Welcome to The Open Subject Story Line

John Albright writes:

Ok i in late '68 and had to hop a USMC C 130 back to Nam. I was on standby with 6-7 other couriers. We got a call to the barracks for 5 of us to go to Kadena, I was left behind. Three hours later the 5 walk back into the barracks and announce that the flight was scrubbed. They actually had taken off, one engine quit almost immediately after lift off, they turned around, lost another engine on the down wind leg , made a sharp turn into the base and landed on two engines and then a third quit on the way back to the terminal. We got word that it was something wrong with the fuel, wrong kind or something.
I respected the aircraft from then on- but was a little wary about the crew!!

Jon Godwin writes:

Is it a true priviledge to fly in a KC-130. I,with 165 other members of 3rd Force Recon Company flew, (vibrated) from El Toro CA. to Dan Nang RVN. 36 flying hours. 5 RON's. 3 aircraft, three jeeps three trailers. One of each in each aircraft. and 165 men and equepment divided between the 3 birds. Not a whole lot of fun. Over my 21 years in the Corps I have made something around 250 parachutes out of one type or another KC-130's. I also worked deliverling Airal Deliverly cargo out of KC-130. I think I have as much time in them as most crew members. Some good merious some not so good. Some very scary. But all and all a better more reliable bird than what is in the pipe-line to replace it.

Cpl. Mike Stagner writes:


Rode in a C-130 from DaNang to Kadena Oki. Only about 30 guys in the belly of the beast....sat in rope hanging from the sides and the noise was like a vaccuum cleaner on steriods...could'nt see or hear anything...but it did'nt bother me because I was leaving the land of oz...I would have rode a row boat...
Semper Fi,
Mike

John Albright Writes:

I just read in the newspaper that the 3rd MAW took delivery of the
2700(??) KC 130 produced by Lockheed Martin 10 days short of the
60th anniversary of the planes introduction. My details may be off
on this- going fro m a swiss cheese memory.