Jump to content

Combat Takeoffs


Error_404
 Share

Recommended Posts

In Vietnam we operated at about 135000 lbs at forward fields. Usually we were heavier landing than taking off. Some times you would max out with rolling stock and be pretty heavy leaving as well. I know we climbed out at the steepest angle the we could based on our weight and airspeed. Approaches is a different story. I had a couple of A/Cs that would hold lots of altitude and pretty much dive down to the runway. Even operating pretty heavy it is still a very impressive aircraft. I crewed an "E" which at the time was the newest stuff we had. A few time we flew max gross weight around 155,000 lbs and takeoff roll was several thousand feet and there was no steep climb out...You can see in this picture we are still around 4,000' on short final to a short strip 

img061.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During the Dominican Republic airlifts in late 65 early 66 we flew under EWP take-off weights.  For some reason 175K sounds right but just memory.We went in to Pope and picked up the heaviest load I ever carried on an "E" model.  We clipped the tops of the trees with the wheels at the end of the runway. I was a young loadie at the time and I was sure it was all my fault.  I spent the flight reworking the weight and balance to make sure I hadn't screwed up. Wasn't me, just really heavy.

Seems like ammo flights and Stars and Stripes delivery's were the heaviest in Vietnam.  I got stuck a few times with Stars and Stripes runs and those pallets were heavy.

Got to do a Jato take-off at Wheelus in Libya for some reason, don't remember why.  That puppy came off the ground fast and steep.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You brought back a bad memory from my first days after getting checked out in Vietnam. I had been on my own just long enough to be dangerous. Three pallets of 175 rounds. Cant get any more routine than that. Unless you screw up and the first pallet is two locks too far forward. Thats less than a foot so how much difference can that make. 30,000 lbs makes a lot. It takes you from about 22% of MAC to a 12% of MAC. The forward limit is 14% at that weight. You can recover from nose heavy but you can't if you are tail heavy. Thank goodness for a 10,000' runway at Bien Hoa. Takeoff roll should have been about 3,000'. Plane didn't want to rotate. Finally with the yoke in his crotch and nose up trim Major Cherry got it off the ground. As soon as it was cleaned up I got a call on the headset. Hey Load, what was our CG. We only did a form "F" on the first leg and I had not slipped the load. I did a quick calculation on the slip stick and it was a couple notches under 14%. I reported back that it was "just" under 14% of MAC. Thank goodness we were going to a long runway. He was very calm and said we will add a few kts to the touch down speed and treat it as a MAX wt landing.

We landed with out incident. After we unloaded I tried to hide but there are few hiding places on a C-130. He got me alone and we sat on the ramp. I was waiting for my ass chewing but being the professional that he was he calmly explained to me that no load is routine and every crew member was accountable the the other 4. He taught me more about detail in that 5 minutes and leadership than any ass chewing could ever teach. I slipped every load from that time forward regardless of how many times I had hauled it. Thank you Major Cherry for you pilot skills and leadership.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Picked up 5 pallets of vegetables at Dalat one day -- Aerial Port gave me the weights, and I slipped the load.  Told Capt Latterner what the CG and weight were and we proceeded to depart ...  as we approached the runway numbers on the FAR end of the runway, I began to worry...  we flew off the end of the runway and descended into the valley!  As the airspeed picked up and we started to climb, I sat on the bunk and rechecked the load.  All seemed okay.  When we landed at Tan San Nhut, I had Aerial Port weigh the pallets and bring me the weights.  Turned out Dalat had weighed the pallets the day before, and they sat out in the rain all afternoon and through the night!  They had told me 12,500 total and it was over 20K !!  FE diddled his wiz wheel and told the AC we couldn't take off from Dalat at that weight!!  Sure glad there was a valley to descend into .... after that, I always tried to double check the weights I was given!! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...