When was the C141 Starlifter retired

[hiss srq]

I just saw a photo that had a comment below it about it being the final star lifter to retire... When did they retire? Those are really good looking planes. They are like the forgotton transport of the US Armed Forces it seems like. I do not know alot about them so any info about them (MTOW, range, etc..) would be apprciated as well..... I am sure Senga and Moose know a good bit about them.

[SCOTYDEMCO]

I belive the last one was flown to the boneyard a year ago or so.

[Jonesbeach]

Here is a pretty good resource for info on the C-141: http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/c-141.htm

And for all your other military aircraft info needs:
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/index.html

[SengaB]

The C-141 had always been my favorite military cargo plane and almost my favorite military aircraft as well. Theres just something about it I always loved.

I have lots of great memories of when my family flew as a passengers on the C-141s, C-5s and C-130s back and fouth from USA-Korea Korea Japan when I was 6-8 years old early 1980-83.

On one flight we flew back from Tokyo (USAF base) to Seoul on a C-141. I remember walking out a tarmac and greeted by a fleet of dozens of Camoflaged USAF C-141s! After we left the cafateria we were bused to our C-141 engines aready running and ready to go. After lining us up like cattle they always made us take the same entrance the pilots used to get into the plane. Back then they already had the engines running and waiting for us to board! Unfortunatly we had a 2 hour delay because of a flat tire.

Once inside you usually were not lucky enough to get a window seat 4 or so avaialable. The only thing you woulod look forward to is the ear plugs we all recived after boarding.

One time in a C-5 we had a tank behind/in front of us in the plane! I had to go to the bathroom once and had to make my way around the side to get around it.

:)
Senga

[Iberia A340-600]

I saw one at JFK one or two years ago over by the new de-icing hanger.

[Tom_Turner]

Very attractive transport.

I have to agree with Senga. From a spotters' point of view, the loss of the Starlifter is about as sad as no more TomCats.

Best memories of it were

- at an airwhow in Elmira (2001)... ELM could actually accomodate it and that aircraft was certainly larger than any structure I ever saw in Elmira or therabouts.

- At EWR... the aircraft looked very nice on the ground.. taxiing low to the ground and looking mean but beautiful amongst the civil airliners. Nice straight out departure and then a turn at low altitude over Newark proper.
(2000)

- "Last plane out of Saigon" or whatever the Air Force called the example on the airshow circuit. In its own colors I believe (to an extent). Did a nice bank over The Air Force Museum (if that was the same one) and later at Dayton for the Airshow. (2004 or 2005).

- Watching them circle relentlessly (for hours) on approach to McGuire AFB while ascending the first peak of the Scream Machine in Great Adventure and wishing I was on the plane instead instead of seconds away from death.. :)

Hiss- The NASA Starlifter - one sharp looking aircraft *might* still be active...but if so, that'd be the last one.

Recall too speaking with many folks that thought the Air Force could still use its lift in general and for certain missions, notwithstanding the more efficient and purported survivability of the C-17 Globemasters.

Still - if there was just ONE aircraft I could bring back it would be the B-36 PEACEMAKER.. hard to compete with that one.

Tom

[SengaB]

My first C-141 shot at Maxwell AFB in Alabama. All up in my face :)
What a sleek plane. When the plane swung past me I got a nastalgic wiff of the musky smell of the insulation that brought back lots of memories.
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/c14101.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/c14102.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/c14103.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/c14104.jpg
Senga

[DHG750R]

Little known fact , a C141 almost landed at LGA once. in 1998 When I lived in the Bronx I was awakened by a sound that I never heard before , it was LOUD ! I jumped up and saw a C141 at about 800ft on a 2 mile final . I flipped on the radio and heard the tower tell him to go around ... due to "no 4 engined heavies being allowed to land by the Port"

it ultimately landed at JFK where the relief supplies for Puerto Rico were onloaded

[Steven Holzinger]

Hanoi Taxi was the last Starlifter to be retired and it was flown to the Air Force Museum in early May 2006. I miss the C-141 but not as much as one would think, since I never got to see them as much as I thought I should have, being so close to McGuire.

[Midnight Mike]

I rode in the back of C141 between Guam to Hawaii, that was probably the worst ride of my life, it was noisy, cold, and dark. I froze my butt off & had to wear hearing protection the whole time, you know what, glad I did to at least say that I did! :lol: