Happy Birthday, Old Friend
This Saturday will be an old friend’s 60th birthday. On 23 August 1954, the Lockheed C-130 made its first flight.
It’s not the US military aircraft with the longest operational history. That honor goes to the B-52, which first flew on 15 April 1952 and entered operational service on 29 June 1955 (the C-130 entered operational service on 9 December 1956).
However, like the B-52 the C-130 has been a US military fixture – and workhorse – as far back as I can remember.
It was not the first military aircraft in which I ever flew. That would have been either a UH-1 or a C-123. After three plus decades, I can’t remember with certainty which of those two was the first – I think it was a UH-1, but I’m not positive.
However, it was indeed a C-130 that took me from Kuwait to Iraq – both times. And I left Iraq both times on one. It was also the military aircraft on which I flew last while in uniform.
Over the years, I flew on a number of C-130s – including at least one that might have literally been older than I was. When I was young, the Air National Guard still had a few “A model” C-130s in their inventory. Some of those C-130As supported my unit on one exercise.
The C-130 always put me down safely, and took me where I wanted to go (with one minor hiccup, discussed here). Unless, of course, I was jumping out of the bird’s jump doors – or walking off it’s loading ramp at jump altitude (got the chance to do a tailgate jump or two – they were a blast). (smile)
The C-130 has been called the most successful military aircraft in history. Frankly, it’s hard to argue with that characterization. It’s a helluva fine piece of military hardware.
Finally: believe it or not – you can indeed get more than 450 people on-board a C-130, take off – and land safely. It’s been done at least once. And yes, this last link is indeed worth your time to read.
Happy birthday, Herc. I hope to be here for your 70th and beyond.
PS, and FWIW: according to his autobiography, Ben Rich helped designed the intakes on the C-130 in his pre-Skunk Works days. Maybe that’s one reason why the bird was so successful. (smile)
Category: Air Force, Historical
Over half my jumps were from a C-130, and got flown here, there and everywhere in one as well. Can recall being in one that lost an engine, no problem at all making it back to earth safely.
The “stewardesses” were all kind of ugly though…
And don’t forget the Hercules has some cats and traps!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uM5AI3YSV3M
One time flying a TransPac I looked down from my P3 and saw a C130 well below us. Our slowpoke P3 screamed past the C130. I was in awe of how she could fly and still stay aloft!
Awesome video and thanks for posting it. I think maybe you are wrong about cats and traps though. Under the video is says the takeoffs and landings were unarrested/unassisted which makes it even more impressive.
You’re right. I was just defaulting to the squid slang. Didn’t even notice whether the bird was catching a wire.
When I was leaving Iraq in early 2005, most of our battalion flew out on C-130s. There were about 40 of us left over, so they put us on an almost empty C-17 only the side seats – was nice to stretch out and sleep on the floor. We left Mosul an hour after the last C-130 and got to Kuwait an hour before the first :).
Will have admit the Herc is one of the most versitile air craft we have in the inventory. About the only role it hasn’t served in is as a ait to air fighter. Besides its standard role of carrying cargo, its also been used to gather intel RC-130, gun plaform AC-130, air refuling MC-130, and even as a bomber (can and has dropped a daisy cutter).
Pfft. The BLU-82/”Daisy Cutter” is a piker. The Herc is also the delivery system for the GBU-43/MOAB.
Isnala – you left out Chevy’s fave …the EC130-H. Haters gonna hate I guess.
Probably the MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator), also?
Actually, OldSoldier54, Wikipedia says the B2 is the delivery system for the GBU-57A/B/”MOP”.
It’s Wikipedia, so take that for what it’s worth.
“C-130 rollin’ down the strip
Airborne daddy gonna take a little trip
Stand up hook up shuffle to the
the door
Jump right out and count to four”
I never want to hear that cadence again. Every time we do s company/battalion/ brigade “fun” run you hear it about 10 times.
