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jflimbach

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core_pfieldgroups_2

  • First Name
    John
  • Last Name
    Limbach
  • core_pfield_13
    Playing Hawaiian Steel Guitar; restoring antique radios and vintage guitar amplifiers

core_pfieldgroups_3

  • core_pfield_11
    John F. Limbach
    PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

    Sep 2000 – Present: Big Sky Aviation International, LLC
    President and executive responsible for all aspects of the manufacture and worldwide marketing, sales, consulting, project management, aircrew and rigger training, training on and support of helicopter external lift equipment and cargo aircraft airdrop systems.

    Providing aircrews and actively flying cargo airdrop missions in support of U.S. Army and commercial customer airdrop testing, movie and TV productions as Loadmaster on C-130A aircraft.

    Recently completed JPADS airdrop training programs for United Arab Emirates Air Force C-130 and C-17 aircrews and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Air Force C-130 aircrew.

    1994- 2000 Capewell Components Company, South Windsor, Connecticut.
    Successively President, Frost Engineering Division, and Director of Special Projects. Planned and directed the physical move of the Frost Engineering plant from Colorado to Connecticut. Facilitated Capewell’s integration of Frost product lines and manufacturing processes with minimal disruption to ongoing operations and customers. Assumed sole responsibility for accomplishment of technical, schedule and cost goals on assigned contracts and projects.

    Planned and conducted consistently successful and profitable
    airdrop qualification and training programs. Tasked regularly to take over and successfully complete troubled projects.

    Conducted international marketing efforts focused primarily in the Middle East, Australia, Asia, and Pacific Rim countries.

    1985-1994 Frost Engineering Development Corporation, Englewood, Colorado.
    Successively Project Manager, Operations Manager, Vice President, and President.
    Responsible for all aspects of business management, planning, business development and operations. Planned and managed the development, testing, and production of complex airdrop and life support systems and equipment items for the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, friendly foreign governments, and commercial aircraft manufacturers.

    1980-1985 USAF, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Illinois.
    Program Manager in the Directorate of Operational Requirements and Tests. Command program manager for development and acquisition of cargo handling and airdrop
    systems, and establishment of C-17 aircraft mission system design requirements. Served as Military Airlift Command representative to the Joint Technical Airdrop Group.
    Retired with rank of Chief Master Sergeant.

    1976-1980 USAF, Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
    Successively a project manager in the Advanced Medium STOL Transport (AMST) Systems Program Office (SPO); Project Officer, C-17 SPO Cargo Compartment Requirements and Design; and Acquisition Program Manager in the Aeronautical Equipment SPO. Managed the Air Force and contractors' cargo compartment design effort for the YC-14/YC-15 and C-17 aircraft development program. Coordinated the establishment of cargo handling, aero medical, and life support system requirements for design implementation.

    Subsequently assigned as the single Air Force program manager responsible for the achievement of cost, schedule, and performance goals for development and acquisition of cargo airdrop systems and equipment.

    1971-1976 USAF, Tactical Air Warfare Center, Eglin AFB, Florida.
    Test Director in the Airlift Division. Planned, managed, conducted, and documented operational test and evaluations of C-130 airdrop techniques, tactical airlift systems, tactics,
    and procedures. Also responsible for test loading and development of loading procedures for
    oversized/outsized equipment to determine its suitability for air transportation in C-130 and other tactical transports.

    1968-1971 USAF, Tactical Airlift Center, Pope AFB, North Carolina.
    Flight test loadmaster, C-7, C-123, and C-130 aircraft. Conducted tests of new airdrop hardware and systems, developed procedures and trained aircrews. Participated extensively in the development and flight test of the Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES).

    1964-1968 United States Air Force (USAF).
    Aircraft loadmaster serving on C-119, C-123, and C-124 transport aircraft. Responsible for cargo and passenger loading and unloading, cargo restraint, weight and balance calculations, and airdrop of personnel and equipment. Vietnam veteran with 1,400 combat sorties in C-123 aircraft.

    1960-1964 Massachusetts Air National Guard
    Aircraft Weapons Mechanic on F-86H aircraft. Deployed to Phalsbourg AB, France from Oct 61 to Aug 62 during the Berlin Wall Crisis.

