bobdaley

Just got a report from Andy Marden on the Ecuadorean AF Ecuador got 4 ex USAF B models. None of them are flying. Three were left behind at the old Quito airport. One went to the new airport and is parked looking derelict. FAE 894 ex USAF 57-0525 Lock 3501 moved to the new airport. FAE 897 ex USAF 61-2645 Lock 3683 is in the AF Museum at the old Quito airport. Andy found that at least most of us had misidentified 895 and 896. They are both on the ramp at old Quito. One clearly identified as 895 was unable to be identified. All along we thought it was ex USAF 57-0529 Lock 3505. But 895 was sitting next to 57-0529, still identifiable from its old USAF paint scheme. Therefore, 895 must be ex USAF 58-0733 Lock 3528 and 57-0529 Lock 3505 must be 896. I'll try to attach some pics Bob The pictures did not line up the way I wanted but The first one is 896 The second one is at new Quito The H and L100 in the front are operational and the B in the back looking sad is 894 Third is 897 in the Museum at old Quito Fourth is a shot of the ex USAF serial 57-0529 on 896. Fifth is 895 at old Quito Bob

CT just got its 8th H 74-2063 Bob

That was what I thought, but there were only 10 EC-130E ABCCC birds and I think only 7 got the AC Mod. They seem to be accounted for. 3738 62-1791 is a GIA at North Island NAS 3770 62-1809 was lost in Iran 3777 62-1815 was lost at Danang 3780 62-1818 was at AMARG reported broken up at HVF Tucson 1 Aug 2013 3783 62-1820 was converted back to a C130E by 1975 and never had external AC pods. 3788 62-1825 was cut up at AMARG and the cockpit was at Randolph being made into a simulator. 3795 62-1832 was at AMARG still listed 10/15/2014 3799 62-1836 was at AMARG still listed 10/15/2014 3821 62-1857 was flying with AFSOC at Hurlburt, then reported going to the Carolina Aviation Museum http://www.carolinasaviation.org/military/mc-130-hercules The picture of 857 at the museum does not seem to have AC pods? 3827 62-1863 was converted to an HC-130P and is at Moody Any help? Thanks Bob

From the above, the last 2 ex 50th birds 92-0554 and 93-1041 have gone. Anyone To where? Also Mansfield received 2 its last 2 H's 82-0055, confirmed, and 83-0486 maybe? Anyone know? Thanks Bob

I just got a call from the Naval Museum at Pensacola. According to them, some parts off of 9798 were traded for the Mars, but the airframe is still on display at Pensacola and will remain for the near future. Bob

The pic at Harvey point is really interesting because it looks like an EC-130E ABCCC kind of plane. The only herks I saw with those big air conditioners on the fuselage. I think there were only 7 modified with those AC's and most of them are accounted for. Bob

Went and looked up in Lars book the aircraft in Navy MATS he had almost all the west Coast birds that were on the list above, but he did not have a single East Coast bird VR-3 listed. Wonder why? Strange! Bob

Made the mistake of opening up Google Earth and wasted the AM. Interesting though 37 18 42.36N 76 38 28.73W Camp Peary Spook Base Should be 57-0519 37 16 43.06N 76 36 39.63W Cheatham Annex Naval Supply Base Should be 57-0483 36 06 07.61N 76 19 33.76W Harvey Point another Spook Base Don’t know, seems like there is always a Herk there but it may be active. Bob

Saw an interesting list of Navy MATS Herks yesterday. On the West Coast at Moffett the Navy MATS units were VR-7 and 22, Flying squadrons, and VR-8 which owned the aircraft and did the maintenance but did not fly. In 1966 when MAC came in into being, Navy MATS went away. By 1967, all the Navy C-130E's were returned to the USAF. Moffett had 36 E's. They lost 63-7785 in 1966 so they returned 35 aircraft. 62-1850 63-7782,783,786,787,789,790,791,792,793,807,808,809,810,811,812,813,814,815,836,845,849,850,851,852,853,854,855, 856,862,870,871 64-0503,569,570 We got 26 at Langley Sewart got 3 64-0503,569,570 Dyess got 4 7811, 7812, 7813, 7852 Pope got 2 7836,and 7856 I have not seen anything on East Coast Navy MATS yet but I'll keep looking. Bob BTW with 5 Navy VR squadrons flying C-130's and 5 VR squadrons flying 737's they have more airlift now than they had when Navy MATS went away

