C-130 Hercules questions

[Spinner]

While the writing has been on the wall (IMHO) for years, it seems like the divestiture and associated personnel actions (mostly undesirable) really started ramping up last year.

Very true. It's a shame these kids will never get to experience telling the nav to shut up or the joys of smelling stale cigarette smoke and coffee coming from the engineer.

[Bender]

Very true. It's a shame these kids will never get to experience telling the nav to shut up or the joys of smelling stale cigarette smoke and coffee coming from the engineer.

Ahhh...those were the days!

Bendy

[LockheedFix]

Ahhh...those were the days!

Bendy

In some cases, the cigarette and coffee stench wafted over to the left seat from the co-pilot **cough**Bender**cough cough**

[Swansack]

Thanks for the info! Very helpful

[HercDude]

Avoid the H.

Hope that helps.

Best advice you are going to get.

Pains me to say it as a legacy guy with a lot of time in this airplane, but there is nothing at the end of the yellow brick road anymore. Look at first assignment guys in the legacy squadrons now, and you 'll see that almost all are PCSing to white jets, MC-12s (which the AF is about to loose to the Army), and RPAs. Getting a J is not happening. AFSOC is not common. Most people in the community believe that AMC will have divested itself of the entire legacy fleet in the next few years. Right now the J pipeline can accommodate almost zero legacy crossflows, and in 5 years it's not going to increase anywhere near enough to account for all the legacy guys currently in the 6-ish AD squadrons. My crystal ball says that means more bad deals for us.

If it were me, I would put the C-130J at the top of my dream sheet, then every other manned airframe, the the H.

[deaddebate]

C-130 inventory changes

Development and Acquisitions for AFSOC

source:https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/defbudget/fy2016/fy2016_Budget_Request_Overview_Book.pdf

[GoodSplash9]

Looks like this thread has some rust to knock off. Curious if anyone could educate me on what the lifestyle and ops tempo are like for pilots currently flying H models in the Guard or Reserve? Questions include the below:

-Deployment expectations? I've heard 4 months every two years. 

-What's the good, bad, and ugly with the plane/mission above and beyond what an average pilot would know about tactical airlift?

-Is there a lot of ability to bum and/or pick up extended orders?

-What kind of hours are guys logging on deployments? How about non-deployed across the year?

-What is the FTU timeline and normal timeline for AC upgrade?

[Eli]

Rumors abound with H models in guard and reserve that pertain to "is unit getting Js or upgrades to the H models."

Deployments - 120 broken in half- every 3yrs. Expectations to deploy depend on unit.

Bum pilots seem to be going the way of the dodo. The pendulum has swung to airlines. 

Trips are unit's leadership choice. Some units fly a ton of trips some don't.

If you want hours go strat airlift or tankers.

[HercDude]

Most of what you asked will vary by squadron.

One deployment every 2 years is a realistic expectation.  If you want 4 months you'll get it, if you only want 2 you might not (will vary by squadron).

My last deployment was a year ago, and we were flying a lot more than we were in the 2013-2014 time frame.  Every other day was about average, but of cource in this airplane a full day can be anywhere between 2.0 and 12.0 on the 781s.  If you are looking for hours quickly, the C-130 is not the best plane for you.

If you are a good dude and you fly regularly, getting to AC upgrade within 2 years of being MR is not uncommon (will vary by squadron).

Bumming is still an option, but we have a dysfunctional government that shuts down sometimes, NGB promises money then takes it away, and days sometimes disappear down the memory hole.  If I was talking to anyone other than a. single Lieutenant with no kids, I would not recommend it as a sole means of income.  Your ability to reliably bum will vary by squadron.

Did I mention that all these things will vary by squadron?  without AMC as the godhead of the Herc community, you see a lot more variation among the units than the Active Duty ones.  Figure out where you'd like to work and ask these questions to the bros there - they will be a better source than the internet.

[Jetpower]

I was recently sponsored by a C-130H Reserve unit and am extremely excited to be part of the unit. Since I initially cast a wide net, now other heavy units are contacting me to show up to their meet and greet. I am having a hard time deciding the right airframe: C-130H, KC-135, and C-5. 

Priorities for my family:

1. Full time opportunity, either AGR or ART

2. Airframe/Location 

what I’d like to fly:

1. C-130H (AL): 12hr drive from home, however full time positions are available

2. KC-135 (MD): 24hr drive from home, however full time positions are available

3.C-5 (TX): home, full time not available 

My family and I are willing to relocate and live near the unit. Any inputs are much appreciated. 

 

[JustHangingOut]

11 hours ago, Jetpower said:

I was recently sponsored by a C-130H Reserve unit and am extremely excited to be part of the unit. Since I initially cast a wide net, now other heavy units are contacting me to show up to their meet and greet. I am having a hard time deciding the right airframe: C-130H, KC-135, and C-5. 

Priorities for my family:

1. Full time opportunity, either AGR or ART

2. Airframe/Location 

what I’d like to fly:

1. C-130H (AL): 12hr drive from home, however full time positions are available

2. KC-135 (MD): 24hr drive from home, however full time positions are available

3.C-5 (TX): home, full time not available 

My family and I are willing to relocate and live near the unit. Any inputs are much appreciated. 

