DC10FE

According to Lars Olausson's "bible," Tunisia operates a fleet of 8 B-models and 2 H-models. Don R.

Pat, I seem to remember part of a gunship crew bailing out in SEA. I'm sure there will be someone on this forum who can come up with more details. Don R.

Check out msn 3818 in the gallery -- lots of pics with all the patches. Also pics of the second rocket attack. Don R.

Check msn 3742 in the gallery -- there's a photo of the Blue Angels support C-130 in the white livery. Don R.

Holy crap, Sam! A case a day? That's four 6-packs or 2.25 gallons -- and that was probably San Magoo, right? I'm a compulsive counter -- I count everything as I do it and the most I've ever put away in one sitting was 12 beers with a friend from Lynden Air Cargo. I couldn't function very well for at least a week after that. A couple of other colorful engineers that I've met during my career were Kenny Emmons and "Lightning" Boldt. There are more names in my head, but the above-mentioned beers have taken their toll. Don R.

Thanks, LittleJoe. Now I remember, prp stood for "Personal Reliablity Program." When I was in what used to be called SAC, the saying was "A suck for SAC is a blow for freedom." You have my deepest sympathies. Don R.

Lkuest, I'm a little confused. I don't think the civilians modified any ex-military C-130's into -30's. I agree with your point, though. The commercial market figured out many, many years ago that adding pallet space was the way to go. It's just $$$$. I'll never figure out the reasoning why the USAF, beginning with the FY 74 H-models, didn't order them as -30's. Don R.

Casey, you're amazing!!!!!!! Thanks. Don R.

OMG -- Why not Minot!!! I hope your denial comes through. I was stationed at one of those northern tier SAC bases for a year (K I Sawyer AFB, MI) -- worst year of my AF career. What's prp? The B-52 is a fascinating airplane to be a crew chief on, but it's very maintenance intensive. If I remember correctly, the show time for the maintenance guys was 8 hours before takeoff. Then you worked your butt off after landing; mostly avionics baby-sitting. A question for you recent SAC guys; do they still pull alerts for a week or so? Don R.

How very true!!! I especially like the pencil. There was a hanger at Rhein Main that had "PRIDE" painted above the doors. A crew chief there told me that it was an anacronym for Pencil Repair Is Definately Easier. As for the hair, is that a reg that replaced the 35-10? Don R.

Not Herc related, but a neat 360 view of a P-51 cockpit. The resolution is so good that you even zoom in on the data plate and read it clearly. You can also spin it around, get vertigo and fall off your chair Don R. http://www.stclairphoto-imaging.com/360/P51-Mustang/P51_swf.html

Click here: Watthana Nakhon airport (VTBW), Thailand Don R.

Alan, Your mention of Sattahip brought back some memories. Back in the 1960's when I was stationed at Clark on the B-models, we had a trip to take a couple of forklifts to a grass strip at Sattahip -- they were building an air base called U-Tapao there. The locals were amazed at our C-130, but you should've seen their faces when a C-124 landed a few minutes later & opened the clamshell doors! Don R.

No offence to LittleJoe0962, but if you want to work on Hercs, you'll wind up working on them at Pope one way or the other -- either TDY or PCS. That's just a given in the Herc world. At least that's the way it was many, many moons ago. (Man, I'm gettin' old -- "that's the way it was" is a phrase I say waaaay too many times.) Don R.

Neat site. Here's the link. Click here: Firebird Association Home Page Don R.

1685FCC, Congrats on being a qualified FE. It's the best job in the world, bar none. I still remember my first emergency in-flight shut down without an instructor. It was in the closed pattern at Dyess -- I was soooo far behind the power curve. I promised myself that would never happen again -- & it never did. I used to fly with an IP that would tell his co-pilots that when he gets to the left seat & looks to his left for help, all he'll see is his reflection in the window. Don R.

I don't have my "bible" handy (Lars Olausson's book), but I think that's after an airdrop gone bad at Ft. Bragg. My guess is those photos were taken a while after the crash & the airframe was being salvaged for parts. I'm sure Bob D. can shed some more light on it. Don R.

Thanks, John. I knew there was someone out there who would back me up! I'll bet you didn't call anyone for permission to make a "3-main takeoff," did ya. Well Brito on HF, maybe, but that doesn't count. My thoughts on a 3-emgine takeoff are that it's actually a 2-engine takeoff & the 3rd engine is used mainly to keep the airplane going straight as the FE feeds in the power. It winds up with all 3 producing power, but for about the first 1/3rd to 1/2 of the takeoff run, it just 2 engines. I see from your profile that, like me, you don't even go near airplanes anymore Don R.

I know there are some other ex-Transafrik guys on this board who will verify what I'm saying. 3-engine ferry flights were pretty common in Angola. Of course, we had no dispatchers or command posts to talk to -- we just feathered the bad motor & took off. I'll tell ya though, a 2-engine takeoff in a 727 on a dirt runway will sure get the pucker-factor up there. Don R.

Charlie Wyatt, great guy. Thanks, Bob, Don R.

42,900 in a brand new 1974 H-model between Jeddah & Dhahran. Almost hit 43,000 until a turbine overheat light flickered. I must've gulped down a liter of LOX when that happened. I can't remember the AC's name, but I remember he was buiding a cement sail boat back at Dyess AFB that he was gonna sail to Hawaii. It all sorta comes together, doesn't it? Cement sail boat; 40,000'+ in a C-130. Don R.

I don't mean to take this thread in a new direction, but I just had to comment on Bob's post. Back in the late 1970's the USAF dropped the shredout for FE's -- we all had the same AFSC. In the 37th at Rhein Main, we started getting FE's from C-5's & C-141's. With very few exceptions, they all had that very same "crappy" attitude that Bob described. None of them had ever had an overseas assignment; in fact one had spent his entire career at Dover AFB (17 years)! One exception was an ex-141 FE named Charlie (can't remember his last name). He fit right into the C-130 world. Sadly, he was killed on 68-10944 in a crash at Zaragoza, Spain in 1984. Sorry for hijacking this thread, but Bob started it. That sounds like something my 5-year old grandson would say. Don R.

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.

Or how about Tan Son Nhut's breakfast -- powdered milk, recombined eggs & Spam, with instant coffee. Yum yum! Don R.

I did a bunch of them in the late 1970's/early 1980's with the 37th. Spent the Bi-Centenial 4th of July at an American Consulate party in Dhaharan drinking Heineken beer. Bat 60 was actually a huge bootlegging operation -- delivering diplomatically sealed containers full of booze to the different USMTM detachments all over Saudi. Great flying!!!! I also remember loading up the airplane with empty whiskey & beer bottles & dropping them in the middle of the desert. Hundreds of years from now, that'll drive the archeologists freekin' nuts. Don R.