And if you look for it, I believe there’s a video of a C130 landing on a carrier!
Stacy0311: I’m guessing you didn’t watch the video link posted by MustangCryppie above. (smile)
blocked at work. Stupid DoD !
(chuckling) Yeah, that does kinda suck. Watch it when you can (if you haven’t seen it before) – it’s pretty damned impressive.
The impressive part would be if the could get that big SOB launched off a carrier. I was on board the USS Ranger when we launched B25s to commerate the Doolite raid. Interesting to watch a plane take off without the catapault
Watch the video, Stacy0311. That’s there too.
The Herc did it w/o a catapult as well. With a 25,000 pound load.
And without using all of the available flight deck – actually, less than 750 feet.
What do you think the pucker factor was in the cockpit as they reverse pitch taxied to the aft edge of the flight deck on moving carrier in preparation for takeoff? I bet no one was cracking jokes on the intercom….
Probably the first time, but perhaps not. I’m sure they’d practiced on land and knew the bird could get airborne in short order.
This article gives some background on that particular series of tests. It’s an eye-opener.
http://www.theaviationzone.com/factsheets/c130_forrestal.asp
Yeah Hondo, I was just referring to the act of taxiing in reverse under their own power to the edge of the flight deck with no rearview mirrors or anything, simply relying on hand signals from the crew on the deck. One inch too much, and your going for a turbulent swim, tail first. I think the act of taking off would be less stressful than just getting the A/C in position to do it. I’ll go check out the link. Thanks.
I just read it… wow BIG BALLS. Chopping engines while you are still 4 ft. above the flight deck. Now that’s commitment! (Although the skeptic in me thinks maybe they went pitch neutral instead of “chop engines”.) In any event, great history.
Happy B-day, Hercy Bird!
“… the sound of the engines, the look of the airplane… it will be in my mind forever.” ”
I’m trying to envision 452 people stuffed into one C-130. That is amazing, and is a textbook example of what can be accomplished given sufficient motivation, eh?
I worked with all kinds of Aircraft from 1984 till about 2007 when I retired. For the most part, C-130s were “special” because they were small load aircraft. Mostly I handled C-141s and C-5s cause I was generally working at larger aerial ports. C-130s were used at Pope and other air drop areas and for more “austere” environments.
Serious question… Did ANYONE here *ever* experience a C-130 that didn’t smell of old canvas, hydrocarbons and barf?
😀 😀 😀
In my limited experience, the shiny spitoon on the forward bulkhead always smelled like piss. 🙂
ChipNASA: most of the C130s I was in smelled of neither puke nor old canvas. Maybe I just don’t have a particularly sensitive nose. (smile)
However, I’ve only been on two USAF aircraft that didn’t seem to have at least a faint odor of some form of hydrocarbon (even if only a trace of exhaust). That was in 2007. Both were C17s rigged with airliner-style seating. (smile)
In 1995 or 1997 coming back from a HUGE deployment in Texas or Louisiana I don’t remember, but I was able to ride in a C-141 that was outfitted with seats. In almost 20 years as an aerial porter, I NEVER got to ride in an actual *SEAT*. ONE Time.
I rigged them for MANY other folks but ONE time in all the rides I took I was always in net seats.
In VN they would put pallets on the deck and string straps every few feet. We had to sit on the pallets and hold on. Plane full. Did that on a move from Song Be to PhuBai after tet.
Ahah! Got to ride in those infamous “airlne” seats more than once. Much better than the other options in the back, for sure, even the time we shared the seats with stuff marginally secured.
Never smelled one without that odor 🙂 As a matter of fact I went to one of the open houses down at Andrews AFB a couple of years ago and walked up the ramp on one. The smells bring back a lot of memories 🙂
Happy Birthday Big Boy! I remember riding the Herc so well. I hope I am here too for its 70th.
