DC10FE

Tiny, That always used to be one of the "gotcha" questions on a check ride. I was always told the elevator counterweights were made of depleted uranium. Don R.

Great article. Michael Yon is an interesting guy. He's an ex-Green Beret and has posted many articles from both Iraq & Afghanistan. There's a link in another one of the posts somewhere on this forum about "Pedro" -- article & photos of Rescue & the PJ's. Interestingly, he was recently "detained" by the TSA Nazi's in Seattle for not telling them how much his income was. He told them it had nothing to do with national security. Yet the tighty-whitey bomber slips right through! Don R.

Check out this SR-71 start cart using two Buick Wildcat 401 engines. Then they switched to 2 Chevy LS-7 454 engines! What a sound they must've made!!! Don R. Click here: AG330 SR-71 Start Cart

There are some guys on this board that work in some of the salvage yards by AMARG in Tucson -- they might be able to get you an A-model controller. I'm not sure if they're any different. The Pima museum might be able to help, too. Don R.

Way to go Casey! It seems that some people don't create a vacancy when they leave. Of course, Miss Cooper's statement about Airnav being a pervert -- hmmm. He was a navigator, you know. Don R.

Kurt, That's right! How could you, as an officer no less, post such a "VULGAR" statement. Oh yeah, that's right -- an officer never lies. A lieutenant told me that so it must be true. I think you may have offended Miss Loren Cooper's delicate feelings. Actually, I think he's pulling everyone's leg here and the joke may be on whoever falls for this crap. Don R.

This is in response to PACAF’s post about crew chiefs doing favors. His post got me to thinking so I started a new thread so as not to hijack his.. First of all, this is not a USAF bashing rant – it’s just some of my personal observations. It never ceases to amaze me about the differences between military C-130 and commercial L-100 operations. I can honesty say that I have never “intentionally broken†an airplane just to stay in some garden spot or to visit the family – or for any other reason. Although the C-130 and the L-100 are basically the same airframe, there are minor differences, such as the lower cockpit windows, the battery bus systems, the cargo compt configurations, avionics, etc, The real difference is the operators; not just the Herc operators, but all airplane operators – military and civilian. If I break down in Honolulu – intentionally or not – I’m losing money. I don’t get paid if I’m sitting in Moose McGillycuddy’s slamming down Bud’s while waiting for a part; I’m spending a lot more than the measly $34.00/day per diem the company hands out. That down time also puts the company in jeopardy – the risk losing a lucrative contract for sub-par performance, plus having to generate another airplane and crew and ferry it to wherever -- on their own nickel, which isn’t cheap, depending on the equipment (check my user name). And when I’m talking about crews, I’m not talking about those prima donna Delta, American and USAir crews – I’m talking about the small freight-dog companies that survive from contract to contract. I guess after all this BS, what I’m trying to say is that the military and civilian mind-set about aviation is completely different. A friend of mine at Lynden Air Cargo told me a few weeks ago that they had lost their military contracts in Ramstein and Yokota and that the military “powers-that-be†decided the military could handle it. Well, some of you old-timers on this board will probably remember the fiasco back in the early 1970’s when they thought the same thing and canceled the USAF Logair and USN Quicktrans contracts and let MAC do the trips. In no time at all, there were broke MAC planes scattered all over the world. Those crews got paid no matter what. So, it’s not about integrity. It’s about 2 completely different attitudes about flying and $$$$$. OK, stick a fork in me -- I'm done. Don R.

There is also a tape of an "interview" with an EC-121 pilot in Korat. I have it on a casette somewhere, along with the F-4 "interview." Also on that casette are the actual radio transmissions of the shootdown of "Misty 21" an F-100 fast fac in Vietnam. If someone has the capability to transfer the casette to a disc, I'd gladly send them the tape. Don R.

Well here it is in its new frome -- along with the Transafrik FE wings. Don R.

There was a C-124 squadron at Kelly AFB (I think) that was PNAF quallified. I think they were A-models. That brings up a question for the guys in the 37th. Are there still PNAF qualified crews there? When I was at Rhein Main, we had some really good PNAF trips. Just an awful lot of BS to put up with -- especually for the loadmasters. Holy crap, I hijacked my own thread! Don R.

This is from Air Cargo World, a weekly email newsletter I get. Don R. http://www.aircargoworld.com/News/Lynden-leads-with-UN-relief

One of the last things I do after catching up on all the new posts is to scroll down to the bottom & check out the profiles of any new members. Well, our new member for today (1/23/10) is none other than Loren Cooper. I imagine one of the old timers from the old C-130 HQ site is having some fun. Don R.

This was in yesterday's (1/21/10) Tampa Tribune. Don R.

I talked to Wayne Graham on the phone yesterday. I got the impression from him that the military was giving him the run-around. I suggested he contact Lynden or First Air since they already had airplanes there. Don R.

Had to do it a few times at Transafrik for either a leak or an inop boost pump. Lose $$$ if it sits on the ground waiting for repair. Don R.

jbob, Everything you said in your post is completely true. I think, if you notice, just about every country I mentioned in my post has a corrupt government (Haiti included), but there are still children who die of starvation there every day. They're the innocent ones. That doesn't mean they should "eat each other if they get hungry." I know you have to be pretty thick skinned to survive on this board, but that just wasn't right. Dan's correct, though. We'll just have to agree to disagree. I know he'll still post some pretty funny $hit on this forum. That I enjoy. Dan's also right about not wanting to bolox up this thread -- 'nuff said about politics. Back to the relief effort. Over & out. Don R.

Obviously, some of the comments on this thread are from people who have not spent much time in the 3rd world. In & out of Mogadischu or Mombassa doesn't count. It doesn't allow you see the poverty, the pain or the desperation. That's what Americans, no, not just Americans, that's what the civilized world does when disaster strikes -- comes to the aid of the less fortunate. My credentials back up my comments. After flying for 7 years in Angola, Rwanda, Somalia, Cambodia, the Sudan, the Congo, etc, I've seen abject poverty, I've seen Angolan Federal Police beat a 6 year old boy almost to death for stealing food because he's hungry. I've flown for the UN's World Food program, the Red Cross, Caritas, Oxfam & some other NGO agencies I can't remember. The military doesn't just fight wars -- it also has a huminatarian side, too. OK, enough of my rant -- it's just that some statements here pissed me off. Don R.

I always heard the punchline was that the C-130 pilot shut down an engine & said to the F-16 pilot, "Try that, smartass."

On ABC news the other night, I saw a Jordanian C-130 parked at Port-au-Prince airport. It was the one with the fancy artwork on the tail. Also seen on that newscast was a Belgian AF airplane -- an Airbus, I think. Don R.

George, just remember the C-141 was "Big MAC" & the C-130 was "Little MAC." Those pukes got all the good trips -- even when in the boneyard! Don R.

OK, another hijacked thread. Here's a commercial for washing machines as shown on Norwegian TV. It features a C-141 in the boneyard and a lot of photo-shopping during an airdrop. Caution -- some nudity. Much rather watch this commercial rather than one of some stupid car being dropped. Don R. Click here: http://www.m2film.dk/fleggaard/trailer2.swf

Lynden Air Cargo dropped a car for a commercial a few years ago (I think) -- as did Safair. Don R.

George, That was probably EC-135N, 61-0331 (18238). It was lost on 6/71 while monitoring the French nuclear tests in the Pacific. Don R.

Thanks, Bob. Does that book have the airplanes listed with their production numbers? I've been using Joe Buagher's web site to try and piece the 135's together. Don R.

Casey, Got my print in the mail yesterday & it's already in the frame shop. Looks great! Thanks. Check's in the mail. Don R.