So now it's "a very rare event". I agree. And with the number of hours and sorties flown over decades, that adds up to plenty.Mine too, in the same context.

Creampuff if you're really in Salt Lake City during this discourse, Then you should be in bed asleep. Goodnight and no "bent" dreams

Talk about ridiculous nit picking. They've never written one off, that's sounds pretty good to me.

I see now that "bent" is synonymous with "written off". My apologies.

BTW, Hercs were subject to Board of Survey decisions. But I'm just engaging in ridiculous nitpicking...

Nitpicking
 

Creampuff, I have no idea what you are driving at or what your motive is. The FACT is that the RAAF have operated the C130 since late 1958. I personally have operated globally, including Antarctica, and know that the aircraft have been flown by dedicated and highly competent crews and, likewise, maintained by equally competent and dedicated ground engineers. Your claim that the RAAF has "bent" plenty of Hercules is patently wrong, especially in consideration of them having flown in excess of 800,000 hours in friendly and decidedly unfriendly environments without ever having "bent" one beyond repair. I doubt that this record has been bettered by any other military organisation.

I did apologise for misconstruing "bent" as meaning "bent".

And BTW: I spent more time in the RAAF than you did. :ok:

Creampuff, check your maths: you did 18 yrs

Old Fella: So he was in 30 years before you started, and the 707 arrived in 79 or thereabouts, giving him at least 21 years, maybe more, depending on how long he stayed after 707 arrived.

He probably retired before you grew hair you could sit on.

Longer than you did ???
 

Thanks Ascend Charlie. If Creampuff did 18 years then I certainly did more than he did, 5 years more in fact. I joined 18Feb1958 and left the RAAF 21Marc1981. I joined 36 Sqn late '68 as a Sumpie, trained as a C130A F/E commencing late 1970 and flew with both 37 Sqn and 36 Sqn up until end Dec 1978. Underwent B707 conversion at Qantas starting 2Jan'79. I have no idea what time, if any, Creampuff spend on, in or around C130's, but it is obvious to me that his idea of "plenty" is at odds to mine. I don't really have to justify anything about the C130 in RAAF service, the records speak for themselves.

Well, I think we've clearly established that the RAAF shouldn't use Hercs for basic training, otherwise they'll bend heaps more than the unspecified number that may or may not have been bent so far. PC-21s might be better ... maybe.

Get some time up you blokes anyway, (except you Old Fella because I only did 22 - edited to add that in after I saw what you'd written).

Herc's as trainers.
 

G'day AOTW. In a sense, the C130 has been used as a trainer for many years mate. It was not unusual to get boggie pilots out of Pearce posted in to the "not so glamorous" trash haulers. Most quickly found out that the Herc was a great training aircraft, especially on tactical flying. Having piston engine-like response to throttle lever movement, due to the constant speed engine-prop combination, made the Herc a forgiving aircraft to fly as anyone who has flown the type would understand.

Sorry about the added thread drift, but as I am sure you have guessed I have a great affection for the "Lockheed Legend".

Still waitin'...

Genuinely interested.

Interesting to GOOGLE "C-130 crashes in military service". The RAF have had 90 C-130's and "lost, pranged, bent, crashed, F**ked" 9. Maybe it's because our country is so insignificant (having only taken delivery of 48), that Australia doesn't appear on the list where we should be, between Afghanistan and Austria.

True, Old Fella. I never did a Herc conversion but flew the Caribou among other things, and the combination of standard trash hauling alongside the sometimes very complex tactical things both they and Hercs did, not to mention working very closely as a crew to get the job done, was to my mind a great training ground for just about anything else you might do in flying.

Trash hauling
 

AOTW, some of the most competent people in aviation that I know flew in the trash hauling role. I think the RAAF has demonstrated an ability to get the very best out of their assets. I certainly enjoyed my time and whilst I also enjoyed my civvy time it was certainly much more leisurely, and certainly more rewarding financially, than much of what I experienced with the RAAF. Without doubt some of the best Pilots, and Flight Engineers I worked for, with and had work for me, had come from the Caribou world. You and I may well have each flown with a number of them.

Probably have done, although I was a bit later in the piece than you by the looks (84 for my first operational posting). I started on the Iroquois and a lot of the loadies from that world ended up going to Hercs when the helicopter transfer went through, heaps of good guys and very professional in their outlook and skills, same for the Bou but with the extra skills of the FLTENGs to boot, and I'm sure that was the case for the Herc crews too.

Even us chopper drivers are guilty of Trash Hauling - I had fighter pilots on board many times!

Come on all you DFRDB pensioners!

Stop making me feel jealous as I only did 12 years with Ronnie.. :*

Looks like you're fixin for a fight AC. ;)

Any truth to the fixed wing pilots prayer "Lord, I pray for the eyes of an eagle, the quickness of a hummingbird, the reflexes of a cat, the radar of a cave bat, the heart of a lion and the balls of a helicopter pilot"?

Pin pulled, step back. :eek:

Feeling safe, Megan, knucks only use computers to watch Yoochoob, they don't frequent this site...