C130 pilot having fun

[jerry]

C-130 Pilot Having Fun

There I was at six thousand feet over central Iraq, two hundred eighty knots and we're dropping faster than a full parachute malfunction.

But that's neither here nor there. The night is moonless over Baghdad tonight, and blacker than a Steven King novel. But it's 2004, folks, and I'm sporting the latest in night-combat technology. Namely, hand-me-down night vision goggles (NVGs) thrown out by the fighter boys. Additionally, my 1962 Lockheed
C-130E Hercules is equipped with an obsolete, yet, semi-effective missile warning system (MWS). The MWS conveniently makes a nice soothing tone in your headset just before the missile explodes into your airplane.

At any rate, the NVGs are illuminating Baghdad International Airport like the Las Vegas Strip during a Mike Tyson fight. These NVGs are working just fine. But I've digressed.

The preferred method of approach tonight is the random shallow. This tactical maneuver allows the pilot to ingress the landing zone in an unpredictable manner, thus exploiting the supposedly secured perimeter of the airfield in an attempt to avoid enemy surface-to-air- missiles and small arms fire. Personally, I wouldn't bet my pink ass on that theory but the approach is fun as hell and that's the real reason we fly it.

We get a visual on the runway at three miles out, drop down to one thousand feet above the ground, still maintaining two hundred eighty knots. Now the fun starts. It's pilot appreciation time as I descend the mighty Herk to six hundred feet and smoothly, yet very deliberately, yank into a sixty degree left bank, turning the aircraft ninety degrees offset from runway heading.

As soon as we roll out of the turn, I reverse turn to the right a full two hundred seventy degrees in order to roll out aligned with the runway. Some aeronautical genius coined this maneuver the " Ninety/ Two-Seventy."

Chopping the power during the turn, I pull back on the yoke just to the point my nether regions start to sag, bleeding off energy in order to configure the pig for landing.

"Flaps Fifty!, Landing Gear Down!, Before Landing Checklist!" I look over at the copilot and he's shaking like a cat sitting on a sheet of ice. Looking further back at the navigator, and even through the NVGs, I can clearly see the wet spot spreading around his crotch. Finally, I glance at my steely-eyed flight engineer. His eyebrows rise in unison as a grin forms on his face. I can tell he's thinking the same thing I am. "Where do we find such fine young men?" "Flaps One Hundred!" I bark at the shaking cat. Now it's all aimpoint and airspeed. Aviation 101, with the exception there's no lights, I'm on NVGs, it's Baghdad, and now tracers are starting to crisscross the black sky.

Naturally, and not at all surprisingly, I grease the Goodyear's on brick-one of runway 33 left, bring the throttles to ground idle and then force the props to full reverse pitch. Tonight, the sound of freedom is my four Hamilton Standard propellers chewing through the thick, putrid, Baghdad air.

The huge, one hundred thirty thousand pound, lumbering whisper pig comes to a lurching stop in less than two thousand feet. Let's see a Viper do that!

We exit the runway to a welcoming committee of government issued Army grunts. It's time to download their beans and bullets and letters from their sweethearts, look for war booty, and of course, urinate on Saddam's home.

Walking down the crew entry steps with my lowest-bidder, Beretta 92F, 9 millimeter strapped smartly to my side, I look around and thank God, not Allah, I'm an American and I'm on the winning team. Then I thank God I'm not in the Army.

Knowing once again I've cheated death, I ask myself, "What in the hell am I doing in this mess?" Is it Duty, Honor, and Country? You bet your ass. Or could it possibly be for the glory, the swag, and not to mention, chicks dig the Air Medal. There's probably some truth there too. But now is not the time to derive the complexities of the superior, cerebral properties of the human portion of the aviator-man- machine model. It is however, time to get out of this sh*t- hole . "Hey co-pilot clean yourself up! And how's 'bout the 'Before Starting Engines Checklist."

God, I love this job!

[mtncrash1]

Got to love those rookies.Back in the 80s while in Alaska I put one of our fire trucks into a 360 on the taxiway and think my crew chief had to change his pants when we got back to the station.

[SightNSqueeze]

Thanks Jerry; and to think, we thought all the excitement initiated from the cockpit was to wake us up before arrival. We did our "cork screw decent" in a C-17 during a night approach over Baghdad in 2006. However, it just wasn't the same without the roar of rushing air, dark cabin, and jumping cargo nets common on a C-130. Fortunately, I underwent the "Hercules Experience" for the first time in 30 years on some flights back and forth from Taqqadum to Ali Al-Salem Air Base, Kuwait over a period of several months, and again when I departed Iraq for what might be the last time. I’m glad to see America’s airlift capability still includes the C-130 fleet and you committed people flying them.

Tell me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the U.S. have about 900 to 1000 C-130s among the Air Force, Air National Guard, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard combined?

[Pope130]

Hi Jerry,
Thanks for posting, it takes me back. I was an FE on C-130Es (1964, '68 and '70 vintage). I was at Pope AFB with the 40th and 2nd Squadrons from 1990 to 1997. SOLL-I, Pathfinder, Enhanced Pathfinder, AWADS, SKE Lead, LAPES, HALO, and HAHS. I loved the NVG ops. "Carpe Noctem!"

