2016
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A day after the Montana congressional delegation sent letters expressing their disappointment in the relocation of Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System units from North Carolina to Nevada, the National Guard Bureau confirmed the decision and the move. The MAFFS that were located with the 145th Airlift Wing of the North Carolina Air National Guard will now move to the 152nd Airlift Wing of the Nevada National Guard. MAFFS are specialized equipment owned by the U.S. Forest Service that can be installed in C-130 cargo plans to drop retardant on wildfires. The North Carolina unit is converting from C-130s to C-17s and that prompted the National Gua…
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PANAGARH (Burdwan) The 87 Squadron of Indian Air Force (IAF) will formally become operational at Air Force Station Arjan Singh in Panagarh on May 5 in the presence of IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha. This was announced by Air Marshal C Hari Kumar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, at the air base on Friday. The 87 Squadron will be the second one in the IAF to comprise C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The first squadron is based at Hindon near Delhi. "The additional C-130J aircraft will be coming in from April, 2017. All construction work, including hangers, will be completed by the end of this month and the squadron will become operationa…
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Maintaining the C-130J Super Hercules fleet here became a more efficient process for the 403rd Maintenance Squadron Isochronal Inspection Dock. The ISO Dock received new maintenance stands April 14. The first aircraft to undergo an inspection using the new stands is enabling maintainers to test out their new equipment, said Master Sgt. Steven Dahl, 403rd MXS flight chief. “This aircraft is riddled with heavy maintenance tasks such as removal of the number one engine change, left outboard flap, and all four main landing gear; which is enabling us to completely test the new stands in almost every possible maintenance scenario we will cross all at …
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The HC-130H that is being transferred from the Coast Guard (previous 1708 c/n 5002) to the U.S. Forest Service that will be designated as Air Tanker 116 has recently received a new paint job. The projected delivery date to McClellan Air Field in California is September 15. Sometime after that it should be in service as an air tanker, but will be using on a temporary basis one of the eight USFS slip-in MAFFS retardant systems until a permanent retardant delivery system can be installed. The paint design is similar what was approved over two years ago and the one on the recently acquired Sherpa C-23B aircraft, but varies a bit from the design, in that the engine c…
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Nevada will soon have one of four groups equipped with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems to help battle large-scale wildland fires in the region, according to the National Guard Bureau. The Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing is set to begin outfitting its C-130 aircraft with the system for firefighting missions nationwide. The decision brings firefighting capabilities to the unit, which sits in the largest national forest in the lower 48 states, Tech. Sgt. Emerson Marcus, of the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing, said in a news release on Friday. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest has been prone to massive fires in rec…
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Fifty Airmen from the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing and two LC-130 ski-equipped aircraft are in the High Arctic supporting the Canadian Forces annual Operation Nunalivut exercise in Canada's Nunavut Territory.' It is the third year that the New York Airmen, based at Stratton Air National Guard Base near Schenectady, N.Y., have participated in the Canadian military exercise. The New York Air National Guard team is operating out of three locations during the exercise – Resolute Bay; Thule Air Base, Greenland; and Little Cornwallis Island which is about 50 miles Northwest of Resolute. The Canadian exercise began on April 1 and wraps up on April…
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Airmen and ski-equipped aircraft from the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing have started their annual journey to Antarctica. Two ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft and 23 Airmen left Stratton Air National Guard Base on Tuesday, October 18 to participate in the wing’s 29th season supporting Operation Deep Freeze, the military component of the U.S. Antarctic Program, which is managed by the National Science Foundation. The first LC-130 to leave Stratton departed Oct. 14 and is now in Christchurch, New Zealand – the last stop before Antarctica. Two more planes are scheduled to depart Stratton within the week. Throughout the season, which runs thr…
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Northrop Grumman (NG, Chalet CD01) Technology Services is offering legacy C-130 Hercules operators a center wing box (CWB) restoration solution. The offer derives from a refurbishment program on five C-130H airlifters that Australia gifted to the Indonesian air force. The Australian aircraft were overhauled before delivery by NG’s Integrated Defense Services (IDS) facility–the former Qantas Defense Services (QDS) company that the American corporation bought in 2013. QDS had provided deep maintenance support to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-130 fleet since 1958. One of the five ‘Herks’ for Indonesia proved to have a corroded CWB that needed repl…
