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In theory On the RAF Hercules tanker we could give away all of our fuel by pumping it up into the wing tanks and hence out via the HDU. We could only dispense fuel via the wing tanks so the fuselage tanks were used to keep the wing tanks topped up. Max fuel plus or minus SG etc was 63000 lbs in the wings and externals and 28000lbs total in the four fuselage tanks.A full load made the a/c rather heavy !
We originally carried boiler plate bolted to the floor forward of the tanks for C of G reasons but this was later removed and 'ballast fuel' was meant to be left in the forward tanks to compensate. Once had to use this little extra ! |
AA62, Yep I used it too, airborne 14:45 := |
Does anyone have an official update to the progress with this sad accident search/rescue please?
OAP |
F-18 crew recovered, one injured, one deceased. Search continuing in area for the wreckage of the KC-130. (CNN): Japan's Ministry of Defense has expanded its search to find five missing US Marines after two aircraft with seven crew collided mid-air and crashed into the sea Thursday. While a Ministry of Defense spokesperson could not disclose details of the search area, they told CNN that it was widened to account for ocean currents. Initial rescue efforts had been complicated by storms and sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph. Japan's Ministry of Defense said it was still raining in the area where the planes are believed to have crashed Friday morning, but conditions were good enough to continue search operations. One Marine was rescued and was "in fair condition" Thursday, while the body of a second has been "declared deceased," the US Marine Corps said in a statement....... TOKYO — The U.S. Marines have identified a fighter pilot who died after his jet collided with a refueling aircraft during training off Japan’s coast, leaving five other Marines missing and one rescued. Two pilots were flying an F/A-18 Hornet that collided with a KC-130 Hercules about 2 a.m. Thursday. The other pilot was rescued and the crew of the refueling plane is missing. The Marine Corps identified the dead crew member as Capt. Jahmar Resilard, 28, of Miramar, Florida. He served with Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, stationed on Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi, Japan....... |
Flew in an all weather attack squadron out of Iwakuni many years go. Also have refueled from kc130s many times and also have a small amount of flight time as a pilot of kc130 and have flown refueling missions. I am curious to know if anyone knows why the accident happened at 0200? Suspect that this was not local time? We often scheduled refueling refresher training for dusk in order to get day and night QUALS in one sortie.
the normal routine for refueling evolution is; 1000 FOOT VERTICAL separation until visual, then cleared to observation position, 1000 foot above and 1000 foot abeam the most rearward tanker in the echelon, if multiple tankers, then cleared to the stabilize position behind a specific tanker and drogue, then cleared to plug. on the kc130, we always had chutes. They were never worn except possibly by the crewmembers assigned as observers at the rear doors. These guys got to see some real airshows. I recall a flight between Hawaii and wake island. I was flying a6 intruder. The tankers had to work to find a spot for a track between CBs. Even after that we were in and out of cloud, at night and vertigo was impossible to avoid. Add to that, the aircraft bow wave causes the drogue to deflect away and you have to aim at the point youthink it is going to be. It is not easy. . |
Thanks ORAC.
OAP |
Originally Posted by ancientaviator62
(Post 10331673)
Max fuel plus or minus SG etc was 63000 lbs in the wings and externals
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ExAscoteer,
I will join you in Pedant's Corner. IIRC the book figure was 62920 lbs ! |
abdunbar,
the RAF C130 tanker was totally different to your KC 130. Our single hose went out through a hole in the cargo door and we therefore dispensed our fuel whilst unpressurised. The loadmaster lay on the (closed ) ramp and gave a running commentary of the antics of the receiver. It was a very 'interesting' place to be. No doubt if you are interested someone can put up pics as there are lots. |
Funny the things that stick in the mind. As soon as I saw "63,000 lb", I instantly thought "62,900". I last flew Lockheed's finest in 1975.
