Jcapsparkchaser

On 6/3/2023 at 11:39 PM, Randy Odette said:

Certainly a lot of discussion about E flight and Heavy Chain. Sam has a lot of good info. I joined E flight in Naha AB in 1969 there abouts. We had 5 silver C-130A models. Had TS clearance my crew chief was Mike Dietlman, aircraft 56-0523. We then upgraded to C-130E models. Five gray one's. Thing was they were stationed at CCK AB Taiwan. So most of the crews and maintenance folks PCS'D to Taiwan. In 1972/73 E flight moved from Taiwan to Clark AB PI and once again most of the crews and maintenance folks moved also. I PCS'D from Clark to Blytheville AR in 1981. I think E flight eventually moved to Yokota AB in the 80's. When I left Clark AB there was still an E flight and 374TAW. My aircraft was 1859 and the other four were 7879, 0497, 0515, and 7868. Crew chiefs were Waryha, Odette, Pefier,  Splawn, and Brewer. Enjoyed E flight and all the missions we were involved in in the Far East and Southeast Asia. I think there are two Sam McGowans. The one I knew was a flight engineer and a dam good one. One of our aircraft (I think 0515) was out of commission for a while because a non E flight crew was shooting touch and go's at Tainan and decided to pull CB on warning horn and landed with gear up. I believe that was the story if I remember correctly. I believe that the reason most of the crews and maintenance folks moved with E flight was because we all had TS clearances and to costly and time delays in conducting more clearances. Thanks folks

Mr. OD-Randy, does the name Vinny Aquaviva ring a bell? Vince and I used to talk about Naha and CCK with e flight My first duty staion was Naha Sep 0f 68 of course we always had 2 electricians always on status with Bill Goodall was my trainer along with Fred Worrell they eventually went to Ubon and Spectre upon leaving Naha as it was closing. Wasn't Peifer, Splawn, Charlie Brewer, and Waryhaalong with yourself all from Naha? The reason I mention Vince is I eventually was an ART with the 913th at WGARS Pa. from 84 - 2006 when I moved to Pope and retired Vince often would bring your names up since I was at Naha until Jun of 70 where I sent stateside to Chanute but managed to wrangle a trip to Ubon All Expenses Paid for 1 year tp Participate in Linebacker II this time after going to FTD on the F-4 C-D-E and B-57G Airframes. I worked for and with Vinny in Flight Line supervision at WGARS and that man knows the Herc inside and out. Anyway saw your Post and since its rainy season on the ROCK as the song goes " im going back to Namanui 1 more time!

I Have Been Out Too Long To Remember any Quick Remedies,  The Person To Contact Would Be To Contact Tiny Clark, Hopefully He Will See This.

Happy St. Pats Day Sonny!

To All My Charlie West Desert Buddies Past and Present Congratulations on the "NEW" J models stay safe and treat em right! Cap from the 913th  Willow Grove!

Well here we are what is it 2022? I remember back in the 90s being in Avionics in a C-130E unit all the talk was "AMP" very exciting! Then its off no its on again, no its off, wait we're going to do a limited run "E"s to make em "H"s. I really hope all goes well and that they AMP a S@#$ load of Hercs. 

Happy Birthday Ken! Hope you are Well and Safe in Idaho! My best Friend in Basic back in Feb of 68 was from Mountain Home Idaho. Its still a bucket list item for me!

Where Was CRB--Cam Ranh Bay-- The Sandbox-- was a Base in South Vietnam where guys (Maintenance Technicians) from places like CCK Taiwan ( too long a name to write it out) Naha Okinawa, Clark in the PI --Phillipines, and Mactan all came together to drink a little beer and fix C-130 Hercules! Later on it would be called The Airlift Rodeo at Pope AFB N.C. Hello Nascarpop and Mt.crewchief always good to hear from fellow Naha friends!

Hey Ken I know of another person who you also know who probably forgot more about the C-130A=E-H-that started out as a CC at CCK then a FE with E-flight and that person would be Vinny Aquaviva! He trained me on the instrumentation Auto Pilot and Compass Systems when I was an ART at Willow Grove in the 913th then when I was Pro Super he was my Expediter on the flight Line. When they closed the Grove in 2007 I had already gone to Pope and joined the 440th out of Milwaukee until I retired in 2009. I dont think you remember me from Naha I was a Sparkchaser there from Sep 68 to Jun 70 you were TTDY from CCK you ran engines a few times as I paralleled the DC generators. Always good to see you on the Herk website!

Happy Halloween Sonny!

We had at one time 10 "E" models starting with serial # 637776, we also had 2 -"E" 621809 I think was 1 of them anyway The E-4 Autopilot Amplifier was tubed and on long flights the crew would have to shut down the A/P because of tubes overheating and the axis's would spike, rolls, porpusing, etc etc. In 1991 after returning from desert mod teams came in and Satcom and GPS, along with NEW Autopilot which was all digital was installed in our Heres. We were lucky because back in the 80s all our Hercs had the wings and wing boxes replaced which extended their life. In 2005 Pope, Little Rock, and Dyess came up and took them all away as a result of the wing box inspection at these bases where non repairable cracks were found.  CRS runs thru my brain at times . The inspection came about after the C-130A belonging to Coulson fighting fires in California crashed killing all 3 on board as the wings folded back after the aircraft pulled up after dispening its retardant.

