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tinwhistle

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Everything posted by tinwhistle

  1. I noticed that he is wearing a wrist watch. Don't you think that that is a safety issue? tinwhistle
  2. I want to take a moment to let you folks on the east coast know that you are in my thoughts. Paul, I'm not sure how much of this storm you will have to endure, but please be careful and be safe. Good luck and best wishes to all of our friends "out East"! Chris
  3. Hi Pat Yes I rotated out of CCK in January of 1967. #877 was still in silver at that time. Was she painted when you flew her? One of the comments I heard while visiting Peoria is the crew that flew her into Peoria for her well earned retirement said she "flew like silk"! I guess the most amazing thing for me was the number of hours on the ol' girl: 30,050 hrs on the airframe!! She also has a ton of gear rotations (I guess that's what it's called). They figure she must have a bunch of "touch and goes". Another interesting fact: #1 engine has close to 25,000 hours. But the thing I found most facinating was the cargo compartment. They cannabolized the flight deck, but the cargo area looked as if it just came off a combat mission! Straps and gear strewn all over!!!! That really took me back in time!!!! tinwhistle (Chris)
  4. Hi everyone, If you go to my personal gallery you will find the latest pictures I've posted of my old aircraft tail #877. She and I were recently reunited after a seperation of almost 50 years! The new pictures starting with #065 through 068 are pics given to me by the Base commander (Colonel "Robbie" Robertson) of the 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria A.N.G., and are pictures of the aircraft when she was still on active duty. The rest were taken the day I visited and are labeled. I hope you enjoy them!!! tinwhistle (Chris)
  5. Thanks tusker, I always enjoy watching the Herk! Has there ever been a more magnificent piece of iron?!?!
  6. Older gentleman indeed!!!!!!! At least you had enough respect for your elder to use the term "gentleman"!!!!! You are correct Ken, it is a pleasure to meet with folks from this forum. I've met two so far, that until very recently had been complete strangers and it has been an enjoyable visit both times. I'm sure that I will be friends with both you and Paul for a long time. There is a lot of United States between you and Giz, but each location is unique and I enjoy them both. Although there is a hell of a lot more space in Montana than in Maryland!!!!!!! My thanks to Casey and his "Herky Site". Without you, Casey, I would not have had the pleasure of making two very special new friends Chris (tinwhistle)
  7. Hi Guy's, The wife and I just left on a 10 to 14 day trip east, so I'll post more pics when I get home. In the mean time, if you go to the C-130 data base on this site you will find several pics of the bird. tinwhistle (Chris)
  8. Hi Leland Yep, you're the guy!!! Wife and I went down to Peoria last week for two days to visit my old bird. You folks out there would not believe the reception we got; it's too long a story for the forum, but we were escorted around the base by the base Commander himself!!! The Colonel in charge of maint. made sure we had access to the flight line that evening and the next day they made access to my old plane #877!!! From the Base Commander, Col. "Robbie" Robertson, Colonel Welker, Lt.Colonel Hart, Sgt. Snook, and all the rest of the various personell, all treated us like royalty!! They had me sign and date the flight deck, interviewed me for the base news letter, passed on to me the written history of the plane, even dug up her last few maint. records. When she retired in 2005 she had 30,050 hours on her!!!! The crew that flew her in said she flew like silk!!!!! I've posted pictures on my personal gallery. They start with 028 and run in sequence till the end. If you look carefully you'll see a pattern..... Thanks so much Leland!!! tinwhistle Chris
  9. tinwhistle

    Who is it ?

