DC10FE

Check out 3721d in the gallery.

Don R.

Here is the photo herc trouble fixer was trying to post. From the 1C-130J-1, page 3-241, fig 3-2.

Don R.

I was told many, many moons ago that the lights were deactivated because they would melt the green buttons of they were illuminated for too long. Like Plaprad said -- they were convenient spare bulb holders.

Don R.

KC130FE,

I just read my post quoted in your reply. I have to amend it -- the guy was a squid; not a Marine. Sorry, Skip.

Don R.

All FE training was conducted in house until around 1986 when the schoolhouse was opened at MCAS Cherry Point. Pilots, Navigators, and Radio Operators (LM) were trained there as well.

Someone said it earlier, what goes around comes around...

KC130FE

I'm not disputing your statement; just curious, but when I went through instructor school at the Rock back in 1975 or 1976, there was a Marine there going through the basic FE school. In fact, he's a member of this forum.

SEFEGEORGE:

I remember when all FE's got the C shreadout. I was at Rhein Main and we started getting a lot of C-141 and C-5 FE's that had never had an overseas assignment. Most of them were pissed! Also most of them had an extremely difficult time adapting to tac airlift.

Don R.

Bummer, the end of an era for sure.

Dan

Like Dan said -- the end of an era.

I'm glad I spent 6 years of my Air Force career with the "legacy" 37th at Rhein Main. The best assignment I had. Well, the 2 years in the PI were pretty fun, too.

Don R.

Besides the unbeleivable handling, or mishandling, of this entire fiasco, it has brought up some questions in my mind.

First, in MSgt Widener's commendation to accompany his "medal," his job is described as an "HC-130P Airborne Mission System Specialist." Is that now the official job description of a flight engineer?

Only one of the two loadmasters mentioned in the article was awarded the acheivement medal. Why? The female load, SRA Kimberly Vanhaaten, probably faced a more terrifying outcome, along with the female FCC, than the rest of the hostages

After a while, I got tired of reading the commendations, but one trend caught my eye -- most of those "medals" awarded were sometimes the 5th or 6th oak leaf cluster. I didn't have that many oak leaf clusters on my good conduct medal after 23 years of service!

I flew into El-Fashir many times with St. Lucia Airways back in late 1985, flying famine releif missions for Oxfam and Caritas. They were always daylight operations, so I would assume the airfield lighting was either nonexistant or, like most airfields in the third world, o/s (out of service). After that harrowing experience, the crew still flew out of there a little after 8:00 PM, landed and refuelled at Khartoum and still flew back to their home station. I can just imagine the conversations in the cockpit!

OK, enough of my rants -- although there's a lot more I could get off my chest about this whole screw-up. Acknowledgement of the maintenance troops and the ANG security? Nada. Acheivement medal, my ass!!! If it had been me, I would've tossed it in the trash can on my way out of the awards ceremony.

Don R.

Hey Old Fart, happy friggin' birthday.

Drawing Social Security yet? Better get it before it all goes away.

Don R.

Don,

Not sure about the dates -- late 60's, I think.

There's a great web site with just about all of the SEA tail codes. The guy has also amassed most of the call signs from SEA. Lots of other neat stuff there, too.

Check it out -- www.chancefac.net/index.html

Don R.

Is there still a requirement for the FE to fill out a DD Form 796 on overwater nav's & other long range cruise trips?

Don R.

Dan/Tiny,

While between jobs in aviation, I drove a refrigerated semi from Miami to Chicago hauling flowers & hanging beef back to Miami. I'll tell ya, it's a lot easier backing up a 53' trailer than it is a camper. Of course, I didn't have to back my trailer into some little camp ground spot, either.

Good luck & have fun!

Don R.

When I was in the 56 ARRS at Korat, I heard that ARRS meant "Another Reason Rescue Sucks."

Don R.

TSGTRET,

You're correct -- the 135's fuselage was smaller in diameter, but the wingspan was the same as the early 707's (100 series). It was increased by about 15' on the 300 series & the vertical stab grew by about a foot.

Don R.

Yeah, there was also Flight Engineer Extrodinaire. Another cocky SOB.

Anyway, Kurt, personally I'd rather not have SRA Cooper back, although he did stir the pot.

Don R.

Nice wiring job on the casino -- from a power pole, a couple of turns around the antenna & down to the external power receptacle. I'm sure permits were pulled for that job.

Don R.

If the galley oven didn't work, you could always put the meals on the TR units. Or was that some other airplane? I get confused so easily now.

Don R.

OK, I might as well add a couple, too. I started out, as my orders stated, in the 463 Troop Carrier (Assault) Wing in 1963 & retired from the 463 Tactical Airlift Wing in 1985. Lots of places in between. I have more once Casey gets the patches gallery going.

Don R.

Here's a photo of it after returning from the frame shop. Looks good on my "office" wall.

Don R.

Mike,

I've heard it was a full re-skin on the UPS DC-8's, but I wouldn't bet my beer money on it.

Isn't it funny how these threads get turned around? This thing started out as a KC-135 FE question & now it's about UPS & their DC-8's!

Don R.

Thanks, Mike.

I know the UPS DC-8's were zero-timed after re-engining & reskinning. I guess it was a commercial aviation/FAA thing.

Don R.

OK, another tanker question. When the KC-135's were re-engined & reskinned, were the airframes zero-timed like the UPS re-engined & reskinned DC-8's?

I also found this interesting "fact" in Wikipedia. Yeah, I realize that Wikipedia is not the gospel, but it does provide references/footnotes for this statement.

Don R.

"KC-135D

All four RC-135As were modified to partial KC-135A configuration in 1979.[30][31] They were given a unique designation as they differed from the KC-135A in that they were built with a flight engineers position on the flight deck.[32] The flight engineer's position was removed when the aircraft were modified to KC-135 standards but they retained their electrically-powered wing flap secondary (emergency) drive mechanism and second air conditioning pack which had been used to cool the RC-135As on-board photo-mapping systems.[33] Later re-engined with Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines and a cockpit update to KC-135E standards in 1990.[31][34]"

We had "paratroop doors" on PJ-TAC (msn 5225) when I flew that in Angola. On commercial Hercs, they're called "aft entry doors."

Don R.

Security not such a big deal then; remember the furniture store truck coming out to the airplanes to unload Narra bars and papasan chairs etc. etc. Tac treasures. Them were the days...

I remember back in the late 1970's at Rhein Main, fully loaded Henniger beer trucks being escorted to the Creek Party KC-97's when they rotated home. Yep, "them were the days..."

Don R.

Casey,

I got my updated J6-SLO St. Lucia print yesterday. Looks great. I'm having it re-framed, but this time, with a set of St. Lucia Airways aircrew wings on the bottom. I'll send a pic when it's done.

I realize you're probably pretty overloaded, but did you ever receive my request for the Transafrik -30?

Don R.

No big deal, but shouldn't this be posted in the technical section?

Don R.