When I went from Army to Air Force, my first permanent assignment was Little Rock AFB. At the time it was a TAC C-130 training base (probably still is) and my SAC Command was a tenant. I remember our shop in the “penthouse” on top of the Wing Command Post. From the roof there we had a clear view of the whole flight line. I loved watching those Hercs do touch and gos all day and all night. Saw some strange takeoffs and landings. (They also trained foreign pilots there.) One of them, A German crew with an American instructor and load master, flew their C-130 into a mountain side one night on a training flight around the flight pattern. Sad. All crew was lost. The Herc, once on fire, burned hot and fast. I would take my first wife down to the end of the runway outside the fence at night and park and do, well, what newlyweds do, while the C-130s roared overhead coming in for landing. Oh for those days again. Good times, good times. And I DO MEAN…GOOD TIMES!!! 😀 😀 😀
I missed the point to my story, sorry. It is, every time I see a C-130 now, I think of her and those nights in our old Ford Maverick at the end of the runway. Thank goodness it was an old three on the tree and not a flood shift. Who says bench seats are bad? 😀 😀 😀 (We weren’t doing crosswords either!) 😀 😀 😀
Then there’s this variant of the C-130 that I was a passenger on a few times. Say hello to the LC-130.
http://youtu.be/cSL5_NOBDCo
Blast deflectors! Oh yeah.
There was the one that lost power at Bragg and chewed up a bunch of troopers in a lead plane in the 60’s. Sad day.
Expect we’ll hear from Chevy “Hollywood” since he flew them. /s
I also love the Herc. A very versatile aircraft. It can also outfitted for ariel bug spraying and ariel firefighting, which is a mission at Peperson AFB in Colorado Springs, which I was a part of for 12 years.
Pam: Peperson? (smile)
Peterson AFB. I was on my first cup of coffee when I posted. 🙂
I have been on many a fireline with CA ANG MAFFS C-130s making retardant drops. Their size actually makes it difficult to use them effectively (they’re almost too big) but a good enough pilot can get low and slow enough to do it. They make an excellent Type-1 tanker provided the driver knows what he’s doing (way better than that fucking useless DC10).
When I first started, there were a few private outfits that flew modified C-130As as dedicated tankers (as opposed to the plug-in MAFFS setup) on contract for the Forest Service and BLM. That sadly ended the day that a private 130A’s wing fell off right after making a salvo drop on a timber fire. The video from the incident is probably still on YouTube. Unfortunately, it seems that flying as an airtanker is the hardest thing on an airframe that doesn’t involve shooting holes in it, and catastrophic in-flight wing failure sometimes happens to old tankers. The same issue claimed the last airworthy PB4Y Privateer (Tanker 123) in Colorado in 2002. That C-130 was 50 years old and had been a tanker for nearly 30. A lesser plane would never have made it half that long.
so when they’re carrying paratroopers are those “retard drops”?
running far, running fast…..
ROFLOL ! ! !
What a ZINGER!
Stacy0311…”HEY, he’s here all week folks, two shows a night…try the veal!”
“Don’t forget to tip your waitstaff…”
Official disclaimer to Hondo and anybody else here who would find little difficulty in kicking my ass:
I was but an innocent bystander to Stacy0311’s comment. I swear to God I didn’t know where he was going with it. I had nothing to do with it (even if it was pretty damn funny! ).
Only was in one, once. A short hop from Belgium to Germany on a winter Reforger. Still my fave over the C-141.
Jerry,was that the Jan85 Reforger? I was there on that one. Landed at someplace called Skipole(SP) and were supposed to fly to our CEGE site from there. One rifle company went out but had to return due to weather.Ended up being finally bused. Good times.
Schiphol?
Yes,I think that was it’s name. We had flown on C-141’s from Pete Field in Colorado Springs,stopped off at Goose Bay for fuel,then on to Skipole. We were supposed to then fly on German C-130’s to our Combat Equipment site,but the weather(icing/fog)was very marginal and we ended up taking the tour bus route to our final destination.
