This week in history: Sept. 27 - Oct. 1

  • Published
  • By John Murphy
  • 436th AW historian
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Sept. 27, 1966:  A C-133 aircraft from the 39th Military Airlift Squadron responded to a distress call from a civilian aircraft while enroute from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, to Midway island. Max Conrad piloted the private aircraft and shortly after take-off, he experienced engine trouble and needed to shut down one of the engines. The Dover-based aircraft escorted Mr. Conrad's plane to a safe landing at Marcus Island. 

Oct. 1, 1979:  The 436th Military Airlift Wing implemented the Military Airlift Command's dedicated crew chief program. The program motivated personnel by assigning them to a specific aircraft and achieve improved logistics reliability. Seventy Dover Air Force Base crew chiefs participated in this new maintenance initiative. 

Oct. 1, 1986:  The U.S. Corps of Engineers awarded a $13.5 million contract to D. Kemenash and Associates, Inc. of Milmay, New Jersey, to lengthen runway 14/32. The project added almost 600 feet to the runways that ran North-South and East-West. Construction did not start until December 1986.