MASS TAC paradrop

[ABNRGR80]

Thought i would let you C130 lovers know that on the 18th of this month (Oct) 26xC130 droped a BDE of jumpers into Ft Polk for their JRTC trng

Total number droped was 1 heavy by a C17 followed by 16xC130H (all troops) then 10xC130J (all troops) total troop droped was around 1600

This was the largest paradrop in Ft Polk history and prob the largest in a long time, they didnt drop a Battalion it was a whole BDE with equipment and ARTY (which fired soon after setting up)

Diff a great site to watch in the moonlight

if i come across any news art ill post them for you

[Dan Wilson]

Man I would have loved to see that, screw that, I would have loved to fly that mission but alas my time in the bird has passed.

Thanks for the post, pretty damn interesting and should have been a hell of a sight.

[Jansen]

Pictures or video would be fantastic and much appreciated!

[tinyclark]

They did a huge drop in the So Cal high desert back in circa 1980s with C-141s. Bad thing was, we had Santa Ana winds going on, and the outcome wasn't pretty. It should have been called off, but too much rank in the audience, including congressmen.

Glad yours was picture perfect.

[xzoomie32065]

Took part in a drop in Turkey in 65. I think it was called "Deep Furrow". Must have been about 100 C-130's dropping troops and equiptment.

[spec13fe]

Found this on another board.

21 Little Rock C-130s take part in joint exercise

Posted 10/19/2010 Updated 10/20/2010 Email story Print story

10/19/2010 - LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- A large-scale formation of 26 C-130 Hercules aircraft, including 21 from Little Rock Air Force Base, took off from the base Oct. 18 to take part in a Joint Readiness Training Center exercise.

As part of the Army exercise, the 26 C-130s flew to Alexandria International Airport in Alexandria, La., to pick up approximately 1,700 Army 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade paratroopers and tons of cargo from Fort Bragg, N.C.

"It's a cool opportunity. Flying in general has always been what we all want to do," said Capt. Morgan Musser, 61st Airlift Squadron pilot. "The culmination is getting to fly a 31-ship formation which is something you don't get to do very often. And to work with the Army is an opportunity to exercise today for what could be real world tomorrow."

Joined by five C-17 Globemaster IIIs for a total massive formation of 31 cargo aircraft, they airdropped the Soldiers and supplies into the heart of the Army's exercise near Fort Polk.

"I think this is great training. It's stuff you don't see often, especially with a 31-ship formation dropping personnel," said Staff Sgt. Greg Flores, 41st Airlift Squadron loadmaster. "When I became a loadmaster, I wanted to do things that immediately affected what was going on in the warzone. We normally carry cargo from place to place, but we don't [transport] personnel very often, so doing the JRTC is great training."

The Joint Readiness Training Center provides realistic training using scenarios that allow integration between joint military organizations, host nations and civilian role-players.

"It's the unknown that we train for, in case we have to get a mass amount of people there," said Captain Musser. "The large formation is how we'll be doing that so it's good we practice that once in a while now so we're not caught completely off-guard."

The 26 aircraft were a combination of C-130E and H legacy models and the newest model, the C-130J.

(Courtesy of the 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs)

Mike Thompson

[loadsmith]

here's a few photos from the LRAFB webpage, scroll down and there are 3 photos:

http://www.littlerock.af.mil/photos/mediagallery.asp?page=4

[Plaprad]

I heard somewhere the bubbles weren't in use anymore. Something about them not sealing right.

[SamMcGowan]

Took part in a drop in Turkey in 65. I think it was called "Deep Furrow". Must have been about 100 C-130's dropping troops and equiptment.

I believe you are correct about DEEP FURROW. There was also one in Iran about that time. Back in the old days, massive airdrops of a 100 or more airplanes were common. I grew up in West Tennessee. In the 50s we'd hear the sounds of aircraft engines - my dad was a B-24 engineer during the war - and we'd run outside (or look up from the cotton field) and count them. The entire sky would be full of airplanes. I remember one time when I saw so many C-47s it was hard to count them. Later on it was C-119s. I don't remember any large formations of Herks, but after I got to Pope there were some. The entire TAC and MATS C-130 force took off from Pope to drop on San Isidro but the mission was changed to airland after they were enroute. Carl Wrick was flying the lead airplane and Bobby Gassiott was his navigator. If I remember correctly, there were 144 of them. There is some film footage of them taking off on the Net. I've posted a link to it on the links page on www.troopcarrier.org.

