2016
205 topics in this forum
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C-130 News: Ooh Rah! U.S. Marine Corps Receives 50th KC-130J Super Hercules Aerial Refueler
by casey- 0 replies
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The U.S. Marine Corps accepted delivery of its 50th KC-130J Super Hercules aerial refueler at the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) facility here on Aug. 18. This KC-130J is assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. The Marine Corps has the distinction of operating the largest KC-130J fleet in the world. As a member of the proven C-130J Super Hercules family, the KC-130J is battle-tested and delivers unmatched tanking capabilities — delivering fuel to a multitude of platforms, from helicopters to the F-35B Lightning II, the world’s most advanced 5th generation multirole fighter. “The U.S. Marine Corps is one of the most visible KC-130J operators in the…
Last reply by casey, -
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Dennys Plessas, Vice President Business Initiatives at Lockheed Martin, has reason to feel better about what the American aerospace giant is getting from its South African maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) agent than it is from those holding the purse strings of the national Defence budget. He and a group of high-powered colleagues are this week again in South Africa keeping a weather eye on local Lockheed interests – primarily 28 Squadron of the SA Air Force (SAAF) and Denel Aviation. He told defenceWeb there are currently 120 of the company’s best known product – the C-130 Hercules – in service on the African continent with only Tunisia, at this stage, oper…
Last reply by casey, -
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The first Lockheed Martin LM-100J (c/n 5818) commercial freighter aircraft has reached major production assembly milestones at Aeronautics sites located here; Meridian, Mississippi; and Clarksburg, West Virginia. Wing production has begun in Marietta, which is home to the C-130J Super Hercules final assembly line. Other structural parts are in production at the Meridian and Clarksburg facilities. The LM-100J is the civil-certified version of Lockheed Martin's proven C-130J Super Hercules and an updated version of the L-100 (or L-382) cargo aircraft. "Watching the LM-100J move from concept to reality is monumental for everyone involved, including our team m…
Last reply by BRlang, -
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The U.S. Coast Guard awarded Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin Corp. a $61.3 million contract for an extended-range, search-and-recovery variant of the company’s signature C-130 military transport craft. The contract, awarded Monday, is icing on the cake for Lockheed, which secured a multiyear, $5.3 billion contract in December to deliver 78 C-130Js to a combination of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps customers. The contract also offered the Coast Guard an option to purchase five HC-130Js between 2016 and 2020. This recent contract represents the second of those five options exercised by the Coast Guard. Under the multiyear contract negotiated at the en…
Last reply by casey, -
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Lockheed Martin recently delivered two C-130J Super Hercules to the U.S. Air Force. On June 10, an Air Force crew ferried an MC-130J Commando II multimission combat transport/special operations tanker, assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico An Air Force crew from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, visited Lockheed Martin’s site here to ferry an HC-130J Combat King II, on June 9. The HC-130J is the Air Force’s only dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery platform and is flown by Air Combat Command ferry (ACC). Source:http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2016/june/double-delivery…
Last reply by Metalbasher, -
"We are excited to have the opportunity to work with the United States Air Force to provide them with state of the art retardant aerial delivery systems (RADS) for their fleet of C-130's," says Wayne Coulson, CEO and President of Coulson Aviation. Coulson first developed and installed the RADS in 2012 to equip their own C-130H/Q for aerial fire suppression. It currently holds a contract with the United States Forest Service. Britt Coulson, Vice President of Aviation, also added "Our Next Gen SMART Controller, coupled to the C-130 RADS-XXL is the premier C-130 firefighting system in the world. We are the first system in the industry to employ technology to not only…
Last reply by casey, -
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CAPITOL HILL: The law is the law. But the law must be written and it must then be interpreted in practice. Ay, there’s the rub. Add the National Guard, local politics, aging C-130s, and a wobbly defense budget in which hard choices must be made, and you’ve got a potent mix. That became abundantly clear Wednesday afternoon during a very brief hearing of the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee. Rep. Jim Bridenstine laid into the head of Air Force acquisition, Billl LaPlante, and his colleague, Lt. Gen. James “Mike” Holmes, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements. Holmes told the subcommittee he was “most concerned…
Last reply by casey, -
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Work to install additional systems on the first of the Israeli air force’s Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports began in mid-January at the manufacturer’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina. Most of the new equipment has been developed in Israel, and is aimed at allowing the C-130J “Samson” to operate as an important asset of the Israeli defense forces’ Depth Command, tasked with performing long-range missions. The first Israeli aircraft will remain in the USA for four months, with a second to be flown to Greenville following the lead example’s return. The Israeli air force’s third C-130J – delivered in 2015 – had the additional systems install…
Last reply by casey, -
C-130 News: PAF C-130 wins best aircraft trophy at Royal International Air Tattoo Show 2016
by casey- 4 replies
