Tag Archives: hercules

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

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

Pandemic OverFlight: C-130 Herks for Heroes

Salute to Heroes, Operation American Resolve, America Strong, or whatever is the latest Defense Department name for it, apparently massive flights of military aircraft flying over metro areas makes people feel more secure about fighting the “invisible enemy” of a Pandemic.

Video of USAF Reserve’s 908th Airlift Wing over Alabama, 12MAY2020:

Reflection of Little Rock Air Force Base C-130J in the windows of a Arkansas hospital, 08MAY2020.

California Air National Guard’s 115th Airlift Squadron over the Mojave Desert near Palmdale, 14MAY2020.

Video, USAF Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing C-130 flyover of Colorado, 06MAY2020:

Video, Connecticut Air National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing flyovers 14MAY2020:

Video, Georgia Air National Guard 165th Airlift Wing’s C-130H3 flying over a hospital, 15MAY2020:

 

Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing, 01MAY2020.

America Strong flyover; MS Gulf Coast403rd Wing’s 815th Airlift Squadron over Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, 28APR2020.

Video, Hurricane Hunter WC-130J flies over Huntington Ingalls Shipyard, Pascagoula, Mississippi, as ships’ horns blow,  05MAY2020:

Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Airlift Wing above Pablo, 06MAY2020.

Video, Nevada Air National Guard’s ‘High Rollers’ C-130 CoViD-19 morale overflight, 28APR2020:

Video, 27th Special Operations overflight of Portales, New Mexico,  11MAY2020:

Video of New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing HC-130J Combat King-2 over Long Island, 15MAY2020:

New York Air National Guard LC-130 (Ski-Bird) assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing flies over the state capitol, 12MAY2020.

A C-130H out of Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, conducting a second round of pandemic overflights on 07MAY2020.  Not only did Ohio aircraft fly over Ohio, but also locations in Pennsylvania.

Two Ohio Air National Guard 179th Airlift Wing C-130Hs also flew pandemic overflights, 15MAY2020.

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, this Blue Angels C-130 was temporarily brought out of retirement to give moral support, 06MAY2020, unfortunately it was not flown.

Video, West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing decided to kill two birds with one stone by conducting Aeromedical Evacuation training at the same time:

ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS EARLY, AGAIN,1ST WC-130J HURRICANE HUNTER LAUNCHED!

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

RECORD SETTING PANDEMIC AIRBRIDGE CONTINUES

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

“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?

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

“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!

Florida gets a new Combat King

Just in time for the 2020-2021 hurricane season, a lucky U.S. Air Force Reserve SAR (Search And Rescue) unit in Florida got a brand new HC-130J Super Hercules-Combat King-2.

The first HC-130J for USAF Reserves in Florida, takes off from its birthplace in Marietta, Georgia, 02APR2020.

FL-892 will call Patrick Air Force Base its home, cared for by the 39th Rescue Squadron-920th Rescue Wing.  They are the first, and so far only, Reserve SAR unit to get a new HC-130J.  (they do fly the older models of HC-130 SAR Hercules)

The HC-130J is one of nine versions of the C-130J series, specifically built for SAR and aerial refueling missions.

Video, HC-130Js operated by 23rd Wing out of Nellis AFB, Nevada, arrived at Moody AFB, Georgia, for up-load of equipment and supplies for SAR ops relating to the Hurricane Harvey disaster in 2017 (interesting how the new C-130Js with their new engines and six bladed props still sound like the old C-130s, well almost):

Video, a 23rd Wing HC-130J returns to its home on Nellis AFB, Nevada, after conducting SAR ops over Texas following the 2017 Hurricane Harvey disaster:

 

HARVEY: MILITARY REVEALS SEVEN YEARS OF PREPARATION!

HARVEY: CONFEDERATE AIR FORCE DELIVERS AID WITH WORLD WAR 2 AIRCRAFT

VEHICLE I-D: LC-130 À LA SKIS

Indian Hercules appears in North Dakota

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Elora J. Martinez, 13JAN2018.

In January 2018 an Indian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules landed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Elora J. Martinez, 13JAN2018.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Elora J. Martinez, 13JAN2018.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Elora J. Martinez, 13JAN2018.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Elora J. Martinez, 13JAN2018.

Video by Airman First Class Oriana Beard (for some reason sent with no audio):

 

The Indian Hercules’ next stop was McChord AFB, Washington, for exercise Vajra Prahar.

SINGAPORE’S INVASION OF IDAHO’S MOUNTAIN HOME AFB!

SKI-BIRD AND THE HIMARS

Ski Bird and the HIMARS

“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

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

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!

Vehicle I-D: Last ‘Spooky’ days of the AC-130U Gunship?

On 08JUL2019, some of the last AC-130U ‘Spooky’ with the 4th Special Operations Squadron returned from a recent deployment.

AC-130Us have been on constant deployment since 2001, but are supposed to soon be replaced by the new AC-130J Ghostrider.

U.S. Air Force video report by Staff Sergeant Marleah Cabano:

A Spooky sight at Hurlburt Field, Florida, 08JUL2019.

Here’s a cool video of the homecoming:

Welcome home!

Big Daddy AC-130U:

Black Letter Last Flight

Vehicle ID: That’s not a C-130J, it’s still the old C-130H!

“When we add these modifications to all of our aircraft, we will greatly increase the reliability and performance of the C-130H, and the overall lethality of the United States Air Force.”-Colonel Justin Walrath, Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing

You can’t count on those six bladed props to tell you that you’re looking at a C-130J Super Hercules anymore.  The following pics are an old school C-130H upgraded with new engines and props that might make it look like a C-130J to the casual observer, along with a few other things.

The Wyoming Air National Guard is proud to be the first operator of the first C-130H upgraded with ‘J-like’ components.  Wyoming was chosen in 2008 to get and try out upgraded C-130Hs.

The C-130J has six bladed props.

C-130J Super Hercules. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Harry Brexel, 03FEB2017.

Most obvious change for upgraded C-130H are the turbines and eight bladed air-screws (evil British empire Rolls-Royce T56 series 3.5 with NP2000 props).  The modifications took place over 18 months at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.

Upgraded C-130H Hercules. U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Junior, 11JAN2018.

Initial testing took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.  Supposedly the C-130H modifications mean various state National Guard units will save taxpayer money versus buying the C-130J.

HARVEY: GEORGIA MILITIA DEPLOYS C-130H!

WC-130J SUPER HERCULES TRACKS HURRICANE HARVEY

VEHICLE I-D: ALASKA MILITIA GETS NEW HC-130J

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

MAFFS BOMBS IDAHO!