Transport Flying 'Down Under'
Many thanks for displaying this Air Clues article on flying C130A Hercules in the 1960s, for I was one of the RAF pilots who, together with (then) Flt Lt Brian Warsap and Flt Lt Robin Geach, replaced the three who wrote the piece, and it has brought memories flooding back!
Having previously been flying the mighty Hastings, I found the 'A' model Hercules a pleasure to operate in both the tactical and strategic roles, and of course it was a delight to handle. No 36 Squadron RAAF took a highly professional approach to its operations, and we flew all over Australia and the Pacific Rim, as it is now described, supporting all three Services with regular runs up and down the Continental East Coast. We also carried via Pearce and the Cocos Islands (during Confrontation) supplies and replacements to deployed forces in Malaya (Butterworth), Thailand (Ubon) and Vietnam (Vung Tau and the Saigon airfields), and there were 'one off' visits to Nauru, Christmas Island, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Caledonia, etc. As engineering support was virtually non existent at many of the airfields or strips we simply got on with the job of replacing fire bottles, carrying litters (stretchers), refuelling from drums, etc - whatever was needed - so that the aircraft could complete the task.
I have written up on my experiences with the Squadron and a copy of this text has been accepted for his archives by the Director of the RAAF Museum as a record of what the RAAF Hercules did in that era. He commented that as transport aeroplanes had never been sexy, there was virtually nothing on file to cover this period (1965 to 67).
Only one C130A (A97-214) still remains in Australia and this can be visited at the RAAF Museum just outside Melbourne. Although outwardly in fine fettle, sadly some of the flight and other instruments are missing. When I was there two years ago I was asked to talk to a party of school children who were visiting the Museum as part of a history lesson, being introduced as one who had actually flown in this relic! I thought at the time how great it was to see school children being educated in their recent history, and would hope that similar connections between schools and RAF aircraft might be made here, too, to help generate interest in our Service.
I shall be joining some of my former Australian colleagues on the 25th of next month (ANZAC Day - 100th anniversary) for the Parade in Sydney for what I am sure will be a memorable occasion.