Thumbs up for Hercs
June 6, 2002
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| Sergeant Steve Reiger and Flight Lieutenant Matt Cooper in front of a C-130J Hercules on the tarmac at RAAF Base Richmond. Photo by CPL Shane Gidall |
As a Junior Captain with RAAF Base Richmond's award-winning No. 37 Squadron, FLTLT Cooper has spent many hours over the past few years in the cockpit of one of 37SQN's C-130J Hercules.
"Just the other day we were up over Sydney and we had blue skies and the city skyline stretching to the horizon. It's the best office in the world," FLTLT Cooper said.
About three years ago, he was one of 16 pilots from 37SQN who, along with eight loadmasters and 24 maintenance personnel, ventured to the United States to train with Lockheed Martin on the state-of-the art C-130Js.
He was one of the first four co-pilots to train on the C-130J and, more recently, one of the first to accrue 1000hrs on the aircraft.
He's come a long way in three years and so has 37SQN. The Squadron's proficient and professional handling of the transition from the aged C-130Es and C-130Hs to the technologically advanced C-130J has been a resounding success.
The squadron can claim to be the world leader in the development and operation of the new generation of medium airlift aircraft.
Back in 1999, FLTLT Cooper arrived in the US with 200hrs training on PC-9s and "just a bit" of experience on C-130E and C-130H Hercules, but as he and the others quickly discovered, this next breed of Hercules was a new and different aircraft.
37SQN Commanding Officer Wing Commander Tony Kempnich sums up the aircraft by saying "it's not just another Hercules".
It boasts sophisticated technology and capability that's a far cry from any of its predecessors.
New engines, new propellers and advanced avionics make the aircraft a much more capable platform than the previous Hercules models.
"Initially it was a very demanding learning experience," WGCDR Kempnich said. "The aircraft featured state-of-the art technology, so the pilots and loadmasters had to change the way they did business. It was a big learning curve."
37SQN flew the first of the C-130Js to Australia in September 1999. RAAF Base Richmond received the last of its 12 C-130Js in 2001.
In 2000, the aircraft was cleared by the airworthiness authority to perform air logistics support operations, search and survivor tasking, limited aeromedical evacuation tasking, and unsealed airfield operations. Additionally, crews have been qualified for specialised operations for demanding Papua New Guinea highlands and Lord Howe Island tasking.
Development of tactical procedures and techniques are well advanced. Trials for paratrooping operations are being conducted with an operational capability anticipated by the end of 2002.
Well-documented teething problems did occur during this period, but the negative publicity was more of a "storm in a teacup", according to a 37SQN maintenance crew member.
Sergeant Steve Reiger, an Avionics technician who has been involved with the C-130Js from the beginning, is one of four Shift Supervisors with 37SQN and knows the aircraft intimately.
He said the C-130Js were "extremely sensitive" pieces of technology, and most of the reported problems had simply been "gremlins in the system" rather than anything serious.
"At this stage, nothing else is as technologically advanced or sophisticated. It's taken some time to fully understand them and there's always going to be glitches in anything new," SGT Reiger said.
As far as SGT Reiger, FLTLT Cooper and WGCDR Kempnich are concerned, the C-130J is the "bee's knees". It's an aircraft that has taken them around the globe, from the US and UK to South-East Asia, the Middle East, Japan and far-flung corners of Australia.
Appropriately, 37SQN flew away from the recent Air Force Awards night with the coveted Duke of Gloucester Cup in recognition of its achievements, particularly over the past 12 months.
"This award recognises the work of all the Squadron, the aircrew, the maintenance teams, and logistics and admin people," WGCDR Kempnich said.
By Ben Caddaye