ASHLAND, Neb. (KMTV) — The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum will host our quarterly after-hours event, “Flight Night” featuring the first opportunity for the general public to see the recently completed restoration of both the exterior and interior of the EC-135 “Looking Glass.”
“We’re very excited and honored to share this project with the public,” says Curator Brian York, who will lead guided tours of the EC-135 this Saturday. “This aircraft is a significant piece in Cold War history and we look forward to telling the stories.”
The Boeing EC-135 Looking Glass aircraft was a conversion of the basic C-135/KC-135 family of aircraft for the strategic command and control mission.
This airborne command post function provided a survivable means of command and control in the event that SAC underground command center, alternate command posts, or ground-based communications are lost. It also provides an alternate method to launch the Minuteman/Peacekeeper missiles if ground launch control centers are destroyed.
In addition to the EC-135 aircraft tour, the cockpit of the F-117 “Nighthawk” will be open for viewing.
The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace “Flight Night” Museum After Hours is Saturday, July 17, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The EC-135 will be open for guided tours from 6:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit sacmuseum.org.
