Taken when it was Williams AFB. Red tip for D flight. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ in 2003 and scrapped in 2012.

Taken when it was Williams AFB. Yellow tip for B Flight. Last noted in 2004. Presumably scrapped.

Assigned to the Lift Training Center at Volk Field. The helicopter carried "ST" as a tailcode. The helicopter was built as a CH-53A with BuNo 154867, served the US Marine Corps some time and was retired in the early ninetees, was stored at Pensacola (FL), stricken from ithe inventory and moved to the USAF inventory as GCH-53A. Was an instructional airframe with the 82nd TRW and first reported at Volk Field in April 1997.

Built as a C-119F-FA by Fairchild at Hagerstown, MD in 1953 and converted to C-119J in 1957 with beaver-type rear cargo doors, this Flying Boxcar initially had a regular transport role, but in 1958/59 was modified for the mid-air retrieval of space capsules re-entering the atmosphere from orbit. In August 1960, it caught the Discoverer XIV satellite using recovery gear lowered from the open rear door and snagging the satellite's parachute, a winch then reeling in the satellite's film capsule. In 1963 it was flown to Wright Field to await display facilities; my 1973 photo here

Giving some impression of the tightly packed conditions and photographic challenge, this B-57 initially served the 4025th SRS (Light)/4080th SRW "Black Knights" at Turner AFB, GA and then Laughlin AFB, TX. The RB-57's much longer wings had a lightweight honeycomb internal structure and more powerful engines. By 1968 53-3982 had been converted to EB-57D spec and operated for about 10 years with the 4677th Defense Systems Evaluation Sqdn, Hill AFB, UT before loan to the Pima museum. By 2004 it was transferred to the NMUSAF where it was restored in its original late 1950s RB-57 colours

The only Lockheed VC-121E built, "Columbine III" served as President Dwight D Eisenhower's personal transport from 1954 until he left office in January 1961. Named after after the official state flower of Colorado in honour of his wife, the Super Connie was retired in 1966 and flown to the museum

This early Hercules, built in 1955, was converted to an AC-130A Spectre gunship in 1968 and flew combat missions over Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Assigned to the 919th SOW at Duke Field FL from 1975, in 1991 it was in action again, over Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm then once more from September 1994 during Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti. In October 1995 it was ferried to the USAFM and still displays its name "Azrael", after the angel of death in the Koran that severs the soul from the body

The X-13 was built to prove the concept that a jet could take off vertically, transition to horizontal flight and return to the vertical for landing, first successfully completing this feat in April 1957. The program was terminated for lack of funds and operational requirement next year and in 1959 the Vertijet was passed to the USAFM

The commonality of serial with the lifting body behind is explained in my upload of the latter here - the X-24A underwent radical changes when rebuilt as the X-24B which flew 36 times between 1973 and 1975, making 12 gliding-only and 24 powered flights with gliding landings as part of the Space Shuttle development program. Each time, a NASA modified B-52 mothership launched the X-24B at 45,000 ft. It was moved to the USAFM in 1976

Parked up on Apron Foxtrot with 2 others behind it.

Photographer unknown

Seen during an unknown Coronet deployment to RAF Wildenrath. Photographer unknown

Built as an RF-4C-22-MC by McDonnell at their Saint Louis plant in 1965, this recce Phantom saw service in Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Europe, Cuba and the Middle East, gaining the nickname "Iraqi Scud Seeker" while flying 172 missions in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990/91. It was delivered to the museum in May 1994

Taxying into Apron Hotel after arriving from Ramstein.

Built as an RB-47H-1-BW by Boeing at Wichita, KS in 1955, this Stratojet served with the 55th SRW based at Forbes AFB, KS and saw deployment to several locations, including Incirlik AB, Turkey, and Yokota AFB, Japan, flying recce missions over the Soviet Union. Retired in 1966, it was preserved at Salina Municipal Airport, KS before transfer to the USAFM in 1998, where it was restored using the nose section and engines from 52-0410 and went on display in 2003. Till 2012 a B-47E was exhibited (my 1973 photo) but that was moved to Albuquerque, NM

This Blackbird made the first operational SR-71 sortie, over Vietnam in March 1968. During its career, it accumulated 2,981 flying hours and 942 total sorties (more than any other SR-71), including 257 operational missions from its 9th SRW base at Beale AFB, CA, Kadena AB, Okinawa and RAF Mildenhall, flying to the museum in March 1990

This P-51 was accepted by the USAAF in Feb'45, one month later it departed the USA via Newark (NJ), for assignment to 8th AF. Returned to the US, via Newark in Oct'45. By 1954, it was transferred to 109th FS of the Minnesota ANG and flew from World-Chamberlain Field (later Minneapolis-St.Paul MAP, MN). By Aug'56, it was reported as written off following an incident at Holman Field, St. Paul (MN). It was stricken in that month, stored and in 1979 it appeared in the inventory of National Museum of the United States Air Force Loan Program, Wright Field, Dayton (OH). Since Aug'81 preserved at Volk

The Ramstein Herc visiting a rainy Eindhoven.