Bullhunter
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318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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USAF HR
Jun 28, 2012 13:43:59 GMT 9
Post by Bullhunter on Jun 28, 2012 13:43:59 GMT 9
I was watching a story tonight on the weather channel about the Hurricane Hunter C-130's. The new armored props are awesome and the program explained how the props beat the hail and rain into a fine mist that the engines can handle. They mentioned the crew members but never mentioned a flight engineer. Strange? Glad I didn't miss that show. Attachments:
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USAF HR
Jun 28, 2012 13:50:51 GMT 9
Post by Mark O on Jun 28, 2012 13:50:51 GMT 9
The C-130J -- including the WC-130J -- do not have a Flight Engineer, or a Navigator.
I was replaced by a computer!
Actually, there hasn't been an FE on any airlines in years. Only the "legacy" aircraft still have them, and the airlines do not fly them. In fact, for DECADES the airlines haven't even hired pure FE's even when they had aircraft with that position. They hired new pilots, and trained them to be FE's with the expectation that they move up into the co-pilot seat, and eventually the pilot seat.
Of course now most aircraft have two-person cockpits. Saves money!
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Post by LBer1568 on Jun 29, 2012 7:36:59 GMT 9
So how does that make you feel Mark? Being replaced by microsoft? So my only question is does it have a flying crew chief? Is the reliability good enough that they don't have to dispatch crew chiefs and parts to repair what a flight engineer could probably do at non-host base?
Someone had to make a lot of logistics Engineering tasks to see if it's cost effective.
I actually worked with Scott AFB Logistics folks when Lockheed brought up the C-130J as replacement for H-3 models. The real fight was not over FE positions, but the Nav. HQ TAC and MAC/AMC was concerned about precesion deliveries without a Nav.
Lockeed came to the meetings with a ton of data supporting the reduced crew. But the real battle was the Guard/Reserves were getting the new planes without any money for logistics support. Congress has dedicated money for about 6 airframes per year to keep plant busy. This is without any AF inputs to budget. Sam Nunn started the buys back in 70's.
So Air Force stood up and bartered with Guard Reserve to swap low hour C-130E models for the new C-130J. Guard/Reserve had all training/Tech Orders etc to maintain C-130E.
Everyone was happy...
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MOW
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Jun 29, 2012 12:25:40 GMT 9
Post by MOW on Jun 29, 2012 12:25:40 GMT 9
I don't think we've had flying CC's in a lot of years on any aircraft. What a shame.
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USAF HR
Jun 29, 2012 12:51:00 GMT 9
Post by Mark O on Jun 29, 2012 12:51:00 GMT 9
I don't think we've had flying CC's in a lot of years on any aircraft. What a shame. We do. I did it most of the years I was on Tankers. When I was on Herks we had them any time we went off-station. In combat we only took them with us if we were flying out of our AO. (For instance, we did not take them if our missions just took us into Iraq from Kuwait and back, but if we went anywhere else -- any other country -- we took at least two flying CCs with us.) Fear not, the flying CC program is very much alive and well in AMC. I'm pretty sure the BUFFs use them too. |
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