Tag Archives: c-130

Technology

Vehicle I-D: KC-130 Super C-O-D

Video

U.S. Navy photo.

“There were people out taking measurements on a Hercules, and they said they were going to land a C-130 on an aircraft carrier. I didn’t believe them. Later my CO came around and said the same thing. I still didn’t believe it, but I raised my hand to volunteer anyway. I had no idea what I was getting in to.”-Aviation Machinist Mate First Class Brennan,  Transport Squadron One at the Naval Air Test Center, Naval Air Station Patuxent River

Image from U.S. Navy film.

In November 1963, a U.S. Navy KC-130F conducted its first, and last, Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) trials, making it the largest aircraft to ever operate on an aircraft carrier; the USS Forrestal CVA-59.

Image from U.S. Navy film.

The Super COD KC-130F, named “Look Ma, No Hook”‘, “…made 29 touch-and-go landings, 21 unarrested full-stop landings, and 21 unassisted takeoffs at gross weights of 85,000 pounds up to 121,000 pounds.”

Short video issued by Robins Air Force Base, I edited out the hokey music they put over the silent film:

USN photo.

The so-called Super COD testing concluded on 23NOV1963, one day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

USN photo.

As a result of the successful testing, the U.S. Navy decided it was still too risky to use a Super COD aircraft.

USN photo.

Original ‘official’ news article about the KC-130F COD: November 1964 Naval Aviation News

According to Kenneth V. Killmeyer, “KC-130F Bureau Number 149798 was retired from service in March, 2005 and since May of 2005 is at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.”

C-130J: ONCE A RED COAT, NOW A BLUE ANGEL

RETRO DAYGLO, AND HOW NEON PAINT HELPS KEEP AIRPLANES FROM FALLING OUTTA THE SKY!

Influenza, Technology

Pandemic Perfidy: Negative Pressure Flying Hospitals, wait didn’t we use those before, Viet Nam?

Video

U.S. Air Force personnel of the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron simulate transporting COVID-19 patients on a static C-130 Hercules aircraft during training on the Negative Pressurized Conex- Lite (NPC-L) at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. USAF photo by Senior Airman Ashley Perdue, 07AUG2020.

“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in the Air Force….. ….This is a crazy effort.”-Captain Conner Favo, 28th Test & Evaluation Squadron, a famous last words statement as a similar device was used during Viet Nam (see below)

Travis AFB, California. USAF photo by Lan Kim, 05AUG2020.

A multi-agency team involving the U.S. Department of Defense, contractors and universities, has been preparing for massive aeromedical evacuation operations of pandemic victims (prior to the Pandemic, some how), and has developed what it calls Negative Pressure Conex (NPC) containers to isolate those future victims in while being flown to military hospitals.

“The team in the 28th TES is no stranger to bio-containment. We provided this support when developing the Transportation Isolation System for the Ebola crisis, and we’re making every effort to ensure our fellow service members have safe transportation during these times.”-Captain Conner Favo, 28th Test & Evaluation Squadron

Video, NPC testing on the ground:

 

They modified a steel cargo container known as a Conex (most often seen on cargo ships and tractor-trailer rigs) with an air conditioning system to create a negative pressure inside the Conex while being flown on a C-17 Globemaster-3 or C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft.  This is considered important to be able to keep the positive pressurized aircraft and its crew from being contaminated.

NPC testing on Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Chris Drzazgowski, 01MAY2020.

Video, NPC testing onboard C-17 transport:

NPC testing on Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Chris Drzazgowski, 01MAY2020.

The NPC is designed to transport up to 28 victims and medical personnel.

NPC-Lite system loaded inside a C-130 Hercules, on Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. U.S. Army photo by Brian Feeney, 13JUN2020.

Official USAF video report:

 

Testing was done in April/May of 2020, by the personnel of 437th Airlift Wing, at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.  Other U.S. Air Force units involved include the Agile Combat Support Directorate and the CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) Defense Systems Branch.

U.S. Army Contracting Command slashed a 4-month contracting award process to just 7 days, with delivery of the prototype in only 13 days at an approximate cost of $2-million.  The first operational NPCs are expected to go into use by the end of May 2020.

USAF photo sometime between March & April 1973, Clark Air Base, Philippines.

Realize that a lot of tax dollars have been spent on this not so new technology that is being sold as innovative.  I say not so new, because back in the early 1970s the USAF used a similar ‘NPC’ on a C-141A Starlifter.

USAF photo sometime between March & April 1973, Clark Air Base, Philippines.

