C130's over Georgia

Myself

[Yasotay]

If you are lucky, maybe you will get to see one the greatest military operations you could ever imagine .... a Ranger Battalion seizing an airfield.

[Sprite518]

I was on 140 heading out of Alpharetta to Canton tonight a little after 8PM. Nevertheless, a low flying Blackhawk came over the trees. It was a bit of a surprise since I never see Army Blackhawks.

[PAR35]

They also did the C5 there.

I remember walking through the wooden mockup they made before they started building them. It was during an airshow and plant open house.

[herewego]

where, where dammit??!!??

[JRios1968]

The C-5 Galaxy

[JRios1968]

The C-130 Hercules

[JRios1968]

The AC-130H/U Spectre Gunship

[BurbankKarl]

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/coastalgeorgiascan/page5.html

[avg_freeper]

Marietta is where they pump out C-130s. Additionally there are quite a few based there.

Logically there should be more C-130s here in this part of Georgia than almost any place in the world.

[avg_freeper]

"I wasn't aware of them doing any T&G's on the J lately"

You knew they were "J"s, how? Were they stretched, the dowdy props, or did you identify the paint scheme?

Just curious.

[Terabitten]

Let's see Army Ariborne and Ranger schools are in Georgia, as is a Ranger Battalion, if they are not deployed. There is also Ft. Stewart, GA. Could be a lot of things.

Don't forget 3rd Brigade of 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Benning, and don't forget the Georgia Army National Guard 48th Infantry Brigade, currently deployed to Iraq. I've lost 8 friends from the 48th in the last two weeks.

[devane617]

That's the one...Lybia. I thought there were more of them, but to drive by daily and watch those beautiful planes rust away was amazing.

[connectthedots]

My prayers will be with you and the families of your friends. I can imagine the pain and sufing that you and the familes and friends of these soldiers are going through.

[PAR35]

I thought there were more of them

There may have been. It's been many years for me, so the recollection might be faulty, or there may have been more that I didn't spot.

[PAR35]

You knew they were "J"s, how? Were they stretched, the dowdy props, or did you identify the paint scheme?

Js don't have the external fuel tank between the inboard and outboard engines, so a fairly quick glance should suffice. (Some of the fairly early 1950s versions also lacked the tanks as I recall, but there aren't many of those still around, and certainly not in AF paint. )

[avg_freeper]

Actually all "J"s are capable of carrying the WS 300 external tanks and some fly with them.

Tankers generally fly with them but they'd have the WS 550 pods too.

But you're right in that the "H"s often flew with them but rarely on the USAF "J"s.

The only way I've been able to pick out "J"s from "H"s is by the six bladed props and if I see a stretched I know almost all of them are "J"s.

Earlier than "H"s I can generally identify by the series of vertical tail/rudder redesigns that were done.

[TwoSue]

http://www.theaviationzone.com/media/c130_flares.mpeg

[PAR35]

The only way I've been able to pick out "J"s from "H"s is by the six bladed props

That would work for me if they were parked, but I know my eyes aren't good enough to sort that out if the props are spinning. I didn't know the J's would take the external tanks. I hadn't seen any photos of them with the tanks, and I never saw an H (or for that matter, back to I think the E's) without the tanks.

[greccogirl]

Definitely more activity.

[greccogirl]

Well, yeah, I know, since I've lived here for years and work there, but never saw as much activity so low.