The Burlington International Airport
A Look at its Military Aircraft on Film

Photos and story
© Tom Hildreth 2007

Steady expansion and improvement has been the hallmark of the Burlington International Airport in Vermont. The new Army National Guard base in the northwest corner of the airport is the latest in a series of physical ugrades made to this important air transport facility in northwestern New England. Within the past ten years the air passenger terminal has been the subject of a multi-staged modernization program that included a number of additional gates on the west wing of the building. The large multi-storey parking lot just to the south of the terminal building has nearly doubled in size, though overflow parking still occupies part of the local streets. The old air traffic control tower has been converted into an observation platform that is a delight to the traveling public as well as family members who come to see them off. One of the top scenic vistas in the state can be enjoyed from this location which offers an expansive view of both Mt. Mansfield and Camels Hump, the state's two highest mountains.

Across the runway to the east is the home of the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing. This organization has flown the F-16 Fighting Falcon (more affectionately known as the Viper) since 1986. This organization has a long history and is assigned an important role in Homeland Defense. For ten years during the Cold War, the facility now occupied by the 158th was called Ethan Allen Air Force Base, and was home to the active-duty 37th Fighter Inteceptor Squadron.

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Located geographically near the northern border of the United States, the Air National Guard at Burlington had traditionally
been assigned interceptor aircraft to defend against incoming Russian bombers coming over the north pole. In this photo we see
a Convair F-102A all-weather interceptor landing on runway #15 in 1969


Apparently just out of the paint shop, here we see an F-102A Delta Dagger of the 158th Fighter Interceptor Group taking off from
runway #33 with only the word "Vermont" on the tail. The snow-covered western slope of Mt. Mansfield can be seen in the background


The station hack for some years in the 1970s was this Convair C-131


In 1974 the Vermont Air Guard transitioned to the EB-57 and assumed a Defense Evalulation role. These British-designed aircraft
were high flyers capable of carrying electronic equipment to simulate enemy attack in order to test the defense capability of the
remaining interceptor units in the northeast. Below an EB-57B taxies out from a "pod" alert hangar in 1975 for a mission

Also employed in air defense evaluation missions was the Lockheed T-33 which often carried tinsel-like "chaff" in underwing
containers to create confusing radar returns on the radar scopes of approaching interceptors


During the 1981 airshow the EB-57s performed formation flyovers



The Vermont ANG became the only military unit in New England to operate the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
when they converted to the big multi-purpose fighter in 1981



This Phantom was the mount of Group Commander Col. Leonard


The 158th had a compliment of 24 F-4D Phantom II fighters


Much to the surprise of 158th leadership, the Phantom was short-lived with the organization, and the first F-16A/B
aircraft arrived in 1986. Below we see a two-seat F-16B wearing the Green Mountain Boys colors

The Vermont Army National Guard's 150th Aviation Co. Operated helicopters from what had been the original Vermont Air Guard
facility on the southwest side of the airport. Below we see the little Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopter used for recon and light transport


Fixed-wing support for the VT ARNG came in the form of a Beech T-42A Cochise


It is common to see military and naval units using the Burlington airport for periods of "touch and go" transition
training. This visitor is a Navy P-3 Orion, the "LL" tailcode reveals it to be from NAS Jacksonville, FL.


The Air National Guard's 139th airlift squadron from Stratton Air Guard base in Glenville, NY is a frequent visitor to BTV.
Here we see C-130H the "City of Troy" about to takeoff from runway #33


The Air National Guard put on a number of excellent airshows at Burlington, usually fielding an interesting variety
of visiting aircraft such as this Canadian CP-121 Tracker sovereignty patrol aircraft which often arrived from Nova Scotia


Hope you liked the look through the lens. hildrethtom@hotmail.com