Oklahoma Air Force planes return home after evacuation to Sacramento
(FOX40.COM) — After giving the Sacramento area quite a show on Monday the 97th Air Mobility Wing and their more than two-dozen aircraft have returned to Oklahoma after evacuating to Sacramento, according to a news release from Altus Air Force Base.
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On Monday, 27 aircraft from Altus Air Force Base found refuge from potential severe weather over Oklahoma at Sacramento McClellan Airport.
The former Air Force Base was chosen as the landing spot for some of the largest aircraft in the United States Air Force’s fleet due to its ability to accommodate all the incoming aircraft, according to the news release.
The 97th Air Mobility Wing is responsible for training 70% of C-17 Globemaster II, KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46 Pegasus aircrews for the air force.
With their relocation to McClellan, the air wing was able to provide continued training of the three airframes while they waited for weather conditions to improve over Oklahoma.
As soon as they came though, the parade of heavies was gone from Sacramento, as they all safely returned to Altus Air Force Base on Tuesday.
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McClellan may not see heavy use by the Air Force anymore but it has become home base for CAL FIRE’s air maintenance crews and will soon host one of the seven C-130s operated by CAL FIRE.
From 1936 to 1995, McClellan was one of four air depots in the United States tasked with overhauling and repairing military aircraft.
During WWII it was one of the staging grounds for the airborne war in the Pacific Theater. According to the USAF, most headed to the Pacific were prepared at McClellan.
The base hit its peak employment level in 1967 with over 26,000 military and civilian personnel working at McClellan.
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