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Epic c-130 move w/5-ton

Barron

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Today was the day for Albert/M35A2-AZ and his lovely wife to drop by and drop off my new 5-ton rear cargo cover kit from Popacom. Brand new in the box, excellent price. Turns out, I had to move 2 old C-130's so Albert and I set to work. Due to where we were moving them, there was no way I was going to back them in, so we used some Texas/Kansas farmboy ingenuity and hooked the towbar to one of the front tow rings. Wasn't beautiful, but it worked. The tires were low on the Hercs, and had been sitting for years, Finally got 133 rolling on the concrete, and had to push it off into the dirt, onto some big sections of cargo plate for the tires to sit on. The boys got the spacing wrong on the plates, so I had to push it off and try again. That's when the soft dirt and low tires going up onto the plates got problematic. Back I went, and the rear end started jumping. Pushed it forward and tried again, same thing. Albert calmly walks over from the spotter position, says "you might want to engage that front axle before you break a rear one" Brainfart!, Thanks Albert!! So onto the plates she rolled. The next Herc, was just moved to a different location on the concrete, so it was no problem at all. This was the first time meeting Albert and his lovely wife, and we enjoyed some mexican food on our break, and I really appreciate all of Albert's help in moving these two old beasts. It was a great time, and fun to meet fellow and helpful MV'ers, and Gun nuts!!
One thing for sure, I need to build a pintle mount for the front.
 

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sigo

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Chief, that wasn't the C-17 in '05 that the driver drove right off the end of the runway was it? I wish I had a picture of that. I didn't get out to see it but on the CJTF76 commanders update brief (theater wide) someone posted a great photo of it face down in the dirt with crumpled nose gear and the caption "Aim High".
 

M35A2-AZ

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My wife Lynne and I had a great time meeting Doug and helping a little.
It was a great day in the desert and doing things with a MV and Airplanes is just cool!
 

vtdeucedriver

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Whats the History and story on the Herc's??? They former Hawkins & Powers birds??? BTW, the 7 in the background is a tease!!!
 

Chief_919

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Chief, that wasn't the C-17 in '05 that the driver drove right off the end of the runway was it? I wish I had a picture of that. I didn't get out to see it but on the CJTF76 commanders update brief (theater wide) someone posted a great photo of it face down in the dirt with crumpled nose gear and the caption "Aim High".
That's the one. They lifted the nose with that giant crane they had at Bagram and set it down on the 870, and we towed up off the runway.
 

Barron

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133 is an old H&P bird that was ferried down with a cracked center section, purchased for spares. The APU still works so it makes a good engine test stand. 88 is an old Fire bomber out of some company in CA that the name escapes me. it's been sitting since 1988. The center section on it is like new, and it got 2 serviceable wings on it last week, and 4 engines off a Herc from D-M coming next week, and it's going to be an oil spill aerial dispersant aircraft when it's done. and we thought MV restorations were hard and time consuming. I don't own the aircraft, just moving them for my buddy that owns them. The DC-7 was old Tanker 33 used to be based in AK. Ex-Delta, Low time, it looks new inside, it's gorgeous. One thing I thought funny, the C-130's are older than the DC-7. The 130's were built in '56, and the DC-7B was built for Delta in 1957. This DC-7 flew the LA to Hawaii route. It also sprayed Locusts (big-ass grasshoppers) in Morocco, and it's sister ship was shot down by a shoulder fired missile by Morrocan rebels with loss of plane and all crew.
 

vtdeucedriver

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My hats off to those civie operators with the Herc's. When that wing failed years ago fire bombing, it seemed to be the death of the market for them to ever be useful in the civilian world.

Another airplane that never really has recovered and I wish they would remake today is the Grumman Mallard with the PT-6. I bet the market would be there for them but not as much as the NEW Twin Otter :)
 

Barron

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These pictures were taken at Coolidge, AZ airfield (P08) The Army declared an airfield to be built, and in 1942, 9 months later there were 5,000 people here on 2 square miles working on planes as an All-Service aircraft maint. base.

It's home now to the Marines Primary Jump Training, and various other Spook Op's Which I can't speak of. and some fun MV op's and the occasional Corsair, Spitfire, **** Cat, Bear Cat or B-25 or P-51, or Machine gun

Anything I just said, cannot be relied upon, and you don't know me if anyone asks......
 

Barron

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Welder-
You are correct! That was "Memorial field" south of Chandler. it was on the edge of the Indian reservation, and all sorts of spook stuff went on there in the 70's and early 80's DEA etc.

Did the PM function break for O/T?
 

Kaiserjeeps

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BTW, the 7 in the background is a tease!!!
I didn't see it the first time. From 12 to 14 years old my dad owned a DC-7 with 4 other guys. The flew Salmon back from AK for a couple years for pretty good profits. The plane was stolen from Paine field north of Seattle with the hired pilots help.
They found it in South America splattered all over a hill side. It was being used to haul drugs. I have pictures of it somewhere. I only got to taxi in it to move it for the Paine field air show. It was in the way.:D

Great post!
 

Welder Sam

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Welder-
You are correct! That was "Memorial field" south of Chandler. it was on the edge of the Indian reservation, and all sorts of spook stuff went on there in the 70's and early 80's DEA etc.

Did the PM function break for O/T?
?

it was pretty creepy for sure. no one was around, or so it seemed. just a bunch of old planes. now it appears that the place has died off to near extinction. id sure like to get my feet off the ground again next time i go out there. used to buzz around the valley quite a bit with CAP in the early 90's
 
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