Warplanes of the USA: Vermont, Burlington to South Burlington

‍Warplanes preserved in Vermont

Burlington

Curtiss-Wright C-46A Commando (Serial No. 32699), Reg. No. N75296, Webair Inc, Box 883, Burlington, VT 05401.

Burlington International Airport, Vermont Air National Guard

The USAF 158th Fighter Wing is based in Burlington.  In July 2010, the Secretary of the Air Force announced the selection of the Vermont Air National Guard to be the first Air Guard unit to base the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.  Burlington is one of two preferred choices for F-35 operations, along with Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah, while Luke Air Force Base in Arizona is the top pick for training.  Final basing decisions will be made later in the ongoing selection process.  Under the current production schedule, the planes could begin arriving in Vermont in the 2018 federal fiscal year.  The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the next generation multi-purpose joint service aircraft that the Defense Department is testing for procurement for the Air Force, Navy and Marines.  The Air Force version of the F-35 will serve multiple roles and will be the primary replacement for the F-16s and A-10s.  Wikipedia.

Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor (Serial No. 52-10841), Reg. No. N128V

Convair F-102A Delta Dagger (Serial No. 55-3462)

Convair C-131D Samaritan (Serial No. 58-2810)

Douglas C-47B Skytrain (Serial No. 43-161141)

General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon (Serial No. 78-0025)

General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon (Serial No. 79-0357)

General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon (Serial No. 83-1165) aka "Lethal Lady".  This aircraft was the first F-16 to surpass 7,000 flying hours of which 1,000 were in combat.  Mounted on a pylon at the main gate of the 158th Fighter Wing.

Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (Serial No. 58-0592)

(USAF Photo)

Lockheed F-94A Starfire (Serial No. 49-2517)

Martin EB-57B Night Intruder (Serial No. 52-1500)

McDonnell F-4D Phantom II (Serial No. 65-0793), 65-0712, marked with a MiG kill.

McDonnell F-4D Phantom II (Serial No. 66-0240)

Northrop F-89D Scorpion (Serial No. 53-2494), painted as 0-21883.

Camp Johnson, Vermont Militia Museum.

The Vermont Militia Museum is dedicated to the accumulation, preservation and display of military artifacts and memorabilia spanning the history of the state of Vermont in particular and of America in general.  Museum staff strive to research and present as much of the Vermont and National military history as possible. Current displays range from the Revolutionary War through the Iraqi conflict.  Aircraft on display include:

Bell H-13E Sioux (Serial No.)

 (Vermont National Guard Photo)

Bell UH-1V Iroquois (Serial No. 65-09613), Vermont ANG.

 (Vermont National Guard Photo)

Hughes OH-6A Cayuse (Serial No. 66-14390), Vermont ANG.

McDonnell F-4D Phantom II (Serial No. 65-0712), Vermont ANG.

Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a 7/8-scale replica (Serial No. C1096).  Painted in the colors of Lt. H. J. Hank” Burden of 56 Squadron in April 1918.

Ferrisburg

Grace Hall Pugh, a native of Ferrisburg, Vermont, and Vermont’s “First Lady of Aviation,” took out a student permit to fly in 1932 and on 13 March 1938, she became the first licensed woman pilot in Vermont.  “When I got my first license,” she said, “there wasn’t an Aeronautics Board. I got my license from the Motor Vehicle Department.” Grace later explained, “We had to take at least ten hours of dual training and accumulate fifty hours of solo time.  And there weren’t the means of aerial navigation we have now.  We had maps but no radios.  We used the railroads and we called them our ‘iron compass.’  We had to stick our nose out of the cockpit to watch.”

Grace summed up this early period of aviation history by saying, “The pilots were as free as birds. They landed where they dared; they took off where they could; and they flew as high or low as they pleased.  There were only a few rules.  Only the pilots knew what they were and they didn’t always abide by them.  Pilots flew by common sense and by the seats of their pants.  They had few instruments, no radio, no tail wheel or brakes, and they often used automobile gas.  They had to be good to survive.  Recognized by their helmets and goggles, they were the daredevils of the sky and often the subjects of hero worship.” Grace Pugh was one of these daredevils. Well after surviving the risk and excitement of her youth, she died in 1996.

Hawks Mountain

On 14 June 1947, Boeing B-29A Superfortress (Serial No.  44-62228) of the 64th Bomb Squadron, Very Heavy (BVH), flown by 1st Lieutenant Robert G. Fessler crashed in bad weather while en route from Greater Pittsburgh Airport to Boston.  None of the 12-man crew survived.  The casualties were: 1st Lt Robert G. Fessler, Pilot; 2Lt Wilfred E. Gassett, Copilot; 2Lt Ceasare P. Fontana, Observer; MSgt  D.D. Jack, Crew Chief; TSgt Paul H. Fetterhoff; TSgt Clayton K. Knight; SSgt Oliver W. Hartwell; SSgt Sylvester S. Machalac; SSgt John J. O'Toole; Cpl Harry Humphrey; Cpl Robert Clark; and PFC Robert M. Stewart.

Hyde Park

Hughes OH-6A Cayuse (Serial No. 68-17197), Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7779.

Middlebury

Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk (BuNo. 158090), c/n 4127, American Legion post 27.

Rutland

North American AT-6D Texan (Serial No. 41-34702-2), Reg. No. N80938, Nathaniel T. Natoli, 12 Green Knolls Lane, Rutland, VT 05701-3312.

North American T-6G Texan (Serial No. 51-14318-1), Reg. No. N1384Z, Nathaniel T. Natoli, 12 Green Knolls Lane, Rutland, VT 05701-3312.

Shelburne

Fouga CM 170R Magister (Serial No. FM30), Reg. No. N101TD, Dennis R. Demers, 958 Webster Road, Shelburne, VT 05482-6521.

South Burlington

(Vermontish Photo)

Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter (Serial No. ), mounted on a pylon in front of the Vermont Army National Guard HQ.

(Vermontish Photo)

Hughes OH-6 Cayuse helicopter (Serial No.). mounted on a pylon in front of the Vermont Army National Guard HQ.

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