Sacramento McClellan Airport (MCC)
Sacramento McClellan Airport is a privately-owned public-use airport located 10 km northeast of the central business district of Sacramento.
The airport is on the former site of McClellan Air Force Base, which existed as a military base from 1939 to 2000. It was transferred to Sacramento County in 2000, as part of its conversion into McClellan Business Park, and was purchased by McClellan Business Park in October 2017.
The airport is a public-use facility which operates as an uncontrolled airfield in what the FAA designates as Class 'E' Airspace. The airport is mainly used for general aviation.
Current airport tenants include Calstar, the California Department of Forestry, United States Coast Guard, Air Station Sacramento, Dassault Falcon, United States Forest Service, PODS, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. [¬ Wikipedia] |
AEROSPACE MUSEUM of CALIFORNIA
Aerospace Museum at Sacramento McClellan Airport (MCC). Date of visit 11Apr2018.
The air base opened in 1939 and was named after Major Hezekiah McClellan, a pioneer of Arctic flying; he was killed in
1936.
My wife and I very much enjoyed a tour here by our good friend John Vogel, volunteer here at the museum.
DC-3 42-68835/W-CU (c/n 11762)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper 42-68835. It was leased by American Airlines after World War II.
The U.S. Geological
Survey operated it as N19924 in the 1960s. It progressed through a series of privat owners,
before the
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seized it in Florida, in 1982.
DC-3 268835/W-CU, the D-Day colours are striking. It did not participate in the D-Day invasion in
Normandy but did fly resupply mission soon after from England. It did fly in 'Operation Market Garden', which
was the largest paratroop mission during WW2. And it flew re-supply missions during 'the Battle of the Bulge'.
John Vogel sent me these photos to support my photos of 268835/CU-W
DC-3 N19924 'United States Geological Survey', 1958. Photo by Larry Smalley.
Photo from the archives of the Aerospace Museum of California
John wrote
: "N19924 probably very soon after its arrival at McClellan in 1986
(photographer unknown; photo from the archives of the Aerospace Museum of California
)".
C-47 42-68835/CU-W
On the left: "repainted, now marked W-CU, with Superwoman (?) as nose art (dated Aug 2003, though I am not
sure when 268835 was repainted)".
On the right: "note the markings above the windows; these were on the port side only (my photo, dated Aug 2003). There is an inflight photo in the museum's archives (which I was not able to reproduce because of the poor quality), dated 'late 1944', showing similar port side markings, although I am not positive the museum reproduction is exact.
But the Superwoman and W-CU code are accurate!"
Comments by John Vogel.
John added the following information:
C-53D-DO USAAF s/n 42-68835, c/n 11762
Jul 12, 1943 - delivered to the USAAF at Baer Field, Indiana
Jul 13, 1943 - Modification Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Jul/Aug, 1943 - various other US locations
Oct 4, 1943 - arrived in England (it did not fly over Normandy on D-Day, but certainly was
active after that)
Jul 16, 1945 - returned to the US
Aug 15, 1945 - to the RFC (Reconstruction Finance Corp.), Augusta, GA for disposal
Sep 6, 1945 - civilian registered NC19924, leased to American Airlines
Sep 10, 1945 - converted to DC-3A at the American Airlines facility, New
York
Jul 16, 1948 - returned to the WAA (War Assets Administration)
1953 - to the USGS (US Geological Survey Agency)
from here I have no dates: it was operated by the USGS through at least 1958
date unknown - J Benn, JR, Arlington, Virginia
date unknown - Flying Sportsman, Falls Church, Virginia
Nov 1967 - G Cavoli, Willingboro, New Jersey
Aug 4, 1977 - Island Air Corp., Ft Lauderdale, FL from there details are uncertain, but N19924 was reported as stored
Jul 1978 - in Miami, Florida
Feb 1983 - in Gainsville, Florida
Jul 1984 - in Addison, Texas, seized by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)
Oct 1986 - flown to the McClellan Aviation Museum, Sacramento, CA
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The open door invites a look on board..