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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…
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The long, sad goodbye is coming to an end. The few remaining members of the 440th Airlift Wing will case the colors this weekend. Ceremonies on Fort Bragg and in downtown Fayetteville will bid the unit farewell. The formality of inactivating Fort Bragg's last resident airlift unit will come sometime before the end of this month. It will nearly coincide with the end of the federal fiscal year, which is appropriate, because it appears that the Air Force decision to close the wing was related to federal budget woes. Military budgets are still subject to the blind, meat-ax cuts required by Congress' budget sequestration law, the insane mandate of across-the-board sp…
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A PAF C-130 aircraft, specially painted to highlight the sacrifices of Pakistani people and the Armed Forces in Operation Zarb e Azb, and Pakistan’s role in eradicating the menace of terrorism from the world, arrived at Royal Air Force Base, Fairford (UK) to participate in the Royal International Air Tattoo Show-2016, says a report received from Fairford (UK) The PAF contingent comprising air and ground crew is participating in the various competitions and events organized at the Royal International Air Tattoo Show-2016. PAF C-130 had participated in this prestigious event in July, 2006 as well and had won three major trophies of the competition. Reputed…
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MANILA (PNA) --- The Philippine Air Force (PAF)'s fifth Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" cargo aircraft will arrive by the last week of September, according to PAF spokesperson Araus Robert Musico in a message to the PNA Thursday. "The aircraft will arrive last week of this month. I don't have the exact date yet," he said in Filipino. The fourth C-130 arrived at the Benito Ebuen Airbase, Mactan, Cebu last April 5. It was flown by Filipino pilots headed by Col. Alejando Baclayon, Lt. Col. Ian Earth Lamzon, Major Ian Dexter Danes, Major Anthony Amora, and Major Ramil Daet. The two C-130s are worth USD61 million and were acquired through the US Excess Defense Article Program. …
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C-130 News: Pakistan International Airlines Flying C-130 Military Plane for Passenger Service?!
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After the tragic crash of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK 661 a week ago, the airline grounded all ATR aircraft so they could thoroughly inspect them. PIA had 10 of these aircraft, and a number of flights were suspended until further notice as a result. The Chairman of PIA Azam Saigol resigned a few days ago, citing “personal reasons,” though some sources said that the government Wan't happy with the chairman following the crash. After the tragic crash of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK 661 a week ago, the airline grounded all ATR aircraft so they could thoroughly inspect them. PIA had 10 of these aircraft, and a number of flights wer…
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MANILA - One of the two C-130T cargo planes that form part of the Philippine Air Force's capability upgrade funded by both national and US Foreign Military Financing arrived in the country just before midnight Wednesday. A statement from the public information office of the PAF’s 2nd Air Division said the C130T, one of two promised US President Barack Obama, landed at 11:25 p.m. at Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. “The C-130T aircraft may be viewed by the public for the first time during its formal transfer, acceptance and blessing in a ceremony presided by the Secretary of National Defense and temporarily scheduled in the afternoon of April 12, 2016 at Colonel …
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Philippine Air Force outgoing commanding general Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado stated that one of the two refurbished C-130 aircraft amounting to PHP1.6 Billion from the United States of America will be delivered on March 15. For now, the Philippine Air Force technical working group is in US to inspect the C-130 before it will be delivered in March while the other one will be delivered in September. Meanwhile, for the last time, the outgoing PAF commanding general will inspect Air Force troops and air assets during his retirement and turnover ceremony in Lipa, Batangas tomorrow. At the same time, the two FA-50 fighter jets acquired by the Armed Forces of…
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The contracting process for modernizing C-130H transports of the Portuguese Air Force has been authorized by Minister of National Defense José Alberto Azeredo Lopes. "The modernization program of the C-130H is essential to meet the requirements of the European Single Sky regulations, as well as for support and modernization of these aircraft," the Ministry of National Defense quoted Azeredo Lopes. The Portuguese Air Force operates five C-130s, which are essential for military operations and in various missions of public interest. The ministry said the upgrading of the aircraft has a projected completion date of 2023 and that about $32.3 million has been bud…