    EDUCATION
    Park University, Parkville, Missouri
    BA Management, 1980

    Regis University, Denver, Colorado
    MBA, 1988

    PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
    Air Commando Association, Life Member
    Air Force Association, Life Member
    Airlift/Tanker Association, Life Member
    Association of the United States Army, Member
    Military Order of the Purple Heart, Life Member
    Parachute Industries Association, Member

    AERONAUTICAL QUALIFICATIONS
    USAF – Master Aircrew Rating (Loadmaster and Instructor Loadmaster) C-119, C-123, C-124, and C-130A/B/E/H aircraft

    FAA – Commercial Pilot, Instrument Rating
    Flight Instructor and Ground Instructor (Advanced & Instrument)

    USAF Civil Air Patrol – Flight Instructor & Mountain Search Pilot

    PATENTS
    Ejection Seat Buckle with Limb Restraint for F-22 Lap Belt, U.S. Patent No. 5,732,907, March 31, 1998

    FILM & TV CREDITS FOR ENGINEERING, RIGGING & AIRDROP
    Advance Auto Parts, "Skydive Training"
    Top Gear Korea
    Top Gear USA
    GM Chevy Sonic Super Bowl Ad Series
    Mountain Dew Canada, "Dewmocracy"
    H&R Block, "Get Your Billions Back America"
    Fast & Furious 7
  • core_pfield_12
    Billings, MT
  • Occupation
    President, Big Sky Aviation International

