Ground Support Equipment in Aviation Museums

[Noha307]

Found a few more at a lesser known museum in New Zealand:

GSE at the Ashburton Aviation Museum

• OLB Bedford Truck, Chassis Number OLB219465 - Previously used by the RNZAF on the North Island
  
• Forklift - Previously used by Air New Zealand
  
• Aircraft Tug - Previously used by Air New Zealand
  

[Noha307]

Again, while more generally transport and not strictly aviation focused, The Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Istanbul has an aircraft tanker truck on display. It is apparently a White 3000 and has Mobil Aviation logos applied:

(Source: Deutscher Blog)

Note that the museum may have other GSE given the airstair and trailer in this photo:

(Source: Vintage Aviation Pictures)

On a similar note, the California Science Center also apparently used to have a White 3000 sitting next to its DC-8. It doesn't seem to be there anymore, and its unclear whether it was actual GSE in the first place:

(Source: Flickr)

They also had a Ford F1 fuel truck sitting next to a DC-3, to which all of the above also applies.

(Source: Flickr)

[Noha307]

I found two museums that have O-11 fire trucks on display.

The Aerospace Museum of California has an A variant, 54-L-69, on display:

(Source: TripAdvisor)

The Castle Air Museum has a B variant, 57L2404, on display:

(Source: Hooniverse)

On a related note, an O-11B that was on display at Barksdale Air Force Base was put up for auction along with a M43 ambulance back in 2012.

Finally, I would also like to take a second to quickly point out the website Fire Trucks at War, which is an excellent reference on the subject of U.S. military firefighting equipment.

[Scott Rose]

Neat stuff! Keep it coming! The older the better!

[ZRX61]

There's one of those White fuellers at a closed airport in the Sacramento area. Hasn't moved in years.

Again, while more generally transport and not strictly aviation focused, The Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Istanbul has an aircraft tanker truck on display. It is apparently a White 3000 and has Mobil Aviation logos applied:

(Source: Deutscher Blog)

[Noha307]

Somebody said older? I just so happened to find a vehicle that fits the bill perfectly!

The WACO Air Museum has a fuel tanker on display that is probably the oldest piece of GSE I've come across so far. I don't know if it was originally a tanker or has been converted to one though. The sign nearby identifies it as a "1924 Ford TT Truck". Unfortunately, the quality of the image on the Google Maps virtual tour I used is too poor to read the rest of the sign (It's at the back of the hangar, you'll have to click around to see it):

(Source: Model Aviation)

The National Naval Aviation Museum has a Mark II, Model 2 Bomb Service Truck on display:


Two of the Lone Star Flight Museum's tugs are visible in the background of this picture at their new facility:

(Source: Yelp)

One of the two appears to be a former Southwest Airlines tug according to the paint scheme and logo it has in this picture:

(Source: MASA Special)

The CAF's Central Texas Wing has a CT series Clark tug that they just recently repaired and repainted:


As a quick aside, the problem I've found while looking for additions to this thread is that nobody likes taking pictures of aircraft tugs, so they can be hard to find!

[Noha307]

It's time for a Canadian trip!

Here's one I don't think I've covered before, a 1937 (I think that's what the sign reads) General Motors refueling truck at the Western Canada Aviation Museum:


(Source: OldJets.net)

The Alberta Aviation Museum picked up a new fire truck - courtesy of Mr. Doug MacKenzie. It's a Sicard Pyrene that was used at CFB Namao during the mid-1960s. The article claims it is serial number 1 (I am assuming this means manufacturer serial number 1 and not something else). I will point out that it had a big number 6 painted on both sides:



It is also worth noting that a second one (I am assuming the same type) from CFB Cold Lake was also donated by Mr. MacKenzie to the Reynolds Alberta Museum.

The AAM apparently already has a much older RCAF Ford or Willys fire truck:

(Source: Canadian History for Everyone?)

It's worth comparing to another firetruck at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada I posted about earlier in this thread.

Finally, the AAM auctioned off an aircraft tug and a 1950-60s baggage handler in 2016.

[Noha307]

While not technically GSE, the Cletrac in the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor might be confused for it. The tractor is of course notable in its own right as being part of the infamous Niihau incident:

(Source: Alamy)


(Source: Tasty Island Hawaii)

Interestingly, note the change in signage between the two photos, with the second one having a Japanese translation added. The change is probably related to the controversy over the signage.

I also came across this fun picture of the American Airpower Museum's Clark aircraft tug, which they apparently use to shuttle visitors to the airport's control tower:

(Source: Military Aircraft Historian)

[Noha307]

Here's a few more instances I found while browsing the web. Sorry about the size, I don't know how to make some of these pictures smaller.

The Wings Restorations shop associated with the Wings of the North Museum has apparently been working on an unknown aircraft tug in recent months:


(Source: Facebook)

The Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum has a D2 Caterpillar tractor that was used for moving aircraft and a Chevrolet 2.5 Ton Truck that may or may not have been GSE:

(Source: Flickr)


(Source: Flickr)

The Freeman Army Airfield Museum has restored and displays one of the two original base firetrucks, apparently a Ford/American LaFrance:
Link to Oversize Photo
(Source: IndianaMilitary.org)

Link to Oversize Photo
(Source: TripAdvisor)

[Noha307]

I've already covered the Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum, but their website seems to have missed one of their tugs:

(Source: Hillsboro Tribune)

The Hill Aerospace Museum has a Dodge Model WC-54 ambulance that may have been GSE:


The Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation has a red-painted R-2 crash truck, number 80255630 (?):
(See attached)
(Source: Google Maps)

The Minter Field Air Museum has a jeep that is certainly painted as GSE, but I don't have any information that confirms it was ever used in this capacity:

(Source: Yelp)

A TWA painted tug and GPU with N948TW while the latter being stripped for repainting for its new owner - Tristar Experience. It looks like the set has accompanied the plane to its new home, given that the GPU seems to appear in the background of a picture from Facebook:

(Source: Flickr)

The China Lake Alumni website has some excellent photos of GSE in use. These include some crazy tug modifications, a tug with an F4D, a tug on a carrier, an avgas tanker, and an MB-1 crash rescue truck.

