hercules130 wrote:
To my knowledge, which is limited to 22 years of C-130 operations and maintenance experience; which in the life of the C-130 is not long, three C-130s have lost their wings in flight. I assume the evidence you are basing your statement on (forgive me if I am wrong and I would be very interested in knowing what other reason/evidence you base your assertion on) is the video of C-130A N130HP crashing in Walker, CA. The A model is structurally very different than the aircraft that crashed in Australia and to compare these two is not logical. I am not going to get into statistics, they seem to cause more harm than good and questions than answers, plus it seems you know how to use the internet, That being said few aircraft can match the safety record of the C-130, and when you take out losses to enemy action the safety record enters the realm of modern airliners. When the C-130's mission sets and flight profiles are compared to that of airliners her numbers become even more impressive. The C-130 is not only still used, but she is also still being manufactured and will be for at least another 8 years with current orders.
I was at an airshow with the Stearman a few years ago and at the time was an L-100/L-382 civvy Herc pilot, and I got talking in the bar with the C-17 crew that had come up for the show from (I think) McQuire AFB. Naturally we were talking shop and telling war stories and comparing the C-17 to the C-130, etc. Downing his last beer the Globemaster skipper got up from the table and looked over at me and said "When the last C-17 goes to the boneyard, do you know what's gonna happen?"
"Ya - the crew's gonna catch a ride home in the back of a Herc" I replied, having heard that joke before.
But I'd bet a hundred dollars it'll be true.
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