    I'm having some trouble with my email and can't seem to be able to go back to old emails, and I'm looking for the fellow that emailed me with information on my old aircraft #877. Memory is a fragile thing (at my age!), and I can't remember who you are!!! Please email me at [email protected] and if that one doesn't work use [email protected]. Thanks.....Chris
  10. Thanks Casey, for a job well done!!!! I may not sign in every time, but I check in at least once a day. This forum means a lot to me, as I've already met and made a good friend here and anticipate meeting and making more friends. Special thanks for all the memories!!!!!!!! tinwhistle (Chris)
  11. Hi Sarge, welcome to the forum I spent a great deal of time last night researching the "Black Beret" song. The only thing I came up referenced a song titled "Black Beret" that that was in sympathy with the IRA of the 1970s, and certainly was not played to the tune of the "Ballad of the Green Beret", by Sadler!!!!! Let us all know if and when you find it. tinwhistle
  12. Ken, Coming out of B-47 training at Amarillo my AFSC was 43131E. I arrived at pope shortly after 1 Jan. 1964. Pope was crowded with dozens and dozens of us destined to become C-130 Maint. types, but not really ready for all of us. We were billetted in old WWII open bay barracks for several months. My cross training into 4 engine turboprop started some weeks after arrival at Pope and consisted of a combinatioin of class room study and on the job training on the flight line. After receiving my 43151F AFSC I was assigned to the "post dock". My first TDY (I volunteered for it, actually begged) was for "Desert Strike" in early May of 1964.While looking up this information I ran across an old W-2. My earnings for 1964 (my first full calendar year in the USAF) was a nifty $1,029.60!!!!!! Chris (tinwhistle)
  13. Ken, to be quite honest, I don't think that at that moment there was any one of us that knew what a C-130 was!!!!! There was, if I remember correctly, 4 of us that went to Pope, a couple went to Seward, and several stayed in bombers at some SAC base. The instructor tried to give us a little heads up on where we each were headed for and what our duty's would be but this was only about a month after Kennedy was killed and no one knew anything for sure and hardly anyone had heard of a tiny SE Asian country called French Indochina. I figure I was one of the fortunate ones!!!! chris
  14. 10-4 to what giz just said. We're thinkin' of ya Dan tinwhistle
  15. Hey nascarpop, I love it!!!! It helps knowing someone else has the same filing system that I have!!!!! tinwhistle
  16. This is a fun thread! I'll try to get a pic uploaded. If it works, it is my Tech class #09093-B Amarillo, TX, taken upon graduating in Dec. 1963. I am the tall drink of water directly in back of the instructor. If you move around to my left the third airman is my very best friend Norm Plantz. Just in back of the left shoulder of the guy holding the sign is Airman Jody Wilcoxson. He went on to load master school after we were assigned to Pope. I dearly, dearly, want to get ahold of him. I do have the signature of each of the guys in the picture if anyone would need one. tinwhistle
  17. I just happened to stumble upon this thread while browsing around and it hit a tender nerve. Myself and an Airman Plantz were engaged in a repair similar to what MTcrewchief was. I have no idea of the date, only that it was in 1966, I do however, have the ACs name and the report that he was put in for the DFC. With only the year, a discription of the mission (repair) and the AC, does anyone think it worth my time to contact Maxwell? I agree with MTcrewchief: it's not the award, just the recognition that a nasty, dangerous job was accomplished and we did it!!! tinwhistle
  18. Guess I'm a little high on that 40,000 plus weight!!!
  19. Every once in awhile there is discussion of the weight that a Herk can haul and it seems to me that we're talking somewhere in the range of 40,000 to 45,000 lbs. Which, to me, is ironic. I spent just about 30 years hauling freight all over the Country and depending on some variables (empty weight of the truck, etc.) that 40,000 to 45,000 lbs is about what the average 18 wheeler will (legally) carry. Doesn't have anything to do with anything, I just thought it was interesting!!!!! tinwhistle (Chris)
  20. I haven't found any old friends here but I sure as heck have made some fine new friends on this forum!!!!! Chris
  21. My first thought (was) is that this prop is defaceing a wonderful aircraft, however, after some thought it could be that this new 8 blade job is probably smoother and quiter. Just the thoughts of a broken down old crew chief!!!!! tinwhistle
  22. Don't know how I missed this when it was first posted. Very touching, if true. Fact or fiction, the world would be a better place if there were more like her... tinwhistle (Chris)
  23. Hi Llecrupwt, thanks for the update! It was your outfit that had a Herk at Hardwood last year at this time when they had thier Bi-annual open house. It sounds as if you are still active?? Do you have any idea if the let the public into Ft. McCoy? Have you been following the thread about some of old farts wanting to take one more flight on our beloved C-130?? I'll send you a private message.....I am about to upload a couple more F-16 pics to my gallery. Sure wish I had this many 130 pics!!!!!!! tinwhistle (Chris)
  24. tinwhistle

    F-16

    I hope I'm not too far off base on this, but here's the story: about an hour and a half north of where I live in Wisconsin is an Air force "live fire" range, called Hardwood Range. It's used almost every day and sometimes, if the conditions are right they let in the public to observe the activities. They have a hot line to check on the days schedule. So the other day I call up there and they have the range open and they have scheduled F-16s, helicopters, and C-130s!!!!! Here's where the wicket gets sticky: it's my wifes birthday.....So, in the end, she doesn't want to go but gives me her blessing, "go up and see your precious C-130!!!! I can't get my stuff in the pickup fast enough, all the time keeping in mind that I have just used up all the points that I've saved for a year, but hey, it's a Herky! About 15 minutes from Hardwood two Herks lazily fly overhead; I'm excited! I pull into the range just as those two make a slow run at tree top, man, I think, this is going to be good!!! Well, that's the last I saw of the Herks. No helicoptes either. I did, however, get a ton of pictures of the F-16s. I love my Herk. But that F-16 is one mean piece of iron...I've added 4 pictures of those 16s to my gallery, if you guys don't mind I'll add some more occasionally. Chris (tinwhistle)
  25. Ditto what Giz said. Glad to see ya up and around!!!!! Ken (MTcrewchief) will drool all over your pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chris (tinwhistle)
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