 

Keep in mid that any full time opportunities today could be gone by the time you get back from school. My advice...if you have kids...stay near family so the grandparents can help your spouse when you are on trips or downrange. 

[nunya]

C-5 near home.  Get a job at Home Depot until you learn the ropes.  I bet you can bum "full time."

[Bertamus47]

There were bits of info related to this question in this thread, but not as much from a ANG/AFRES perspective I could find. If looking to apply to C130 UPT boards, is it worthwhile to pay attention to whether they fly H1, H2, or H3’s? I guess my assumption is that the units flying H1s would be the first to be closed or BRAC’d in favor of units flying later H’s and J’s. Is this concern even worth thinking about?

Does this question belong in the stupid questions section?

Any input is appreciated. 

[dream big]

22 minutes ago, Bertamus47 said:

There were bits of info related to this question in this thread, but not as much from a ANG/AFRES perspective I could find. If looking to apply to C130 UPT boards, is it worthwhile to pay attention to whether they fly H1, H2, or H3’s? I guess my assumption is that the units flying H1s would be the first to be closed or BRAC’d in favor of units flying later H’s and J’s. Is this concern even worth thinking about?

Does this question belong in the stupid questions section?

Any input is appreciated. 

BRAC is 90% political and 10% logical to the needs of the Air Force.  I would chose a unit whose culture you see yourself in and in a location you desire.  Right now many units are upgrading the H model avionics, may go J one day or transition to another aircraft, there is no telling.  

[Bertamus47]

12 hours ago, dream big said:

BRAC is 90% political and 10% logical to the needs of the Air Force.  I would chose a unit whose culture you see yourself in and in a location you desire.  Right now many units are upgrading the H model avionics, may go J one day or transition to another aircraft, there is no telling.  

Thanks for the input!

[MechGov]

BRAC is 90% political and 10% logical to the needs of the Air Force.  I would chose a unit whose culture you see yourself in and in a location you desire.  Right now many units are upgrading the H model avionics, may go J one day or transition to another aircraft, there is no telling.  

2...it’s a complete crapshoot. Who knows, the H3 unit could get BRAC’d and the tails go somewhere else. There’s not much logic to it.

Pick the unit that suits your needs and don’t look back.

[gearhog]

Prioritize J model units.

Wrung out and broke down H models, engine, prop, and avionics upgrades, as well as the ever present looming threat of J model conversions (nav and engineer career uncertainty) is adversely affecting morale in many H units. 

[HercDude]

On 8/14/2019 at 5:10 AM, torqued said:

Prioritize J model units.

Wrung out and broke down H models, engine, prop, and avionics upgrades, as well as the ever present looming threat of J model conversions (nav and engineer career uncertainty) is adversely affecting morale in many H units. 

Sample size of one:  I left an H model ANG Wing 6 months ago.  In my 17 years in the AF I had never been in a squadron with higher morale.

[JM Canidate]

So no joke what part did Harley Davidson make for the C-130J?

[dream big]

2 hours ago, JM Canidate said:

So no joke what part did Harley Davidson make for the C-130J?

The handle to the cargo ramp spotlight. Rare copilot hazing question!

[M2]

15 hours ago, JM Canidate said:

So no joke what part did Harley Davidson make for the C-130J?

 

[arg]

15 hours ago, JM Canidate said:

So no joke what part did Harley Davidson make for the C-130J?

I'm going with none. 

Used to be told that the handle for the manual hydro pump was Harley and the hand grip was Schwinn.

13 hours ago, dream big said:

The handle to the cargo ramp spotlight. Rare copilot hazing question!

That was the old wooden handle question, those lights get hot.

Question that died with the H2s. How many holes in the urinal?

Only a dick would know.

[disgruntledemployee]

On 10/29/2021 at 11:22 AM, arg said:

I'm going with none. 

Used to be told that the handle for the manual hydro pump was Harley and the hand grip was Schwinn.

That was the old wooden handle question, those lights get hot.

Question that died with the H2s. How many holes in the urinal?

Only a dick would know.

One. It goes out the hull to rain piss on France.

Edited November 1, 2021 by disgruntledemployee
spellin

[NotApilot]

Recently picked up to fly HC-130Js for the Guard, and I used to work E & Hs before Little Rock when J, then I retrained out of MX. All I can say is I could not be more happy to be going J. Need to find out from my unit but I believe I won't even go through The Rock after UPT, can anyone confirm?

[DirkDiggler]

3 hours ago, NotApilot said:

Recently picked up to fly HC-130Js for the Guard, and I used to work E & Hs before Little Rock when J, then I retrained out of MX. All I can say is I could not be more happy to be going J. Need to find out from my unit but I believe I won't even go through The Rock after UPT, can anyone confirm?

Congrats on Hercs, great cross spectrum of mission sets and she's a lot of fun to fly.

You will not go through Little Rock, they ended that a couple years ago for HC/MC-J guys.  After pilot training you'll head direct to Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM for HC-130J Pilot Initial Qual Course.

  I'm an MC-130 guy so my knowledge of HC-130 stuff is all second hand info; if you have any other HC-130 specific questions that you can't get answered by actual HC-130 guys on this board let me know and I'll ask around here (I'm currently in ABQ doing an MC-J transition course).  Good luck at UPT and study hard.