Attachments

Had to use the snipping tool and add the picture this way because I can't find a way to direct link to the image.

[Noha307]

While looking at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum on Google Street View, I noticed they had a tug and a mobile power plant parked on the flight line along with their aircraft. I went a little overboard with the number of photographs in this post!

Patuxent River Naval Air Museum

• GPC1, 008697

(Source: TripAdvisor)


(Source: JohnSantic.com)


(Source: fotOblog.lv)


(Source: fotOblog.lv)

• NC-8A-1, Serial Number 123708

(Source: Yelp)


(Source: JohnSantic.com)


(Source: RodBearden.com)

Link to Oversize Photo
(Source: Facebook)

The photo below has a legible view of the display placard:
Link to Oversize Photo
(Source: Imgur)

[Noha307]

While not a museum, strictly speaking, PS Aero does have a large collection of aircraft that it lets visitors tour. As they are a actually more of a saleroom, they do have two pieces of GSE currently for sale:

GSE at PS Aero

• F-104G Bomb Loader
  Link to Oversize Picture
  Link to Oversize Picture
• Schopf Airstair
  
  

[Jerry O'Neill]

Here's the Westfield, MA based, Pioneer Valley Transportation Museum's NC-5B Power Cart.

[Noha307]

To add to the examples in a previous post, the B-36 Peacemaker Museum has recently received a 1954 LaFrance O-11A fire truck that they are planning on restoring:

(Source: B-36 Peacemaker Museum)

The National Museum of the United States Air Force has an olive drab Harlan tug recently made famous in their many moves of aircraft into the new fourth hangar:

(Source: NMUSAF)

The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada has a white tug:

(Source: SilverHawkAuthor.com)

(Source: Travel Manitoba)

The museum also has an orange and gray painted tug with a wooden seat:

(Source: Vickers Viscount Network)

(Source: SmugMug)

There's a third tug seen tucked up underneath the Vickers Viscount:

(Source: SmugMug)

The thought crossed my mind that some tugs at the museum may have been either repainted or reconfigured and so I might have confused two of the same vehicle. However, since the second and third tug were present at during the same visit, and by paying attention to the dates on photospheres of the museum on Google Maps, I can say that the museum has at least 3 distinct tugs.

In the above pictures, note also the two red airstairs used for access to the Viscount.

They also have an additional airstair from Air Canada at their storage location St. Andrews Airport.
Link to Oversize Photo
(Source: ABPic)

One land vehicle at the museum I was able to find a good deal of information on is their CJ-2A "fire jeep":

(Source: CJ3B.info)

[It] was converted as a crash truck for the airport at Dafoe, Saskatchewan in 1946/47. Later used at Yorkton and at St. Andrews Airport near Winnipeg, it was donated to the museum in 1990.

Finally, the Sri Lankan Air Force Museum apparently has quite the collection of land vehicles among their exhibits – although I don't know if any of them are technically GSE.

[Noha307]

I know that I've already covered the Yankee Air Museum, but I just happened to come across a picture of one of their tugs in a red, white, and blue paint scheme, rather than the yellow they apparently are now:

(Source: Fotki)

The March Field Air Museum has a few pieces of GSE:

Oshkosh P-15 Fire Truck:

(Source: Wikipedia)

AG-330 Start Cart:

(Source: MarchField.org)

I started looking and found a few more of these start carts on display in museums. It seems like when the SR-71s were given out to museums, they came along with the aircraft. So far, these seem to be the most photographed pieces of GSE I have found, likely due to their affiliation with such a popular and unique airplane. For example, I very easily found three different webpages/photo galleries dedicated only to them (1, 2, 3).

National Museum of the United States Air Force

(Source: SR-71 Online)

Museum of Aviation

(Source: SR-71 Online)

Hill Aerospace Museum

(Source: Hill Air Force Base)

(Source: SR-71 Online)

Pima Air & Space Museum


(Source: BOBistheOilGuy.com)

USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
Note the tug numbered "5" in the background.

(Source: SR-71 Online)

Blackbird Airpark
This cart has apparently been repainted into a seemingly historically inaccurate black scheme.

(Source: SR-71 Online)

(Source: WVI.com)

Air Zoo

(Source: HeroicRelics.com)

(Source: HeroicRelics.com)

(Source: HeroicRelics.com)

Evergreen Aviation Museum

(Source: Photobucket)

(Source: Photobucket)

Museum of Flight

(Source: BarthWorks.com)

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Link to Oversize Photo
(Source: VWVortex)

National Air and Space Museum
This used to be with the aircraft at its temporary storage area, but doesn't seem to have been placed on display when it was placed on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

(Source: SR-71 Online)

Museum of the Forgotten Warriors and Library Center
Not an aviation museum, but a military museum nonetheless.

(Source: Museum of the Forgotten Warriors and Library Center)

(Source: Northern Recon Group)