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Stratofreighter will take on new life It will be available for conferences, tours By J. T. BUSHNELL How would you like the next company meeting to take place in the fuselage of a 1950s Korean War-era in-air refueler? After the dedication ceremony for Jackson County's Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter on Thursday, that will become a possibility. The restored aircraft will be available for tours, conferences and even overnight adventures for groups like the Boy Scouts, said Bern Case, director of Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. "The plane has a lot of history, a lot of patriotism," Case said. "It will be a nice addition for the community." Thursday's ceremony will be the culmination of nearly two years of work to restore the aircraft. Bud Glickman, chairman of the KC-97 Restoration Committee, said the 149 companies and individuals who helped with the project did a fabulous job. "When I saw it originally I thought the best thing we could do with it was sell it for scraps," said Glickman, who spent five days a week with the aircraft for a year and a half. "It was rusted and punctured and pigeons had eaten through parts of it." Glickman said the plane looks so sharp now that motorists have been pulling off the road to admire it. Glickman initially believed the project would cost more than $100,000. Because of product and service donations and volunteer work, the actual cost was much lower. "We spent $901," Glickman said. The money came from Airport Community Enthusiasts. But the restoration required more than just money, manpower and material. At times it also demanded innovation. The plane was so old that the restoration crew could not find a special tool needed to install the plane's propellers. "We contacted everyone," Glickman said, "but nobody makes that tool anymore." Steve Bartley from the airport's operations department had to re-create the tool from a lawnmower blade. Medford's KC-97 was used mostly for in-air refueling. In another variation as a cargo carrier, the retired plane's 117-foot fuselage design was large enough to accommodate 96 fully equipped combat troops or two half-ton trucks, among other equipment. Thursday's public dedication will honor the men and women of the country's armed services. Glickman, a decorated World War II veteran, cited the same reason for his involvement. "I wanted to do this for the veterans and the men and women who fly in the Air Force today," he said. The Oregon Air National Guard will conduct a four-man formation fly-over at the ceremony's conclusion. "It should be quite festive," Case said. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.