Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Don, 23.04.2010 06:25 I was in an Air National Guard Unit that had C-119s in Hayward, California. I was an aircraft mechanic on the 119s. I worked on the flight line. I went cross country in them several times. At first we had 4360s, but later they were changed to 3350s. We were afraid of the 3350s PRTs and the Aeroproducts props, but we never really had problems with them. We were careful. This was the loudest and most vibrating aircraft I have ever experienced, and I've flown in a lot of big old birds from KC-97s and Connies to C-124s. Takeoff in the back of a C-119 felt and sounded like the world was coming to an end. We were always real careful with the props, being sure to top up the hydraulic fluid just before every flight. We learned to position the props correctly and then not to move them to avoid breaking the seal that held in the hydraulic fluid. The airplane required a lot of maintenance. Riding in the back of a C-119 was an extreme experience. The cockpit was a little quieter (except for the inverters), and without as much vibration. I can't criticize the bird. I'm still here. reply

John Christy, e-mail, 30.08.2010 09:48 I was in the 4th Aerial Port Squadron and we went to Chateauroux, France in 1954 to open up air terminals in Europe. We used the C-119. I was a loadmaster. We flew all over Europe. We also dropped cargo and troopers. We lost two planes in the black forest area of Germany in 1955 55 troppers and crew were lost when the planes collided. The plane was a dandy with much power. reply

Bob Fisher, e-mail, 30.08.2010 19:42 I had jumped from them in '52 after having jumped from C-46's in '51, and it was a different experience, and I am thankful for the opportunity to have done so. Coming out of the doors on the 46's, one jumps right into the propwash, but on the 119's you come out below it and just drop until the 'chute opens. I thought the 119's were neat. reply

Robbie, e-mail, 26.03.2010 08:56 I flew them for Gifford Aviation in Alaska. 1980-84. Fish off the beach. Housing materials to the bush and mining camps. Dump trucks, pickups, whatever would fit on a 40 foot flatbed would fit in the back as long as the weights were good. We had em with and without the jet pack. 3350's 89B's. Flames used to shoot out the PRT's about 20 feet maybe 10. Went into 1800 ft strip was the shortest. Had good reverse. Watching them they looked like they would never get off the ground,but flying them you didn't feel the same way. I'm still flying today with an Air Carrier DC-10's and B-767's and think back fondly of them, even though one did kill a friend. Broke up in flight on a fire bombing mission in Washington. reply

Steve Le Chot, e-mail, 02.09.2010 22:16 I worked the AC-119's at Danang '69-'70. Nice looking gunship but hated the hydraulic platform. When you climbed up there to do work, you would burn your head and /or back on the aircraft skin. reply

Bob Gartshore, e-mail, 14.03.2010 00:51 How could you list the airforces of Belgium, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Italy, Nationalist China and South Vietnam, and leave out Canada's RCAF? 35 of them with R3350 engines flew with 435 and 436 Squadrons. I flew 1169:20 in C119s with never an engine problem - into many rough fields too! But we had pregnant prop problems, and one reversed during a training flight! reply

Pete St.Jean, e-mail, 13.03.2010 04:22 how could you leave out the AC-119 G & K's? GUNSHIPS ??? reply

Ed Culpepper, e-mail, 02.03.2010 16:45 I flew as an engineer on the C-82s @ Donaldson AFB and the C-119C,@ Sewart AFB, Ashiya Japan, and Haiphong, Indo-China. I found the old bird to be very reliable and never had a 4360 engine failure. The 12 hour ferrying flights from McClellan AFB to Hickham AFB on the way to Japan were often nail-biters because of prop and fuel problems. I miss those flights of the early fifties. reply

jacques a. hahn, e-mail, 24.02.2010 21:45 Assigned to Neubiberg AFB Germany with the 317th TCW and and got a lot of hours going c /c,didnt have a fear but who does when your 21,i thought it was a great bird reply

WV Chapman, e-mail, 21.02.2010 08:04 I flew as a Flight Mechanic for almost 8 years on our units C-119C's, C-119G's and C-119L's. The C-119C's were bad about electric main gear failures. I have manually hand cranked The main gear into lock many times. Never had a gear failure after we got the G's with hydraulic gear. I have also been on several with runaway props and lost an engine several times -- she will fly on one engine, but at full power is a handfull for both pilots and FM. I have flown the C-119 all over the world and loved every minute of it. Our unit got C-130E's in 1975 - I enjoyed the 8 years of my 31 year military career in the C-119 the best. Our unit was the very last unit to fly the C-119 in the US Air Force. We took 6 of our 8 to the boneyard in Sept. 1975. 53-8087 at Fort Bragg was our bird as well as 53-8084 at Little Rock AFB. My brother who was a Stan /Eval instructor pilot in our unit flew 8084 to Little Rock on it's last flight. Nothing matches the sound of a R4360 or R3350 Radial engine. All of our G's were converted to L's with Hamilton Standard 3 bladed props off of C-121 "Connies". The HS prop was much quieter than the Aeroproducts 4 bladed props of the G's and was more aerodynamically efficent. The biggest problem with the C-119 was if you had a full load of fuel you couldn't carry a lot of weight and vise versa. Even at that I loved flying that old bird. reply

Vic Esposito, e-mail, 09.02.2010 03:21 I worked on C-119s at the Fairchild factory in Hagerstown,Md and from 1951 to 1954 in the 60th TCW at Rein Main and Nubiberg Air Bases, Germany. Got to know that damned thing like the back of my hand. The planes had great names like "Miss Manookie" which were quickly erased after the new Asst. Secy of Defense (I believe her name was Rosenberg) took the job. What a morale deflater that was. Loved every minute of it though. reply

Bob Petsch, e-mail, 22.01.2010 21:02 I flew as a flt. mech on a C-119G in 1955-1956 at Ashiya,36th TCS. The only thing that happening was a severe backfire on our way to Thiland. When we landed in there we pulled the cowling and replaced a spark plug. Flew back a couple days, no problems. We called her "Miss Fitt" I met crew chief and Radio op. in 2007 for our first Reunion in Vages and again 2009. We sure loved that "Miss Fitt". we agreed that we would fly her again,given the chance. reply

Lou DeLuca, e-mail, 19.01.2010 22:34 I was staion at Ashiya AFB and flew as a radio operator in 61st troop carrier SQ.also known as the GREEN HORNETS..When the truce was signed some of us were assigned to fly to INDO CHINA via Clark field to deliver the C119 for use by the French air force.These C119s did the job until the French were defeated at Diem Ben Phu... reply

Tom Carrolan(Virgin), e-mail, 18.01.2010 10:29 I was a flight mech on the 119 stationed at George AFB 1956 -59 had many great experanies on them.from lost engine on take off to a landing gear not locking down on landing approuch with one engine fannig with no power output an making two go arounds fefor iI could get the nose gear kicked into lockdown .If the chance to fly in one came by today iI would be at the front of theline . reply

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