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(HUMOR) Hail to the Air Force - Trash Haulers Have Fun Too. A C130 Herky Bird Over Baghdad.

Posted on 06/01/2004 7:20:00 PM PDT by Happy2BMe

Hail to the Air Force - Trash Haulers Have Fun Too

From the mailbag and for all my Air Force friends:

There I was at six thousand feet over central Iraq, two hundred eighty knots and we're dropping faster than Paris Hilton's panties. It's a typical September evening in the Persian Gulf; hotter than a rectal thermometer and I'm sweating like a priest at a Cub Scout meeting.

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. Who says you can't polish a turd? At any rate, the NVGs are illuminating Baghdad International Airport like the Las Vegas Strip during a Mike Tyson fight. These NVGs are the cat's arse. 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 arse 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 shitting 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 arse. 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 crap-hole. "Hey copilot, clean yourself up! And how's 'bout the 'Before Starting Engines

Checklist.'"

God, I love this job!

- Author chooses to remain anonymous


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: airforce; baghdad; c130; hercules; herky; usaf
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To: canalabamian
It is a story, not to be confused with real life. I loved the description of the Steely-eyed crew chief.

Time to get out my Flight Simulator and try the 90/270 maneuver on the C-130.

The C-130 is one hell of a bird.
21 posted on 06/01/2004 7:43:08 PM PDT by Lokibob (All typos and spelling errors are mine and copyrighted!!!!)
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To: aviator
Hmmmm. Runway on the nose. 90 degree left turn, then a 270 degree right turn puts the runway directly behind you unless you start the maneuver right over the middle of the runway. He didn't mention that part.

No wonder he's a C-130 pilot!

Good catch. Maybe he was backing in? :=)

22 posted on 06/01/2004 7:45:28 PM PDT by Bob
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To: Rummyfan
Marines, The Few, the Proud graphic that links to the Official Marine Corps website.  Link to Marine Corps History Foundation

USMC CH46's landing at Sam Hill air field durning exercise Croc03 at Shoalwater Bay 2003. Photo by:  Lance Cpl Neil Ruskin

PhotoID: 200391741149
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Operation/Exercise/Event:
Exercise Crocodile


Caption:
USMC CH46's landing at Sam Hill air field durning exercise Croc03 at Shoalwater Bay 2003.
Photo by: Lance Cpl Neil Ruskin


Read Story Associated with this photo



Date the Photo was taken:09/11/2003
This Image has been cleared for release.

23 posted on 06/01/2004 7:45:43 PM PDT by Happy2BMe (U.S.A. - - United We Stand - - Divided We Fall - - Support Our Troops - - Vote BUSH)
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To: MediaMole
C130-J

C130-K

24 posted on 06/01/2004 7:49:13 PM PDT by Happy2BMe (U.S.A. - - United We Stand - - Divided We Fall - - Support Our Troops - - Vote BUSH)
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To: Happy2BMe
Can you believe those things are still in the inventory?

Sure. The P-3Bs we flew out of Cam Ranh Bay, RVN, on night recon hops in 1970 were still being flown by the Navy in 1991. In fact, the particular ones I flew in Vietnam were the same ones I flew at SOWEY 20 years later.

25 posted on 06/01/2004 7:49:18 PM PDT by pabianice
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To: Dutchy; zelig

Yer gonna love this one, Flyboys!


26 posted on 06/01/2004 7:49:18 PM PDT by RaceBannon (VOTE DEMOCRAT AND LEARN ARABIC FREE!!)
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To: canalabamian

answer is "air force, home of gays and lesbians"! :-)

not all of course - but in my Army experience in Okinawa - most fag busts were on Kadena.

mostly in the womens barracks.....


27 posted on 06/01/2004 7:49:41 PM PDT by Southern62
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To: Happy2BMe

As they say of the CH46, the last one was built in 1970. The last CH46 pilot hasn't been born yet!


28 posted on 06/01/2004 7:50:28 PM PDT by Rummyfan
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To: TheLurkerX; All

C130 K Dispensing Flare

Herc Dispensing Chaff & Flares



29 posted on 06/01/2004 7:51:05 PM PDT by Happy2BMe (U.S.A. - - United We Stand - - Divided We Fall - - Support Our Troops - - Vote BUSH)
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To: canalabamian

Nah.

90 degrees (relative) is right turn.

'Nother 270 degree turn (relative to the new course at right angles to the first course) completes the full circle.

(He wants to land on runway 33 = 330 degrees true. First 90 deg turn puts him on course 060 true.

Next 270 degree (relative) turn puts back on course 330 true.


30 posted on 06/01/2004 7:51:12 PM PDT by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly ... But Kerry's ABBCNNBCBS press corpse lies every day.)
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To: Happy2BMe
I grease the Goodyear's on brick-one of runway 33 left

He's landing on the wrong side though! 33R is the proper side isn't it?

31 posted on 06/01/2004 7:57:31 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Wingsofgold; Letitring
Flyboy PING!!

So9

32 posted on 06/01/2004 7:59:41 PM PDT by Servant of the 9 (Screwing the Inscrutable or is it Scruting the Inscrewable?)
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To: All

33 posted on 06/01/2004 8:00:01 PM PDT by Happy2BMe (U.S.A. - - United We Stand - - Divided We Fall - - Support Our Troops - - Vote BUSH)
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To: Servant of the 9

LOL. Thanks for the ping Swervie. Smooch.


34 posted on 06/01/2004 8:02:17 PM PDT by Letitring
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE

A 90-270 maneuver is a method of reversing course. If his initial heading were 330, he'd wind up heading 150 after the two turns.


35 posted on 06/01/2004 8:02:21 PM PDT by Dratlatl
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To: Happy2BMe

The C-130 is the sweetest bird alive. They are in the inventory because they perform their one-of-a-kind job so well. When you speak of my aircraft do it in reverent tones from now on maggot.


36 posted on 06/01/2004 8:03:16 PM PDT by pfflier
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE
IANAP but, according to the description in the original:

...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...

37 posted on 06/01/2004 8:12:33 PM PDT by Bob
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To: Happy2BMe

Like the B52, the UH-1, the M2 .50 Cal, and until recently, the M1911, the C130 was "a good deal". Not something our government is usually known for.


38 posted on 06/01/2004 8:14:32 PM PDT by Feckless
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To: Happy2BMe

Reminds me of the first ride I got in a Cobra, the crew chief tried to do a Statement of Charges on me for a seat cushion.... my @$$hole chewed a hole in it trying help me hold on.


39 posted on 06/01/2004 8:17:30 PM PDT by Feckless
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To: pabianice

Lockheed has a way of making good sh*t.


40 posted on 06/01/2004 8:32:51 PM PDT by oyez (Fortune favors the bold.)
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