Air Force photograph by Jet Fabara
The 412th Flight Test Squadron’s highly-modified KC-135 returns home after a year-long maintenance overhaul in Greenville, Texas.
“A/C 63-7980 ‘Speckled Trout’ was in Periotic Depot Maintenance getting a complete exterior refurb, and a partial interior refurb,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Husted, 412th FLTS. “The major change accomplished through this PDM was the fancy new white and gray paint scheme, giving Speckled Trout the glamorous look on the outside that she always had on the inside.”
The squadron is inviting all Team Edwards members to come and take a tour of the Trout March 15. Open house will be from 1-3 p.m. in Hangar 1600.
Speckled Trout alumni will hold a private viewing and tour earlier from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
About Speckled Trout
In 1957, United States Air Force Chief of Staff General Curtis E. LeMay ordered KC-135 Serial# 55-3126 to be his aircraft. Named after the program’s coordinator, Faye Trout, Project “Speckled Trout” has served as the Chief of Staff’s transport ever since.
In 1994, the 412th Flight Test Squadron was activated here (relocated from its original home at Andrews AFB, Md.) and added the unique mission of testing senior-leader communication systems in a global, operational and combat environment.
Today, Speckled Trout conducts highly visible and relevant flight test of airborne communication systems while providing worldwide combat transport to the CSAF and other senior joint-military leaders.
Though the tail numbers, crew members and customers have changed over the years, one thing remains the same … a highly selective corps of military aviation professionals providing world-class service aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker to customers.
Flown by Air Force Materiel Command’s only worldwide-deployable flying combat squadron, Speckled Trout is fully capable of aerial refueling, configured for global combat employment and fully modifiable for multiple communication system test configurations.
Team Speckled Trout is selectively-composed of highly- experienced pilots, navigators, flight engineers, flight attendants, communication system operators, flight test engineers and maintainers from a wide spectrum of Air Force Major Weapon Systems. The uniquely combined operations/maintenance team operates as one to ensure unbeatable value and service. All are world-wide combat deployable and hired on the basis of professionalism, experience and application of Trout’s unique heritage and challenging mission.
Speckled Trout’s unique value ensures safe (combat aircraft), reliable (augmented crews; embedded maintenance) and virtually uninterrupted (air refuelable) transport for senior leaders and their full-party (large capacity) while providing immediate return-on-investment for future development in the communications arena (unique airborne test bed capability).
