A Day in the Life …

With ‘first doors closed’ at 6. 45am, then checklist start at 7am local, it is expected that our return ETA tonight will be around 7pm, give or take a few minutes. Flight callsign will be ‘Trojan 753’, with ‘Trojan’ designating No37 Squadron and ‘753’ being the personal callsign allocation of the Captain of the aeroplane. The tail No A97-167 makes up no part of the callsign.

From No37 Squadron HQ, we drive the Squadron’s crew van to Base Operations, 1 ½ kilometres away at the far end of the base. After Met Briefing, we walk to the Flight Planning and Self Briefing Room, where Bill Pike writes up the flight plan. Then it’s away to the Safety Equipment Section to collect headsets and flying helmets with oxygen masks. Finally, we climb into the van for the trip back to the Air Movements Terminal. Greg Bushnell (Loadmaster) has already checked the load details of passengers and cargo and is finalising the weight and balance documents. Dick Stone (Flight Engineer) has also done the walk arounds, so following a check by Brian Young of all maintenance and Air Movements documents, it’s straight into the ‘office’ of A97-167.

20,000 pounds of fuel is being taken on and we have planned to take on a further 12,000 pounds at Laverton later this morning and another 10,000 pounds at Laverton this afternoon on the return journey. These quantities seem large, but I’m reminded the C-130E has an empty weight of about 79,000 pounds, a normal maximum weight of around 155,000 pounds and can carry more than 40,000 pounds of cargo.

First leg to ASCB (Canberra), our first destination is ASRIKAT-top of climb-BIK (Bindook)-SLS (Shellys)-ASCB. Then it will be on to CRG (Corryong)-ELW (Eildon Weir)-Plenty and AMLV (Laverton).

Richmond ATIS is ‘alpha’, runway 28, wind calm, QNH 1018, temperature 16, visibility 1 0 kilometres. The series of pre-flight checks begins and I notice on the data card that our AUW is 110,000 pounds. Time whizzes by during the checks and Brian Young informs me the engine start sequence will be 3-4-2-1, as opposed to a 747 sequence of 4-1-2-3.

We are a little behind schedule, it’s now 7. 10am as the Loadmaster makes his final checks of the load and the PAX (passengers). The checks go on – No 3 engine is now being started and the AC generator voltages and frequency are being checked. No 4 start – turbine inlet temperature – check oil pressure, gearbox and engine – No 2 start – 16% – ignition, then watch for pressure, gearbox etc. , hydraulics and finally No 1 engine is started. The door is now closed, with rear door left open during the taxi, as the Loadmaster must ‘clear’ the aircraft while the pilot backs the aircraft using reverse thrust. Compasses, brakes, radios and navigation equipment are checked and altimetres set at 1018. During the taxi, the spoken ‘challenge and reponse’ checks are in short staccato bursts. All responses are stated for efficiency with one word, such as ‘pilot’, ‘copilot’, or ‘navigator’. “Richmond Ground, Trojan 753 for Canberra, POB 59, received ‘alpha’, taxi clearance?”

It’s 7. 12am as the Hercules is reversed out from the terminal.

There are patches of ground fog. We receive our airways clearance on 355. 0 as ‘track Richmond – Katoomba, FL 140’. Check the trim tabs, auto-pilot off, flaps 50%, flight controls. Squadron Leader Young briefs his crew with discussion of the takeoff speeds, the terrain to the west of Richmond, the emergency return procedure and the departure track. Foreseeing no problems, we will track 244 Tacan to Katoomba. We are cleared to enter the runway and line up. Engines are then run up and I notice dual clipboards holding a number of enroute charts (military RNC’s) adjacent to both Brian Young and Simon Henderson. Engines are run through flight idle and back to ground idle, to check propeller RPM’s. 1-2-3-4, complete. Trojan 753 is clear for takeoff and we are rolling at 7. 19am. ‘Rotate’ and then ‘gear up and landing lights off’. The flaps are now up and Simon is instructed by Brian to call control on 119. 7. “Sydney Control, Trojan 753 climbing to FL 140”. The radar altimeter is turned off and the after-takeoff checks begin. Our departure was 202oz, estimating Canberra 2053. We report passing through 7000 feet and then call Control on 118. 5. Bill Pike’s headset, although new, is ‘breaking up’, so he replaces it and is soon ‘back on the air’. Brian asks Simon to ensure thatthe radio volume pots (knobs) are in the one o’clock position, as the radio is hard to hear.

