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On 31 May, Jim Timmons, Mike Heilman, and Bill Lloyd of the 317th Veterans Group met with Air and Space Museum personnel to map out a plan on how our organization could assist the museum in documenting 460's early history with the 317th TCW. We reviewed the documentation and aircraft records they have on hand. The aircraft served with the South Vietnamese Air Force from October 1972 to August 1975 when it escaped the collapse of South Vietnam and was returned to the USAF inventory. All of the aircraft records were lost so very little is known about the early years of the aircraft except its various duty assignments.

We have agreed to work with the Air and Space Museum and come up with a history of the aircraft by tying it to the missions it was involved with while at Evreux. They are interested in the people that flew on it with their stories and experiences; pictures of the aircraft; missions it was on; any background information on the aircraft, people and the 317th.

Some of the missions that the 317th supported that we could think of at the meeting were: Lady Be Good recovery, Congo airlift, Mercury space program, Lebanon crisis, India operation, earthquakes in Agadir, Iran and Yugoslavia, special flights in the Berlin corridor. They were really surprised about our involvement in the Lady Be Good and the Mercury space program. If 460 was on either of these two missions, they would consider that a very important story.

Everybody's assistance is needed for this project. It is really important for us to get as much information as possible. We want to ensure that the history of this aircraft, the 317th TCW, and its people are properly recorded at the most popular museum in the world. Just the museum Web site gets over 3 million visitors a month and they will place a link on their site to our 317th Veterans Group Web site.

What we need to get started is for everybody to go through their old pictures, log books, orders, whatever, to look for anything concerning 460 or any of the missions it may have been on. Mike Heilman, our Unit Historian, and Jimmie Register, our Aircraft Historian, are going to research the AF records at the records retention center to see what they can find.

The museum will duplicate any original material, printed or pictures that the owner wants returned. Donations of original material can naturally be made.

The aircraft is currently stored at Dulles Airport and has been preserved for outside storage. Engines are removed, windows and doors sealed, etc. We told them when it is time to get 460 ready to go inside the museum we could probably get some volunteers to help put it back in shape. They may take us up on the offer, but it is a long time off. The aircraft is painted in the South East Asia camouflage colors and they have not made a decision yet whether to keep it in this configuration or go back to the original configuration as it was at Evreux. We naturally are hoping for the original 317th colors and can maybe influence that decision with how much material we come up with. Does anybody have a copy of the paint specifications?

Bill Lloyd was appointed contact person for this project. His email address is LloydwBill@aol.com. Mike Heilman, with Jimmie Registers help, will be coordinating the historical activities. Bill will be collecting and recording all the material and submit it to the museum.

So lets get busy on this important project that will put us in the history books of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. One day we will be able to take our kids and our grandchildren to this museum and tell them about our contribution to the 317th TCW and the preservation of this aircraft.

The 317th Airlift Group at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, is actively supporting this project. SSgt Mark Hyght, 317th AG Historian, is doing research on all the old records he has available to see what information he can come up with.

Click below to see what information the museum currently has:

http://www.nasm.edu/nasm/aero/aircraft/lockheed_c130.htm
http://www.nasm.edu/nasm/ext/

If everybody goes through their old stuff from Evreux and or Lockbourne we should be able to fill in a lot of history of this aircraft. This is a great opportunity for our organization and the preservation of the 317th Troop Carrier Wing's history.

Latest Update
11/29/00

Yesterday I met with a representative of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to review the status on our research on the history of 57-460.

I gave him several items of great interest to the museum: One was Reed Hoisington's log book covering his time at Evreux as a Navigator in the 39th TCS from 58 to 61. He flew many missions on 460 and all the details were in the log book. For example, the log showed that 460 was involved in the Lebanon Airlift in 1958. That was a major operation and the log book confirms 460 participation in it. There may be more significant missions listed as we analyze all the entries. Wolfgang Peters had sent in a great 35 mm slide of 460 at Everux getting an engine changed. I had blown this up to an 8x10 color picture that came out really good. It is an impressive picture and Jim Timmons will be putting it on the 317th Veterans Group web site. Jim Carney had a picture of his daughter standing in front of 460 at Evreux. Both pictures were passed on to the museum. I also gave him a history of the 317th TCW and the assignment history of 460 that I had received from SSgt. Hyght of Dyess AFB.

I had received several emails talking about 460 in the Congo Airlift, so we were able to confirm that 460 was involved in that mission. I had several old magazine and newspaper articles about that mission which I passed on.

I showed him all the emails I have received the last several months about 460 and the museum rep thought we had made a lot of progress and encouraged us to keep on digging.

So far I have not been able to get any information about the Mercury missions where we put aircraft all over the southern part of Africa and into India to provide rescue support in case the space craft came down in that part of the world. In those early days of space flight, NASA had no idea if everything would go as planned. Each aircraft had a helicopter on board with para rescue experts. The maintenance support aircraft was always based in Nairobi with a full maintenance team and a roll on spares kit. Our orders always said Wheelis AFB and points south. If we can tie 460 into any of those missions in any way, that would become a fantastic headline story for the museum and the aircraft.

They have not reached a final decision yet on how to paint 460 for display in the museum. They recognize that our organization is unhappy with the original plan to have it in the South East Asia camouflage scheme where it served only with the South Vietnam Air Force. Jim Timmons and myself voiced our opinion on that very clearly at our first meeting. The pictures I produced of 460 and other aircraft at Evreux will help sway opinion our way, maybe. I need some help here. How can we justify to the museum that it should be displayed in the 317th color scheme? As vets we have a lot to say in this matter, so send me your thoughts and I will put them together and send them to the right people at the museum. One of you even has an original decal that went on the wing tanks. Want to donate it to the museum and 460?

It was a very productive meeting and showed that we are very serious about preserving the history of one of our aircraft and the 317th TCW. The museum representative was impressed with how organized we are with the email list, bulletin board, etc., and our efforts to date.

All I can say is lets keep looking through our old pictures and other stuff we have kept all these years. Time to put it to good use!

Bill Lloyd