Warplanes of the USA: Nebraska, Historic Photos
Nebraska Warplanes
(National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photo)
The first airmail field used by the Post Office Department in Omaha, Nebraska was known as Ak-sar-Ben Field (or Nebraska, spelled backwards). The field was part of the transcontinental flyway between New York City, New York to San Francisco, California. The airfield was the site of one of the most dramatic events in the early years of the airmail service; pilot Jack Knight's historic flight during a demonstration of night flying. Due to the limited instrumentation of the time and lack of beacon lighting, flying time was limited by the length of the day. Knight was originally scheduled to fly just one leg of the first day and night-time transcontinental airmail trip on 22 Feb 1921. He left North Platte, Nebraska, flying the mail eastward to Omaha, where he arrived well after dark and in the middle of a snowstorm. Knight was able to land safely at the Omaha field because it was lit by a line of burning gasoline drums placed along the runway. The relief pilot refused to continue west to Chicago , Illinois through the storm. Knight volunteered to take the flight. He took off for Chicago at 2 am with only a road map to guide him over terrain he had not even crossed in daylight hours. Amazingly, Knight successfully completed the flight into Chicago, winning national applause for his daring feat. Photo taken ca 1920.
(National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photo)
The Post Office Department constructed hangars for their use at the Omaha, Nebraska airmail field. Omaha was part of the transcontinental flyway between New York City, New York to San Francisco, California. A group of mail airplanes are parked in front of the main hangar. Most of the craft are Douglas M-3 or M-4 airplanes. A Boeing Model 40 aircraft is parked at the far right of the photograph. These aircraft were among those built as part of a search by postal officials for a successor to the de Havilland DH-4B, an airplane that was nicknamed the workhorse of the early airmail service. Although the Douglas planes were used for airmail service under the Department, the Boeing was not; the one here is with Boeing Air Transport. Both airplanes were used in the later 1920s by commercial aviation companies. Photo taken ca 1927.
(USAF Photo)
Lockheed F-80A-1-LO Shooting Star (Serial No. 44-85245), 173d Fighter Squadron, Nebraska Air National Guard, ca 1947.
(USAF Photo)
North American F-86D-40-NA Sabre (Serial No. 52-3653), 173d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Nebraska Air National Guard, ca 1957.
(USAF Photo)
McDonnell RF-4C-25-MC Phantom (Serial No. 65-0859), 173rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Nebraska Air National Guard, ca 1972.
(CMSgt. Don C. Sutherland, USAF Photo)
McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II, 173rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 155th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Nebraska Air National Guard, being maintained during "Reconnaissance Air Meet '86", November 1986.
(Alain Rioux Photo)
McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II (Serial No. 65-0917), Nebraska Air National Air National Guard, ca 1992.
(Senior Master Sgt. Lee Straube, USAF Photo)
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet flown by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels is refueled by a Nebraska Air National Guard KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft over Nebraska on 24 Sep 2006.
(TSgt. Mike Moore, USAF Photo)
Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (Serial No. 59-1495), 173rd Air Refueling Squadron, 155th Air Refueling Wing, Nebraska Air National Guard, refuels Mcdonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle fighters from the 19th Fighter Squadron from Elmendorf Air Force Base over Alaska during excercise "Northern Edge '96", 1996.
(USAF Photo)
Boeing E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post (AABNCP) aircraft.
(USAF Photo)
Test pilots and personnel from the 418th Flight Test Squadron, out of Edwards Air Force Base, California, conducted aerial refueling testing with a KC-46 Pegasus and an E-4B Nightwatch, out of Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, in the skies over Southern California, 4 April 2022.
(USAF Photo)
Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call flies a training mission over Lake Mead, Ariz. Compass Call is the designation for a modified version of the C-130 Hercules aircraft configured to perform tactical command, control and communications countermeasures. Specifically, the modified aircraft uses noise jamming to prevent communication or degrade the transfer of information essential to command and control of weapon systems and other resources. Modifications to the aircraft include an electronic countermeasures system, air refueling capability and associated navigation and communications systems.
(USAF Photo)
A U.S. Air Force Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call aircraft (s/n 73-1573) from the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron takes off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona (USA), on 18 February 2007, for a simulated deployment as part of operational readiness inspection "Coronet White 07-ACC-09".
(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)
Boeing RC-135U Combat Sent (Serial No. 61-4847), of the 55th Strategic Reconaissance Wing, Offutt AFB Nebraska.
(USAF Photo)
RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft moves into position behind a KC-135T/R Stratotanker for an aerial refueling at a speed greater than 250 knots over Southwest Asia. When connected to the refueling boom, the aircraft will receive more than 40,000 pounds of fuel allowing it to remain on station or move on to other stations to perform its mission. The RC-135 flightcrew of Capt. Mike Edmondson, pilot; 1st Lt. Erik Todoroff, copilot; and 1st Lt. Chris Young, navigator are deployed to the 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, in Southwest Asia, from 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. They are natives of East Moline, Il., Jackson, Mich., and Charleston, South Carolina.
(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)
Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint (Serial No. 62-4139), of the 55th Strategic Reconaissance Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, 1985.
(USAF Photo)
An RC-135 Cobra Ball from the 55th Reconnaissance Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., veers away from a KC-135 Stratotanker after being refueld 26 March 2008 over the Pacific Alaska Range Complex.
(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)
Boeing EC-135A Looking Glass (Serial No. 63-0048), of the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, 55th Wing, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 1998.
(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)
Boeing EC-135C Looking Glass (Serial No. 63-0054), of the 7th Airborne Command & Control Squadron, 55th Wing, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 23 May 1997
(Senior Airman Mary Thach, Nebraska Air National Guard Photo)
Airmen and soldiers from the Nebraska National Guard push two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters onto a C-17 from the Missouri Air National Guard's 172nd Airlift Wing. The Missouri ANG transported the helicopters and soldiers from the 135th General Support Aviation Battalion to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, for training 10 Apr 2013, at the 155th Air Refueling Wing.
(Spc. Lisa Crawford, Nebraska Air National Guard Photo)
Nebraska Army National Guard's 1-367th Aviation Regiment (Security and Support) move the blades of three Nebraska UH-72 Lakota helicopters in together to make more space for other aircraft, 12 Sep 2017.
The purpose of this handbook is to provide aviation enthusiasts with a simple checklist on where to find the surviving retired military aircraft that are preserved in the state of Nebraska. The majority of the Nebraska Warbird Survivors found in this book can be viewed at the Strategic Air and Space Museum near Omaha. Aircraft displayed include a Lockheed SR-71, B-52 Stratofortress, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress, B-36J Peacemaker, and the B-58 Hustler. Aircraft displayed as gate guardians at Nebraska Air National Guard installations and in a number of cities throughout the state are also listed, including an RF-84 Thunderjet, a Corsair II, and an A-4 Skyhawk.
The museum staffs and volunteer organizations in Nebraska have done a particularly good job of preserving the great variety of American combat veteran aircraft, illustrated here. Hopefully, as more aircraft are recovered from their crash sites and restored, traded or brought back from private owners, they too will be added to the record. The book lists the aircraft alphabetically by manufacturer, number and type. This list is also appended with a brief summary of the aircraft presently on display within the state and a bit of its history in the US military.
Order book: http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000014264/Nebraska-Warbird-Survivors-2002.aspx
Order book in Canada: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Nebraska-Warbird-Survivors-Handbook-Where-Harold-A-A-Skaarup/9780595212392-item.html?ikwid=harold+skaarup&ikwsec=Books