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Pakistan Air Force’s C-130 aircraft has won the Concours D’ Elegance trophy Air Tattoo Show 2016 at Royal Air Force Base Fair Ford UK. More than 50 nations with 200 aircraft from across the world competed for the coveted trophy; however, the PAF C-130 stole the show with its attractive Zarb-e-Azb theme colors. On the final day of the Show Air Marshal Asad Lodhi, Vice Chief of the Air Staff also visited the venue and congratulated the PAF air and ground crew for winning the prestigious trophy and bringing laurels to the country. Talking to PAF contingent, he appreciated their untiring efforts for achieving this honor and said that this great achievement woul…
Last reply by Spectre623, -
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In the night-time skies of rural NSW, trainee Hercules pilots and loadmasters have been flying their aircraft with the aid of Night-Vision Goggles, manuevering at low-level and landing on dirt airstrips. From 8-17 June, No. 285 Squadron conducted an Airborne Operations Training Course from RAAF Base Richmond with pilots and loadmasters for the C-130J Hercules transport aircraft. For these members, the course forms the culmination of six-months training to operate the Hercules, and tests their skills in operating the aircraft at low-level, formation flying, the use of night-vision equipment, and airdrop of cargo. Once these members graduate from this course,…
Last reply by casey, -
C-130 News: YARS’ C-130H aircraft need to be either updated or replaced with new C-130J models
by casey- 0 replies
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U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman announced Tuesday that the Senate passed their joint amendment to the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act to strengthen the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and its mission capabilities. Specifically, the amendment directs the Air Force to report on how it will prioritize upgrades to provide new C-130J aircraft for facilities that include special mission units, such as aerial spray, airborne firefighting and weather reconnaissance. The 910th is the Department of Defense’s only large-area, fixed-wing aerial spray unit. Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, and Portman, a Cincinnati-area Republican, have been urging th…
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With no fanfare other than the fading rumble of its four turbo-prop engines, one of Patrick’s well-worn HC-130P/N King aircraft – number 65-00976 – disappeared into the afternoon sky heading into retirement at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base’s 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, the aircraft retirement “bone yard,” in Arizona. Throughout the fall of 2015, Rescue Wing Airmen piloted its grand fleet of six fixed-wing aircraft, familiar to many on Florida’s Space Coast, one-by-one, to their final resting place in the desert. For nearly 50 years, this ubiquitous combat proven aircraft served the Air Force, providing superior air support for its …
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KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Lt. Col. Stuart Rubio assumed command of the Air Force Reserve's 815th Airlift Squadron "Flying Jennies" from Lt. Col. Shannon Hailes Saturday. As part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, the Air Force announced plans to transfer 10 of the 403rd Wing's C-130J aircraft. A 2015 report from the Secretary of the Air Force reversed that recommendation, beginning the programming and budgeting work to restore personnel and mission capability at Keesler. Rubio, a C-130 pilot with 3,400 hours, comes to Keesler from the 48th Airlift Squadron, 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, where he served as the dir…
Last reply by casey, -
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Military members from the U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy, with international support from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force are joining forces to airdrop and deliver donated toys, clothes, food items and other necessities to remote islands across the Pacific Ocean as part of Operation Christmas Drop 2016. The annual training mission officially kicked off during a ceremony Dec. 6 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, where military leaders across the island pushed the first pallet of donated goods into a C-130 Hercules. Military members from the U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy, with international support from the Japan Air…
Last reply by casey, -
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CAE’s C-130 training center in Tampa, Florida is expanding with the addition of the company’s C-130H/L-382 full-mission simulator, which features Rockwell Collins Flight2 glass cockpit avionics system. CAE’s training center includes three C-130E/H simulators, flight training devices, and part-task trainers. It also offers hands-on devices for maintenance technician training. The C-130H simulator includes crew stations for the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and navigator. Officials expect to certify the simulator to Level D over the next year. Source: http://mil-embedded.com/news/c-130-training-center-expands-with-addition-of-c-130hl-382-simul…
Last reply by US Herk, -
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In dramatic fashion, a U.S. Air Force C-130J swept through the Hub City skies last week, landing in full force for the first time on the new crosswind runway at the Belen Alexander Municipal Airport. The dignitaries on the ground for the inaugural landing stood in awe with cell phones in hand pointed to the sky to capture the moment that’s been years in the making. The 58th Special Operations Wing out of Kirtland Air Force Base, along with the150th Special Operations Wing New Mexico Air National Guard unit will also use the runway. Col. Brenda Cartier, the commander of the 58th Special Operations Wing, stood on the loading ramp in the rear of the plane T…
Last reply by casey, -