It was called Special Aerial Medical Care Unit (SAMCU), and could be environmentally controlled.  However, the USAF had only one SAMCU, based in the Philippines, in case it was needed to evacuate extremely wounded personnel from Viet Nam. When looking at the photos of the SAMCU, notice how similar it looks to the ‘new’ NPC.

FEMA says pandemic isn’t done, BUILDING MASSIVE ISLAND HOSPITAL?

Going Viral: THE NEW TASK FORCE 31

PANDEMIC OVERFLIGHT: A-10C (FOR COVID?) THUNDERBOLT-2

Technology

Atlantic hurricane season begins early, again,1st WC-130J Hurricane Hunter launched!

Video

“Mother Nature doesn’t operate on a calendar, so this is a reminder to always be prepared.”-Colonel Jeffrey A. Van Dootingh, 403rd Wing USAF Reserve

U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant Christopher Carranza, 16MAY2020.

Despite the Atlantic Hurricane Season not officially starting until June, on 16MAY2020 the U.S. Air Force Reserve launched its hurricane tracking WC-130J aircraft based at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Christopher Carranza, 16MAY2020.

The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is concerned about a possible developing tropical depression or storm near the Bahamas (on 16MAY2020 it was called Invest 90L).

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Christopher Carranza, 16MAY2020.

Short video of first WC-130J launch of 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season:

On 17MAY2020, Invest 90L became Tropical Storm Arthur.  This is the sixth year in a row that a Tropical Storm developed in May.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Christopher Carranza, 16MAY2020.

During ‘invest’ flights the WC-130Js fly at low altitudes (500 to 1,500 feet, 152 to 457 meters) to determine if there is a closed circulation.  Once a system becomes a storm the WC-130Js fly at higher altitudes (5,000 to 10,000 feet, 1524 to 3048 meters), and fly through the eye of the storm several times during a mission. Dropsondes are launched from the aircraft into the storm, which then communicate with the National Hurricane Center via satellite link.  (What’s a storm tracking Dropsonde?)

WC-130J & WP-3D: HUNTING DORIAN

WC-130J SUPER HERCULES TRACKS HURRICANE HARVEY

AIRBORNE HURRICANE HUNTERS, WHEN DID IT ALL START?

Influenza

MAFFS bird flies ventilators to New York and all points East

Video

MAFFS=Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System

California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing used their firefighting MAFFS C-130J to fly 2-hundred ventilators to Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, 07APR2020.

The ventilators will be equally split for use between the states of New Jersey and New York.

But it’s not just New Jersey and New York that’re getting ventilators delivered by California Air Guard.  Illinois, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington DC, will be splitting another 3-hundred California ventilators.

In this 06APR2020 video interview you’ll learn that the personnel involved in packing and shipping the ventilators had no notice and didn’t even know where the ventilators were being sent to:

Video of load-up of C-130J MAFFS on 06APR2020 (bad audio at beginning):

CDC, JOHN HOPKINS, WIKIPEDIA, NEWS MEDIA+FLU VS COVID DATA=SOMEBODY IS LYING

DOES THE ‘C’ IN C-130 STAND FOR COVID?

STOP YOUR BITCHIN’! FEMALE PILOT TELLS YOU WHY SHE FLIES MAFFS

MAFFS BOMBS IDAHO!

Influenza, Technology

Does the ‘C’ in C-130 stand for CoViD?

Video

“FEMA notified the Coast Guard of the need March 27, and we worked collectively for a whole of government response to expedite the timely delivery.”-Captain Craig O’Brien, U.S. Coast Guard 14th District

Video, HC-130 load-up at Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, 31MAR2020:

Under Federal Emergency Management Agency direction, a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules flew CoViD-19 medical supplies to the U.S. territory of American Somoa.

Time lapse video of C-130 landing on Pago Pago International Airport, American Samoa, 01APR2020:

American Samoa is a collection of five islands in the South Pacific, approximately 2-thousand-6-hundred miles southwest of Hawaii.  Many of the 64-thousand residents work for the U.S. military.

“Military aircraft are a workhorse throughout the world, and in the Coast Guard, we frequently use our HC-130 Hercules planes to deliver necessary supplies and equipment. This is especially true in the Pacific, where we seek to overcome vast distances and challenging timelines.”-Commander James Morrow

Video of cargo followed by HC-130 take-off:

HC-130J: FLORIDA GETS A NEW COMBAT KING IN TIME FOR HURRICANE SEASON

Operation CoViD-19: FEMA’S EMERGENCY AIRLIFT REVEALED!

