spare parts on board

[herky400M]

Hy C130 world: I've got a small question for de FE's or tec's When you're on a mission abroad and and you're flying small mission, and at evenings your back with the maintenance people, do you take spare parts with you so you can repair or change parts on de aircraft?

in the BE AF, we for example take a main wheel with us in case of, also a fly away kit with a few extra engine, APU and cell parts so the FE can change them. jumper plugs (speed sensitive switch, ignition relay)

I don't speak in a hostile enviorment.

any info will do fine, thx

greetz herky400m

[Dan Wilson]

Typically, for an out and back mission you don't take any kind of spare parts with you. Most of the "get it home repairs" like jumping the cannon plug for the speed switch (and other stuff like that) is forbidden for "normal" use and restricted to when combat repairs are authorized.

I have done lots of these "combat repairs" when they were not authorized but it got the plane home and usually didn't get in too much trouble.

Some of the USAF restrictions are pretty stupid and gave up long ago trying to make sense of it.

Dan

[herkman]

In Australia because our total fleet was based in the one location and because all of our FE's were taken from the technical trades, we had to repair the aircraft when broken down away from base.

We used to have an A and a B kit, one was for use in Australia and the two combined used to cover overseas. If the breakdown was bad like say a hydralic pump problem, then we would have to ask for a "Rescue Eight" and another C130 full of the required bit, tools and of course the technicians would usually arrive in a day or so.

It was a rare occasion when we could not get the ship flying again. Our FE's also had to with the able assistance of the LM, used to be qualified to pull various scheduled inspections, when the airframe ran out of hours, caused by our tasking being extended.

My understanding is that on the J models, the LM has been given the task of changing parts to fix u/s's but sometimes has to get help locally.

A feature not we did not thank Lockheed for was the loss of the engineer, if we ever have to fight another war like Vietnam, I wonder how long before he returns.

Regards

Col