Name the airfield

[Fris B. Fairing]

Can anyone identify the location in this photo of RAAF C-130A Hercules A97-213?

Photo (http://www.adastron.com/lockheed/hercules/h3a97213.htm)

Any ideas much appreciated.

Cheers

[gaunty]

Looks like Pearce to me before they did the reno's and added the carports?:D

[Sheep Guts]

Looks like RAAF Laverton in Melbourne, the red brick hanger in the background looks like the 1AD hanger ( No. 1 Aircraft Depot). Could be wrong, the cloudy grey sky would be right...:D :D

[topend3]

agree with gaunty, looks much like pearce...

[the wizard of auz]

I'll go with Guanty and Topend, looks like pearce to me to.
Hey Topend, tell that hot little pommy sheila that works with ya, that I said Salamat pagi. :D

[halfrhovsquared]

I reckon it could be RAAF Richmond. Shot looking towards what used to be part of 38sqn. Makes sense given that they were based there.

[gaunty]

A97-213




Type: L-182-1A Hercules C-130A-50-LM
Msn: 182-3213
Call Sign: VM-JLL
Previous Identities:
57-0506


Subsequent Identities:
N2268G (NTU)

RP-C3213


History:

19DEC58 Received by RAAF.
29DEC59 Departed Lockheed, Marietta on delivery to Australia (in company with A97-211 & 212).
05JAN59 Received 2AD, Richmond for acceptance inspection.
16JUN62 Despatched to Lockheed for fuel tank corrosion repairs.
06NOV62 Received at 86 Wing ex USA.
01APR63 Received at 2AD for mods.
05JUL63 Received at 86 Wing.
11SEP63 Received at 2AD for E service.
20DEC63 Received at 86 Wing.
03DEC64 Received at 2AD for repairs.
03MAR65 Received at 36SQN.
03JUN65 Received at 2AD for Mod 115.
08JUL65 Received at 36SQN.
08MAR66 Received at 2AD for Mod 125 and inspection of centroid riser.
29APR66 Received at 36SQN.
17JAN67 Received at Qantas for E service.
22MAY67 Received at 36SQN.
18SEP67 Received at 2AD for Mod 131.
21DEC67 Received at 36SQN.
15JAN70 Received at Qantas for ADS.
19FEB70 Received at 36SQN.
29FEB72 Allotted to 2AD for repairs.
03JUL72 Allotted to 36SQN.
04SEP72 Received at Qantas for ADS.
20OCT72 Issued to 36SQN.
15NOV73 Allotted to 486SQN.
25NOV74 Received at Qantas for ADS.
17JAN75 Allotted to 486SQN.
14AUG75 Allotted to 2AD for wing repair.
DEC75 Held at 486SQN.
24MAY78 Registration application from Global Jet Sales/Parmax, Fort Worth, Texas as N2268G (NTU)
DEC86 Allotted to Laverton.
29JAN87 Confirmed held Laverton.
JUL88 To Aboitiz Air Transport, Philippines as RP-C3213.
07MAY94 Seen at Manila as RP-C3213 in Micronesia Aviation Corp. colours.


ABBREVIATIONS
ADS Anti-Deterioration Servicing
DAS Department of Administrative Services
NTU Not Taken Up
2AD No 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond


If my increasingly cranky memory serves me right and the photo was taken in 1977, then it must have been one of our original C130As in "storage" that they were trying to sell.

There was some controversy surrounding tjhose attempts but I can't recall the circumstances.
The above suggests that it was then being held by 486 SQDN a Maintenance based at Richmond Vic. ?????

It looks like it's in storage and the RAAF stuff on it has been photoshopped???

[Sheep Guts]

The Gaunty Data base does it again. I agree now with 1/2rhovsquared, that its at Richmond, the Hanger in the background was 38 sqn for awhile then became AMTDUs Army unit that did all the LAPES packing and chutes etc.

I remmember them being stored at Laverton most probably afterwards though, for what seemed an etternity, until Singapore Aircraft Industries came and got them Airworthy, and flew them off who knows where, obviously acording to Gauntys records the Phillipines.

Regards
Sheep

[Torres]

I think Aboitiz bought four, however one never made Manila and ended up in Singapore. One that did make Manila had wing or main spar repairs using synthetic material. Rumour had it the repairs were "experimental" and not acceptable for civil registration. Looking at Gaunty's history above, I'm wondering if it is this aircraft?

I don't think Aboitiz operated them for long - may have had problems getting economically viable loads as they then purchased a couple of NAMC YS-11's, leaving the C130A's on the ground at NAIA, Manila.

Certainly TNT's 146 operation in South East Asia knocked Aboitiz's regional operation around.

Unrelated of course, but the hangar two down from Aboitiz at NAIA in Manila, contained eight Boeing Steerman aircraft in remarkably good condition......

