MC-130P Retirement

[Tex]

https://aircommando.org/?q=node/426

Nothing makes you feel old in this business like seeing your plane retired. Well, that and to see a mentor, friend, and former flight engineer who you grew up with at your first squadron when he was a new TSgt is now the AFSOC Command Chief. I missed the event due to my latest deployment sadly. Lets hope Snoopy and the rest of the A-10 community don't have this same experience anytime soon.

A final salute to a work horse and one of the few planes to make the A-10 look speedy.

[Noodle]

Although the Gun Pig seems to get all the attention, the other AFSOC Herks (Talons and Shadows) quietly hack the mish day-in and day-out. I'm sad to see the Shadow go away.

Tex, I've heard that the T2 has so much mission equipment that they routinely fly above MTOW; any truth to that?

[daydream] Too bad we don't have have airframes like the Talon and Shadow in DCS. So many real-world scenarios begin with the insertion of SOF/STT at night in austere and denied environments for airfield seizure; LZ/DZ/FARP prep; CSAR; etc. I miss that kind of realism in the sim. [/daydream]

[Tex]

I wouldn't say that they routinely fly above MTOW but it does happen once and awhile. MTOW is 155k (waiver up to 175k). Basic wt of a normal C-130 was about 86k I think. T2 basic weight was around 102k. That's 16k of "extra goodies". We both routinely took off right at MTOW but since we are inflight refuelable, we would just drop the fuel a bit and hit a tanker (which is sporty when you are max weight...many toboggans).

I too wish we had some SOF C-130's in DCS. Would be able to design some amazing dynamic missions perfect for A-10 support. I'll keep my fingers crossed that they show up but not holding my breath. One of the coolest scenarios I worked on was an airfield seizure of Tonopah Test. Had to fight our way through an IADS, seize the airfield, then conduct a rotary wing direct action from the airfield to another objective. Had SEAD open a path through the SAMS, A-10 and AC-130 providing pre-assault fires on the airfield and CAS. Dropped STS and 75th bubbas then set up FARP for the A-10s at Mud Lake to refuel so they could escort the MH-53s to the objective. All in all was about a 5-6 hour mission but fast paced that it seemed like 30 minutes. Imagine flying that in the A-10 in DCS...amazing!