The Islanders of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 61 will say goodbye to Caboose, the last Navy C-9B Skytrain II in the Navy’s inventory on June 29. This event signifies the end of an era with the C-9B as the squadron ushers in a new era with the Navy’s C-40A Clipper.

As the Navy says goodbye to a long history with the airframe, the Islanders will celebrate the legacy of the Skytrain II on June 28 with tours starting at 9 a.m., a ceremony following at 10 a.m. and the flyoff of “Caboose” at 10:30 a.m.
The C-9B is a derivation of the commercial twin jet McDonnell Douglas’ DC-9. Unlike most Navy specific aircraft, the C-9B is a common civilian airliner.

Even today you can see DC-9s sitting on the tarmacs of most major airports. The first prototype C-9B flew in 1965 with the Navy receiving its first five planes in 1972. The Navy received a total of 27 jets. The first 12 were converted commercial DC-9s and the last 15 were from the McDonnell Douglas C-9B production line.

Although it still resembles the original DC-9, the Navy’s variant included a cargo door so it could carry large palletized cargo in the passenger compartment. The C-9B could be configured to carry all cargo, all passengers or a combination of both. Its replacement, the Boeing C-40A Clipper, is similarly configured yet will have a longer range and greater cargo and passenger capabilities. The squadron was commissioned on Oct. 16, 1982.

The Islanders are the last Navy reserve squadron to fly the C-9B. Its sister squadrons have already transitioned to the C-40A which is a variant of the Boeing 737.

During the transition to the C-40A the squadron had to adjust training schedules to allow some aircrew to be trained on the new aircraft while retaining other aircrew to fly the C-9B.

Although challenging, the Islanders benefitted from the teamwork shown by other C-40A squadrons in the Fleet Logistics Support Wing to assist in the training, as the first C-40A is not scheduled to arrive at NAS Whidbey Island until December 2014. In addition to the new aircraft, a new $25 million hangar is designed, as the current Islander hangar cannot accommodate the size of the C-40A. The Islanders will break ground in June 2015.

In fiscal year 2013, the Islanders flew 3,742 flight hours carrying 11,498 passengers and over one million pounds of cargo. The Islanders boast an impressive safety record with over 127,000 mishap-free flight hours during their 32-year history.