Robert

[Oxford]

Jerry, I've never flown in a C 130...but your vivid description sort of made me feel like I was there with you. Thanks for taking the time to tell about just one more of your military experiences. Thank God you survived!

Ox

[Oxford]

Jerry...I've taken the liberty to edit the computer spaces out of your post above. I didn't touch anything you wrote...just cleaned up the typing situation.
Hope you don't mind.

Ox

[woody1981]

Thank you for sharing this, Jerry. The sentiments at the end are perfect.

[jerry]

Originally Posted by Oxford

Jerry...I've taken the liberty to edit the computer spaces out of your post above. I didn't touch anything you wrote...just cleaned up the typing situation.
Hope you don't mind.
Ox

No problem Ox, thanks for doing so.

[Windwalker]

Jerry, thanks for the great post. As Ox said, your descriptions made it feel almost like being there.

[Yogi]

20 years as an USAF SP, I spent lots of it as a lump of cami on a jump seat. Never had a herc go bad on me. Thanks.

[Blackrock]

When I was in the AZNG I rode a C130 form Ft Leonard Wood MO back to Phoenix AZ
Lotsa bitchin about the lack of creature comforts from the rest of the troops but I loved it. I got to strap into a jump seat in the cockpit coming into Phx and watched the pilot set it up and land.

[Oxford]

Not being a pilot...I was just thinking how different it must be to fly into an American airport at night assisted with control tower support and runway lights, etc....as compared to landing your C130 on the poor excuse for a landing strip in central Iraq under enemy fire and without lights, with your co pilot sitting there with stuff in his britches out of fear for your lives.

That's gotta be different than flying into LAX, MCI or any other domestic flight on USA mainland.

[jerry]

Here ya go, courtesy of The Red White and Blue, North American Gunrunners, & the ILANG

HERC Video:
North American Gunrunners (New site...formerly 502 members on MSN communities) - Afghanastan

[Yogi]

Dude!!! All thats missing is a Jato and a Low alttitude parachute drop! I was combat loaded on a Herc going into Ft. Irwin for Gallant Eagle 82, Bare base Op's, dirt strip. It's amazing how fast a Herc will stop when it has to. We turned that bird in about 2 minutes. (or so it seemed). 44 cops and all their "Carry on" luggage. He did a 180 and left the way he came. took 3 days to get the dust out of my eyes. I will forever remember breakfast with the army guys in a field kitchen before going in. Two I ate with didn't make it.
This is from the TIMES: TIME.com
Killer Wind in the Mojave

Monday, Apr. 12, 1982

It was 6 a.m. The sun had just risen when a squadron of Air Force C-130's and C-141 Starlifters appeared over the Mojave Desert at Fort Irwin, Calif., some 130 miles northeast of Los Angeles. From three landing zones on the desert floor, plumes of colored smoke began to rise. At that go-ahead signal, the sky blossomed with parachutes as 2,300 troops of the elite 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, N.C., began the first phase of operation Gallant Eagle '82, a massive $45 million mock invasion by the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force. It was one of the largest peacetime airdrops ever. It would also prove to be one of the most tragic.
In the first seconds, ground observers spotted a "streamer"—a parachute that had not fully opened—and watched in horror as the helpless soldier wearing it plummeted some 800 feet to his death. Near the landing zones, powerful updrafts blew dozens of paratroopers off course and slammed them into the ground. One crashed into a military vehicle and was killed. The wind dragged other members of the 82nd, sometimes head over heels, across the rocky terrain when they were unable to pop safety catches to release their chutes. Said Army SP/4 Daniel Maynard, 24, of New York City, who suffered a fractured pelvis: "I hit the ground, rolled about three times and started to pass out." Five troopers were killed and 151 injured, many with head wounds and broken legs. All told, nearly 7% of the participants were hurt; an injury rate of 1 % is considered normal in such exercises.

Sorry to jack the post but the memories just come. Thanks for serving and God Bless!

[Lobo0311]

Loved your post Jerry, thanks for sharing, wonder what ya got for us next.....

[bigbuddy21]

one of my best freinds is a c-130 pilot with the ky. air natl'. guards , and he has been to iraq twice and afghanistan once. infact he just got back from afgh. middle of last month. one of the missions that he did this last trip was an airdrop of a "gas station"
20 miles from the pakistan border. and he said that this was the first time that he took enemy fire, but luckily was not hit. thank you for the post and most of all THANK YOU for your service to our great nation

[ALR]

During Viet Nam I did some time in aero-repair on combat C-130s. Over 50% of aircraft had the flap jackscrews worn beyond the max limit given in the inspection specs. I am glad they still functioned reliably as this was a RED-X condition to be noted in the aircraft forms, meaning they were to be grounded until fixed. I only supposed they went through due to being in heavy need for combat support. Thats one hell of an aircraft and praise to the men and crew who flew them!

[danf6975]

Originally Posted by jerry

Namely, hand-me-down night vision goggles (NVGs)

are you referring to pvs5 ?(currently 7bravos are in use at least where i was )

[jerry]

Good question. NVG's are Ops toys. I'm a former maintainer turned Shirt.

[danf6975]

i know what they are lol i was asking about the specific nomenclature .

oh btw was wondering , where your T56s series 4?