I thought the ground crew chap looked a bit funny.

N O,
yes the previous pic was taken from the balcony outside the loadmaster office. Glad it brought memories back for you. Do you remember the incident regarding the 'repainting' of the CO's house ?

Changi as was in our time before it had the makeover !

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps909b3e6c.jpg

AA62 and Null,

Great shots of Changi, a place I only visited once, years after your time. We called in on the way home from a trip to Australia, to recharge the LOX pot. The ground kit provided was pretty standard to the fleet, and after getting the pressure raising coils going etc we managed to fill Albert up very nicely. After disconnecting from the LOX rig, the Flight Seargeant driver insisted that he would return the rig to its safe configuration. He did this and then drove off. About 100 yards from our aircraft there was a large explosion, and several pieces of LOX rig debris flew over our heads. Yep, the Flight Sergeant forgot to open the valve that relieved the pressure in the pressure raising coil. My Captain that day was nearby as it all happened, I know he follows this thread, and would no doubt corroborate the sequence of events. I would have loved to have been old enough to do a tour there though:rolleyes:

Smudge:ok:

smudge,
your LOX story reminds us it could be dangerous being around the 'K' on the ground never mind flying in it. As I said before we were lucky in variety of a/c and the overseas bases still around during our time.
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...psd52a7eac.jpg

Another pic of Changi.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...2_Snapseed.jpg

And how it looks now from an ex C130K driver.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...echange017.jpghttp://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...echange014.jpg
Once round the island and coming into land at ASI in 2005

mr ripley,
cracking pics ! More please from you 'K' days.

The 'Office' changes from:
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...66/eagle18.jpg
to this when I left:
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f191/mjg66/3a1.jpg

Nice shots Mr Ripley, I take it the "office" shots were before and after for the K? Looks like they replaced all of those engine gauges good and proper if so. The before shot made me wonder how many (will admit) to having one of the originally supplied control column Lockheed Badges that the aircraft arrived with. I well remember aircraft turning up for Base 3 (Major) servicing at Colerne with both missing. We replaced them, and they "went missing" again. I'm sure many pilots have them as souvineers, and who would blame them. By the time I returned to the fleet in the 80s they had been replaced with the locally made perspex jobby in your shot. Does anyone have a photograph of the original ? Come on AA62, "fess up".:O

Smudge:ok:

You mean the nice coloured engraved badges . . . ?

Never seen one (Your Honour)

smudge,
as someone who was taught during tech training that everything in an a/c was sacrosanct I never even considered it. Others obviously did not share this view. Comes of working on fighters I suppose.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...psd23d5f06.jpg

Another pic from the 48 Sqn black and white series. Pilot's 'lollipop' single free drop sack from 50 feet (ish) after the main drop of one tons.

Mr Ripley,
I wonder when you were on the 'K' and which squadron(s) you were on.

30 and LXX 1991-2005
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...bysPics044.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...bysPics130.jpghttp://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...bysPics054.jpg
Here are some more K pics

Mr Ripley,
I was on 30 from 1988 until 1996, so if the timescale fits we may have met.

mister ripley

Posh headrests in that flight-deck shot, mister r. Were these just for SF,or general fit? A few years after my time! I only recall the 'flat' headrests.

aa62

Nice shots of Changi!
My memory needs a nudge about the COs house incident, I'm afraid (old age!):uhoh:.

Mr Ripley,

Cracking shots, 200 really did look good after I left. And the SF head protection/NVG Helmet "nooks" must surely have been a relief to pilots on long, night NVG trips. I suspect I may well have accompanied you as a GE in the past. Super photography, please keep posting, your time on 30/LXX coincides very nicely with my time as a GE. For those wondering about the often missing control yoke decals, try this;

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...psd6aaae21.jpg

They did look good. Apparently now available on EBay.

Smudge:ok:

Null,
as I recall it was towards the end of our time with 48 at Changi that this episode took place. The then OC 48 had upset some of the groundcrew for reasons I remember not. So one night a few of them after more than a few Tigers took it into their befuddled heads to get revenge. The daubed the outside of said OC's house with paint, and scarpered.
I cannot remember if the culprits were caught or what even the final outcome was. Perhaps one of the readership can put more flesh on these bare bones.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...pse64496c8.jpg

Another of the black and white pics of airdrop in FEAF.

Dropping Accuracy ...

Being completely ignorant on such matters ... I'd appreciate a little understanding on the science affecting dropping accuracy ?

I assume its a function of Load Weight, Load Morphology, Type of Chute along with Aircraft Air Speed, Height and Time of Release versers Wind Direction/Strength and possibly Drop Zone Alt ... but how does the LM bring all this together to produce an accurate drop ?

AA62 ... I do appreciate in large part it's skill and experience :ok:

Drag ... If you plan to jump in on this one ... keep the Maths light mate :uhoh:

Coff.

Coffman,
the credit (or blame) for drop accuracy is or was in my time strictly due to the Navigator. One of them hopefully will be along soon to explain CARP, SAFT
Density Altitude and other parts of the black art of airdrop accuracy. We the loadmasters merely commented on the proceedings unless on certain extracted drops we had to use the extractor emergency release handle. This only occurred when there was an electrical malfunction or the co pilot forgot his lines and did not push the button at the 'green on' call. On a real emergency it could get very busy down the back !
Unlike the Hastings, Beverley or Argosy the Herc did not have a dedicated supply aimer's position, the Nav did his job standing,or crouching behind the Co.