A USAF KC-135R tanker aircraft made a surprise visit to Taipei on October 29. Although it was reported that the aircraft was to evacuate a premature baby of an American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) employee, the arrival of a USAF military jet in Taiwan’s capitol led to some speculations and even conspiracy theories. This is not the first time that a USAF KC-135 landed in Sungshan Airport. To the best of my knowledge, KC-135A 57-1429, which landed in Sungshan on October 21, 1958, carrying Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, is most likely the first KC-135 to land in Taipei.
The USAF received its first KC-135A tanker on June 28, 1957. In particular, KC-135A 57-1429 was rolled out on May 28, 1958, and made its first flight on June 20. It was then delivered to the USAF on July 14, 1958. So it was literally a brand-new aircraft when it carried Dulles to Taiwan during the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis.
The photo on the top shows that this KC-135 was about to touch down on Sungshan’s runway. The following photos are selected from the series of photos taken on the occasion of Dulles’ arrival. More photos can be found on Google.
