bobdaley

Sam I resized the Commando Lava pictures and put them in the Historical section under Commando Lava. If you have any more especially the blind bats please send them to me and I will resize them. Bob

3 [img size=800]http://www.herkybirds.com/images/fbfiles/images/007_004_After_Drop_In_The__A_Shau_Valley_DZ.jpg

2 [img size=800]http://www.herkybirds.com/images/fbfiles/images/006_004_After_Drop_In_The__A_Shau_Valley_DZ.jpg

I heard a long time ago about a mission called Commando Lava, but only the name. Sam McGowan sent me some pictures of the aircraft involved in the mission. I googled it and in an Wikipedia article about the Ho Chi Minh Trail there was a good explanation of it. The article said one airpalne was written off after landing at Chu Lai but I can\'t find any evidence of that. Basically the idea was the used a soapy concotion (Hence Lava) to destabalize the soil on the Ho Chi Minh trail. They tried it 3 times and only the first time worked. I\'ll try to post the pictures. Bob [img size=800]http://www.herkybirds.com/images/fbfiles/images/003a_Don_Powell__s__AC__A_Shau_Valley_DZ.jpg

Sonny That would be great bob

They are testing a new Radar for the Navy E-2 AWACS plane. Bob

The IAAFA B model 59-1531 at Lackland was replaced by an E model, and 531 was designated for the parade ground but it hasn\'t been moved there in over 3 years. Bob Still curious which A model they got?

Sad to see them rot like that. If you could find out which 4 are at Khartoum and anything about the 2 losses it would be great. Thanks Bob

Bird Air and CASI Continental Air Service Inc were privately owned companies that supplied airlift in SEA under contract. Bird was owned by the Bird Family, CASI by Continental Airlines. CASI had 2 L100\'s, 4101 & 4109 in 65-66 time frame but could not keep them busy enough and they were sold, both were later in Zambia hauling metal from mines. Bird operated Herks in 1975. They were USAF herks with civilian crews and were flown from U-Tapao to Phnom Phen to supply Cambodia when the pols and the AF wanted to say the USAF was not involved.

The bulk of AA\'s aircraft were light planes, 123\'s and helo\'s. They had only a few crews trained on Herks and never operated very many at one time. One of the problems with the article is that Leeker went ahead and listed every A model that was at Naha and most never had anything to do with AA. He handles the E model portion much better identifying correctly the 5 project aircraft. Bob

68-10940 Bob

Somewhere on the site we have a list of aircraft losses and aircrew losses in SEA and a list of all known US crew member losses. But on 56-0477 Col William Mason LC Jerry Chambers Maj William McPhail Maj Thomas Mitchell CMS Calvin Glover CMS Thomas Knebel CMS Melvin Rash SMS John Adam SMS Gary Pate All were promoted while missing. Tom Mitchell\'s son has been on the site. Ralph Krach may have more info. Bob

That just leaves 2 KC-130R\'s flying 160627 and 628. Could you let us know when 627 gets to Pax River? Thanks Bob Just got an update 149815 which was at Pax River was input to AMARC and 160627 is going to Pax as a replacement. Last count showed: VX-20 KC130F\'s 149808 & 150686 NC130H 870157 KC130J 166473 VX-21 KC130F\'s 148891 & 148894 NC130F\"s 148893 & 148897

Good story but 160622 is a UH-1 there never was a KC-130R with that number. Typo?? Bob

Thanks I\'ll look forward to the pics. Bob

4529 has been painted in retro Coast Guard colors.

the 2 YC\'s and the first 15 C\'s had side opening doors. As far as I know the only ones modified to rear opening doors were 53-3132, and 3135 that went to Mexico. Bob

That is not 56-0477 it is 57-0477. Here is a picture. Bob [img size=1000]http://www.herkybirds.com/images/fbfiles/images/3184.jpg

Updated 12/22/08 I just got 57-0472! Now i need 10. Bob I thought I\'d throw in a pitch to see if I can get some help locating pictures of A Models. Any pics are great but these 11A\'s I have nopt been able to fiind: 56-0474 PACAF A, burned on the ramp at Naha in 1963 56-0476 PACAF A, later NH ANG and RG AFRES bird To SVAF now stored at Tan Son Nhut 56-0477 PACAF A shot down on a Blind Bat flight Laos in 1968 56-0488 Sewart A crashed in the traffic pattern at Sewart in in 1962 56-0510 PACAF A hit mountain in Laos in 1970 flown by Air America 56-0515 USAFE A crashed in the traffic Pattern Bitburg GE in 1965 56-0526 USAFE A mid air in France 1958 57-0467 PACAF A hit a bulddozer on take off Dak To Written off after landing Cam Ranh Bay in 1967. 57-0468 PACAF A crashed in the traffic pattern Ashiya Japan in 1959 57-0472 PACAF A later CA ANG A to SVAF and returned to USAF to US Army at Ft Bragg for a paratroop trainer. May still be there? Could someone at Pope check it out? 57-0475 PACAF A first USAF loss in SEA crashed at Korat in 1965. Since all but three of these were lost before my first flight as a 130 crew member in 1969, 39 years ago, I know they will be hard to find, but I hope there may be some old pics hidden out there. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Bob

Thanks Bob

I have a question on that too. Years ago I went out and got an FAA Turbo Jet FE License. At the same time I took and past the Turbo Prop writtens. Sometime after that I heard that they had done away with the different ratings, Turbojet, Turbo prop, Recip, and that there was just one FE license. Is that true? Thanks Bob

why don\'t you ask Fritz Wester, He is a designated examiner and owns TBM. Bob

pic [img size=800]http://www.herkybirds.com/images/fbfiles/images/khartoum.jpg

Sudan doesn\'t seem to be a popular tourist destination these days, but, I was sent this picture of 4 Sudan AF Herks parked at Khartoum in Mar 2007. It mentioned 1102, 1103, 1104, and maybe 1105 I looked at Google Earth and the picture looks the same 15 36 04.07N 32 32 42.80E This contradicts Lars\' book in which he has 5 Sudanese Herk losses out of 6 bought. May 11 1987 Feb 08 1990 Jul 25 1992 Feb 26 1996 Jun 03 1999 Can anyone straighten this out? Thanks Bob

2 [img size=496]http://www.herkybirds.com/images/fbfiles/images/A_at_Dalat-b21fd0faf7930391b0517f119a923fa4.jpg