Hanging out of a Hercules C130 ...

[dogtag]

I assume they're tethered. If not they've more guts than brains.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Hercules.html

Must be a helluva rush.

[dryheat]

The Mach Loop. You can see planes of every description zooming down the valley.

[Vern Humphrey]

That's one hell of a great aircraft to jump from -- the huge rear ramp can be carried in the horizontal position (as in the photo) resulting in very little turbulence on exiting.

[S.A. Boggs]

That's one hell of a great aircraft to jump from -- the huge rear ramp can be carried in the horizontal position (as in the photo) resulting in very little turbulence on exiting.

Our son said it was much easier to jump from a C-130 then a C-5 or a helo. He said helo's were the worst, with the C-5 coming in a close 2nd. Luke gave me a picture that he took as he "left" the C-5 I wouldn't want to do it!
Sam

[Dan in NH]

One of these days when I'm in Wales I want to go watch the planes in the Mach loop. need to find out if they have any kind of a schedule

[Sandpebble]

One of these days when I'm in Wales I want to go watch the planes in the Mach loop. need to find out if they have any kind of a schedule

Well Dan ... if you live in NH you may be to young to have enjoyed a similar experience. C 130s flew low level training missions over a triangle of Maine NH and Vermont for many years. ... and I mean low.

Once as a young fireplace builder I was just finishing the top of a chimney in Weare NH when a 130 suddenly skimmed the tree tops next to the house and damn near made me drop my trowel. .... I swear I could see that pilots face .

My own Father flew many of those missions over N.H. training paratroopers to get used to the hump and bump of low level flying . He retired with 16,000 hours ... yes 16,000 hours ..as a flight engineer.

I once flew from Spain to Italy on the web seats of a C 130 ... before we took off the Load Master handed me a ball of wax and said " Stuff some of this in your ears.... it's gonna get loud in here "

[Roadkingtrax]

Flew jump seat on a Herc out of Davis-Monthan to the East coast once. Definitely a workhorse, but cant sustain two propeller strikes to the forward fuselage like the recent USMC crash. Tragic event.

Worst flight I've ever had was sitting on the floor of a Hercules flying out a hot Iraq FOB during the 2003 invasion. Picture high angle of attack and holding on to tiedowns in the dark!

[Dan in NH]

I did see them. Looked out the window at work one day and thought one was going to crash into my building. And I used to live on a hill overlooking I 89 in Warner and could look down on them as the followed the highway north.

[Vern Humphrey]

The main C130 base in the US is Jacksonville AFB outside of Little Rock. We have Hercs doing low-level training fly over the house regularly -- sometimes low enough at night that you can see the pilot's face.