Photo By Airman 1st Class Anthony Reyes | Streamline Design workers refurbish a C-130 at the Col. John Moriarty Memorial Air...... read more read more
NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. – Multiple aircraft on static display across the installation are receiving restorations in October 2024 as part of a continuing maintenance and upgrade plan for the base-wide historical warplanes and the Col. John Moriarty Memorial Air Park.
These refurbishments happen to coincide with the 328th Air Refueling Squadron’s 80th anniversary of their World War II China-Burma-India Theater campaign, highlighting the importance of Niagara’s war-fighting heritage.
"The air park aircraft are meant to remind us what we've done, where we've come from, and where we need to go in the future as far as our motivation, dedication to service, and willingness to take down any mission and do it flawlessly," said Chief Master Sgt. Christopher McArdle, Mission Support Group senior enlisted leader. “Restoration of those aircraft will preserve our legacy, preserve our history, tell our story, and give us a visual and a nice place to hold different events.”
The first aircraft to receive restoration was the Douglas C-47 Skytrain on display in the air park. During WWII, Lt. Col. John Moriarty led his men in the 3rd Combat Cargo Squadron and flew this aircraft all over the globe for troop, cargo, equipment and supply transportation. The C-47 was an ideal aircraft during the China-Burma-India Theater because of its versatility and ability to maneuver through the dangerous Himalayan Mountains and land on improvised air strips.
The 328th ARS transitioned to multiple different missions after the C-47. They began flying the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar in the 1960’s. In 1970 and beyond, the 328th began flying different models of the C-130 Hercules. Both aircraft were used as heavy cargo and troop transport for multiple missions of the then 914th Airlift Wing and played significant roles in the history of the base from the 1960’s to 2017. Starting in 2017, the 914th Air Refueling Wing converted from the C-130 Hercules to the current mission of the KC-135 Stratotanker.
“There is a rich history of dedicated service to the United States and the Western New York region,” said McArdle. “We have had a significant impact on national defense and a significant impact in federal and state service, and it all revolves around Niagara Falls (Air Reserve Station).”
Civilian individuals working on the aircraft were glad to be a part of the history McArdle mentioned.
“I think being able to help protect this and have it stay around for generations is nice for the military members, veterans and all the people that are going to see it,” said Christopher Lorich, owner of Streamline Design. “We are hoping to help these planes stay out here for as long as they possibly can by providing protection on the interior of the plane.”
Christopher, along with his brother, Tyler, own Streamline Design and have over 20 years of experience in the graphic industry. They used a self-adhesive vinyl with ultraviolet gloss coatings to cover the windows of each aircraft to protect the interior from sun and UV damage.
Once restoration and maintenance is complete, the 914 ARW Historical Property Custodian Program, led by McArdle and Maj. Jared Cummings, have a strategic plan to expand the air park and consistently maintain the aircraft. They also plan to reestablish the memorial park located next to it.
In between the memorial park and the static display of aircraft, there will be a memorial walkway where people can purchase bricks. The funding from the bricks will then go into maintaining the park and aircraft, creating a self-sustaining park, said McArdle.
The RF-101C aircraft, currently located at the Walmore Road Gate, will also be moved to the air park. There is also a plan to create a scale model of a KC-135 to display since it is the current mission of the 914th as well as construct a Nike Missile, which is another piece of history of the Western New York region throughout the Cold War.
“People that come to the air base tend to be drawn to those static display aircraft, so the nicer we can make them and the more inviting they are, the more memorable the base and the wing is,” said McArdle. “We felt like we needed to put more time and effort into fixing those aircraft and renovating the memorial park so they would represent the pride and history of the 914th Air Refueling Wing and the squadrons that actually came before the 914th.”
| Date Taken: | 10.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2024 12:38 |
| Story ID: | 483838 |
| Location: | NIAGARA FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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