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  1. Easier pushing them out than catching and bringing them back aboard.
  2. Good movie about the loss of the Granite Peak Hotshot team opening. IAR's ex-RC-130A 57-0512, now N118TG did the water drops for the movie.
  3. I went there for Weapons School in Jan of 1961 and worked as a weapons mechanic on an F-86H in the 102nd TFW, Mass ANG for three years. Then I moved back to VA and was transferred to AFRes at Andrews 756th TCS who flew C-119Cs. They didn't need weapons mechs in those pre-gunship days, so they cross-trained me to LM. Went on active duty in Apr 66 and after brief sojourns in the C-124 and C-123, I wound up at Pope in C-130s in 1968 and still in them to this day. Although I have regressed (progressed?) to A models for the past 15 years.
  4. International Air Response's N118TG (ex-USAF RC-130A 57-0512) c/n 3219 View full article
  5. Re the news article about the Living Room Drop My VP Bob Radley and I were the loadmasters on this project. Aircraft was International Air Response N118TG (ex-RC-130A 57-0512), shot in November at the Jameson Tank DZ at Coolidge, AZ. There were three identical living rooms, each weighing about 2,500 pounds. All were gravity ejected using CDS flaps settings. Basically around 10 percent or flaps up, depending on the weight at drop time. A simple release consisted of a loop of 1-inch tubular webbing through a centerline floor tiedown ring, manually cut at "Green Light". Drops 1 and 3 had no parachutes. On drop 2, a Wamore GPS guided (JPADS) chute was used. Jeff Provenzano rode all three of them down from 14,000 feet to about 4,000 before he got off. #1 was mildly unstable while #3 was wildly unstable so discretion being the better part of valor, Jeff got off a bit earlier. #2 was very stable and any of the times you see the platform not moving much and Jeff kicking back or playing with the game controller, you can be sure it was from drop #2. The suspension slings and parachute were removed in post-production via movie magic. Notice the accuracy of the touchdown of drop #2, right in front of the cameras. Just like we planned it (right!!). Being a dog person, I'm still bummed that they wouldn't let us drop the cat. We had a dog on the shoot but I think he wound up on the cutting room floor along with the crew (as usual). They made a "making of" film, which is very good too and also a short film to reassure the world that we didn't hurt the cat. I'll put links to all three here. I've dropped a lot of different and weird stuff over the past 53 years, but this is the first "Living Room".
  6. 120TG was in the hangar when I was there last week.
  7. Re the news article about the Living Room Drop My VP Bob Radley and I were the loadmasters on this project. Aircraft was International Air Response N118TG (ex-RC-130A 57-0512), shot in November at the Jameson Tank DZ at Coolidge, AZ. There were three identical living rooms, each weighing about 2,500 pounds. All were gravity ejected using CDS flaps settings. Basically around 10 percent or flaps up, depending on the weight at drop time. A simple release consisted of a loop of 1-inch tubular webbing through a centerline floor tiedown ring, manually cut at "Green Light". Drops 1 and 3 had no parachutes. On drop 2, a Wamore GPS guided (JPADS) chute was used. Jeff Provenzano rode all three of them down from 14,000 feet to about 4,000 before he got off. #1 was mildly unstable while #3 was wildly unstable so discretion being the better part of valor, Jeff got off a bit earlier. #2 was very stable and any of the times you see the platform not moving much and Jeff kicking back or playing with the game controller, you can be sure it was from drop #2. The suspension slings and parachute were removed in post-production via movie magic. Notice the accuracy of the touchdown of drop #2, right in front of the cameras. Just like we planned it (right!!). Being a dog person, I'm still bummed that they wouldn't let us drop the cat. We had a dog on the shoot but I think he wound up on the cutting room floor along with the crew (as usual). They made a "making of" film, which is very good too and also a short film to reassure the world that we didn't hurt the cat. I'll put links to all three here. I've dropped a lot of different and weird stuff over the past 53 years, but this is the first "Living Room". Rule The Living Room From 10,000 Feet The Making Of "Rule The Living Room" The Living Room Cat
  8. Tanker 88/57-0520/N119TG She was the platform for filming the new NVIDIA commercial "Rule The Living Room From 10,000 Feet". Shot last month and airing now. Here's the link to the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZcQNb8_j0s&feature=youtu.be I've dropped a lot of strange stuff over the past 52+ years, but this was my first "living room".
  9. Although you'll see a C-17 in the actual film, this was done from N119TG (ex-Tanker 88). The rest of the shots were done in a mockup (notice the two wide line of cars), against a green screen with the cars hanging from a crane, and lots of computer magic. This was the first revenue job for N119TG after its rebirth from the almost dead. The sharper eyed will notice that we deployed a drogue just as the cars left the ramp. In the movie it shows the cars free falling several thousand feet before the main chute deploys. They asked if we could do that, and of course the answer was "yes, maybe" but there's no way of knowing whether the car will be right side up when the main chute deploys. So, we had to stabilize them right side up for that 7,000 foot descent to main chute opening. They did a really nice job of making all that look seamless in the film and it will fool all but the most discerning loadmasters.Considering how much film we shot, almost none of the actual footage made it into the finished product. Left on the cutting room floor again! Story of my life in the movies.And, oh yeah, as usual the Herk guys did all the work and the C-17 dudes get all the glory! Art imitates life!!
  10. I guess so. Of course over the 51 years I've been doing this, the job has come close to killing me a few times as well!
  11. Over a 10 day period in Oct of 2013, we dropped two sets of the actual cars used in the film. Obviously after all the principal shooting and stunt driving was finished since not all of them were roadworthy after arriving on the DZ. Especially the one of the Camaros that they had us drop without a parachute. It didn't stand very tall after it got to the ground.Rigging and dropping were interesting propositions, especially when the max airspeed at "Green Light" had to be 102KIAS to avoid leaving the camera chopper in the dust. Be interesting to see how much of the airdrop film winds up staying in. I love the "widebody" interiors. I'll do a detailed writeup of the rigging, loading, and drops after the film comes out in April (if nobody else in the cast kills themselves before then).Major Companies involved and major services provided were:International Air Response: C-130A N119TG (ex-RC-130A 57-0520, Tanker 88), flight crew, maint. support, rigging facility, K-Loader, DZ and recovery support.Big Sky Aviation International: Project Management, load and suspension engineering, rigging and airdrop of vehicles, flight crew loadmastersBRS Aerospace: Parachutes and engineering supportUniversal Studios: Film Crew and Special Effects (SFX) team
  12. We did the test and evaluation of the weight & balance indicator system when I was with USAF TALC at Pope in the late 1960's - early 70's. It worked really well, until you landed the airplane and then it was totally out of whack. Reason was that the sensors were on the main landing gear struts and as soon as you slammed the airplane onto the ground, they went out of calibration. That wouldn't have been too bad since normally you'd just say, "nice try but it didn't work". In this case, they'd already been contracted for and installed on a lot of the fleet before being tested. Ready, Shoot, Aim. Can't blame this on my favorite target, mother MAC, because we were still in TAC at the time. The angle of attack indicator was the greatest thing since sliced bread..........on the C-123. Worth its weight in gold when I was with the 19th ACS in Vietnam. A slight digression. The C-123 was derived from an assault glider and so had a very clean, high lift wing. When configured for approach it gave no aerodynamic indication of an impending stall. One minute it was flying, and the next minute the wing just gave up. At this point, as the Wright-Pat test pilot said, "it just rolled lazily over on its back, like a cat sunning its belly on the front porch." So, on a short field landing you wanted to be as slow as possible but not a knot slower. Thus the angle of attack indicator. Oh yeah, because of this the C-123 also had a stick shaker. Not sure where they got it from, but if it went off it shook the airplane so bad that the pilots couldn't read the instruments and were yelling at the LM to pull the circuit breaker, but that's another story for a different forum. At any rate, the angle of attack system worked great on the C-123. We tested it for a longish time at TAWC in the early 70's and never could get it to work reliably on the C-130. Don't remember why not but I'm sure the test report is somewhere online, probably in the DTIC files if anybody is interested.
  13. After 8 years on E models, in 1976 I was assigned to the AMST (later C-17) program office at Wright-Patterson and attached to the 4450th Test Wing for flying. They had two A models, 55-0022 and 55-0024. I was dreading the thought of being pounded by those 3-bladed props. I almost fainted from relief when I got to the flight line and discovered 4-bladed props on both of them. Interestingly enough, they got other C-130 models in for specific test programs. In getting my required 4 hours a month I was also able to fly on C-130H, AC-130 and MC-130 types. Mostly testing new sensor systems. The bad news was we had to maintain multiple sets of pubs. Major pain for a part time flyer.
  14. Shamed me into putting mine on.
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