for Sergeant Cool. In 1999, he was part of the crew that air dropped supplies there.

He said to accomplish the air drops, they aircraft doors were opened in sub-zero temperatures, and because it was freezing, the aircraft could not be refueled.

“We didn’t know if we had enough gas,” said the sergeant. “It was just a feat to make it back [to the base].”

The trip around the world is another feat Sergeant Cool and the rest of the crew will remember.

“We’ve all been to these places before, but [our trip around the world] was our last time there before we retire, just like the plane,” said Master Sgt. James Hess, 305th Operations Support Squadron, chief C-141 flight engineer. Sergeant Hess spent 25 years with the C-141 and was recognized by Lockheed Martin for a record 10,350 flying hours in the Starlifter.

Sergeant Thompson described the C-141 as very reliable with very few maintenance problems. "While at times it needed some tender love and tweaking, the C-141 has proven itself," he said. “Wherever America would go, you’d see a 141 show up.

“[The C-141 has been] a workhorse throughout its time,” added Sergeant Thompson. “It’s been in every conflict since Vietnam. There’s so much history and I was a part of it. That’s what I like about it.”