Hey Mister, Can You Give Me A Lift?

[Mark Nankivil]

Here's a few lifts of 131st FW MOANG aircraft over the years that I have scanned from my friend Fred Harl's collection. The F-84F I think is the one that went to Festus, Missouri and the C-47 went to the Museum of Transportation over in the west side of the St. Louis Metroplex. The last pic is over I-70 at the Missouri River in St. Charles (looking westbound) for those of you familiar with the St. Louis area.

Anyone else with lift pics?

Enjoy the Day! Mark

[Zachary]

I was a tour guide at the Museum of Transportation for three years and was never able to see any photos of the C-47 being airlifted in. Thanks for sharing those Mark!

Zack

[Mark Nankivil]

Hi Zack!

Miss having you around here - hope all is well with you and yours up there. Sad that the C-47's condition has gone downward since it's delivery. I'm hoping they do as good a job on restoring it as they have on the T-33A. Fingers crossed....

Enjoy the Day! Mark

[tulsaboy]

How bout this?

B-24 leaving Tulsa for Barksdale, late 1970's-

kevin

[aeroeng]

I've never seen the Missouri River that low in my life. Any idea when the photo was taken? Great pictures.

[Mark Nankivil]

Hey Kevin, was that a Tulsa built Liberator? If so I'd guess you were in deep mourning...

Aeroeng, no dates on the photo but I think the sign in front of the now D-Day painted display has that info. My son is a train addict so I'm sure I'll be out there very soon and will check on that. I thought the same thing to about the river!

Enjoy the Day! Mark

[tulsaboy]

Nope, that's the Ford one that is now at Barksdale. It was given to Spartan as a multi-engine trainer, used only for ground runups. After it landed at Tulsa, it never flew again- until, of course, it was slung under a helicoptor. A guy here in Tulsa bought it from Spartan for scrap, traded it to the AF, and the AF came and got it and took it to Barksdale.

Still sad for me, though. Our museum was just a few years too late.

kevin

[BHawthorne]

Very cool. Could I have permission to post that first pic in my website gallery once it's up? I'm trying to collect a lot of F-84F specific pics.

[maxum96]

I've always been fond of the Skycranes. I think they're so awesome looking and sounding.

[retroaviation]

I'm too lazy to go back and find it right now, but in the old thread about the PBY coming to my place, someone posted some neat old shots of a Chinook relocating the tired ol' bird from Harlingen to Brownsville.

Gary

[astixjr]

Great photos Mark! I've only ever seen one or two photos of this lift but none of them were this nice. It's interesting to note that in the first lift photo of the C-47, the cowlings and props are still on the plane. In the shot over the St. Charles bridge, they are gone. It's also interesting to note how different the Missouri River looks today from what it looked like in the mid-1970s. I doubt they would allow such a lift to take place today. Cool photos, more! more!

[Mark Nankivil]

BHawthorne - you're welcome to with credit to Fred Harl.

Al, I am going to take prints and a CD of these images to the museum and see if that might kick loose a look at anything they might have and from there see if I can get a copy or scan them. Here's hoping.... And you're right and as AeroEng noted, cannot ever remember the river that low. Goes to show you the changes as a result of the levees and the like.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

[CrewDawg]

I worked with the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale back in the late '80's when I was stationed there and changed a tire on that B-24. She's in sad shape now, sitting outside in an airpark becoming a corroded birds nest. As I understand that is the last Ford built B-24J in existance. They also have a B-17 and B-29 sitting outside on static display too. Like the rest of us all they need is time and money.