C-130
12-9-2022
I learned a lot about LC-130’s here at McMurdo last night. The military folks told us about their role, how they got here, how their airplanes work (and sometimes don’t). The presenters ranged in McMurdo experience from first year to 20th year. The perspective certainly was different from each of them.
The C-130 transport has been flying since the late 1950’s. If that’s not exactly right forgive me. (I’m chuckling right now because I must have hit a button, unintentionally, and now my font has changed. I like it so I’ll continue using it!).
It has been used, the C-130 that is, in many different roles and configurations in both military and civilian life. The LC-130’s we fly here are unique in that they use both wheels and to land on. They say there are only 10 flyable LC-130’s in the world and they were designed exclusively for use in the arctic and later the Antarctic.
These workhorses take quit a beating here because they often land on unprepared snow so It’s kind of like landing on water with waves of snow and ice. The oldest in the fleet was built in 1973 so it’s been flying almost as long as I’ve been controlling. (I started in 1970).
Like me they aren’t crazy about cold weather so when they get here, they demonstrate their displeasure by not behaving themselves. They leak hydraulic fluid; seals shrink even the fuselage doesn’t like sitting out in the cold. By the way, all mechanical work is done on the snow ramp! No warm hangars here. They have finally acclimated and are completing more and more missions every day. The mission here would be vastly different were it not for the venerable LC-130.
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