long take off

[Wil Sanchez]

Hey folks. I don't remember if I have posted this before. If I did then I apologize, but new members might not have seen it and might enjoy the might of the Herk.

Wil

Long Takeoff at Tan Son Nhut

On April 29, 1975, the fall of Saigon was imminent, and nearby Tan Son Nhut Air Base was under heavy fire. South Vietnamese Air Force officer Tinh Nguyen saw a single C-130A taxiing out. The cargo ramp was still open, with desperate people clambering on board. Nguyen joined them.

At the end of the runway, the cargo door finally closed, and the pilot powered up. The overweight Hercules slowly ran down the 9,000-foot runway, finally staggering off the ground at the end of the 1,000-foot overrun. The C-130 stayed in ground effect until it gained enough speed to begin a shallow climb.

The airplane was at least 20,200 pounds overweight, as it carried 452 people, including 33 crowded into the flight deck.

After a flight lasting nearly four hours, the C-130 landed at U Tapao RTAB, Thailand. When Nguyen got out, he looked at the C-130 and vowed that he would someday work for the company that built such a remarkable airplane.

Today, he does just that. Nguyen works at Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Ga., where he is a specialist in defensive systems. The aircraft that carried him and 451 others to safety may now be found as the gate guardian at Little Rock AFB, Ark.

[Plaprad]

If I remember correctly (a very rare occurrence) that bird is at the main gate of Little Rock AFB.

[BobWoods]

It is at the Main Gate at Little Rock and here is the plaque.

[Lkuest]

I was at a briefing on base several years ago about the "new" C-130J being adopted by the AD Air Force. One of the briefers was Nguyen, and he did introduce himself as one of the developers of the defensive systems on the C-130J. He also said he was on the plane at the front gate on its last flight out of Veitnam, "although it looked different back then, with the 3-bladed propellers." As fate would have it, there was another person in the audience who shared part of the story. A retired General was at Thailand when the plane landed, and remembered seeing the people pour out of the plane.

Small world.

[Fräulein]

That is a great story. I think the herk has a big footprint in the way it has affected many peoples lives.

[davis]

What the Tail # on that Baby?:confused:

[BobWoods]

56-0518

Edited July 16, 2010 by BobWoods
wrong info

[DC10FE]

Don't know if it's an urban legend or not, but I heard that on takeoff roll, the crew entrance door came open & some people were lost, including the pilot's wife. I heard that story from an A-model FE when I was TDY to Hickham. We were there supporting an FB-111 unit returning from Thailand & a bunch of ex-SVNAF A-models were coming through from SEA. One of them had a new crew entrance door still painted in zinc chromate. I asked about it & that's the story I got.

I also heard that a couple of escaping SVN F-5's were landing at U-Tapao from opposite directions & the tower controller told both of them to land on the right side of the runway. Pretty hairy!

Don R.

Edited July 17, 2010 by DC10FE