1 00:00:01,540 --> 00:00:03,950 There's an old expression . 3rd time's 2 00:00:03,950 --> 00:00:06,560 a charm . It's often used as a good 3 00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:09,140 luck charm . Spoken just before trying 4 00:00:09,140 --> 00:00:11,590 something for the third time , The 9 5 00:00:11,590 --> 00:00:14,170 14th Air Refueling Wing Commander from 6 00:00:14,170 --> 00:00:16,730 Niagara Falls . A reserve station got 7 00:00:16,730 --> 00:00:19,150 to experience this old expression . 8 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,590 So when I found that when I learned 9 00:00:23,590 --> 00:00:25,812 that I was going to be assigned here as 10 00:00:25,812 --> 00:00:27,923 the wing commander , being a bit of a 11 00:00:27,923 --> 00:00:31,670 nerd , I looked over Our inventory 12 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,980 were authorized eight primary assigned 13 00:00:33,980 --> 00:00:37,330 aircraft . So I found the tail numbers 14 00:00:37,370 --> 00:00:39,426 and I have to have my flight records 15 00:00:39,426 --> 00:00:41,426 with me at the time . So I compared 16 00:00:41,426 --> 00:00:44,490 Each aircraft tail number with , with 17 00:00:44,490 --> 00:00:46,546 my flying records . And it turns out 18 00:00:46,546 --> 00:00:48,490 that of the eight I had previously 19 00:00:48,490 --> 00:00:51,990 flown one and it's the one behind me . 20 00:00:51,990 --> 00:00:55,360 It's 638044 . The first time I flew it , 21 00:00:55,740 --> 00:00:58,320 it was a it was a white tail with the 9 22 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:00,270 12 air refueling squadron at Grand 23 00:01:00,270 --> 00:01:02,710 Forks Air Force Base , North Dakota In 24 00:01:02,710 --> 00:01:05,330 the 3 19th Air Refueling Wing . Um I 25 00:01:05,330 --> 00:01:07,580 was in the 911th and we inter flew our 26 00:01:07,580 --> 00:01:10,290 squadron aircraft all the time . So I 27 00:01:10,290 --> 00:01:12,401 have a number of flights with it back 28 00:01:12,401 --> 00:01:16,060 as early as 1996 . Then , 29 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,160 um we went our separate ways uh 30 00:01:20,540 --> 00:01:23,100 when the , when the 9/40 air refueling 31 00:01:23,100 --> 00:01:26,260 wing , a Bill converted from KC 1 35 T . 32 00:01:26,260 --> 00:01:29,770 S , two K . C 1 35 ours . Uh This was 33 00:01:29,770 --> 00:01:31,992 one of the aircraft that transferred to 34 00:01:31,992 --> 00:01:34,490 Bill . So it turns out that uh in my 35 00:01:34,490 --> 00:01:37,070 last uh eight sorties as an instructor 36 00:01:37,070 --> 00:01:40,320 pilot uh in California , six of them 37 00:01:40,320 --> 00:01:42,530 were on her when it came to what 38 00:01:42,530 --> 00:01:44,752 aircraft would be used for the flagship 39 00:01:44,752 --> 00:01:46,960 of the unit . It was inevitable as to 40 00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:49,330 which tail number would be used . The 41 00:01:49,330 --> 00:01:52,150 tail code or tail flash as it sometimes 42 00:01:52,150 --> 00:01:54,420 referred as , are usually on the 43 00:01:54,420 --> 00:01:56,580 vertical stabilizer of US military 44 00:01:56,590 --> 00:01:58,646 aircraft that helped to identify the 45 00:01:58,646 --> 00:02:01,360 aircraft's unit and or base assignment 46 00:02:01,540 --> 00:02:04,970 dating back to world war one . The two 47 00:02:04,970 --> 00:02:07,090 letter codes prominently displayed on 48 00:02:07,090 --> 00:02:09,680 the tails today represent the owning 49 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,150 wing . The aircraft serial number is 50 00:02:12,150 --> 00:02:14,206 also usually marked on the tail . In 51 00:02:14,206 --> 00:02:16,780 smaller numbers . The first two digits 52 00:02:16,790 --> 00:02:18,901 indicate the fiscal year in which the 53 00:02:18,901 --> 00:02:21,070 aircraft was ordered and the last four 54 00:02:21,070 --> 00:02:23,870 digits of the serial number , An 55 00:02:23,870 --> 00:02:26,060 alternative design tail code was 56 00:02:26,060 --> 00:02:28,470 approved and members of the 9 14th 57 00:02:28,470 --> 00:02:30,960 Maintenance Squadron got to work on 58 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,071 prepping the tail for this new look , 59 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,040 how do we do that ? We do something 60 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,020 called the decals or stencils . So it's 61 00:02:40,020 --> 00:02:42,580 pretty much like a vinyl sign that we 62 00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:45,560 stick to the airplane and then we roll 63 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,550 paint on it and then we remove the 64 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,800 decals and then the design is there . 