The next aircraft is special to me. I happened to be at the McChord Air Museum when we got this aircraft and I put together the mission to recover it. It has a story behind it that I wrote for another forum so I thought I should share it in here.
Often lots of leg work, legal hang ups, and looking for funds to finance these recovery projects go into it way before resterations take place and the aircraft goes on display.
The Korean era F-86D Saber Jet was one of my biggest challenges. During my assignment to the McChord Air Museum.
I had heard rumors about an F-86 jet that had been donated to the museum several years before and wondered why we had not went and recovered it.
I inquired with the Base & Wing Historian about the said jet and all I was told was that we could not get it because it was tangled up in legal issues. At that time oversight of the museum fell to the Base Historian and I was the Museum Administrator. So I put that F-86D into the back of my mind.
About a year passed and the Base Historian had been reassigned to an air base in California. The new Base Historian showed up several months later and her duties did not include the Air Museum. It seemed that it was all my responsibility and I reported directly to the Wing Commander and his Director Of Staff.
I requested an update to my duty title reflecting my new responsibilities and it was change to Museum Director/Administrator.
Not long after this a man stopped by the museum and wanted to have a talk with the director so we discussed his situation and problem.
It was a big problem – the type that the U.S. Internal Revenue Services (IRS) lays on you that keeps you awake at night. He was the person who donated that F-86D jet to the museum and took a $60,000 donation credit on his income tax a few years back. Now he was being audited by the IRS and was facing big fines, penalties, and possible jail for fraud.
I asked him for all documents that proved he had legally donated the jet aircraft to the museum and he produced all the correct papers and documents. I then said, “ this is all well and good, but what about the rumored legal problems.” He went on to explain that he purchased several jets oversea very cheaply and then imported them to the United States. This one was delivered to a small airfield in northwest Washington State. He had a partner that assembled the jet back to its flying condition. The story was that his partner assembled the aircraft as payment for another project. That the partner had turned around and screwed him by filing a mechanics lean on the aircraft. He also said that his partner was currently in prison for fraud and told me his name and where.
It was because of the mechanic’s lean that the old base historian would not recover the aircraft after it was donated. Understandable!
The gentleman told me that if the F-86’s donation did not get completed, and that he couldn’t show that the jet was at the museum, then he was in very serious trouble with the IRS.
It told him I’d look into it, but gave no promises that the museum could help or solve this for him. I then took of all the documents and papers, made copies for the museum and we exchanged business cards so we could keep each other informed.
I took all the documents and papers over to the Base Legal Office or what is called the Staff Judge Advocates Office. I spoke with the office in charge and requested to work with a lawyer that was well versed in Washington State Law and legal matters. He said that he had an Air Force Reserve Major who had a law practice in the state and he could handle this case for the U.S. Air Force.
I handed over all the documents and paperwork to the Major, with complete details of everything that went on pertaining to this F-86 jet aircraft.
Within a week I met with the Major and he informed me that the mechanic’s lean was filed improperly and not within the time limit. His legal expertise said, the lean was null and void, that the jet aircraft had been legally and properly donated to the McChord Air Museum, and if the museum wanted the aircraft - it was ours for the taking.
Ours for the taking! How sweet them words sounded!
I contacted the gentleman that donated the F-86 and informed him what the legal office had said. He was just full of joy. He then asked me when I thought I would have the aircraft moved to the base. I informed him I was working on a plan to recover the aircraft, but I could not give him a date. I suggested that he provide the IRS with my name and phone number if he had trouble then I would brief the IRS on what was going on with recovery operations with the aircraft.
I had quickly realized that untangling the legal problems was likely the easy part of this operation. Lots of time, research, phone calls, and begging for assistance were now in play. Through the Base Transportation Squadron I was able to get the assistance of two flatbed tractor-trailers, two drivers, and two trainee drivers. The Aerospace Ground Equipment Squadron supplied us with an air compressor, generator, and light cart. The museum had all the tools need for the disassembly of the F-86 jet and a USAF Retired volunteer that had worked on F-86 aircraft. I also had two volunteer airmen from the maintenance squadron. All we needed was a crane to lift the aircraft and wings onto the two flatbed trucks.
After many calls I was put in contact with a Sgt in the Army National Guard near Everett, WA. They had a few vehicles called tank recovery vehicles, and they had an extended boom crane on the tank recovery vehicle. If it could pick a tank out of a ditch, it could surely pick up the aircraft fuselage and wings.
A date was set for our recovery mission to Arlington Airport, in northwest WA about 90 miles from the base.
We arrived about 0800 hrs and met with the Army National Guard Tank Recovery Vehicle and operator. The aircraft was parked on grass with plates under the landing gear wheels to prevent it from sinking into the grass and dirt. I decided we would relocate the jet to the airports inactive taxiway and do our work there on cement. This turned out to be a good idea as the guy’s wife whom was in prison and had filed the mechanic’s lean showed up and started yelling at us. “That’s our aircraft, we own it, and it was stored on private property and you owe us $8,000 in storage!” After hearing this several times and fearing she might draw a crowd I decided to give her something to think about. I was a Master Sgt and had no legal authority to speak for the U.S. Air Force, but I needed to quiet the situation.
I noticed the aircraft was damage quite abit. Screwdriver holes punched into the aircraft skin, panels removed & stolen, cockpit canopy busted, many aircraft insterments gone, lights missing, etc, etc…….!
I was a little pissed off as this aircraft was said to be in flyable condition when donated to the museum.
I went up to the lady and politely introduced myself and explained that, “this aircraft was legally donated to the United States Air Force Museum at McChord Air Force Base, Washington state.”
She countered that; “there is a mechanic’s lean against the aircraft for $20,000 plus storage filed by her husband at the county courthouse.”
I calmly replied, “the said mechanic’s lean is null and void as it was not filed within time limits, and I know your husband is in prison on fraud charges.”
She again demanded money. I asked her what she thought a flyable F-86 Jet Aircraft was worth. She did not have a clue. I suggested it was likely within a few hundred thousand. Dollars or more. I suggested to her that she could demand and file a claim for her $28,000 but the government might want to be compensated for the damages and loss of a highly valuable historical aircraft in flyable condition that was under her care, and she should have provided proper security. Not to mention that another case of fraud could be looked into with this bogus mechanic’s lean that had prevented the timely recovery of the aircraft contributing to the aircraft’s severe vandalism and damage.
She pondered what I said for a few moments then turned around and went back inside the building she came out of.
Several volunteer’s asked me what I had said to shut her up, and I replied, “You won’t believe it.” I then said, “Lets finish this recovery and get out of this dam airport with the aircraft and I’ll tell everyone about it later.”
Just before we drove off with the aircraft fuselage we put a mannequin in the cockpit with flight jacked, flight helmet, oxygen mask, flight gloves, and we tied up his hand with fishing line to make it look like he was waving. I taped two signs on each side of the aircraft that read, (Recovered by McChord Air Museum). When we drove down interstate-5 it was a kick to see all the kids waving and pointing at the pilot inside the cockpit.
The aircraft disassembly took most of the day. I believe we delivered the F-86 jet to the base museum about 8:00PM.
So, this is the story and pictures of the recovery. Next I’ll tell the story of the restoration work, display in the museum’s airpark, along with some more pictures.
If this sparks any intrest.
F-86 recovery.
We got us a pilot to fly it down the interstate.
Starting reassembly in hanger #3 McChord AFB