Boeing C-135C Stratolifter, S/N 61-2669 – Speckled Trout
The Boeing C-135C Stratolifter, serial number 61-2669, better known by its unique call sign “Speckled Trout,” was a highly modified variant of the USAF’s C-135 transport family that served in a dual role of executive airlift and flight test support. Originally delivered in 1962 as a C-135B and subsequently converted through weather reconnaissance and transport configurations, it was redesignated as a C-135C in 1974 when it was selected for the Speckled Trout mission—a combined support and test program operated by the 412th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
As Speckled Trout, 61-2669 became the primary overseas transportation aircraft for the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force and other senior leaders while also serving as an airborne testbed for advanced communications, avionics, and command-and-control systems. Fully equipped with an array of communications gear, data links, and cryptographic equipment, the aircraft evaluated new technologies that would influence future Air Force platforms and helped mature systems that improved overall mission command capabilities. Its name was inspired by Faye Trout; an early program monitor whose freckled appearance led to the affectionate “Speckled” descriptor.
Over more than three decades of service, Speckled Trout performed thousands of flight hours, blending VIP transport missions with rigorous test and evaluation work. It was noted not only for its distinctive paint and command support role N, but also for its contributions to avionics modernization and long-range overseas operations. After its final flight on January 13, 2006, the aircraft was retired and transferred to the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB for preservation, closing a unique chapter in C-135 and USAF flight test history.