[DC10FE]

Sam,

I also remember all the C-130's flying out of Pope to San Isidro -- and it was not just MATS and TAC. The Marines, Navy and even the Coast Guard had Hercs flying into the Dominican Republic. It was a long time ago, but I still remember the derelict P-51's at the airport there.

Don R.

[SamMcGowan]

Sam,

I also remember all the C-130's flying out of Pope to San Isidro -- and it was not just MATS and TAC. The Marines, Navy and even the Coast Guard had Hercs flying into the Dominican Republic. It was a long time ago, but I still remember the derelict P-51's at the airport there.

Don R.

Don, the Marines and Navy aircraft - except for the MATS airplanes - were not on that gaggle. They did fly into the DR but most of their missions were out of Jacksonville, NC in support of the Marines that went in by ship. I remember some P-51s at Ramey that had been flown out of the DR, but they were operational, not derelict. I've got a couple of slides I took of some ancient British jet fighters that were at San Isidro. I believe they were Gloester Demons. Back in the eighties the late M.E. Morris visited me in Kentucky. He was commander of the Navy ski squadron during the D.R. - I think it was VX6. He told me that they flew missions into the DR in them. Speaking of Mo Morris, during his visit we learned that we were practically neighbors. Of course he was a a lot older than me but we were both from the same general area in West Tennessee. He and his wife were both from Medina, where my grandmother came from. I grew up about ten miles away out in the country.

[xzoomie32065]

We left Langley about noon and flew to Pope. The aircraft was rigged for a full load of paratroopers. We left Pope and proceded to fly in very rough turbulence caused by the aircraft ahead of us. All over the sky you could see rotating beacons as everyone tried to find a little les chopped up air. About halfway into the flight I was told by the A/C to tell the senior army officer onboard we would land the troops instead of dropping them. He insisted they would jump and it took the copilot to come back and tell him personally. We dropped the troops off and went to Ramey.

[154load]

I was one of the loads in the number 5 aircraft. It was interesting for sure. We dropped our 60 in one pass. That is pretty impressive considering the jumpers were in full combat gear.

[RZHill]

Took part in a drop in Turkey in 65. I think it was called "Deep Furrow". Must have been about 100 C-130's dropping troops and equiptment.

I remember that one, also remembet the drizzly sh&ts during that trip, Wasn't pretty.

RZ Hill

[RZHill]

I believe you are correct about DEEP FURROW. There was also one in Iran about that time. Back in the old days, massive airdrops of a 100 or more airplanes were common. I grew up in West Tennessee. In the 50s we'd hear the sounds of aircraft engines - my dad was a B-24 engineer during the war - and we'd run outside (or look up from the cotton field) and count them. The entire sky would be full of airplanes. I remember one time when I saw so many C-47s it was hard to count them. Later on it was C-119s. I don't remember any large formations of Herks, but after I got to Pope there were some. The entire TAC and MATS C-130 force took off from Pope to drop on San Isidro but the mission was changed to airland after they were enroute. Carl Wrick was flying the lead airplane and Bobby Gassiott was his navigator. If I remember correctly, there were 144 of them. There is some film footage of them taking off on the Net. I've posted a link to it on the links page on www.troopcarrier.org.

Remember that one also as a nubbie Flight Mechanic. Have some pictures somewhere. RZ

[JimH]

xzoomie wrote:

Took part in a drop in Turkey in 65. I think it was called "Deep Furrow". Must have been about 100 C-130's dropping troops and equiptment.

I went to Deep Furrow in '66 - we were #3 (and my stomach was very glad of that!).. Nav let me look through the sextant - lots of rotating beacons behind us!!

Jim Houston