Well,they may have even Dutch C-130’s we were supposed to fly on. I see that Schiphol is the airport for Amsterdam and our CEGE site was at Vriezenveen(also yet in the Netherlands),so the C130’s could have been from either country.Anyway,it was a real adventure getting to our final site as there was lots of snow everywhere.
Yep, that would be about right. Every year we rotated, Reforger or NTC, Ft. Irwin. I was with the 2AD out of Ft. Hood.
Jerry, I did lots,I mean lots,of both of those. I spent 11 years total with the 4th ID out of Carson. Plus we also got to do additional 45 day rotations at the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site once the government acquired it for Carson units. It was down in southern Colorado by the Purgatory River and was just as dusty as NTC. It had some of the biggest Pronghorns on it I ever saw. They were almost the size of Mulies.
Went on one of the first (don’t think THE first though) rotations to Pinion Canyon with a Smoke Company (172 CML). Remember being told to link up with the unit we were to support at “the windmill”. Guess what? There’s a bunch of freaking windmills out there. Went back later when I was assigned to 4th Aviation to help pick up pieces of the B1 bomber that burrowed in. Not too many big pieces…
IIRC,the very first rotation to Pinon was July/Aug of 85. My Bn(1/12 IN)of 1st Brigade,4ID were the aggressors against 2d Bde? Anyway,when we got down there it was much like going to NTC for the first time in the late 70s. Absolutely nothing there as far as hardstand facilities,etc for the rotating units. Every year after that we always had a pre NTC rotation through there either for ourselves or as aggressors as 1st Bde was the Infantry heavy Brigade of the 4th ID and eventually things got built up. I have many memories of that place that are better forgotten.
Yes,I was there at Carson when the B-1 sucked up the crows. Also there when the commercial flight went down in Widefield and only left the 20 foot crater.
You weren’t the ones who roadmarched (not motormarched) to Pinion from Carson?
No, I don’t remember ever doing anything like that.
Can only hope the C130 is as resilient as my personal favorite, the DC3/C47 – Gooney Birds were first built in 1935 and still flying. That’s almost 80!
While the C-47/DC-3 was a fine aircraft for its day, with some still in civilian use today, its USAF operational history was much shorter than either the B-52 or C-130. The C-47 was in the USAF inventory for less than 34 years. Its first flight was on 23 Dec 1941 (military version; the civilian DC-3 flew much earlier); the last was was retired from the USAF in June 1975.
Both the B-52 and C-130 have now been in the USAF’s operational inventory for approaching 50 years.
The last B-52s were built in 1962, so the entire active fleet is past 50 years in the inventory. The entire KC-135 fleet is just about past 50 years too. The C-130 fleet is much younger in comparison.
Awww. Lots of memories and lots of stories about the good old Herky bird. Nothing quite lives up to what it has done and will continue to do for us.
Although, the DC-3, in all it’s iterations, may still hold the title for versatility, durability, and longevity. It will be difficult for any aircraft to surpass it’s dual value in both military and civilian applications.
Happy Birthday to my favorite military a/c!
Just like HONDO, my very first flight on an aircraft was on a United States Air Force UH-1 “Iroquois” helicopter.
It was BEFORE I was in the United States Army.
I was working in the Supply Tent on the Sundance Mountain – Trapper’s Peak forest fire, and as a special treat, they let me ride along, sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, when hauling water from base camp up to the spike camp.
In the old Republic of Viet Nam, I flew so many times in the C-130 “Hercules”, C-123 “Provider”, CH-47 “Chinook”, and UH-1 “Iroquois”, including one (01) flight on a C-7 “Caribou”, that I have no idea how many actual fights I made all up and down that country.
In the United States, I flew “Military Hop” on C-141 “Starlifter” aircraft, and one (01) flight on a C-124 “Globemaster”.
