How difficult is it to tow a U.S. Navy jet with a pickup truck? The EA-6B jet weighs approximately 33,000 lbs when fully equipped. Although, it is not that difficult to move a plane like this on a flat and smooth surface – backing it up into its parking spot at the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space museum is a whole other story.
The towing truck of choice for this job is a 2016 Ram 3500 HD dually Limited with the high output Cummins I6 turbo-diesel. We are using a GenY Hitch that can double as a pintle hitch.
The plane’s steering gear is connected to the truck’s pintle hitch with a steel tow bar. It means there are two pivot points with this setup: one at the hitch and the second at the jet’s steering gear. It’s similar to backing up a double trailer setup.
It took a long time to complete the job and a lot of assistance from museum’s facilities manager, Scott. He normally uses a tug with a pintle hitch that’s mounted on the front. This makes it a little easier.
What an honor and once in a lifetime opportunity it is to move a retired EA-6B Prowler Jet! Huge thanks to the #WingsMuseum for this unique opportunity.