Influenza

Operation CoViD-19: NATO supports Operation RESCRIPT

Video

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) began prepping for CoViD-19 back in February.  Its Interallied Confederation of Medical Reserve Officers (CIOMR) held its Mid-Winter Congress in the third week of February, the subject was how to deal with an expected increase in medical problems involving refugees flooding into the Mediterranean Sea.

Also revealed; the massive medical wargames called Global Medic.  They’ve been held in the United States in Wisconsin and California, almost 3-thousand NATO personnel take part.  Amazingly the officers present at the February Mid-Winter Congress stated they felt like the then emerging CoViD-19 could be dealt with in Summer: “Civil and military organizations will both participate in the next CIOMR Summer Congress planned for August, which will be about responding to infectious diseases. This is where we can bring the collective expertise of CIOMR to bear, develop important cross-cultural dialogues, and improve our collective response to global emergencies like the ongoing CoViD-19 pandemic.“-Major Katie Odom, U.S. Army Reserve Medical Readiness Training Command’s 3rd Medical Training Brigade

Now compare the above quote with the official NATO announcement by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on 19MAR2020:

NATO video, U.S. taxpayers (via U.S. Army) supply Lombardy, Italy,  with seven truck loads of medical supplies, 26MAR2020:

NATO video, Slovenian military set-up a CoViD-19 field hospital near Ljubljana:

NATO video of giant Ukrainian Antonov 124 transport delivering facemasks, surgical gloves, protective suits and other supplies to Bratislava, Slovakia, 25MAR2020:

NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) deploy to London, United Kingdom, 30MAR2020, to support the U.K.’s Operation RESCRIPT with the already-established COVID Support Force in the London District.

NATO video (no audio), CoViD-19 decontamination efforts by Montenegro military, note they are wearing their biological warfare suits:

NATO video, Romanian C-130 arrives home from Germany with a load of CoViD-19 medical supplies, 23MAR2020:

NATO time lapse video of Romanian CoViD-19 field hospital being built:

NATO video, Romanian C-27J Spartan arrives home from Turkey loaded with medical supplies, 23MAR2020:

OPERATION CoViD-19: SAYING GOODBYE TO YOUR NEWBORN! BEGGING RETIREES TO RETURN TO MILITARY SERVICE!

NATO Red Flag training suddenly cancelled because of CoViD-19

Technology

Ski Bird and the HIMARS

Video

“We need to make sure we have the training and capability to deal with conflict or competition in the Arctic. With more and more shipping and cruise ships happening in the Arctic, we can supplement search and rescue capabilities if needed. We also have the ability to sustain forward operating locations, refueling points and extend the military range into the Arctic Circle.”-Captain Eric Chan, New York Air National Guard, totally referencing the fact that climate change has greatly increased Russia’s activity in the Arctic

In October 2019 an upgraded  LC-130H Ski Bird was loaded with a HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) for the first time.  This was in preparation for Arctic Edge-20, held from 24FEB2020 to 06MAR2020 in Alaska.

Allen Army Airfield, Alaska.

New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing flew their LC-130H, with upgraded Rolls-Royce T56 series 3.5 turbines and NP2000 props, to Alaska to link up with U.S. Marine Corps’ 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment.

There they up-loaded a M142 HIMARS and transported it to an Arctic firing range.

A few fun videos for your entertainment:

Vehicle I-D: LC-130 À LA SKIS

Kit Bashing, Technology

Vehicle I-D: LC-130H à La skis, can I get skis for my model C-130 kit?

Video

A New York Air National Guard Crew Chief inspects the landing gear on a ‘Skibird’ LC-130H Hercules on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, 06MAR2020. U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant Scott Fremming.

Video report from October 2019, first time LC-130H-upgrade is loaded with HIMARS:

A New York Air National Guard LC-130H arrives at the Paris Air Show, 16JUN2019.

This LC-130H has been updated with the NP2000 propellers, Paris Air Show, 19JUN2019.

Not all Skibird’s operate in snowy conditions. This upgraded LC-130H is ferrying New York Army National Guard Soldiers to Puerto Rico. New York Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Alexander Rector, 11APR2019.

New York Air Guard’s SkiBird helping Canadians build ‘SkiWay’ landing strip in the Arctic, 11APR2019.

New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing offloads cargo in Greenland, on 26APR2019.

Video, Senior Master Sergeant explains the craziness of airfield ops in Antarctica:

Video from March 2019, explaining what a LC-130 Crew Chief does:

New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing’s LC-130, McMurdo Station, Antarctica 15JAN2019.

