Travis transports vintage aircraft

  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Office of Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Sept. 14 wasn't just another day on the flightline at Travis Air Force Base. 

In preparation for an appearance at the "Wings Over the Pacific" airshow Sept. 19 and 20 at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, members of the 60th Aerial Port Squadron at Travis helped a civilian stunt pilot load his plane onto a C-5 Galaxy for transportation to the event. 

The situation is uncommon and Tech. Sgt. David Crawford with the 60th Aerial Port Squadron said it's the first time he's such a thing in his time in the APS. 

"You don't see many vintage aircraft anyway," he said. "This does not happen all the time." 

The plane placed inside the C-5 was an SNJ-5B, the Navy equivalent of the Air Force's AT-6. 

Sergeant Crawford, Senior Airman Yamin Lewis, Senior Airman Duilio Valle, Airman 1st Class Joshua Ohashi, Airman 1st Class Chris Rhude, Airman 1st Class James Lenick, and Ramon Duenas from the 60th APS crew along with the plane's owner and mechanic pushed the aircraft up to the C-5 before it was fastened to a cord to help pull and maneuver it. 

In order to adjust and center its weight inside the C-5, the SNJ was pushed slowly by the team before it was fastened to the belly of the C-5. 

Because its wingspan was too wide for the cargo bay of the C-5, the wings were taken off of the aircraft and loaded separately. 

The owner of the vessel, Bruce Mayes, has performed air shows and air races with the SNJ for more than 10 years. 

Mr. Mayes said the Sept. 14 visit to Travis was his first time visiting the base's flightline since his father was stationed here in the late 1950s. 

Additionally, Mr. Mayes said he felt a strong connection to the plane and its lineage because his father flew SNJs. 

The SNJ-5B was used as a basic trainer, an instrument trainer and even as a gunnery trainer from 1944 to 1957. Mr. Mayes' particular vessel was used at Pensacola Air Base, Fla.; Memphis Air Base, Tenn.; Corpus Christi Air Base, Texas; and San Diego Air Base, Calif.