We are drifting 3 degrees to right of track as we pass the Three Sisters at Katoomba. Sydney Control advises an amended TAF for Canberra valid 1800 to 0800, wind 340 degrees at 5 knots, visibility in excess of 10 kilometres, 2 oktas of cloud at 5000 feet. We call Control 123. 4 and are told to report level at FL 140. At 2030, Simon makes the call and I hear Speedbird niner (British Airways) on frequency. Navigation and after takeoff checks are complete by 2033 (7. 33am) and Shellys is selected on both ADF’s. I love the flightdeck on the C-130 Hercules. It’s so roomy, unlike many other aircraft and I can’t help noticing the strong similarity between the C-130 flight deck and the old Electra, both manufactured by Lockheed.

We are now bn 179 degrees and are tracking direct Bindook to Shellys. From Shellys, it’s direct track to Fairbairn and the Canberra ATIS on 114. 5 is selected. ‘Runway 35, wind calm, QNH 1018, scattered fog patches. ‘ I remember an earlier TAF for Canberra stating “20% probability of fog”.

We call control 125. 6, as East West’s ‘Echo Whiskey Bravo’ requests descent into Albury. Simon calls Canberra Approach on 124. 5 and we are given a RW 35 LLZ approach, as the glide path on the ILS is unavailable. We get descent in 4 minutes at 2043 and we have already lost 2000 pounds of AUW due to fuel burn. We are now 108,000 pounds. 50% flap is selected for approach and landing and the approach plates are out and are being studied. We have traffic at 2 o’clock low as we commence our descent to 8000 feet. The ATIS changes to ‘echo’, with ‘temperature 16’ the only change to ‘delta’. There are 38 track miles to run and we are visual above a layer of fog. Bill Pike showed me the radar painting Lake George and I am surprised about the detail that the radar is picking out. We descend to 6000 and are told by Approach . . . ”turn right heading 210 degrees”. This will vector us for a short base leg to the localiser and the before landing checks commence. Altimeter is checked at 1018 and flaps set at 50%. Approach further instructs us to . . . ”turn right heading 310 for localiser intercept” and I notice that we have the LLZ on both pilot’s and copilot’s navaids. Approach speed is 131 knots and we are getting a four to the right drift.

Passing Chµrch Creek locator, Wf! Call the Tower on 118. 7. “Canberra Tower, Trojan 753 on localiser, three wheels”. Simon is requested by the Tower to advise on the fog and he replies that it appears to be confined to the south of the field, perhaps moving slightly to the east. At 8 DME we are at 3200 feet and Brian Young now goes ‘visual’. 100% flap is extended and Brian states he will land short and attempt to turn off the runway at the first taxiway, as we are slightly late and this will save some taxying time. Over the ‘keys’ and flare for a beautifully smooth touchdown at the expert hands of Squadron Leader Brian Young, who incidentally has had 3000 hours on C-130A models and 2500 hours on the C-130E. His total hours are 8500, which is a great deal of airborne experience. “Where the heck are they going to put us?” Brian as!<s, as we take a right turn onto the Fairbairn apron. There is somewhat of a parking problem here on this busy Friday morning. We see a Marshaller who flags us to the right.

We have changed from Tower frequency and are now with Ground on 121. 7. Hercules aircraft are dual fitted with both VHF and military UHF. After parking, the engine shutdown checks commence, low speed ground idle – oxygen off and fairly soon the engines are actually shut down. Chocks are positioned, radar altimeter off, ground power unit connected and the parking brake set.

I deplane with Flying Officer Bill Pike and we head for Base Operations, where Bill picks up met. forecasts on Laverton and Edinburgh. On our return to the aircraft, I ask Brian about the rotation speed out of Richmond and he informs me that Vr was 96 knots, with VMCA (3 engine air-minimum control speed) at 95 knots. Vto was 96 knots and OCS, or obstacle clearance speed, was 108 knots. Flap speeds were: at 50% 122 knots and at 100% 115 knots.

We sit talking on the flightdeck, eating some very tasty toasted sandwiches· and drinking wonderful coffee. We’re carrying 63 persons on board (POB) to Laverton and Brian has noted our endurance at 210 minutes. We get our airways clearance on 121. 7 and it’s “RW 17, Kiandra departure, cruise FL 200″. Our AUW is now 107,500 pounds.

