MUSEUM NEWS 

23 MAY 2005

Shortly  after its arrival plans are to repaint the Museums C-130 in the Southeast Asia paint scheme similar to this 36th TAS Hercules pictured in this 1976 photo.

For 13 years, C-130's from the 36th TAS were regularly seen on the ramps of McChord, after a few signatures from the 62d AW Command Staff at the Base, an "Eagle Airlifter" would again be a common site to the visitors of the McChord Air Museum. After receiving the go ahead to pursue the acquisition of Lockheed C-130E for the Museum, Members from the McChord Air Museum and former members from the 36 TAS compiled a list of the serial numbers of the 27 former McChord C-130's and compared the list to a projection of what was thought to be the first aircraft to be retired from service. Of the 40 + C-130 with "zero" flight hours remaining, 3 former McChord aircraft can be found on the top of the list and will be the first aircraft sought out for display at McChord. These aircraft are as follows:    

63-7784: One of the only aircraft to be assigned to the 36th TAS's during their entire C-130 assignment, arriving in July 1975, leaving in April 1989.

 63-7767: assigned to the 36th TAS/62d AW from March 1977 to October 1981. Was painted in Desert Camouflage during the Iran Hostage Crisis in the early 1980's, left McChord for Little Rock AFB during the consolidation of all USAF Desert Camouflaged C-130's   

63-07874: assigned to the 36th TAS/62d AW from November 1975 to March 1988, used by the 36th TAS in Volant Rodeo 1982 . 

63-7893: assigned to the 36th TAS/62d AW from July 1975 to February 1988.

Of the 27 C-130's assigned to McChord 16 are currently in service (63-7767, 63-7773, 63-7782, 63-7784, 63-7792, 63-7814, 63-7858, 63-7874,63-7893, 64-0504, 64-0510, 64-512, 64-0519, 64-0521, 64-0567, 64-18240, 5 have been redesigned as ground training aircraft, (63-7768, 63-7779, 64-0500, 64-0524, 64-0542), 5 are in storage at Davis-Monthan (63-7788, 63-7842, 63-7854, 63-7891, 64-0513) , one of which (-7854) was involved in a hard landing in the Middle East in 1999, dismantled and flown by C-5 to the "Boneyard", the last (63-7783) was modified to the EC-130 Configuration and later scraped.

 The Museums C-130 proposal package will formally be presented to AMC Headquarters for final review. Once an aircraft from the request has been designated for retirement, it will be flown to McChord from its base and prepared for display. 

(Have any additional information or stories on the aircraft above please e-mail The McChord Air Museum Foundation )