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Akin to a half-life refit for a warship, the transport stretch programme has probably doubled the effective service life of the Starlifter. Pictured in this photo is a C-1418 parked alongside the much shorter C-141A. USAF introduced the first of 184 Starlifters into service in 1965 as a replacement for the C-124 Globemaster (pictured in our centre spread). The stretch programme delivered the 270th converted airframe to USAF in mid-1982 which effectively gave MAC an additional 90 C-141As, in terms of uplift capability, at 1963 prices. The Royal Air Force pioneered a similar programme with its C-130s during the seventies which paid dividends during the Falklands campaign and opened the way to similar stretching programmes ori this Lockheed airlifted by other nations.
USAF Airlift Operations in Australia
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USAF Military Airlift Command in Australia
Flying the ‘Down under’ Kiroo Mission With the USAF
The huge grey and white aeroplane crouched, like some Gargantuan basking lizard, on the apron at RAAF Base Richmond. The aircraft was a United States Air Force C-141B – the Starlifter. The scene with this mammoth aeroplane dwarfing the Caribou and Hercules In the dawn light at Richmond Is not an unusual one, as normally two aircraft per week pass through Richmond on their way to re-supply military bases in Central and Western Australia. In this article, we describe their task, and experience the feeling of flying the ‘Kiroo’ mission.
The Australia-bound Starlifters originate from Norton Air Force Base in California, where they operate with the 63rd Military Airlift Wing. The United States Air Force Military Airlift Command (MAC) operate close to 270 C-141Bs, along with Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and C-130 Hercules aircraft. MAC is divided into two Air Forces, the 21st and 22nd: the 21st is responsible for the eastern half of the global airlift network, and the 22nd for the western half, which includes Australia and New Zealand. The 22nd Air Force operates five C-5/C-141 Military Airlift Wings (MAW), of which the 63rd is one. With an organisation of this complexity, it is a huge task to monitor, administer and operate these aircraft, and when the aircraft operate in the Pacific region, they fall under the control of PACAF (Pacific Air Forces), whose headquarters are located at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
The C-141 on the tarmac at Richmond, 60177, had arrived from Hickam AFB on the previous day, and today it would fly on to Woomera, Learmonth, and return. After spending the night in a Sydney hotel, the crew arrived at the base at 5. 30 in the morning. After flight planning and briefing, there was time for a quick breakfast. The crew consisted of three pilots, four flight engineers and three loadmasters larger crew than normal, having an extra two flight examiners flight engineers and an extra loadmaster. The aircraft had been prepared by the permanent USAF contingent at Richmond, a detachment from 619 Military Airlift Support Squadron (MASS), based at Hickam. With the external preflights complete, the handful of passengers destined for Woomera or Learmonth were seated at the front of the cargo compartment, and before long we were ready for engine start. By 7. 15 we were taxiing, then lined up, and takeoff clearance was given. With the smooth application of the throttles, the big aircraft accelerated briskly down the runway and was airborne, the four Pratt & Whitney jets powering the giant skyward.
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