65 00:02:49,810 --> 00:02:52,320 So safety is our first priority . Like 66 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,431 I said , we already have three guys , 67 00:02:54,431 --> 00:02:56,850 one is going to be spray painting and 68 00:02:56,850 --> 00:02:59,017 operating the lift while the other one 69 00:02:59,017 --> 00:03:01,239 is going to be downstairs , making sure 70 00:03:01,239 --> 00:03:03,294 that everything goes smoothly and if 71 00:03:03,294 --> 00:03:05,406 something were to happen . God forbid 72 00:03:05,406 --> 00:03:07,517 to the guy out there , the guy on the 73 00:03:07,517 --> 00:03:09,950 floor can take care away This case . 74 00:03:09,950 --> 00:03:12,830 C135 are straddle tanker would not have 75 00:03:12,830 --> 00:03:15,500 been able to successfully refuel us and 76 00:03:15,510 --> 00:03:18,610 allied aircraft for the past 58 years . 77 00:03:18,810 --> 00:03:20,754 If it wasn't for the dedication of 78 00:03:20,754 --> 00:03:22,960 their crew chiefs that help maintain 79 00:03:22,970 --> 00:03:25,950 their longevity . So in 80 00:03:25,950 --> 00:03:28,880 2017 when we converted from C one 81 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,850 thirties to the K . C . 1 35 I 82 00:03:32,860 --> 00:03:36,790 inherited uh 1963 model aircraft 80 83 00:03:36,790 --> 00:03:40,710 44 as uh aircraft to take 84 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,520 care of and maintain . Um We have 85 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,160 a we have an aging fleet uh here at 86 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:51,040 Niagara and it's been a good experience , 87 00:03:51,050 --> 00:03:54,720 a lot of airplane stuff . Um We're 88 00:03:54,730 --> 00:03:58,660 fixing things that have been overlooked 89 00:03:58,670 --> 00:04:02,570 or not repaired before . Um 90 00:04:02,580 --> 00:04:04,580 and really learning a lot about the 91 00:04:04,580 --> 00:04:06,880 airplane along the way it seemed a no 92 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,410 brainer that that if I was to sign my 93 00:04:09,410 --> 00:04:11,632 name to anyone aircraft it's a personal 94 00:04:11,632 --> 00:04:14,500 choice . This would be the one because 95 00:04:14,510 --> 00:04:17,090 we've been , our paths have crossed 96 00:04:17,090 --> 00:04:20,560 over the past 26 years . 97 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,710 The N . F . The november Foxtrot is a 98 00:04:23,710 --> 00:04:25,932 longstanding identify their for Niagara 99 00:04:25,932 --> 00:04:28,770 Falls and if you recall on R . C . 1 30 100 00:04:29,940 --> 00:04:32,700 it also bears Niagara falls and f tail 101 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:35,810 flash . So what we're doing is we're 102 00:04:35,810 --> 00:04:37,810 using this as an opportunity to tie 103 00:04:37,810 --> 00:04:40,790 back to our 1 30 heritage in a way 104 00:04:40,790 --> 00:04:42,957 that's easily recognizable and is very 105 00:04:42,957 --> 00:04:45,830 visible . So yes I have a personal 106 00:04:45,830 --> 00:04:49,080 reason for identifying 80 44 is as my 107 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,080 airplane with my name on it . But I 108 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,358 also think it's important that we have , 109 00:04:53,358 --> 00:04:56,520 uh , a representative of the wing , um , 110 00:04:56,530 --> 00:04:59,310 that draws attention . And it will , uh , 111 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,431 this , uh , this type of tail flash , 112 00:05:01,431 --> 00:05:03,431 we'll show up on social media plane 113 00:05:03,431 --> 00:05:06,750 spotters will love it because the 114 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:08,927 heritage piece that already identified 115 00:05:09,140 --> 00:05:12,360 and this will get our name out . 116 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:19,240 Yeah .