Thank you Ed. The T-6 was the first plane I saw when I was small. Rows of yellow Texans at Stalling Air Force base in Kinston N.C. Circa 1954 or 55. I was 4 or 5 then.
This series of photos is remarkable for several reasons. The occasion was the visit of French President Charles De Gaulle to New Orleans at the end of his trip to the US April 22 thru 29. He was in N.O. on the 28-29. He was escorted while in the US by under secretary of state Douglas Dillon. This aircraft is the second of three Boeing VC-137A (s/n 58-6971) built for VIP transport. Completed 7 April 1959, it was accepted in MATS colors 30 May 1960. The dates don't seem to line up as recorded, however these three were assigned to 1298th Air Transport(special missions) sqdn Andrews AFB, Md and deployed to Washington National Airport D.C. June of 1961. They got their blue and white colors we associate with Air Force One (when the pres on board) shortly after these photos. Understand in 1960, airplane nuts did not see swept wing jets often, so this was not only an occasion to see a new Boeing but in USAF colors. The other remarkable thing was the complete lack of security around the official aircraft. It was a different time. John Kennedy was still alive. My friend and I could walk most anywhere at airports except active runways, and photo at will.
He went back for nite shots. Still limited security. The good old days.
Two aircraft from other lands. TheDe Havilland Canada DHC -4 was the AC-1 until 1962, the CV-2 until 1967, the C-7 after 1967. It was always the Caribou, this one s/n 61-2592
c/n 70. The Bristol Britannia G-AOVK stopped at Moisant airport, New Orleans, sometime around OCT 1968, A long way from home.
Stearman N2S-3 from the old NAS New Orleans, today the campus of the University of New Orleans. Only the smokestack from the old NAS remains. Under the tail of the closest plane we can see Camp Leroy Johnson (army) and to the right, standing out in the lake is Lakefront Airport, still exists today.
A Brewster SB2A-4 visitsthe old NAS New Orleans in 1944
N2S-5 over Pensacola
Source: ed - first four, suspect USN photos, photo five over Pensacola is USN photo
In the first two photos the outlines of the old pre-war roundel insignia can be seen on the right wings of a/c nos 59 and 65.