A total of 888 C-97s were built, of which 814 were KC-97 tankers. 53-0230 was assigned to the Strategic Air Command in 1955 at Westover AFB, Mass. In 1965 it was converted to KC-97L status at Hayes Aircraft Corp, Birmingham, AL, by the addition of two J47 jet engines and transferred to the Tennessee ANG. To MASDC for storage in 1976 and transferred to the AMC Museum in 10.99

Converted from AT-11 bombardier trainer by Beech in 1953. Acquired by CIA airline Air America in 1960, registered N7950C and operated across SE Asia till 1975, hauling supplies and refugees to remote locations. After several accidents during this period, including an in-flight collision, it was used temporarily for spare parts in Bangkok but was finally assigned to Tainan, Taiwan. Restored at Dover but on long-term loan from USMC Museum at Quantico, VA

Sixty KC-10 tankers were built for the USAF in the 1980s.

Formerly PK-ADD with KNILM and flown to Australia in 1942 to escape the Japanese advance through Indonesia. Impressed by the USAAF, it was operated by Australian National Airways (note small "ANA" on the nose) with the call sign VHCXC. It was given a temporary serial of 41-426 and later, after it was withdrawn from use, an official serial of 44-83232 and the official type designation C-110.
ANA bought the DC-5 after the war and it became VH-ARD. After a couple of changes of ownership, it went to Israel in 1948 as a makeshift bomber. It ended its days in a children's playground. Scanned from the original negative, now held by Bill Gray. Photographer's name unknown.

Prototype F-5 (N-156F). When first displayed at the Museum of Flight had a USAF serial but otherwise in Northrop markings.

The airmen and bobbies guarding the stealth bomber were surely the most photographed people at RIAT this year.

The spot on the corner of Branscombe Rd and Creed Rd, Suisun City, was just as good as I hoped for, but the traffic was not. The only plane I was able to photograph here was this recently upgraded C-5 from Dover, Delaware.

A beautiful Skymaster in the Aerospace Museum of California, wearing her true USAF serial although she spent her entire military career in the US Navy as 50874. She then became N27MA in 1976.

A very nice visitor, arriving from Kiev - an unlikely destination when she was delivered to the USAF in 1975.

An F-16 of the District of Columbia ANG visiting NAS Oceana.

The B-29 Superfortress was arguably the most advanced aircraft of WWII. The B-50 was a postwar variant, used as a bomber, tanker, reconnaissance and weather reconnaissance aircraft.

It's hard to believe the big B-24 was the most numerous American warplane of all times, with over 18,000 produced. There are few survivors today.

Hurricane-hunting Hercules from Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi.

Converted to a QF-4E drone.

Became a ground trainer at Clark AFB, The Philipines, in 1986

Ditched off Okinawa, Japan on April 30, 1967

Withdrawn from use in 1974 and scrapped

One of the first CV-22s based at Mildenhall.

Three big McDonnell fighters of the USAF: F-101B Voodoo, F-4C Phantom, F-15A Eagle.

This new Gulfstream carried part of the US delegation for the Afghanistan conference in The Hague on this day.