Still have an AC-47.

Republic of South Africa still has a c-47

C-145 Skytruck



C-146 Wolfhound

You quote an Air Force Association Magazine article, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Nordy Schwartz (an old boss, call-sign "Spock") was a C130 pilot.

Recall Secretary of Defense Gates sided with the Army, and at the time Air Force was planning on retiring platforms of ALL kinds to mortgage their soul for F-22.

The Army National Guard lost all their AVCRAD aviation maintenance-haul fixed-wing Sherpas, and they have not been replaced.  Air Force Reserve and Guard got more C130Js, did not divest the A-10, and the Raptor line was capped.  They were hemmorhaging pilots, and later kids were not pleased to be selected and qualified, then be handed portfolio to fly UAVs from Creech.

Bottom line, Air Force got, then killed C27J.  Fast-forward into Afghanistan and USASOC had to airlift forward using smaller and less-capable CASA-212s and contract Buffalos.

My buddy (who was a Navy LC-130 Loadmaster) left the Navy and went to Mansfield, OH to be a C-130 Loadmaster.
He was caught up in the ANG's clusterfuck to get rid of the C-130's and replace them with the C-27J.

He left OH as he didn't want anything to do with the C-27J's.
He went back to Mansfield once they lost their C-27J's and got their C-130H's back.

I don't doubt what you are saying, I think there's more to it than the USAF fucked the USA in the ass dry max no-lube.

@JustinOK34

Correct, went through the other pics from that day and have a good clean shot of the tail in the background of a shot of an AKANG C130J.


It was originally a C-47B, built in 1943 for the USAAF.  It was sold to North Central Airlines as a DC-3C, N2400 in 1956.  In 1984 Missionary Flights and Services in Fort Pierce, FL bought it and it was re-designated N400MF.  Kingdom Air Corps in Sutton, AK bought it in 2015.  It now belongs to N400M LLC, Anchorage, AK.

Actually...
The history on this one is "convoluted".
This is what I can gather...

It was originally built as a USAAF Douglas C-47B-DK, USAAF Serial Number 43-49616, manufacturers construction number 15432.
Built by Douglas in Oklahoma City, OK.
It was accepted by the USAAF in Dec 1944 and went to the US Navy as an R4D-6 in Dec 1944 as BUNO 50822.
(My normal sources seem to confirm this)

(First cock-up - The R4D-6 was built at the Long Beach, California plant, were identical to the R4D-5 but were equipped with two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C engines with two-stage, two-speed superchargers, provisions for fuel tanks in the fuselage and improved heaters. These aircraft had been developed for high-altitude flights over the "Hump" in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater. The superchargers were removed after World War II. Aircraft remaining in the inventory in 1962 were redesignated C-47Js.)
(Was it an R4D-7? - These aircraft, built at the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma plant, were C-47B-DKs converted to navigational trainers and were redesignated TC-47Ks in 1962.)

It went to VR-3 at NAS Olathe, KS in Dec 1944.
From there it went to NAS Jacksonville, FL in Jun 46.
From there it went to NART Squantum, MA in Dec 46.

It was then modified to R4D-6R specs (converted to a 21-seat passenger transport).
The Douglas Constructors Number changed from 15432 to 26877.

From there its history is unknown.

It was redesignated from an R4D-6R to a TC-47J in 1962.

In Feb of 1966 it was listed for sale at NAF Litchfield Park, AZ (NAF Litchfield Park was the Navy's boneyard until 1968 when the DOD transferred all Military aircraft for storage to Davis-Monthan).

It was bought and modified by North Central Airlines to DC-3C airliner configuration specs and registered as FAA N-Number N2400.

It was then registered to CD Stoltzfus & Assocs, Coatesville, PA in April of 1966.

In May 1984 it was sold to Missionary Flights and Services Inc, Fort Pierce, FL changing the FAA N-Number to N2400F.

In April 2015 it was sold to Kingdom Air Corps Inc, Sutton, AK keeping the FAA N-Number N400MF.

In July 2021 it was sold to N400M LLC, Anchorage, AK keeping the FAA N-Number N400MF.

YMMV, I could be wrong.  

So does the U.S. Navy.

How about a tri motor?

No they don't.
The US Navy is leasing a Basler BT67.
That Basler BT-67 is not a Naval aircraft, it does not have a BUNO, it has an FAA N-Number.
It's probably operated by contractor aircrew and it's maintained by contractor maintenance.

If you look at the FAA N-Number (N144WC) it's actually registered to the FAA's Surveillance and Broadcast Services (SBS) Program Office.

Land on a highway in Michigan? Sure!

Very cool.  Thanks for digging up the extra pic!  Here is a pic of N200MF that I had on my computer from long ago.    She had a brown and orange stripe, same style as N400MF has in your pic.




I was told that N200MF pictured aboved was once owned by John F Kennedy, any way for you to find that out?  I believe she is resting at the end of a runway somewhere in maybe Haiti?  She had a mishap probably 20 years ago or more.  Everything that was still good was removed and brought back to the US.  I believe the tail number N200MF has been redesignated onto another DC-3/C-47, but with a turbo prop (PT6?) conversion?

lol.  Seen that on a Sherpa tailgate before.  

Also, if you've ever jumped a C47, you have to duck and get skinny to get out of that thing too.  I got a couple jumps out of the old NC forest service bird when I was a joe.