In the United States, it’s possible I may have flown a “Military Hop” at least once on a C-130 “Hercules”, but so many years have gone by, that I can’t be certain of the accuracy of my memories.
And, of course, there were also the chartered commercial airline flights, including Pan Am and TWA, to and from everywhere (i.e., Signal School, Germany, Viet Nam, Korea, Japan, Australia, and Israel).
From my floor to ceiling windows and my balcony here in my room at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, Mississippi, I enjoy watching the C-130J “Super Hercules” at Keesler Air Force Base flying their “Hurricane Hunter” missions.
Ah, the fringe benefits of being a real live actual soldier in the United States Army!
JRM,you haven’t really flown on a commercial charter flight until you experienced a Flying Tigers bird. Luxury all the way!!!/sarc
I don’t know if I ever flew on a Flying Tigers airliner, or not.
But, I reckon I probably flew on every other off-the-wall, fly-by-night, chartered airline that nobody ever heard of.
In 1988, when I was PV2 D, I flew on a Flying Tigers flight from SEATAC to Kimpo. Somewhere over the pacific, ownership changed to FEDEX. The flight attendant made an announcement that we were now a FEDEX flight, changed their nametags to reflect said change, and on we went.
At Hill Air Force Base, Utah, when I was a patrol officer for the Department of Defense Police, we frequently got assignments to guard CIVILIAN C-130 “Hercules” aircraft, as they loaded or unloaded explosive ordnance and/or ammunition, usually recoilless rifle shells (if I remember correctly) for avalanche prevention and control at ski resorts.
Loved the Hot Landings and Take offs. Talk about getting in and getting out quick. Drop like a rock land like a feather.
I still remember seeing a C-130 come in dirt low and parachute extract a pallet out the tail ramp back when I was a kid. That was near Hargett’s Crossroad in Jones County, NC near the Onslow County line, probably 1973. I don’t know if it was the same exercise where the Pennsylvania National Guard invaded and was ejected by massive forces from Ft. Bragg. That was 1973 I’m sure, because I remember where I was living.
I’ve heard that they’ve quit doing that maneuver because an aircraft was lost.
I remember when that happened.
It was a formal demonstration with lots of officers and their families sitting in bleachers.
I think there were some casualties among the spectators, but I’m not sure.
The C-130 came in low, dropped a tank(?) out of the rear, pulled by a parachute, then instead of lifting off, the plane crashed into some trees, killing everyone on board.
Summer, 1987, FT Bragg.
The C-130 was dragged down by the parachute of whatever it dropped out the back. The pilot and crew were killed; a man in the bleachers was killed by a wing that broke off, and a man sitting nearby in a jeep was killed when the fusillage plowed over him. I didn’t hear about any family being there.
First aircraft I ever puked on.
Female pilot. She got angry (or so I heard) when an RI made a sexist/negative comment to her.
She flew map of the earth.
Puked. Put it in the bag then put the bag in my shirt.
Then my puke bag “exploded” in my shirt when I landed.
Bad PLF.
Still pissed about that day.
The Air Force granted me the joy of being a passenger in a couple of their spacious “passenger” planes over the years. Back in the mid 50’s, MATS took me to Japan in a C-97, outfitted with seats a bit closer to a Boeing Strato Cruiser than a cargo carrier. About 50 years later, I was stuck a long way from home working as a contractor for the DoD, when the commercial airlines where the crew I was with were grounded due to union problems. The AF saved us by bringing in a C-130 for routine chores and then hauled our whinging butts out of there. How many civilians get an experience like that? It was fun for me, more like an adventure, though much of our contractor crew were not happy. Cold, shivering cold in a net seat against the hull, and ear plugs to stay sane. Seemed a long ride, but it was on the way home in an environment where I had not been in half a century so for me it was fun. Thank you C-130, for an experience most old timers don’t get and for getting me home way sooner than waiting for the strike to be settled.