Lt. Col. Steve
Schnell, USAF reserve
Honorary Member Of The Dawn
Patrol
C-17 Command Pilot
The Last C-141 pilot.
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Lt.
Col. Steve Schnell, USAFR, is presently serving at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. He
has over 5000 flying hours in the C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy, and his most current
airlifter, the C-17 Globemaster III. He serves full time for the Air Force Reserve as
their Chief of Current Operations -orchestrating over 5500 hours of flying annually in
support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He has been involved in nearly every US
contingency since 1992. He is most proud of his units (445th Airlift Wing) flying 17000
wounded out of Balad, Iraq, from 2003-2005, without the loss of a single life. Lt. Cool
also has the distinction of being the last C-141 Pilot.
The Studmuffins (and Studmuffinette) of The Dawn Patrol first ran
into "Captain" Schnell at the Annual Dawn Patrol Rendezvous held at the National
Museum Of The U.S. Air Force held at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. He was so young
looking we thought his mom drove him to work. Even then he was way high up in the pecking
order of the Air Force. He was an instructor pilot in the C-141 Starflifter. "Safety
Steve" was given the thankless job of "Safety Officer" and was responsible
for US. He was also the "Buffer" between the rowdy rabble of civilian pilots
(US!!) and the retired General in charge of the museum. I'm sure we were the reason he got
some gray hairs from that (and future Dawn Patrol Rendezvouses we attended.) Every time we
flew the civilian retired general would tear Safety Steve a "new one" over
something we'd done. Then, Safety Steve would come over to us and in a nice, gentle,
non-threatening manner tell is DON'T EVER TO THAT AGAIN!! I'm
sure he's the reason we didn't get thrown off the museum grounds. He's one hell of a great
guy!! |
"Safety Steve" in his "office" in the cockpit of a C-17 at the Annual
Memorial Day Salute to Veterans Air Show at the Columbia, Missouri Regional Airport
just south of Columbia, Missouri. He gave all the members of the Dawn Patrol a guided tour
of the C-17. |
"Safety Steve" and Sharon at the Saturday Night banquet at the Salute To
Veteran's show. |
Steve with son William at the Salute To Veterans Air Show.
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Steve tries out the cockpit of Sharon's Morane Saulnier "L" Parasol at the
Columbia, Missouri Salute to Veteran's show. |
Safety Steve on the flight line at Columbia, Missouri. |
Safety Steve at the Saturday Night Banquet at Hearnes Arena on the campus of the
University of Missouri at Columbia, Missouri. |
Let's face it,,, He's a STUD!! He's changed a lot from our first meetings with him in 1999
at the National Museum For The United States Air Force. He was a lowly captain and looked
about 14 years old. |
Safety Steve in the back seat of Harvey Cleveland's Curtiss "Seagull" amphibian
replica at the Columbia, Missouri Salute To Veteran's show. |
Safety Steve watches Mary Hymer repair some wing tip damage to his Fokker D-7 replica
after a ground loop at the Columbia, Missouri Salute to Veterans show. |
The Memorial Day Salute to Veteran's Parade down Broadway in Columbia, Missouri. |
Sharon Starks gets to try out the left seat of Safety Steve's C-17 cockpit at the Salute
to Veterans Air Show. |
Steve inside the cargo bay of the C-17.
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At Camp Tripoli at Al Assad - Iraq. |
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Onboard the "Geezer Cruizer" with Sharon Starks |
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