DC10FE

Leland,

Check out 3039 in the gallery. There's a photo of 55-0012 from the Stars & Stripes. Is that the one?

Don R.

The mirror thing appears almost unanimous. Thanks, guys.

If you haven't checked the bio, my list of closed bases are Amarillo, Clark, Rhein Main, KI Sawyer, Norton and Korat. All great places, well maybe not Sawyer. Only Langley and Dyess left.

Don R.

I was just checking my bio to see if anything needed to be updated and I noticed something interesting. Of the 8 bases I have listed as being assigned to, 6 of them have closed. Another reason to make me feel old.

Don R.

Gary,

That's good advice, but back in the days Chris is referring to, the SSN wasn't used for identification. We all had 8-digit USAF serial numbers. I don't remember when the military switched to the SSN.

Don R.

Casey,

Great job and, yeah, even with my prehistoric computer, the site is a lot faster. Thanks.

Don R.

Casey,

Glad you could get back online.

There still seems to be a glitch, although it could very well be my computer -- it's prehistoric. When I click on a photo at the bottom of the forum to get a larger copy, a message pops up saying the web site cannot display the page. The same message shows up when I click on the gallery.

Keep up the good work.

Don R.

Casey,

Thanks for getting the site back.

You're doing a great job here with, what appears to me, not much financial help. I just checked the member list and gave up at page 30 (out of 136 pages). There was a premium member on page 1, but not another one until page 14. The next one was on page 22. That seems like an awful lot of people here are getting a "free ride." If I can afford to donate my paltry amout with my only income being my USAF MSgt retirement and Social Security, I would think that some of these members making far more than I do could come up with a donation.

Don R.

PS -- How much you askin' for the kidney? With all the beer I put away, I may be in the market.

148895 was written off at MCAS 29 Palms in early 2002. Check the gallery under msn 3619 for a couple of pics.

Don R.

FYI, the two airplanes registered in PNG are P2-LAC, ex-N406LC (4676) and P2-LAD, ex-N402LC (4698).

Don R.

Trev,

Glad to hear you're safe. Like me, I'm sure a lot of us were concerned.

Check your email. Got some info for you.

Don R.

Try this.

http://www.c-130hercules.net/content.php?212-C-130-Production-list

Don R.

Would that be the wooden block floor?

Yep, that's it -- the wooden block floor. Thanks.

Don R.

Back when Lockheed had a simulator at Marietta, I was with St. Lucia Airways and we had some sim sessions there. I remember a tour of that facility and there was something unique about the floor. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Don R.

I seem to remember when I went to the HC-130 school at Hill, sometimes a flight would be canceled because of winds even though there was not even a breeze on the ramp. It was the winds coming off the moutains and across the runway. True, or another old age mind game?

Don R.

Casey,

I assume it was returned to the 9th -- the 5th SOS now operates Pilatus aircraft.

Don R.

I wonder where she is now ?? Regards

Frank C.

Frank,

According to Lars' book, 69-5820 is now a gray MC-130P with the 9th SOS at Eglin AFB, FL.

Don R.

Bennie was more famous in airlift then in special ops.

Benny was famous (infamous?) Air Force wide!

Don R.

The standard designations I know, AC, DC, EC, HC, etc.....

Guess I read too much into your question. Never could handle check rides very well.

Don R.

If you check page 139 of Lars Olausson's latest book, you'll find 5 pages of C-130 designations; WC, LC, RC, GC, JC, KC, VC, DC to name a few.

Don R.

Bill,

You're right -- the other load was Jamie.

I flew with Dennis on the DC-10 at Gemini Air Cargo. He passed away around 2005 of some sort of medical complications.

I carried a small photo album of some of the aircraft incidents in Africa that I'd show to the prima donna DC-10 pilots. Dennis saw the photo of N521SJ at Wau with the cockpit blown off. He told me all the B/S he and the mechanic had to go through to get the cockpit crew air evac'd out on a King Air.

Hey, send me an email -- I sent you a couple of email questions and never got a reply. Did you change your address?

Don R.

Is this it, Don?

Crazy-assed loadmasters - never know what they will do next.

Yep, Roy, that's it. You're right, loadies are not quite right in the head!

Muchas gracias,

Don R.

There's a video on YouTube showing two Southern Air Transport loadmasters "surfing" off the ramp of a Herc after air drops in the southern Sudan. It was taken about 10 or more years ago. One of the loadmasters was the late Dennis Garcia and I can't remember the other one's name. I had it bookmarked on my computer (I thought), but now I can find it. I've typed just about everything relevant into Google, but nothing comes up about it.

Can anyone help? Anyone?

Thanks in advance.

Don R.

Casey,

Some pretty amazing statistics; mostly because of your hard work. Thanks.

How do you differentiate an "active member" from the "members" list? I think I know the answer, I'm just curioous.

Don R.

OK guys, I hate to show my ignorance, but this is really bugging me. What is E FLT? Help??

Chris,

Here's a web site that might explain what E-flight was. It's in PDF format. Around page 11 (I think) is where E-flight is sort of explained.

Click here: http://www.utdallas.edu/library/collections/speccoll/Leeker/c130.pdf

Don R.

A lot of special ops guys will remember Bennie Fioritto. He was the commander of the 7th SOS @ Rhein Main back in the early 1980's. After retiring, he ran the Stars & Stripes bookstore in the MAC Terminal. What a great guy! Below is an excerpt from an email I got this morning.

Don R.

Subject: Re: Bennie Fioritto