C-141 StarLifter
The First Jet-powered Airlifter
Since 1965, the C-141 StarLifter has served as the mainstay of U.S. military airlift. This big jet has achieved a seen-it-all, done-it-all reputation. It has carried troops, supplies, vehicles, weapons, refugees, disaster relief, and even a huge high-powered NASA telescope. The renowned StarLifter has seen duty in operational areas from Southeast Asia to South America to the Persian Gulf. The easy-to-load 93-foot-long cargo bay can carry up to 208 ground troops or 168 paratroops, and it can quickly be converted for medical evacuation operations.
In demonstrating its sheer versatility, the StarLifter has also helped write history. In 1973, StarLifters repatriated more than 500 American Prisoners of War held in North Vietnam. In 1983, after the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, a C-141 evacuated 78 wounded. StarLifters brought flood relief to Minnesota in 1979, to the Azores in 1980, and to Louisiana in 1983. When an airliner was hijacked in 1985, a C-141 carried 39 hostages to freedom. During Desert Storm, C-141s flew more than 37,000 departures with an on-time record above 90 percent.
That is the heritage; and the numbers verify the aircraft's world-class stature. The StarLifter has logged more than 10 million hours, including a record set in 1981 when a C-141 flew 67,000 pounds of cargo non-stop from New Jersey to Saudi Arabia, refueling three times in flight. Such is the legacy of a global airlifter.
