C-130T

[TalonIIVito]

Does the Navy in fact utilize the C-130T and are they able to in-flight refuel from a boom.

[bobdaley]

The USN C130T\'s have all the plumbing that the USMC KC130T\'s have except the pods which can easily be mounted.

A few years ago there was a plan to make them tankers but some Admiral did not like that idea so after the first one was completed they took the pods off it again.

BTW has anyone heard what is going to happen to VR-62 when Brunswick closes? I heard maybe move it to Jacksonville?

[HerkPFE]

Bob is correct, as one of the people who stood up VR-54 (the first KC-130T Squadron), the VR Wing was staffed with C-9 people who wanted to us to fly/operate C-130 like a C-9. Point A to B, haul trash and passengers. They even wanted us to wear the funny blue C-9 flight suits and pass out snack packs. We were regulated to operating the Herk to about 30% of it\'s capabilities.

Of course the rest of the Navy and Marines wanted us to do more and we did sneak off and played with the Seal Teams and such.

They did put the IFR pods on one aircraft and a crew did get qualified...then the Wing wanted the pods off and the Marines wanted their pods back.

It was a sad beginning for the Navy KC-130T program because the first two squadrons were made up of hand picked previously qualified C-130 people/aircrewmen and Combat Air Crew qualified P-3 people/aircrew who were use to going the extra mile and operating at a high tempo. We were not the coffee, tea or snack C-9 people. So we were always in some state of trouble

Things may have changed since I retired in 1994, maybe someone could comment here on it.

Greg