only managed to identify three B-52Ds,
three KC-135As and an F-105D. We also
popped into Greater Fort Worth Airport to
see the Convair B-36J Peacemaker, 45-
42827 on display
After the Texan National Guard
helicopters at Grand Prairie Airport, it was
the US Navy’s turn to host us. NAS Dallas
had three squadrons of F-8H/J Crusaders,
two navy and one marines. The USMC
also had a reserve CH-53A Sea Stallion
unit there and the 181st Air Refueling
Squadron, Texas ANG was also resident
with its KC-97Ls. Also based there were
VR-53 with its Douglas C-118B Liftmasters,
a number of Grumman S-2s from the base
flight and some A-7s presumably over from
the LTV factory situated on the opposite
side of the runway.
A short flight from Dallas to Atlanta to
visit the Marietta complex followed. We
started the day with the navy to see yet
another squadron of reserve F-8Ks of
VMF-352 and the A-4Ls of VA-205. The
facility was also home to HML-765 with
the Huey and a VR-50 detachment with
a single C-118B. Next came the air force
ramp that in 1974 was operating the DHC
C-7A Caribou of the reserve 918th TAG and
F-100D Super Sabres of the 128thTFS of
the Georgia ANG.
The final part of this tour was with
Lockheed and the Hercules production
facility. The factory and flight test area had26 aircraft destined for air forces across
the globe. Some were new builds, such as
the early C-130H versions for the USAF,
Canada, Israel, Morocco, Saudi Arabia
and Libya and earlier models on overhaul
or upgrade for Colombia, Pakistan and
Venezuela. These Libyan aircraft were
never delivered due to an arms embargo
and still reside within the complex today,
more than 40 years later.
It was then back to the airport and
another short flight up to Pittsburgh for our
final night-stop. Pittsburgh International
Airport was our last arranged visit of
the trip. Here the ‘GP’ coded Fairchild
C-123K Providers of the 911th TAG werebased along with the 146th FIS F-102As
of the Pennsylvania ANG and KC-97Ls
of the 147th ARS. A couple of hours’ civil
spotting then followed before our flight to
New York’s John F Kennedy International
Airport. However, on arrival we learned
our BOAC flight back to Heathrow had
been cancelled because of a strike by the
airline’s cabin crew. To get back to London
we were put on Air India Boeing 747-237B,
VT-EBN.
On this two-week trip I saw many aircraft
types that were new to me. Although I have
enjoyed plenty of spotting trips to the US
since, this trail-blazing adventure will always
remain one of my favourites.http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 63Above: Convair B-36J Peacemaker 45-42827 on display at Greater Fort Worth Airport.
Below: Marietta airfield was home NAS Atlanta, Lockheed and Dobbins AFB. The naval air
station had USMC Reserve F-8K Crusaders, US Navy Reserve A-4L Skyhawks and UH-1Es.
Visiting was Skyhawk 147772/MD-000 from VMA-543.Douglas DC-8-51 N805E of Delta Air Lines at Atlanta was among the many airliners seen on the trip.58-63_tales_part2_1974DC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 63 05/02/2018 14:49