Spirit of Freedom (Photo provided)
The Spirit of Freedom, an actual transport aircraft that flew in the 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift and is now a flying museum about the operation, is visiting the Aviation Museum of Kentucky during October 6-8 at Blue Grass Airport.
The aircraft will be on the airport ramp for public tours. One charge will provide admission to the museum and to the aircraft. Admission is $10 for adults 17 and up; $7 for children 6-16; under five, free admission. Hours are 10a-5p Friday and Saturday, October 6 and 7, and 1p-5p on Sunday, October 8. Due to FAA regulations, flights in the aircraft cannot be offered.
The Spirit of Freedom is a Douglas C-54 Skymaster and is operated by the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation of New Jersey. Its exterior is painted in the colors of the 48th Troop Carrier Squadron, one of the units that participated in the Berlin Airlift. American planes flew nearly 92 million miles and completed over 189,900 missions, flying food, supplies and coal from then Allied-occupied West Germany into Berlin, surrounded by Soviet-held territory that later became East Germany.
C-54
The Airlift became known as Operation Vittles, brought about by a Soviet blockade of land routes into the city. The French and British air forces participated as well. Cargo flights began on June 26, 1948 and ended September 30, 1949. Over 1.5 million tons of supplies were flown in to assure that citizens in the Allied zones of Berlin would survive.
“The Spirit tells the story of our country at one of its finest hours,” said museum board chair Jim McCormick. “It is also US Air Force history, America on the world stage, the Cold War, and something every American can be proud of.”
The C-54E Skymaster named The Spirit of Freedom is one of over 300 American aircraft used during the Berlin Airlift. Built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, The C-54 is a four-engine transport aircraft that was used by the military from 1942 until the early 1970’s. The civilian airliner version was called the DC-4.
This type of aircraft was also used for presidential transport and one of the first to be designated Air Force One. The Spirit of Freedom is painted in the colors of the 48th Troop Carrier Squadron, one of many participating USAF squadrons in the Airlift. Less than 10 C-54 aircraft remain flying today from the over 1,100 built.
The cabin of the Spirit is fitted out as a museum, describing the first major challenge to the US Air Force. The Air Force had been created as an independent service by President Truman through the National Security Act of 1947, less than a year before the Berlin Airlift. A combination of experience, leadership and innovation made the massive airlift operation a success.
The aircraft is owned and operated by the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation, founded in 1988 by Tim Chopp. Chopp is a US Army veteran of Vietnam and flew professionally before starting the foundation. The foundation is based in New Jersey.
A Soviet blockade of all land routes into the city of Berlin in 1948 brought about Operation Vittles, the name given to the Airlift. Three air corridors connected the western portion of Germany to the city, located 110 miles within the Soviet-occupied eastern portion. American, British and French forces each held part of Berlin. The Soviet goal was to “starve out” these allies and the German citizens in their zones. The air transport resources of the United States were mobilized for the operation, beginning with smaller aircraft and then relying on the C-54 during the final year of the mission. Operation Vittles began on June 26, 1948, with the final cargo flight completed on September 30, 1949.
C-55E Skymaster in flight
To keep a population of 2 million Berlin citizens alive, the airlift had to fly in 1,534 tons of food per day. Among these: 646 tons of flour and wheat, 11 tons of coffee, 5 tons of whole milk, 180 tons of sugar, and 125 tons of cereal. For comparison, coffee today is purchased in 33 oz containers; the 11 tons of coffee equals 10,667 of these units. The morning cereal we enjoy today is typically in a 12 oz size; the 125 tons needed in Berlin would be 333,333 boxes. And to stay warm in the German winter, over 1,941 tons of coal per day were flown in. In total, 3,475 tons of cargo had to reach the surrounded city each day. Cloudy conditions, frequent storms and compliance to strict flying standards presented challenges to American pilots, along withSoviet harassment. In time, Operation Vittles surpassed the minimum delivery requirements. The record delivery was 12,941 tons on April 16,1949. The Soviets relented and opened land routes to West Berlin on May 12, 1949. This ended the largest humanitarian airlift operation in history.
There are several known Kentucky connections to the Berlin Airlift. USAF Col. Walker “Russ” Reynolds served as a pilot in the operation. A native of Jackson, the Berlin missions were part of a 30-year career for Col. Reynolds. Reynolds was inducted into the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame in 2015; he passed in 2016.
The Air Force flew over 189,900 flights in the Berlin Airlift and accidents did occur. Of the 126 recorded accidents, some were fatal and took the lives of servicemen from Kentucky. Private Ronald Stone of Mt. Sterling and Lt. Robert von Luehrte of Covington were killed in action during the operation; 31 total fatalities were reported.
The Aviation Museum of Kentucky is a non-profit institution and is home to the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame. It is the official aviation museum of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is located at 4029 Airport Road, adjacent to Blue Grass Airport.
From Aviation Museum of Kentucky