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Excessive chafing and arcing between an axillary hydraulic line and the power cable is what caused a fire that destroyed a Royal Canadian Air Force C-130H at Naval Air Station Key West in Florida in 2012. A newly released flight safety report says the aircraft, configured for aerial refuelling, was midway through a touch-touch-and-go exercise when a “jet-like flame” shot across the cargo ramp floor. That flame erupted into a fireball as the aircraft’s loadmaster was reaching for a fire extinguisher to put it out. The Hercules had just become airborne (10ft) when the flight crew was altered and the pilot immediately brought the aircraft back down on the 1…
Last reply by casey, -
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Only a quarter of France's Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport fleet is available for service at any point in time, official figures show. According to the numbers, the availability of France's 14 C-130s reached a nadir in 2015 with a weak 26.2% availability rate, equivalent to only 3 or 4 aircraft flyable at any time. An aircraft is said to be available when it can fulfil its mission within six hours of schedule. France's C-130 fleet, now 30 years old on average, had a 72% availability rate in 2011 but this has since been steadily going down. However an upgrade program was decided on in the middle of the year, with the delivery of modernized aircraft expec…
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A long-haul truck must be maintained to continue operating safely and efficiently for the driver. This involves regular inspections, oil changes, tire rotations, parts replacements and tune-ups. Now imagine if that truck weighed hundreds of thousands of pounds, was required to travel hundreds of miles per hour, — and flew. Aircraft maintainers come face-to-face with those challenges every day; they are responsible for putting the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron’s C-130J Hercules in the air. “The maintenance mission for us is to keep the aircraft reliable and safe at all times, so we can do our mission of search and rescue at any time and short notice when call…
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When Lockheed designed the C-130 Hercules in Marietta in the 1950s, company engineer Kelly Johnson said they would be lucky to sell a hundred. In 2015, Tony Frese, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and deputy program manager of C-130 Programs, delivered number 2,500. “Here we are 60 years later,” said Frese. “So we always are quite thankful that Kelly Johnson, a brilliant man, got that one piece wrong.” That engineer, Johnson, was working on sleek reconnaissance jets. The Hercules, by comparison, is clunky, with large propellers, a heavy tail and a belly big enough to fit a bulldozer. But that’s been the massive transport plane’s secret to long life. I…
Last reply by casey, -
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The Philippine Air Force's (PAF) fifth C-130 heavy-lift transport aircraft arrived from the United States on Sunday evening. The cargo plane, acquired through the US Excess Defense Articles program, arrived at the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu. The plane took off from the Davis-Monthan Air Base in Tucson, Arizona last October 6 (US time), according to a report from the Philippines News Agency. PAF spokesperson Col. Antonio Francisco released the names of the personnel who flew the aircraft: Col. Joey Inacay, mission commander; Lt. Col. Jason Rom Lacida, aircraft commander; Major Anthony Amora, test pilot and pilot-in-command; Major Meritto Jay Quija…
Last reply by Spectre623, -
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After 33 years of providing aerial firefighting support with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS), maintainers from the North Carolina Air National Guard’s, 145th Airlift Wing, loaded the last portable fire retardant delivery system in to the back of a C-130 belonging to the 152nd Airlift Wing to be transported to its new home with the Nevada Air National Guard, on Sept. 7, 2016. “It was a challenging, and at times demanding mission of which was highly satisfying”, said Col. Marshall Collins, commander, 145th Airlift Wing. In 2015 alone, the 145th flew 30 MAFFS sorties and over 34.9 flight hours resulting in 38 drops for a total of over 754,000 pounds o…
Last reply by smokeybehr, -
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India is set to position its second squadron of special operations aircraft C-130J in Panagarh, West Bengal, to increase flying in areas close to the disputed boundary with China. “The second squadron of C-130J would be located at Panagarh. The flying will start by March-April 2017,” Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said here on Wednesday ahead of his retirement on December 31. The mountain strike corps being raised by the army would eventually be located at Panagarh. India currently has 13 corps – 10 defensive and 3 offensive corps – 1, 2, and 21 based in Mathura, Ambala and Bhopal. The 17 corps will be the first one to have specific capabilities to fight in the mountai…
Last reply by casey, -
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440th Airlift Wing members, Airmen from around the country, soldiers and community members gathered together yesterday to honor generations of 440th Airmen and pay tribute to the legacy of the Air Force's third oldest unit, the Air Force Reserve's 440th AW, at its inactivation ceremony, September 18. Though members of the 440th Airlift Wing have been planning and arranging for the closure of the wing's doors for months, little could truly prepare those gathered for the emotional ceremony; the heavy fog of both pride and sadness that would accompany the furling of the 440th Airlift Wing's flag. "I am honored to have spent my entire career with the 440th Airlift Win…
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A C-130 flown by the 120th Airlift Wing of the Montana National Guard was retired Monday afternoon. Another C-130 is already at Gore Hill to replace the aircraft with tail number 73-1598 c/n 4573 The retired aircraft will become a static display for public viewing on Gore Hill with the fighter aircraft already on display at Heritage Field, just outside the unit’s gate. The retired C-130 was built in 1973 at a plant in Marietta, Ga. Also that year, President Richard Nixon was in office, M*A*S*H was in production and the price of a first class stamp was 8 cents. The retired C-130 has served many units during its 43 years, including those …
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