Information about this DC-3 military variant, a C-53 Skytrooper, and its history in detail.
The C-53 was, after been restored to flying condition by 440th TAW, flown to McClellan AFB in Oct.1986
to join the museum.
Bucket seats!
Probably not very comfortable but the 'passengers' did not remain on board for long!
The cockpit shows its age..
Volunteer offering the inside story to many of these planes
Beech C-45 '42-51291' (c/n 5618) flanked by two Big Dougs.
The Beech was a naval variant, SNB-2 with serial 51291. It was accepted by United States Navy with BuNo. 51291
on 06Oct1943. In 1962 it was redesignated as UC-45J and staged through NAS Patuxent River and NAS El Toro.
From an unknown date to May 1966 it was operated for the Naval Weapons Lab at Nval Air Station Dahlgren, MD.
By May 1966 it was struck off charge from the United States Navy.
On 18Jun70 Certificate of Airworthiness
was issued
for N11248 (C-45, 51291). Soon a sale reported to a new owner in Wright Patterson,OH. Thus entering
the inventory of the National Museum of the United States Air Force Loan Program, Wright Field, Dayton,OH and
subsequently loaned to Aerospace Museum of California here at Sacramento. During September 1988 it was
transported by truck and delivered to the museum. In April 1992 it was restored with markings applied 42-51291, representing a USAF C-45J. [Source: aerialvisuals.ca]
Somewhere along the line this Twin Beech was assigned tailnumber N11248, but perhaps never
applied.
Douglas C-54
(military variant of the DC-4) 42-72449 (c/n 10554)
Built in 1942 under USAAF contract, but immediately transferred to the Navy upon acceptance as BuNo. 50874.
It served its entire career with USN/USMC, until civil registered as N27MA in 1976. It was with the museum by 1979.
Fairchild C-119, '52-2114'
(c/n or msn: 10825)
John told me this was an ex/ Canadian Air Force plane so I knew where to look!
Canadian CC-119 22114 was written
off on 19Mar1956
at Montreal-Dorval Int'l Airport, damaged beyond repair following hangar fire
and subsequently written off.
aviation-safety.net/database
From my (RL) own records over the years:
C/n 10825 @Museum McClellan AFB, Calif. '22114' was carried while in Canadian AF, tho acft now (1994) in full USAF c/s; ex/Hawkins&Powers N15502. Rankin-Lowe: "ex-RCAF C-119G, s/n 22114, c/n 10825. It was t/o/s by RCAF 10Mar63, to Saskatoon 28Jun65, s/o/s 13Sep65; sold through CADC to Frank Shelley Electronics 01Feb67, bt H&P rereg'd N15502 (dte? but prior May77!), not cvtd to tanker; HP traded to USAF Museum (+C119s ex/ RCAF 22105 + 22122) for UC-27 161628 (+P-2s 145905, 147957 + 148342) 1988."
To McClellan Museum as '52-2114' (serial really is a F-86H Sabre). |
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, '22114', former Canadian Armed Forces CC-119 22124
I ended up with serial 22124 as noted in 2017 issue of 'Survivors', published by Gatwick Aviation Society.
The FY 1952 batches for the C-119 were 52-5840/5954, 52-6000/6058, 52-9981/9982 (all C-119G's).
Fairchild C-119, '22114'; after damage by fire in 1956 it has never flown though it was
procured by H&P Aerial Firefighters (of Greybull,WY) - but this must have been for parts.
This is one airframe involved in a veritable 'diaspora' originating from Greybull,WY! See my longtime log report.
Simon Beck added to this: "This C-119 at McClellan is indeed ex/ RCAF 22114, as it is marked on the tail.
It was one of 5 or more purchased by the USAF Museum Program from H&P in 1988 for display at various AF bases.
For some reason they all kept their original RCAF s/n but were 'presented' as a USAF one.
The ex-RCAF C-119 at March Field is marked '0-22122'. RCAF 22124 was completely destroyed by fire."