[Fris B. Fairing]

Gaunty

Thanks for the history of A97-213. It comes from such an unreproachable source too! The histories of all the other RAAF Hercs as well as many photos are also available from:

The Lockheed File (http://www.adastron.com/lockheed/hercules/herc-1.htm)

The photo of A97-213 which initiated this thread was scanned by myself from an original transparency by the late Mike Madden. I can assure you there was no Photoshoppery beyond routine resizing and sharpening. Mike travelled the country photographing anything with wings, so 213 could have been shot anywhere. My own suspicion is Richmond and it looks like this is now firming as the prime candidate. If it is Richmond, I suspect that 213 was displayed statically at an airshow there not long before it was ferried to Laverton for storage.

The debacle of the disposal of the C-130As is well covered in Stewart Wilson's book on the "Dakota, Hercules and Caribou".

Does anyone have recent info from Manila regarding the disposition of the Aboitiz Hercs?

Thanks to all who responded. By all means keep the debate going in case it's not Richmond after all.

Cheers

[Flight Detent]

I agree with 'Sheep Guts', I spent a long time at Pearce, and it's not there, I reckon it's Melbourne!

Cheers

[the wizard of auz]

I just came back from Manila and saw two engineless c130s parked up......... also saw about ten or so in Cebu along with a bunch of Hueys and a few Gaf Nomads. I also saw a heap of DC3s and a bunch of electras and beech 18s and one super connie in Manila. got photos of nearly every thing except the herks bugga it.

[gaunty]

Fris B

I must apologise for the unforgiveable in not attributing the source as the "Lockheed File"

I just hit up me old Copernicus which I have embeded in my browser tool bar, entered "C130A A97-213" hit enter and bingo down it came.:D

It is a great site and well worth a visit.;)

I must revisit the disposal debacle one of these light years, just to demonstrate that the villains never go away completely they simply return disguised as someone else.:rolleyes:

[Disco Stu]

I can't fully agree with Sheepy.

I was with AMTDU 1968 -1970 and nothing in the pic looks the like the way I remember the north end of RIC. Certainly the then AMTDU hanger was brick with hangar doors like the one in the pic, but there was NOT a metal hangar outside in the position of the one shown. Missing is also the water tower north of 'our' hangar. Also there was no taxiway in the position that the aircraft is shown parked on.

I am inclined to think the pic was taken at Laverton (Vic).

Disco Stu
Oh for the whistle of a T56A and the scream of the GTC.:eek:

[Fris B. Fairing]

Gaunty

No harm done. Thanks for your kind words.

Wiz of Auz

I'll settle for a photo and a sitrep on the Manila Connie. That aeroplane nearly came to Australia in 1988.

Disco Stu

Thanks for your input. You can help with a decode of AMTDU.

Cheers

[Disco Stu]

Fris

AMTDU stands for "Air Movements Training & Development Unit"

It is a joint RAAF/Army Unit to conduct training of air and ground crew in aircraft loading/unloading (including DG's, weight & balance etc), air portability and air drop techniques for the ADF. The development side involved anything the ADF wanted to put into an aircraft or drop from one. After the test program (6 static and 6 aircraft drops) we wrote a manual that was then available to the regular Air Despatch units to rig the same load and the RAAF to go and drop it.

Apart from the usual admin staff the CO was a RAAFy with aircrew, engineering specialists and Army Air Despatchers making up the Unit.

I had an enjoyable 18 months out of my 2 years nasho at AMTDU that has been a genuine career benefit to me in the 30 years since that time.

Disco Stu

[the wizard of auz]

Here you go Fris B, I uploaded them HERE (http://www.fototime.com/inv/D186372A9AB8D76) amongst other stuff. Makes ya wanna cry when you see it. It was working for a company carting fish and the owners got into some financial dificulty and ended up owing the government some cash, so the government confiscated it, and there she has sat ever since. :( the cockpit looks very sound as does the engines and all the working bits, just the paint looks sad. Apparently she is for sale.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Stu

Thanks for the background on AMTDU.

Wiz

Thanks for the images of "Winkey's Fish" in Manila. I expected it to look much worse than that. The Connie was intended to carry fish between Palau and Nagoya but the problem was that AVGAS wasn't available in Nagoya so they had to carry return fuel IN DRUMS. Worked wonders for the payload apparently! End result was they couldn't meet the terms of the contract and the venture failed.

Cheers

[the wizard of auz]

Friz B, I have other images of Manila if you want....lotsa historic aircraft still flying over there, bit of an eye opener I thought. I had a hell of a time getting avgas over there and if I take on this little venture I am investigating I will defenitly be using a turbo prop.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Wiz

Thanks but it's mainly the Lockheeds that I am interested in. If you are going up there I would be most grateful for an up-to-date report on the Aboitiz Hercs. That would be a big help thanks.

Cheers

[topend3]

wiz,

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