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Mighty H milestone
By FLGOFF Eamon Hamilton
Edition 4909, 31 May, 2007
THE LONG HAUL: Headed by CO WGCDR Paul Nicholas, 37SQN aircrew and ground crew line up in front of their “lucky number one”, C-130H A97-001, which has just clocked-up a record 20,000 hours flying time.
Photo by LAC Christopher Dickson
Australia's first C-130H has notched up a record for its kind – 20,000 hours of logged flying time.
A97-001 reached the milestone on May 7 in a tri-Service fashion, having been tasked with the Army’s Red Berets parachute display team at a Navy Fleet Air Arm air show in Nowra.
Back home at RAAF Base Richmond, the 37SQN ground crew – including painters – were quick to celebrate the achievement by applying some temporary nose-art above the Hercules’ crew entry door.
As well as noting the achievement in writing, the painters affixed two rows of medal bars to honour the aircraft’s history of service – including deployments to East Timor, Somalia and Operation Catalyst.
Few people at 37SQN were prouder to see the feat than the unit’s CO, WGCDR Paul Nicholas.
He’s shared an association with A97-001 since June 1988, when he first arrived at the aircraft’s former unit of 36SQN.
“This Herc has been our ‘lucky number one’,” WGCDR Nicholas said.
“We’ve won Rodeo and Bullseye international airlift competitions with it, and I can remember being on its crew for a flight to Antarctica (in 1989).
“In those 20,000 hours, it would have flown almost a million kilometres – and all of it done accident-free.
“It’s a great achievement for the Air Force’s Hercules aircrews and maintainers who have worked to reach this milestone, and we expect continued service from this airframe with 37SQN for years to come.”
A97-001’s story began in July 1978, when it was first taken on by a RAAF crew at the Lockheed plant in Marietta, Georgia.
Along with its sister-ship, 002, the aircraft arrived at RAAF Base Richmond on July 28, 1978.
It was crewed by SQNLDR Hugo Dreimanis, FLGOFFs Leigh Bearman, Peter Hansen and Greg Clynick, WOFF Tony Ryan, FSGT Jim Smith, SGTs Gus Winen and Brian McKay, and CPL Bill Blyth.
Delivery pilot Greg Clynick recalled the flight across the United States and to Australia as being “very routine and incident free” – setting some precedent for its first 20,000 hours of service with the Air Force.
A97-001 is the second ALG airframe to surpass the 20,000 hour mark this year. On March 27, 38SQN Caribou A4-228 flew its 20,000th hour on a night-time training flight, having been in service since 1965.
Top Stories
Mighty H milestone
By FLGOFF Eamon Hamilton
Edition 4909, 31 May, 2007
THE LONG HAUL: Headed by CO WGCDR Paul Nicholas, 37SQN aircrew and ground crew line up in front of their “lucky number one”, C-130H A97-001, which has just clocked-up a record 20,000 hours flying time.
Photo by LAC Christopher Dickson
Australia's first C-130H has notched up a record for its kind – 20,000 hours of logged flying time.
A97-001 reached the milestone on May 7 in a tri-Service fashion, having been tasked with the Army’s Red Berets parachute display team at a Navy Fleet Air Arm air show in Nowra.
Back home at RAAF Base Richmond, the 37SQN ground crew – including painters – were quick to celebrate the achievement by applying some temporary nose-art above the Hercules’ crew entry door.
As well as noting the achievement in writing, the painters affixed two rows of medal bars to honour the aircraft’s history of service – including deployments to East Timor, Somalia and Operation Catalyst.
Few people at 37SQN were prouder to see the feat than the unit’s CO, WGCDR Paul Nicholas.
He’s shared an association with A97-001 since June 1988, when he first arrived at the aircraft’s former unit of 36SQN.
“This Herc has been our ‘lucky number one’,” WGCDR Nicholas said.
“We’ve won Rodeo and Bullseye international airlift competitions with it, and I can remember being on its crew for a flight to Antarctica (in 1989).
“In those 20,000 hours, it would have flown almost a million kilometres – and all of it done accident-free.
“It’s a great achievement for the Air Force’s Hercules aircrews and maintainers who have worked to reach this milestone, and we expect continued service from this airframe with 37SQN for years to come.”
A97-001’s story began in July 1978, when it was first taken on by a RAAF crew at the Lockheed plant in Marietta, Georgia.
Along with its sister-ship, 002, the aircraft arrived at RAAF Base Richmond on July 28, 1978.
It was crewed by SQNLDR Hugo Dreimanis, FLGOFFs Leigh Bearman, Peter Hansen and Greg Clynick, WOFF Tony Ryan, FSGT Jim Smith, SGTs Gus Winen and Brian McKay, and CPL Bill Blyth.
Delivery pilot Greg Clynick recalled the flight across the United States and to Australia as being “very routine and incident free” – setting some precedent for its first 20,000 hours of service with the Air Force.
A97-001 is the second ALG airframe to surpass the 20,000 hour mark this year. On March 27, 38SQN Caribou A4-228 flew its 20,000th hour on a night-time training flight, having been in service since 1965.