Sean Keating went inside, in April 2023, and photographed the data plate C-119G c/n 10825:
Note 'DATE ACCEPTED 12353' [03DEC53]
More pix of '114' by Sean on C-119 DOSSIER PAGE #4 and Sean's gallery on my website.
For comparison John sent me these photos, seen in the livery they arrived in here:
Larger size images plus John's captions on my Photos by Friends & Guests #55
Convair VC-131D-CO (CV340) Samaritan, 54-2822; last (& only) civil registration N8455H.
Even by 1993 it was listed with this museum.
It wears 'California' on the tailfin.
Assigned to 144 FIS at one time, at Fresno ANG.
A fine selection of 'propliners' (vintage prop transports) here at the museum
Lockheed EC-121K Warning Star '03-0552'; BuNo.141309, on display here as USAF 53-0552.
This is one of two Warning Stars painted as 53-0552! The other one is at Tinker AFB,OK I believe.
From JoeBaugher.com: '141309 to MASDC March 1978 for storage as 5C0105. To USAF inventory as CK0223.
Now on display at McClellan Aviation Museum, California, marked as 53-552.'
'552' stems from service with 552d
AEWCW at McClellan AFB, California. A tribute; the 'real' 552 is on display
at Tinker AFB.
Wikipedia has interesting details on the Warning Stars, also on service of these special aircraft during the Vietnam War!
John sent me this image to show how it arrived at McClellan:
John wrote for this photo: 'C-121, BuNo. 141309, was flown to the Museum in April 1983.
The photo, dated May 1983, shows the aircraft still in
it full US Navy markings, except that 'U S Air Force'-titles have replaced the 'U S Navy'-titles
on the fuselage.
Douglas A-1E Skyraider, '32-463/EC'
John wrote: "A-1E, BuNo.132463 (c/n 9480), was accepted by the US Navy Feb.'54, and SoC Jul'63.
Stored at NAF Washington, DC from 1963 to 1980, and then in Silver Hill, Maryland (for the National Air & Space Museum). It was brought to the Museum in a C-5 transport in October 1985. It is painted in the markings of the
14th
Special Operations Wing, although the aircraft has no known USAF association.
The photo is from the Museum files and was taken at McClellan and no date is noted, but the aircraft
was painted in its 'USAF'-m/s by February 1988. See image on Photos by Friends #55
North American Super Sabre, 56-777/CB; equally a Vietnam War veteran!
More such jets were on display here, such as the Phantom II, a Republic F-105 Thunderchief, a MiG-21 and many others.
Fairchild-Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II, 76-0540 'Fist'.
Note the many sort of kills recorded below the cockpit: Gulf War veteran. During that war half of the aircraft was
shot away but it managed to land! The USAF tried to repair it but too much had been damaged.
No doubt this A-10 Thunderbolt is the youngest airplane preserved here.
North American T-28B Trojan, '38327'.
Originally BuNo.138327 (c/n 200-398)
See image on Photos by Friends #55 for the livery it arrived in here at McClellan.
North American T-6G Texan, 51-15124
(c/n 182-211))
Many of this batch, 51-14314/15237, were exported abroad and may have been know as 'Harvards'.
Grumman HU-16B/E Albatross, 7209 (USAF Serial 51-7209; c/n 282, also written as G-282)
This Albatross was in fact a USAF plane, but the Coast Guard guys offered to repaint it for free one day;
however, they stipulated
it would be sprayed as a USCG plane! And now, on special ceremonies with the USCG it
gets
towed
to the Coast Guard ramp and plays a proud part in some official event. A win-win deal I'd say!
I have a 1996 image, a scanned slide, on my Scans from my Archive.
Grumman S-2 (TS-2A) Tracker, N412DF (c/n G-222) of the California Dept of Forestry (ex/ US Navy BuNo.133251)
My records show I have a 1990s and a photo from 2000 of Tanker 78 hiding in my collection somewhere...?
Btw, see a scanned slide by Benjamin Knowles of N412DF, from '94 on my Scanned-archive-slides (compiled 2024)
https://aerospaceca.org/
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Photos © R.Leeuw
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