On November 14th, 2015, a partially restored RU-21A, (a Beechcraft King Air renown for its invaluable service during the Gulf War), will proudly ride upon a float down the streets of Orlando during the Orlando Veteran’s Day Parade. Upon completion of its tour, the RU21-A will be offloaded at Orlando Executive Airport. Once fundraising is completed and the final steps of the restoration process occur, it will be permanently displayed alongside a B-52 Stratofortress in the B-52 Memorial Park at the Orlando International Airport. Countless hours of work and dedication by the Veterans of the 138th Aviation Company, who flew the RU-21A during multiple wars, along with the generosity of numerous donors will have made it all possible.
Two years ago, the Veterans of 138th Aviation Company began their ambitious project: taking on the recovery and restoration of a Beechcraft King Air RU-21A and return it to its home base at Orlando International Airport. The opportunity presented itself to the veterans who were able to receive the aircraft from Dynamic Aviation who had purchased from JW Duff Aircraft Salvage.
“The Veterans decided to do it primary because it was the last example of the type,” said 138th Aviation Company Memorial President Andrew Rodriguez. “It was a veteran of Honduras, Peacetime Aerial Reconnaissance Missions and the Counter Drug War and Desert Storm.”
The veterans faced a monumental task. The plane first needed to be transported from the salvage yard in Denver, Colorado to Dynamic Aviation in Bridgewater, Virginia where restoration would begin. The aircraft would then be needed for the transport to Orlando, Florida.
After a successful fundraising campaign, the money was raised for the tricky transport. To be viable for transport the aircraft had to be transported in a special jig at a 45-degree angle in a flatbed low-boy tractor trailer. Using this unique technique, the veterans were able to successfully transport the RU-21A to Dynamic where the restoration process began in 2014. The same transportation technique will be used to bring the RU-21A to Florida for the Orlando Veteran Parade this November.
After the parade, funds will still be needed for the final prep of the aircraft. This includes painting, prepping and landscape preparation for the memorial site. To commemorate the aircraft’s arrival, the 138th Aviation Company Memorial will kick off a fundraising campaign, which will include sales of commemorative bricks, integrated with a crowd sourcing effort to raise the needed funds.
“Based in Orlando, we wanted to remember all veterans of the unit and remind the Central Florida Community of their friends and next door neighbors who served in the defense of the Nation,” noted Rodriguez, “but mainly because we could save the plane!”
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The Ru-21A’s Memorial Project website, which documents the amazing journey with press releases and photos, can be found at http://www.138thavnco.org/RU21A-Memorial-Project.html. Donations can be made through the Memorial’s PayPal links at the top of the page,