I arrived Naha on 30 Sept. 1968 and left in June of 1970. I was in Electric Shop 374th FMS with Tsgt Lucero as our shop chief and SSgt. Lawhon the night shift 7 level Supervisor I went TDY to TSN first time but dont have orders I went 2 more times lucky for me I have a set of orders showing I was in country when we moved to CRB from TSN after new Maintenance Bulding was built. Worked mostly Rebel Ramp left in Jun of 70 and back to states in Late July early August. I will try and copy and upload my orders cause there might be some people on them and could help. Fraulein spent many hours over in Eng. Conditioning Paralleling Generaters we probably ran into each other. Like they used to say over the radio on AFRVN "WE WENT TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS TOGETHER"

Ken going over this message I must ask was some of the information in your vast knowledge was it gathered "over the table or under the table or both"? Asking for a friend!

Nice article Bobby!

On 8/17/2014 at 11:30 PM, tinyclark said:

It always helps to list what year aircraft you are referring to. There are so many different wiring diagrams.

TC , Ive seen this happen before in 63 year "E" models 637867 to be exact QEC on specified engine installed after returning from Texas solder job at cannon plug at Tach Generator not tinned and only held on by a couple strands of wire also look at cannon Plug by indicator in cockpit another area where a lot of hands get in there swapping indicators and pulling on the harness. 

Happy Birthday Ken! Hope you have a Great Day Today!

Almost forgot Sgt Dennis Byrne who upon retirement would be Smsgt Dennis Byrne 42390! 

Thank you Ken and Sonny and a thank you to my Trainer at Naha okinawa circa Sep 68 to Jun 70 thanks for sharing with us 3-5 levels the things we would need to know when it became our time to go down country when you guys left! It saved my Butt many times in the Nam. Does anyone have a T-56-7engine speed switch jumper they can give up for awhile? Cant say when i will give it back!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

The website from above 005 or rather "BALLS 5" as we called her at Naha back in 68 to 70 before she joined the Vietnamese Air Force. Spent a lot of hours changing generators paralleling generators all kinds of electrical stuff. Im sure Sonny, Bill Goodall and Dennis Byrne and Ed Hubrich also have a lot of found memories of all the "BALLS" tail numbers we had 002-004-005-006 CRS stops me from remembering if I forgot any I do believe they were all 55 series "A" models but could have been 56, I know CRS- Great memories of Brothers from a place and a war so long ago and so far far away!

Right down the road from where I live in Alburtis Pa. It is a nice ride on interstate 78. Not too far from Harrisburgh Airport where 193rd is located. The only unit of its kind in U.S. Air Force and a Air Guard unit to boot! 

Ken, Vinny corrected me on the C-130Es we had at the Grove. I missed 2 63 model E's 63-7823 and 63-7853 along with 62-1806 and 62-1852. Both 62;s went to Sheppard.  7853 was taken by Pope or Dyess and suffered a catastrophic left MLG  fire  on landing at Talil in Iraq and was stripped and sits there still today. 

To add to this story we at Willow Grove 913th A/W had 10 C-130Es -63-7776-7779 -7832-7833 -7834 -7848-7867-7892-  and 2 (62)models 62-1804 and the other CRS has hit me but Vince A. would know Ken . Anyway after the "A" models wings folded fighting fires in California, the whole  USAF started doing NDI inspections starting at wing boxes external tank pylons and enging pylons. We were lucky because all of the 63's just finished having wing boxes replaced in the 80's . the 62 models were flown to Sheppard to be used as trainers in the Tech Schools. Unfortunately for us at the Grove Dyess, Pope, and Little Rock came up and took our 63's. As I remember it Pope alone had 17 Hercs that were in such bad shape they had to be trucked to D.M. and the boneyard. If i am wrong i am sure Vince will fact check me and make corrections.

Hey Ken, maybe they removed the externals to help 1804 stay close to an "A" model from Naha in a race! Ha Ha!

Hey Ken another Naha Sparkchaser here. I do remember in late 69 early 70 we Naha and the "A"s moved from TSN to CRB right after Christmas when the CCK "E"s moved from CRB to TSN. I remember spendin many a night drinking beers at the Hooch I left CRB in March for Naha then DEROS'd to states in June. Was back over in 71-72 at Ubon chasing sparks on the F-4 and B-57G.during end of Linebacker I and going into Linebacker II.

I remember we had "BAT" planes at TSN, this would be spring 1970 timeframe they also had Red lettering if I remember right. The "BB" mission had just ended so we used them down country assigned to 834th Air /Det. then moved us "A"s down to be with the "B" guys from Clatk and moved the "CCK" "E" guys to the newer buildings they just finished for us at TSN. I myself enjoyed CRB and "Herky Hill" better'