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The group that supports Robins Air Force Base held its first meeting in nine months Thursday, and heard some potentially good news. It was the first meeting of the 21st Century Partnership under the leadership of Dan Penny, the new president. He told the members that talks are in progress for Robins to get more C-130 work. “It hasn’t been approved by the Air Force but there is somebody working on it, I can tell you that,” he said. “It will take probably at least two years for that to happen.” But he explained it in a way that sounded hopeful. Robins currently does most of the heavy maintenance on C-130s, but some of it is done at Hill Air Force Base i…
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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…
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The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) marked the completion of a major upgrade of all 17 CC-130J Hercules aircraft on Oct. 18, keeping Canada’s CC-130J Hercules at the forefront of airlift operations. The 17th and last upgraded Hercules was received on Oct. 13, 2016. The modifications include significant improvements to navigation, communication, and maintenance capabilities. The Hercules model J can now fly more efficiently amongst large commercial aircraft in heavily congested and controlled airspace and perform much more fuel-efficient long-range flights. It can now also conduct approaches in poor visibility and receive critical mission information from allied groun…
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On Tuesday, April 5, 2016, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) retired its final CC-130E Hercules after 51 years of service. Making the short flight from CFB Trenton, Ont., where it has served for many years, it arrived at Rockcliffe airport in Ottawa at its new permanent home at Canada Aviation and Space Museum. The Lockheed Hercules has served the RCAF since the acquisition of four C-130Bs in 1960. The three surviving C-130Bs were sold to the Colombian government in 1969. The success of the B models led to the acquisition of a large fleet of brand new 24 C-130E models, starting in 1964. The donated plane has had a long and exemplary career. The longest…
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The Air National Guard unit at Reno completed its first training activation operating the U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne FireFighting System last week and the first of the unit’s C-130s equipped for MAFFS arrived at the base Thursday, September 8. In April the Reno 152nd Airlift Wing became one of the four bases designated to operate MAFFS units. They are replacing the 145th Airlift Wing of North Carolina that is transitioning from the C-130 to the C-17. The other MAFFS bases are at Cheyenne, Colorado Springs, and Channel Islands in California. The USFS has 8 MAFFS units that can be slipped into a C-130 in just a few hours, converting it to a 3,000-gallo…
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More than 100 Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing here trained with Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue personnel during an annual exercise in Key West, Florida, March 2-6. During the search-and-rescue exercise, or SAREX, the Reserve Airmen and their counterparts practiced land and water rescue operations on the island just 90 miles from Cuba. The 920th RQW supported the exercise with two HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters and three HC-130P/N King refueling aircraft, while the Canadians flew one CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and two CC-130 Hercules aircraft. Col. Brett Howard, 920th RQW vice commander, said the SAREX was important because the U.S. and Canadian service…
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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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Returning air power as quickly as possible to the warfighter - that's the goal of the C-130 Air Force Special Operations Command Acceleration Team here. Following the successful delivery of an AC-130U gunship in February, a dedicated team of 50 maintenance professionals in the C-130 AFSOC Acceleration Flight forged ahead with two additional aircraft currently on station. A total of six AFSOC planes are scheduled for accelerated programmed depot maintenance at Robins in fiscal 2016. One has been delivered. The first of three MC-130H Combat Talons and a second gunship are currently here. These high-demand aircraft are a direct result of a team effort that once…
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The war on terrorism is getting a boost from the efficiency of maintenance workers at Robins Air Force Base. Friday, crews prepared to send off an AC-130U gunship after a record maintenance stop. "It typically takes 181 days to do this work package on this aircraft," said Jim Russell, director of the 560th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "But because our customer asked us to accelerate due to the fact they need more aircraft in the field, we actually worked this airplane and were able to produce it in 100 days, which is a world record here for Warner Robins. " For every day a plane is in the shop, it is out of commission for nightly mis…
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