Spectre623

Welcome aboard AC130eng (Charles). And as for your bio John, ours looked ok till you hung your world history on the wall for all to see, ha ha . Just kidding John, it is you that gave me all the unknown details to my post on "245 out the back door" when I was stationed at Pope in 1968. Thanks for your great memory. Bill :)

Glad to see most all you guys are getting your day in court about our service in Vietnam. Good advice given and taken on this thread that has been running over SIX years. We must have hit a nerve with the VA. Keep charging!! Bill :)

This is from a friend whose brother used to fly L-100's. Couldn't get a jack under the jack pad to change a MLG tire so he used this set up to help "Getter Done" ha ha . Anybody out there have a similar story or pic. Bill

Make sure bushings in scissors are good, (both ends of top and bottom link) the pin is screwed in tight and the thread matches on the tires. Check that the air pressure is correct and no large flat spots on the thread area. Also check steering cylinders for leakage. Check wheel bearings for correct torque. Bill

Yep, James I remember Dover's flight line and hated it in the winter. Remember when the whole line was covered with ice which had been blown and frozen in ripples like a scrub board. Pushing powered AGE and stands on it was a killer. Horizontal snow sucked. Matter of fact... I never did like Dover at all or the C-133's. Bill

Wow, the first seven paragraphs are great but then me thinks he lit the wacky weed fer sure.............sounds like a stoner tripping from then on . Bill

The biggest factor is...is anybody shooting at you. Now days that is a distinct possibility. Bill

Nothing can take the place of a BIG GUN with a nice selection of rounds on a GUNship to ruin the bad guys day!!! Go GHOSTRIDER!!

Excellent pics John. There is also a Clark B model (QW) sitting in one of the pictures with a row of Jeeps off the left wing. It has #1 prop cuffed ready for a buddy start. It has a forklift sitting at the ramp. Probably the one they wouldn't send out to us when I was there, ha ha . Can anyone make out the tail number...looks like maybe 61-0959 which was a QW 774TAS Clark bird. Great pics though. Bill

Old Ban Me Thout...never will forget when we landed there just before dark with a full load of palletized 55 gallon drums of MOGAS for the SF guys. Called them on the radio to unload us with their forklift. No way they said, to close to dark...bou-coo VC. Well the AC said we ain't taking this stuff back to CRB so everybody on the flt. deck except the pilot went to the back lowered the ramp and started rolling drums off till the aft pallet was empty . Then we chained that pallet to the end of the ramp so it was dragging . As we flipped over the drums we rolled them off the ramp as the AC taxied forward. There was about a million big grasshoppers all over the pallets and we crushed them as we rolled the drums and it turned into a huge gooey slippery mess. The drums broke the dragging pallet in half so we unhooked it left it and took off. That's the way it WUZ !! ha, ha Bill :)

Did a google earth and the one next to the old no wings J mockup appeared on the 12-2010 photo. I think that is the wing box bird that still has the wings in the photo. Bill

I think I know which one you are talking about Bob, I see it as I pass the old IRAN/SLEP hangers on South Cobb Dr. Bill

They must have gotten 937 after I retired in 2003 Bob. Is it still there? Was it a load trainer or a FUT for the loadie going thru training? Bill

Bottom line...can anyone post a link of the movie? Bill

Yep, 791 is the load trainer at the aerial port school at Dobbins. Had another FUT trainer there for loadmaster training, tail number 61-2369. They both flew in and stayed to long so we cut the wings and stabs off and turned them into trainers. 369 was moved to Pope Field when we got out of the FTU business. Bill

The name of the film is "The Way It Is ", The Tactical Airlift Story. Made in 1972 as a USAF/DOD Info film. Narrated by John Wayne. Googled it but could not find anything on it except it is on J.W's credits. Saw it in FE school at Sheppard back when I was a mere child. Ha Ha. Bill

Just googled requirements to get into the USAF band. Don you are half right. They go thru normal basic training then sew on E-6. And live happily ever after riding around on C-130's. Bill :)

New commercial with a Herk in it on TV for an income tax company. Looks to be an A model dropping billions of dollars as CDS bundles. Anybody know the tail number? Cute. Bill

I know why Sam never saw me flying with my bird (61-0956 QF) cause I was usually sitting on the bunk up front, but like all crew chiefs I helped the loadie on the ground . Bill

Congrats BRlang on getting your paperwork. The VA would not let me get on the Agent Orange register till I had the DD215 showing time in country. They also sent me a letter with the 215 and set of VN ribbons. I brought the 215 and letter to the Atlanta VA, they looked at them both and put me on the AO roster. Had to answer questions about where when and what outfit I was in in VN. Also gave a blood sample. I would think you would have to be on the register before filing an AO claim. Bill

HOC... Herk Operators Conference ? Maybe.

Not sure it's an A model Don as there appears to be only one drain mast on #3 engine , A's had 2. Also looks like a LOX filler port on the right w/w pod. Been a long time but I think the rescue birds had a LOX system for the back enders. Bill

Ha Ha ...I presented a plaque with a piece of the cap on it to the pilot at a flying safety meeting after we got back home. It said "Here is a little TIP from maint...watch those wing tips" Bill :)

Looks like the wing tip cap is the only damage. If it was further in, like into #4 main tank there would be a lot fuel all around the tip...I would think. You can knock or shear the tip (Cap) and not get into the tank...if you are lucky as we were in Tief, Saudie Arabia on our last D.S. rote. Took the tip shards off, speed taped it and flew back to King Fhaud apt. A good day. Bill:)

Looks like no prop brake I guess.