The C-140 is a military version of the Lockheed Model 1329 light jet transport. The prototype JetStar was first flown on 4 September 1957, only 241 days after design completion. Production began in 1960. Although the majority of those produced were built for the civilian market, the U.S. Air Force bought 16 JetStars as C-140As and Bs, the first of which were delivered in late 1961. Five C-140As were assigned to the Air Force Communications Command for use in evaluating military navigation aids and operations. Eleven C-140Bs were assigned to the Military Airlift Command for operational support airlift. Six of them were flown as VC-140Bs on special government and White House airlift missions by the 89th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB, Maryland.
The Museum of Aviation’s JetStar, serial number 61-2488, entered service in October 1961 and was the first VC-140B delivered to the USAF. Whenever the President was on board, it flew under the call sign “Air Force One”. It was the primary JetStar used by Lyndon B. Johnson and he flew in it frequently as both vice president and president. President Gerald R. Ford also flew on 2488 at least once. We do not yet have documentary evidence of other presidents flying on the museum’s aircraft. 61-2488 was retired in 1984 after accumulating over 11,500 hours of flight time. It was flown to Robins AFB for preservation at the Museum of Aviation in 1985. Warner Robins Air Logistics Center provided program management for the C-140 fleet while they were in service.
