KC-135E Stratotanker Fini Flight to Dover AFB

On Friday August 7, 2009 the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover AFB received the newest aircraft to their collection, a KC-135E Stratotanker. The Stratotanker was flown in from McGuire AFB and made a flyby over Dover AFB's Runway 19, followed by circling the AMC Museum prior to landing on Runway 1 at Dover. The aircraft's most recent assignment was with the 108th Air Refueling Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard, based at McGuire AFB.

Following its landing, the KC-135 taxied in front of the museum and received a water cannon salute from the Dover AFB crash rescue. The crew deplaned, and a small ceremony took place.

Speaking in the ceremony were Jim Leech - curator of the Air Mobility Command Museum, Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), 436th Airlift Wing Commander Col. Dwight Sones, and the 108th Air Refueling Commander Brig. General Mike Cunniff - who flew in the Stratotanker to Dover.

Following the ceremony those in attendance were allowed to move forward and check out the jet. You will see my camera peer all over the aircraft as I try to feature as many current and former 108th ARW members who signed the airplane.

More about this airplane:
This particular KC-135E, USAF registration 57-1507, wore a special Tiger Meet paint scheme in 1997 and wore those markings in 1998 as well. The scheme was the largest Tiger Meet scheme during the 1997 meet at RAF Fairford, and the jet also appeared at the 1997 Royal International Air Tattoo.

Check out these related videos - the first of which includes the KC-135 departing from McGuire AFB:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn04hhb6brs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmoxzDrEkeU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTQ5lR-CqpQ

In addition to the KC-135E, you will see some normal operations going on at Dover AFB. There is fencing in the video, as it will help you see what it looks like to catch arrivals and departures from Runway 1 at Dover AFB, and at the end of the video, if you were to go down a ways in the Air Mobility Command Museum parking lot, the view you'd get with a Runway 32 landing (though that C-5 did a touch and go - one of MANY that he did on 1 and 32).

C-17s seen in this video are from McChord AFB, Travis AFB, and Dover AFB. The T-38 you see is from NAS Patuxent River's Navy Test Pilot School while the KC-135 was one of three KC-135Rs I saw that day - the one in the video being from (what I think) Tinker AFB and the other two 135Rs were from McGuire AFB.

I would like to thank Jim Leech and the members of the AMC Museum, along with the fine Public Affairs staff at Dover AFB for making this video possible.

If you are interested in purchasing DVDs of specific aircraft and/or of airshows, interested in anything and everything related to airshows (where the jet teams will show up, all airshow performers, airshow reports from airshows I have attended, previews of airshows I will be attending, etc.), a much more easier to navigate "version" of all of my videos, and/or everything there is related to aviation - including spotting guides to my favorite airports and military bases and aircraft factfiles, please take the time to check out Steve's Airshow World at http://www.stevesairshow.com .

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• KC-135E
• KC-135
• KC135
• KC135E
• Stratotanker
• Refueling
• Tanker
• Refuel
• New
• Jersey
• National
• Guard
• NJ
• ANG
• Final
• Flight
• Dover
• AFB
• KDOV
• DOV
• Air
• Mobility
• Command
• AMC
• Museum
• Tom
• Carper

[bassplaya1549]

Are the KC-135E's retired completly?

[airshowfansh]

There's like two or three remaining at McGuire... one to be a static display at McGuire, one to Little Rock AFB (I think?), and one to AMARG. I'm not sure how many Es are remaining at Scott AFB.

[FPVsean]

looks like a little model of one with that green paintjob

[airshowfansh]

Blame my camera for that. I think I got that kink fixed and should be implementing it at my remaining shows.

[Skyes9]

Another good sounding jet gone, it will be a sad day when the last KC-135 retires.

[ymanganelli]

Hey really nice video this one:) love that Kc-135E.. cheers

[redalert2fan2]

a c-17 , a c-5 and a KC-135? this is a veery good video with all those aircraft

[r63con]

@Skyes9 hey atleast it went to the muesum(live there) instead of a graveyard

[r63con]

i live there :-)

[Piddlepack]

I read that the last 135E was flown into AMARC by the Maine ANG.

[JonnyCrash]

I love the whistle of the JT3Ds. Almost as distinctive a sound as the TF39s. :-)

[buffey]

Excellent video capturing the spirit of Dover AFB and a perfect salute to the 135.

It has been an aviators dream in South Jersey this past week with the Flying W Kathy Jaffee acrobatic competition, Thunder over the Boardwalk, and this.

No wonder I love flying.

Karl and Buffey the Wife