Friday, December 9, 2011

C-119 in a movie? Who'd ever thought it?

Fun! Just caught a clip of a movie featuring an really ancient aircraft, the C-119 or "Flying Boxcar." It really flew in the movie, though the last time I saw one in use was at Ft. Yukon, Alaska. It was being used by the US Bureau of Land Management. Here is the one at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton.
I know of at least three pilots who say they flew it in to the museum, though the aircraft only required two. But, I think I know why so many can say that. When they flew the last C-141 into the museum, I was told six crews were aboard that.
This particular C-119 has a peculiar tail, one that opened like an alligator's mouth. It was used to snare a space craft coming to earth back in the 1960's.
The last unit I knew of personally that had the C-119 was a US Air Force Reserve Unit, the 302nd Tactical Airlift Wing, then at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. Lockbourne was later renamed Rickenbacker.


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