Tail Art

Photo By Master Sgt. Michael Stewart | Colonel Craig Gural, 141st Operations Group Commander hugs retired Master Sergeant Shayne Meder for her work painting the nose art and tail for the 141st Air Refueling Wing's flagship aircraft at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. January 30, 2024. The tail was painted to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the 116th Air Refueling Squadron, the predecessor to the 141st Air Refueling Wing.  

SPOKANE, WA, UNITED STATES

02.02.2024

Courtesy Story

141st Air Refueling Wing

Throughout history soldiers would distinguish themselves with adornments whether it be plumes or brightly colored uniforms to help identify friend from foe. Medieval knights took this to a whole other level. Bold colors gave way to complex patterns. In time the designs seen on their shields and horses became the heraldry of families and later inspired the flags of nation states. For example, it is believed by historians that George Washington’s family crest influenced the design of the American flag. By the time of World War I, uniforms changed drastically to meet changing environments. Gone were the days of seeking attention on the battlefield for glory and recognition. Bright colored uniforms gave way to dull earth tones, this was the beginning of camouflage. Industrialization made quantity more important than quality. The soldier’s individuality had been muted. Just when everyone thought the days of chivalry were dead and the need to be recognized on the battlefield were over, a new form of warfare had emerged.
Airplanes had barely been around for a decade and were being used for observation over battlefields. When Airmen encountered the enemy in the sky they would salute or wave at one another. There was no way to engage other planes or so they thought.
In 1914 a Serbian pilot drew his pistol on an Austro-Hungarian plane and warfare was forever changed. Aerial combat had been born. Within a month all military planes had machine guns attached to them. Most of these new pilots hailed from aristocratic families. They were gentleman who saw themselves as knights of the air. As such they started painting family crests and symbols on their planes. They did this for many reasons. Mostly for identification and the pride of being recognized for their heroics in the sky. Most famously known would be The Red Baron with his bright red triplane.
These historical references have continued into the twenty-first century, where Air Force units paint designs on their aircraft to distinguish them from other units. It’s a symbol and mark of pride to let others know where they are from.
The 141 Aircraft structural maintenance was tasked with painting the tail of the wing’s flagship aircraft honoring the 116th Air Refueling Squadron’s 100th anniversary. They are the unsung heroes of the aviation world, virtually working on every part of the aircraft, the job took close to two months to complete.
“This is a visualization of the men and women past and present serving our nation and we look forward to another 100 years. It was a long-involved process, but it finally came together. Personally, I was nervous that it wouldn’t come to fruition and there would be roadblocks when we really articulated the story and what we were celebrating it was great to see people support celebrating our heritage.” 141st MXG commander Col. Mark Scott
Retired Master Sergeant Shayne Meder volunteered her time to paint the nose and tail art. Shayne runs her own company called Flygirlpainter. Shayne got her start in 1987 painting B-52s in the Air Force until she retired. In 1999 she began painting planes for various museums and then the U.S. Navy had her paint active-duty aircraft. She has been painting military aircraft now for 25 years.
“I use the same techniques that were used in the beginning of aviation,” Shayne said. “All the aircraft I paint, I do so free of charge. My payment is the love of my country and the joy it brings to people.”
A fin fold was performed, a procedure that aero maintenance, a team in the repair and reclamation section in the 141st Maintenance Squadron rarely does. It is exactly what it sounds like, folding the entire tail of the aircraft 90 degrees to the body.
“We began prepping the aircraft surface starting with sanding the entire tail,” said Staff Sgt. Chase Chapman, 141st MXS sheet metal technician. “It was a daunting task but there’s nothing we can’t do”
Aero repair was brought in to bring down the tail and remove the rudder. They brought the rudder into the Fuel Cell hangar to be primed and then painted. Approximately four large SUVs worth of paint was used to paint the entire tail.
“Being asked to help with the tail art 100 years of service was truly an honor and I couldn’t be more proud of the final product that really shows the skill and creativity of our structural maintainers. Being asked to manage this project was truly an honor.” Senior Master Sgt. Don Grant, 141st MXS sheet metal senior enlisted leader
Our new tail design harkens back to our beginning. An homage to when pilots had nerves of steel and dared to do the impossible. Where “fortune favors the bold” was a phrase pilots lived and died by. The 116th refueling wing started out as an observation squadron and transitioned to a fighter squadron during World War II. The red and white stripes on the tail were first adopted in 1926 and stayed with us through the war. In the 1930s, blue and yellow adorned the panels of 116th Aircraft. The national star insignia on the fuselage is the old style from the Army Air Corps. The Ace of spades was first created by First Lieutenant Laurence S. “Laurie” Heral, one of the original sixteen officers of the 116th. It was adopted in 1931 and still represents the unit to this day. The ace of spades on the tail is seven feet tall. The scroll beneath the ace of spades has the Latin phrase “Caveat Hostis” which means let the enemy beware.
This tail design is our family heraldry, it represents our storied past and present. It shows the world who the 116th is and that we are not done defending the skies.

• Date Taken: 02.02.2024
• Date Posted: 02.13.2024 12:54
• Story ID: 463781
• Location: SPOKANE, WA, US