New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing LC-130 (upgraded with evil British empire Rolls-Royce T56 series 3.5/NP2000 props), McMurdo Station, Antarctica, 17DEC2018.

Grass field take-off?  No, it’s the camera angle.  NY National Guard’s LC-130 takes off for Antarctica, 06SEP2018.

LC-130(F-H?) in Antarctica, 23JUL2017.

The Common Science Support Pod, or IcePod, houses a variety of instruments to meausure changes in the Antarctic ice sheet.

Some ‘scientist’ from Colombia University explaining how the IcePod works.  To find out more go here:  https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/pi/icepod/

New York Air National Guard LC-130H Hercules-Skibird takes-off near the Canadian Task Force base camp on Little Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, during Operation NUNALIVUT, 10APR2016.
Canadian Armed Forces photo by Corporal Parks.

New York Air National Guard LC-130H Hercules-Skibird arrives on Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Canadian Armed Forces photo by Petty Officer Second Class Belinda Jeromchuk, 10APR2016.

2016 video report on Canadian Forces Operation Nunalivut, note the wing flex on the older LC-130H as it lands:

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, 27JUN2016.

January 2014, Pegasus Field, Antarctica, problems with landing gear being rectified.

Leaving Antarctica, 02FEB2011.

McMurdo Station, Antarctica, 2007.

Rocket assisted take-off from Greenland, 2003.  For some reason it’s officially called Jet Assisted Take Off (JATO) even though it’s actually rockets.  With the new Rolls-Royce T56 series 3.5 turbine/NP2000 props JATO is no longer needed.

Several of the New York Air National Guard’s LC-130Hs were former U.S. Navy LC-130Rs from VXE-6.

Airmodel makes a 1:72 scale conversion set that includes skis for LC-130.

Max Decals #7211

Out-of-print MicroScale #72-195

SNOWBLIND: C-130 OHIO C-17 PENNSYLVANIA

KODIAK MACE 2019: USMC KC-130J VID FEST!

MODEL KIT EC-130J GETS SPECIAL HANDLING BY NATIONAL GUARD!

VEHICLE I-D: NORMANDY PAINTED C-130 HERCULES

THAT’S NOT A C-130J, IT’S STILL THE OLD C-130H!

Technology

SnowBlind: C-130 Ohio C-17 Pennsylvania

Video

C-17s of the 911th Airlift Wing, Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, 07FEB2020.

“Honey, I’m home!”

Video, C-130s of the 179th Airlift Wing, Ohio, 07FEB2020:

Video, De-icing C-130s in Ohio, 07FEB2020:

A-10C SNOWBLIND WALKAROUND IN IDAHO!

BARE METAL: C-17 STRIPPED

U.S. TAXPAYERS TO RESCUE “DONATED” C-130 (with new pics)

International, Technology

U.S. taxpayers to rescue “donated” C-130

Video

24 January 2020 / 21:35 UTC-07 Tango 06 (05 Bahman 1398/29 Jumada l-Ula 1441/01 Ding-Chou 4718)

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

“The U.S. commitment to this partnership is stronger than ever, and I look forward to building upon it in the days ahead.”-Michael Raynor, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, during the June 2018 C-130E hand-over, he obviously didn’t realize the Ethiopians couldn’t handle the U.S. taxpayer funded ‘gift’

Poorly thought-out hand-over of donated C-130E, June 2018.

A year-and-a-half ago the U.S. government “donated” a C-130 Hercules to the struggling Ethiopian air force, and without much forethought, it turns out, as it was discovered that the Ethiopian military personnel lacked the knowledge to maintain or operate the transport.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

In January 2020, U.S. military officials realized the Ethiopians needed help with their U.S. taxpayer funded gift, so the U.S. Air Force’s 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron (MSAS) went in.

U.S. Air Force maintenance personnel check-out the landing gear on the donated C-130E. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

Explainer video, 23JAN2020:

So far the old C-130E has completed taxi runs, hopefully will be flying soon.

Between 1998 and 2014, Ethiopia got two C-130Bs, and a C-130E.  The above pic is of tail #1562 seen wasting away.  The other B model and the E model are listed as active, which is hard to believe since Ethiopia had so much trouble maintaining the C-130E donated in June 2018.

In the cockpit, USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

In the cargo bay, USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

The intent of the donation of the C-130E was to help Ethiopia conduct ‘peacekeeping’ missions in Africa.

Taxpayer rip-offs: U.S. TAXPAYERS DELIVER MD-530F CAYUSE WARRIOR TO KENYA

BARE METAL: C-130 PAINT PREP, OR THE EMPEROR GETS SOME NEW CLOTHES