Special: MATS C54 in Berlin

We are March 1957, National Geographic magazine publishes an article about MATS: America's Long Arm of the Air. There are some stunning pictures of aircraft in those pages and it reminds me of something I have seen before!

About MATS:

(partially written with Gemini AI)

In the history of military logistics, few organizations have played as pivotal a role in shaping modern airlift capabilities as the Military Air Transport Service (MATS). Established in the uncertain dawn of the Cold War, MATS was the first great experiment in "jointness"—combining resources from different military branches to create a single, global air transport system.

Following World War II, the United States military faced a period of rapid demobilization and reorganization. The National Security Act of 1947 had just created an independent Air Force, but air transport capabilities were fractured between the Air Force's Air Transport Command (ATC) and the Navy’s Naval Air Transport Service (NATS).

Recognizing the inefficiency of competing systems, the Department of Defense ordered a merger. On June 1, 1948, MATS was activated under the command of Major General Laurence S. Kuter. It was a revolutionary concept: while the Air Force was the executive agent, the Navy was a full partner. Naval transport squadrons (VR squadrons) flew alongside Air Force units, and Navy officers held key staff positions. The goal was simple but ambitious: to provide scheduled strategic airlift around the globe.

MATS barely had time to print its letterhead before it faced its first crisis. Just 23 days after MATS was formed, the Soviet Union blockaded all land and water access to West Berlin.

The resulting Berlin Airlift (Operation Vittles) became the defining event of MATS' early years. While the operation was operationally controlled by the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), MATS provided the crucial backbone. They funneled C-54 Skymasters and aircrews from around the world into Germany. Navy MATS squadrons (like VR-6 and VR-8) were among the highest-performing units in the lift, proving that the joint-service model worked under pressure.

MATS also standardized the chaotic maintenance and scheduling procedures, turning the airlift from a ragged emergency response into a rhythmic industrial conveyor belt that eventually delivered over 2.3 million tons of supplies.

MATS existed from 1948 until 1966 and the current active successor is basically the Air Mobility Command (AMC)

Aircraft flown by MATS during its existence:

C-141A Starlifter

C-130 Hercules

C-135 Stratolifter

C-133 Cargomaster

C-124 Globemaster

C-121 Super Constellation

C-54 Skymaster

C-47 Skytrain

RC-130 Hercules

About the aircraft:

This particular aircraft is a C-54G Skymaster, better known as the civilian version DC-4. Her registration is 45-557 or 5557 on the tail and it was built and delivered in 1945 to the USAAF and transfered to the newly formed official USAF in 1947. From 1948 it was part of MATS and was heavily flown to Berlin in the famous Berlin Airlift. The aircraft was powered by 4 Pratt & Whitney R-2000 radial engines and the cabin was unpressurised. The aircraft resumed service with MATS but in 1971 it made its last flight to Berlin Tempelhof to be preserved to commemorate the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport:

(partially written with Gemini AI)

Few airports have lived as many lives as Berlin Tempelhof (THF). Originally a medieval parade ground for the Knights Templar—from whom it takes its name—it evolved into a monumental showcase of ideology, a lifeline for a starving city, and finally, one of the world's most unique public parks.

While the site had been used for aviation since the early 1920s, the Tempelhof we know today was born from the megalomania of the Third Reich. In 1934, architect Ernst Sagebiel was commissioned to design a "world airport" that would serve as the gateway to Hitler’s envisioned capital, "Germania".

Construction began in 1936, resulting in a massive limestone crescent stretching 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles). Upon its structural completion, it was one of the largest buildings on Earth. The design was revolutionary for its time, featuring a cantilevered roof that allowed aircraft to taxi all the way to the terminal building, protecting passengers from the elements—a forerunner to the modern jet bridge. However, the airport was never fully finished before World War II began, and instead of passengers, the hangars were used to assemble fighter aircraft.

Tempelhof’s most heroic hour came during the Cold War. In June 1948, the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin, cutting off all road and rail access. The Western Allies responded with the Berlin Airlift, and Tempelhof became the operation's beating heart.

For 11 months, Allied pilots landed planes at Tempelhof every few minutes, day and night, delivering coal, food, and medicine. The approach was treacherous—pilots had to navigate between tall apartment buildings to hit the runway—but the operation saved the city from starvation. It was here that the famous "Candy Bombers" dropped chocolate in tiny parachutes to West Berlin’s children waiting at the airfield fences.

Throughout the Cold War, Tempelhof remained a symbol of freedom and a crucial hub for Pan Am and British European Airways, as West Berlin was cut off from East Germany. As jet aircraft became larger, however, Tempelhof's central location and short runways became a liability. Traffic eventually shifted to the newer Tegel and Schönefeld airports.

When I started to work in aviation in 2003, Tempelhof was still a direct connection from Brussels by SN Brussels Airlines and the airplanes (mostly BAe 146-200, Avro RJ85 and Avro RJ100 in those days) were still parking under the great roof of Tempelhof Airport, a unique experience from a passengers point of view.

Unfortunately, despite protests from sentimental Berliners, Tempelhof ceased operations on October 30, 2008. The newer airports of Tegel and Schönefeld eventually also closed in 2020 to make room for the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (this airport is built mostly on the terrains of the old Schönefeld Airport).

Rather than demolishing the site, the city of Berlin made a radical decision: they simply opened the gates of Tempelhof Airport. Today, the airfield is known as Tempelhofer Feld, a massive urban park where the runways are used for kite surfing, cycling, and rollerblading rather than takeoffs.

The terminal building remains a protected monument, occasionally hosting trade fairs, music festivals, and refugees, standing as a silent witness to Berlin's turbulent 20th-century history.

I personally flew into Berlin from Brussels to Schönefeld Airport in 2012 and visited the already closed Tempelhof Airport on that trip

Early 2024 I visited Berlin Tempelhof Airport for an assignment about the Focke-Wulf FW200, this aircraft shares 6 with an Ilyushin IL14 and the C-54G mentioned above.