Later, as we line up for takeoff watching another RAAF C-130 land, Brian comments ”they must have a special on Canberra this morning, that’s the third one of ours in here this morning!”

We intercept the 219 degree radial and set course, departing Canberra 2202z, with ETA Laverton 2303. 209 knots TAS in the climb and 300 in the cruise.

Brian and Bill discuss the recent ‘Colour Parade’ at Richmond for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and state that the senior Army personnel present at the parade thought that the standard of presentation was ‘excellent’. Brian says “if it made them happy then it must have been good!”

We are tracking now to Eildon Weir and descending to FL 130.

We will fly a left base for RW 05 at Laverton, Victoria.

Out to our left, about five miles ahead and 2000 feet above, United 815, a Boeing 747SP, gradually starts to pull away from us as he heads for Tullamarine. It’s 31 degrees in Melbourne, but blowing a gale and on finals, we call the Tower at Laverton on 267. 2. The landing here turns out to be a real greaser, with an unexpected 33 knots of crosswind. It has the effect of tending to make the nose of the aeroplane want to blow sharply around to the left and head for the land of Kiwis! Two large birds pass underneath us as we are cleared to land, to add to the excitement, and Brian Young executes a superb landing under the most adverse conditions. AUW is now 104,000 pounds.

We are requested by Laverton Tower to file a flight plan when we arrive at Edinburgh for all of the return legs to be flown through Richmond, as Laverton won’t have enough available personnel later on in the day to process us if we attempt to flight plan here. Bill Pike and I again journey by van to Operations and on our return, find that we have 60 PAX for Edinburgh, out of Laverton. Cargo carried this morning has been mainly luggage, with the odd crate of unspecified cargo thrown in.

A97-167’s twenty year old radar is now even picking up the storm drains at the far southern end of tt,e runway complex. I will never cease to be amazed at the radar’s ability to pick out detail like this!

We depart Laverton at 0024z (11. 24am Sydney time) and estimate Edinburgh at 0157. Wind airborne is a very troublesome 3100/40 knots at FL 135. We are climbing to FL 250 for the leg into South Australia. Drift is four degrees to the left approaching FL 160 in the climb, as I discuss with Bill Pike the rank structure of the crew. He tells me that the rank of ‘Pilot Officer’ is normally held down for two years and ‘Flying Officer’ for two and a half years. After reaching ‘Flight Lieutenant’, it’s selective promotion and the rank of ‘Squadron Leader’ (Brian Young’s situation) is actually at the bottom of the selective promotion· system.

Our TAS is 295 knots in the cruise, ground speed 260 knots, heading 286 degrees. I listen in on the headset as Simon calls ‘Air Force Sydney’ on 11235 Khz USB (HF) and checks for messages. We contact Adelaide Control on 128. 3, advising that we are overhead ‘Nhill’ VOR at 0111, estimating Netherton 0134. Bill amuses me With a little anecdote from the R/T he heard while overseas on duty some time ago and I decide that it may be suitable for ‘On the Airbands’. We pass Netherton exactly on estimate and Brian briefs his crew for a TW 18 arrival at Edinburgh. We will fly a right base and as Brian discusses the approach we soar through a layer of strato-cu. and experience light chop-throughs to rather heavy bumps. Edinburgh ATIS tells us that QNH is 1019, wind 210 degrees/15 to 20 knots and temperature 21.

Adelaide Control on 128. 6 advises us to call Edinburgh Tower on 118. 3. We are soon cleared to land, after a change Of circuit and a left base for RW 18. The ‘Dunlops’ start to turn at 0201 zulu, four minutes behind projected ETA. It’s been a long flight over, due to the very heavy headwinds.

Bill Pike leaves the aircraft with me and flight plans the entire return trip back to Richmond, via AMLV and ASCB. We are actually about 40 minutes behind planned movement schedule at this time and Bill tells me that he figures we may make this up from AAED (Edinburgh) through to AMLV (Laverton) with the strong return tailwinds.

