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VC-140 Jetstar
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Photo:
Robert Deering 10/18/2012 National Museum of the USAF Wright-Paterson AFB (FFO) Dayton, Ohio |
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The C-140 is a
military version of the Lockheed Model 1329
light jet transport. The prototype Jet Star
was first flown on Sept. 4, 1957, only 241
days after design completion. Production
began in 1960.
Although the majority of those produced were built for the civilian market, the United States Air Force (USAF) bought 16 Jet Stars as C-140As and Bs, the first of which was delivered in late 1961. Five C-140As were assigned to the Air Force Communications Command for use in evaluating military navigation aids and operations. Eleven C-140Bs were assigned to the Military Airlift Command for operational support airlift. Six of them were flown as VC-140Bs on special government and White House airlift missions by the 89th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. VC-140Bs carried Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan a number of times. During his term in office, President Lyndon Johnson spent a lot of time at his ranch, which was dubbed "The Texas White House." The much larger VC-137 that was the primary presidential aircraft could not land on the ranch's short runway. Instead, the VC-137 would land at Connally AFB (now TSTC Airport) in Waco, Texas and Johnson would transfer to the VC-140 for the remainder of the trip to his ranch near Stonewall. Whenever the President was aboard any USAF aircraft, it flew under the radio call sign Air Force One. |
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