First VMGR-152 KC-130J arrives at Okinawa

[HeyJoe]

VMGR-152 received their first KC-130J on 4 June

 

[Single Seat]

Amazing their still building that airframe, how many years later? The C-130 is going to out live everyone on this forum.

 

[VFA-203 Forever]

Wonder if this was their first "new" J from here at Marietta (Heard from a 252 pilot that they were giving 152 their first J)?

 

[East]

Piss on it

Another flightcrew member lost due to innovation...

 

[Flugelman]

C-130 History

An excellent history of the development of the Hercules is "The Long Arm of America" by Martin Caidin. Caidin (1927 - 1997) has long been one of my favorite aviation authors.

 

[KC130FE]

Wonder if this was their first "new" J from here at Marietta (Heard from a 252 pilot that they were giving 152 their first J)?

More likely 352. 252's J's are "old".

 

[Squid]

last i looked 352 still had some old non-J's. i distinctly remember being very intimidated by a 4 bladed prop wen tanking.

 

[VFA-203 Forever]

last i looked 352 still had some old non-J's. i distinctly remember being very intimidated by a 4 bladed prop wen tanking.

I think they finally made the full transition to the J a few months ago.

Anyone in the VMGR community know if 234/452 will get the J's or hold tight with their T's?

 

[GaugeNeeded]

It's been a long time since we have seen anything other the J out in the Cherry Point area. All the aircrew members I know feel the same way East does too.

 

[RHPF]

I've posted this before... but about 18 months ago I got a ride in the CANG C-130J out of NAS Pt. Mugu.

Pretty sweet glass cockpit and HUD system. I was really impressed with all of its capabilities. As already mentioned, the loadmaster moves up to the cockpit; no more Navigators.

 

[KC130FE]

I think they finally made the full transition to the J a few months ago.

Anyone in the VMGR community know if 234/452 will get the J's or hold tight with their T's?

That decision is being made this month. My money is on the J.

 

[propwash]

Maybe in USAF crew concept, since I think their J models have the cargo load computer thing the USMC did not buy or need, but on the USMC KJ, the Loadmaster's station(s) are behind the 245 where they have always been. The Crew Chief rides up front at the augment crew station, as it is called.

Rumors abound abou 452/234. But the fleet commonality would be nice. 252 was originally going to send an aircraft to 152 in order to speed things up. Who knows if that will still happen.

So far it is a good aircraft. The hours, missions, and beatings the USMC aircraft have gotten for being deployed non-stop in Iraq since Feb 05 has so far validated the capabilities of the aircraft and crew concept.

Food for thought...

 

[gaijin6423]

Ah, the KC-130J: Death of the DASC (A). If only they had just planned for the UYQ-3B power supply plugs....

 

[propwash]

They musy have had a former herc pilot lose those electrical schematics during the redesign... apparently orbiting for ten hours while some dudes in a box in your plane do their thing is not as fun as it sounds... So far that is the only operational "shortcoming" of the J, which has done remarkable well in all other missions so far, comparatively speaking. And so far the loss of DASC(A) has not been missed operationally, though one day it proabbly will... then they'll jumpt through their butts to find a quick fix aside from LCpl Smith on the bench with a headset and log book doing radio relay for DASC on the ground...