82-0055 ex AK and 83-0486 ex NY were recently assigned to the 154TRS and these may have been the two for Mansfield? Bob

Great post. Thanks. most of us who flew for a full career saw at least one accident. I remember being in the pattern in Thailand and seeing smoke start to rise just in front of me in the base turn. When I got to land I found out it was a classmate, Ted Hallenbeck. I think that is why so many pilots are afraid of heights. Over the years I have never seen a published cause of the Italian J loss. Bob

When I first met George in 1969 he was a Captain. At the 316th Reunion in Pigeon Forge last month; Rex Riley, a hydraulics guy in the 37th, had found a set of TDY orders for a flight to Mildenhall for a rotation in March 1970. He was a pax and I was copilot. Next year the 316th Reunion is at the AF Museum at Wright Patt. Bob

Polcat Has the 53rd deactivated yet? Thanks Bob

That's him He flew Dc-3's DC-6's and DC-9's for Purdue University Airlines before coming to SW Airlines in 1971. He was the number one Captain at SW until he retired. He then worked in operations and later became a dispatcher. About 1990 we were on a sunset cruise up off Cape Cod. Ran into a bunch of guys wearing VR-24 caps at the bar. I asked if they knew Hal and they all did. Then they surprised us and we met Betty, Hal's widow. She had come to the VR-24 Reunion. He was a great guy to fly with. Bob

One of the best Herk pilots I ever met was CWO4 Henry Wildfang USMC He should be 98 this year. Last I heard of him was on his 95th birthday. He got his wings in 1942 and retired in 1978. When he retired he was the "Grey Eagle", the longest serving pilot in the USN/USMC. He was enlisted before he became a warrant and had some interesting stories about times at AFB's when he was hassled for being an enlisted man authorizing his own flights. His airplane was blown out from under him at Khe Sanh 149813 Bob

I flew with a former enlisted Navy pilot Hal Tietjen at SW Airlines. I think he later took a commission. I know he was in VR-24 at Port Laoty(sp?) now Kenitra Morroco. He said that some of his friends were offered commisions and turned them down to stay enlisted. Bob

BTW here is the latest I have on the Shuffle: CT ANG 74-1664,1667,1680,1687,2063,2069,2133,2134 MT ANG 73-1598, 74-1670,1671, 1679,1688,1690,1691; 73-1597 is reported for MT ANG is at PDM? OH ANG 81-0626,0629,0630,82-0054, 0055, 0056, 83-0048, plus 1 from LRF. Dobbins AFRC 92-0550, 551, 552, 93-1036,1037, 1038, 1039, 1040 All from the 50th. Other ex 50th birds 92-0547 to WVANG, 92-0548 to Peoria, 92-0549 to Chey, 0553 to CLT, 0554 still 50th, 93-1041 at Robins ex Dobbins birds 84-0204, 0205 To AFRC LRF, 81-0626,0629,0630 to OH ANG, 81-0627,0628, 0631 to LRF ANG As usual I am confused as to the why's but that is supposedly where they are. Bob Any corrections welcomed

A few ?'s Did the 53rd Deactivate? I read that the 50th is an active duty associate unit flying H's owned by 327AS AFRC? Is the 62 the same, An active associate unit flying the H's of 154TRS ANG? Thanks Bob

65-0984 is now according to USAF assigned to San Juan, giving the PRANG 7 WC-130H's. The other WC 65-0980 is assigned to Savannah but is at Robins, may eventually go to the PRANG too. Bob

Munir Thanks Bob

I think George was in the 36th then. They had a rote to Mildenhall in the spring of 69, when Sgt Myers stole a herk, May of 69. Might have been that one. I did not get to Langley until Nov 69. Bob

Has 65-0994 gone to the Hurlburt Airpark yet? Has anyone got any pictures for the gallery? Thanks Bob

Delta Rhein Main, Bravo at Mildenhall. If there were two squadrons on base, Charlie was at Rhein Main and Alpha was at Mildenhall. I knew George Shipp at Langley, really good guy. Bob

the 2 aircraft were 3701 23491 ex Iranian and 3781 24143. Would you have any pictures of them for the gallery? Thanks Bob

Here are a few of the previously missing