We have 65 POB ex-Edinburgh and are given airways clearance of “Edinburgh/Bordertown planned route, cruise FL 250”. AUW is now 103,000 pounds and fuel ex-Edinburgh is 14,000 pounds. As we depart for Edinburgh, a P-3C Orion from No10 Squadron is practising touch-and-go landings. West of the runway, a large dust storm is blowing up and I then look around to the port side of the aeroplane and see the high security Maritime Surveillance Compound that is part and parcel of Edinburgh. We depart AAED at 0319, estimating AMLV at 0429. I notice the Orion’s tail No, A9-754, callsign ‘Striker 943’ as we climb out and are almost immediately identified on Adelaide’s computerised altitude-encoded radar system. The Air Traffic Controller queries us on a 100 feet discrepancy in altitude being passed, as we are now showing 5400 feet and his radar paint has us at 5500 feet. Eventually, after enjoying tasty crew coffee and sandwiches, our cruise altitude is reached. Between Yarrowee and Laverton we reach a ground speed of 394 knots! Not bad for a Hercules of our cruise weight, albeit with a strong tailwind. AUW is now 102,000 pounds, as A97-167 lands at Laverton for the second time today.

We have 75 POB for the flight AMLV to ASCB and depart from RW 23 after ‘Torch 819’ sets his wheels down on the piano keys and taxis for the terminal. That aircraft is a HS 748.

“Melbourne Control, Trojan 753 climbing to FL 190”. We cruise at 313 knots via Strathbogie, being overhead Albury at 0617z. Simon calls up ‘Trojan 790’ who is nearby to us on the Squadron’s UHF ‘company’ frequency of 266. 6, but with no response from that aircraft. We land on RW 35 at Canberra with ATIS ‘oscar’. QNH is 1011, wind 280°/15, temperature 33. Our AMLV departure was at 0541 and we arrive at Fairbairn 0644 after a visual approach. The day is starting to feel long, but all is still going well. We now look like having a quick turn around.

For the final leg home, we have high ranking Officers on board. Three Air Commodores in fact and I get to share my flightdeck seat with one of these gentlemen. Simon Henderson will fly this last leg home from the left hand seat. We depart Fairbairn at 0726, 6. 26pm in Sydney. With ETA Richmond 0757, Simon requests that the tinted suncreen by placed up in the top section of the windscreen due to intense sunlight from the west which is annoying him. We track Cullerin to Bindook and make one of our forty frequency changes on the radio during the day to Sydney Control on 123. 4.

“Sydney Control, Trojan 753, cruising FL 150”, reports Brian Young. We listen in to the ATIS from Richmond, which is ‘information whiskey’, RW 10, wind 040 at 1 0 to 15 knots, temperature 21. Overhead Bindook, our AUW is 99,000 pounds, as Simon elects to fly a left base for RW 1 0 after some discussion with Brian Young. With this circuit being flown, we will overfly the dead side of the field. Richmond Tower on 135. 5 advises there is no circuit traffic, as we approach 11 miles from the south-west.

It’s ‘three wheels’ at the base turn before we touch down at ASRI spot on 0800 zulu, or 7pm Sydney local.

It’s been a totally fascinating day, one of my most enjoyable allowing me some insight into how long and hard the Hercules ‘drivers and crew work and exactly how they go about their jobs. I also must comment on their excellent sense of humour. They’re the sort of guys who never miss an opportunity for a laugh. I think it may help to keep them sane! So much credit for the successful trip must go to the Captain of the aircraft, Squadron Leader Brian Young, who has done a superb job and who has really looked after me. Brian’s been in the RAAF 25 years now, joining the RAAF Academy in January 1961, after attending Adelaide Boys’ High. After graduating with a BSc in December ’84, he gained his wings in August 1965 and was first posted to No38 Squadron flying Caribous. He saw active service in Vietnam with ‘Wallaby Airlines’ from ’66 to ’67, and returned to fly C-130A series aircraft with No36 Squadron. Brian later became a qualified Flying Instructor, firstly on Winjeels at Point Cook, then later on C 130A’s at Richmond.

Since that time, he has seen service flying C-130E’s with No37 Squadron, some time on Macchi’s and special Staff Duties doing something he’d rather forget in Canberra. From 1983 until the present time, Brian Young has served with No37 Squadron as Training Flight Commander and now as Executive Officer. He frequently performs active flying duty with his squadron, as well as managing its various activities.

His vast experience is immediately evident on the flightdeck and he is by admission a leader who prefers to stick to the rules the way they’re written up.

With professionals like Squadron Leader Brian Young and his excellent crew-Flight Lieutenant Simon Henderson, Flying Officer Bill Pike and Flight Sergeants Dick Stone and Greg Bushnell, it’s not hard to understand the admiration for the RAAF displayed by Air Forces around the world.

My sincere thanks to these very amiable chaps for a truly rewarding day on the flightdeck of ‘Trojan 753, A97-167.