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https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific...-crew-1.560128 MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — The Marine Corps has ended an extensive search for five Marines missing after their KC-130J Hercules collided midair with an F/A-18 Hornet last week off Japan’s southern coast. "After an update from the Joint Personnel Recovery Center, and a review of all available information, I have made the determination to end the search and rescue operations for the crew of our [Hercules] … and to declare that these Marine warriors are deceased,” III Expeditionary Force commander Lt. Gen. Eric Smith said in a statement posted Tuesday afternoon to the organization’s official Facebook page. “Every possible effort was made to recover our crew and I hope the families of these selfless Americans will find comfort in the incredible efforts made by U.S., Japanese, and Australian forces during the search,” he added. Seven Marines were involved in the training accident, which occurred just before 2 a.m. Thursday about 200 miles south of Muroto Cape on Shikoku Island, U.S. and Japanese officials said. Although the crews were conducting regularly-scheduled training, Marine investigators have not confirmed that aerial refueling was underway during the incident, the statement said. The Hercules’ flight data and cockpit voice recorders have not been found, making it “premature to speculate about wreckage recovery," the statement added....... Both the Japan Self-Defense Forces and Japan Coast Guard announced Tuesday that they’d halted their search efforts at 6 a.m. While the coast guard has stopped searching specifically for the crew members, it will keep an eye out during regular patrols of the area, a spokesman for 5th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday via telephone....... |
Very sad news. Many military flying tasks retain a significant level of risk. However, it is still sad to learn of this loss. There will be many military aviators respecting the endeavour of those killed in this accident. RIP.
OAP |
Sad indeed. Looks like a RAAF P-8 helped. They are forward deployed to the area monitor Kim J's ocean going activities.
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Alert 5 » USMC concludes salvage operations surrounding the December 2018 aircraft mishap - Military Aviation News USMC concludes salvage operations surrounding the December 2018 aircraft mishap We have received a press release from the U.S. Marine Corps on the conclusion of salvage operations surrounding the December 2018 aircraft mishap off Japan. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c0874300b.jpeg A VMFA(AW)-242 F/A-18D had collided with a KC-130J from VMGR-152 off Japan’s southern coast. The salvage operation recovered the KC-130J’s cockpit voice recorder and digital flight recorder. These devices are being delivered to Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland for analysis to assist in the on-going investigation. Human remains were recovered as well and will be transferred to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware for formal identification. |
Alert 5 » How the Marine Corps Failed Squadron 242 - Military Aviation News
How the Marine Corps Failed Squadron 242ProPublica investigates the fatal crash of a F/A-18D and a KC-130J off Japan last year and found that problems that were identified at VMFA(AW)-242 persists. |
The full ProPublica article (linked from the page given by ORAC) has more on the involvement of higher commanders and makes depressing reading indeed. Their defence that aviators are empowered to say ‘no’ seems risible given their apparent failure to act upon years’-worth of warnings. |
Orac,
Thank you for posting that. To add some context to this tragedy.....if you recall the mid-air collision of two USMC CH-53's off the coast of Hawaii a couple of years ago....with the loss of all aboard....the very same factors (less the blood alcohol level thing) were identified in that investigation. Lack of parts, U/S Aircraft, lack of training, no training, lack of currency exactly being noted in your video were listed in that tragedy as well. The human cost of the Marine Corps failure to conduct operations in a safe manner is what gets glossed over sadly, To add a real and personal touch to what I am talking about......a close friend lost her Son in the Hawaii crash. Knowing the reasons behind his loss only makes it so much harder to accept. You notice the Squadron Commander got removed from Command.....why not his superiors who ALL knew of the problems and did nothing to correct or resolve the problems? The blame goes right straight to the Commandant and Secretary of the Navy for sure. At some point, even in the USMC, you have to stand tall and refuse to carry out orders that if not illegal.....are flat stupid. Otherwise....good people die for no good reason. https://www.usmclife.com/2016/10/inv...lack-training/ |
Originally Posted by SASless
(Post 10650959)
You notice the Squadron Commander got removed from Command.....why not his superiors who ALL knew of the problems and did nothing to correct or resolve the problems?
The blame goes right straight to the Commandant and Secretary of the Navy for sure. |
One must also note the current POTUS has been the driving force behind increasing the funding of the US Military.....something that was absent under the previous administration that was in control for eight years.
Sequestion budget cuts that harmed the military's funding was a direct result of Congress being unable to arrive at a budget and the White House's gross failure to work towards a better funding level for the military. What we are seeing in all of the military services is the "cost" of inadequate funding despite very high levels of operations throughout the World. We have had two good years of funding increases and assuming it does not get squandered on needless or useless projects and programs.....we shall see some improvement in Readiness and levels of training. The down side is we are seeing a retention problem which results from too high an operations tempo and a booming civilian economy with historic low un-employment and increasing wages and salaries. |
Originally Posted by SASless
(Post 10651026)
.....
The down side is we are seeing a retention problem which results from too high an operations tempo and a booming civilian economy with historic low un-employment and increasing wages and salaries. |
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