F-100C Makes Last Journey As It's Towed To Georgia Museum

It's not easy being Dennis Oliver. The man in charge of restoration at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, GA, not only has to know all the nuances of military symbology, paint mixtures and anti-aging tricks. He also has to know how to get an F-100C onto the road and into the museum without dinging it.

"Just tow it straight forward -- straight!" he yelled, while a half-dozen workers tried to fit the plane through the museum's side gate. "Back it in over here. Watch me!" He was quoted by the Macon Telegraph.

The aircraft arrived at the museum from the Aero-Club at Warner Robins AFB, where the aircraft was being restored by the 116th Air Control Wing and the 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron. Its two-mile journey along state road 287 was marked by an overflight of F-15s and a police escort.

"The F-100 will wear the markings of the Air National Guard and completes another phase in telling the story of preserving the history of our tenant partners who perform such a vital mission for the Air Logistics Center and the Air Force," Museum Director Paul Hibbitts said in a statement quoted by the Telegraph.

"It's a Korean and Vietnam era aircraft, so it's a part of Air Force history and that's one of the things we're here to do, is preserve history," Oliver said.

But that's if he can fit them through the museum's gate.

"The gates are a little tight right now, so hopefully, when we get it widened, it will be a little easier," he said.

Hopefully is right. Oliver said he'll soon have to haul another half-dozen aircraft through that gate -- one of them, a B-1 bomber.

FMI: www.museumofaviation.org