Workhorse - RAAF C-130s

In 1979 the Royal Australian Air Force acquired two Boeing 707s and began operating them as part of 33 Flight in 37 Squadron. 37 Squadron's David Holbourn was the RAAF's first B-707 Qualified Flying Instructor and led 33 Flight. You can hear all about this incredible part of 37 SQN's history from the man that created the capability, along with the story of Dave's career.

And a reminder: The Workhorse podcast is going to do a video in Jan 2027 featuring the best photos of RAAF C-130s, the people the flew, maintained and supported them, or anything remotely associated with RAAF C-130s (and, we'll take foreign C-130 photos too). Post your pictures on a RAAF C-130 Facebook page or email them to [email protected]

Having one engine out was experienced by many a C-130 crew, probably multiple times in their careers. But having two out was rare. Even rarer was having two out on the same side - a MAYDAY situation. In this episode, Brett Gibson details one such incident in 1998 on a Royal Australian Air Force 37 Squadron C-130E, along with his career as a Flight Engineer on C-130Es and Hs.

With the Royal Australian Air Force buying 20 new C-130Js, divesting C-27Js, and in need of more heavy lift aircraft, force structure of the RAAF's Air Mobility Group is topical. In this episode of Workhorse, previous Commander Air Lift Group, John 'JOddie' Oddie discusses the options open to Australia's force designers. He also discusses his lengthy career stretching from formative years as a Huey pilot to Command in the Middle East and at Air Lift Group. Note: This episode contains course language.

The Royal Australian Air Force has never crashed a C-130, but there have been a few close calls. One of the most remarkable close calls came three days after Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin (24 December 1974). In the rush to get emergency equipment to Darwin, C-130E A97-190 was loaded without knowing the exact weight of the six generators in the cargo hold. Taking off on runway 10 at RAAF Richmond, the pilot, Allan Edwards, discovered the error when he pulled on the yoke at 'rotate', ... and nothing happened. As they would discover days later, instead of the planned 155 000 pounds, the aircraft was actually 176 000 pounds - over the manufacturer's wartime limit. Feel the tension in Allan's voice as he describes how the aircraft broke ground at the far end of the runway and then began to sink into the surrounding lowlands. You can hear all about this amazing story and Allan's long flying career (and passion for photography) in this episode of Workhorse.

Chris Sinfield was the flight engineer on a Royal Australian Air Force C-130H during a 285 Squadron training flight mission during which the crew discovered they had a broken nose landing gear strut. Chris recounts the ensuing actions and landing in this episode of Workhorse. He spent his entire career at one base: RAAF Richmond, and he also recounts the many associated career experiences including being a flight engineer on C-130Es, C-130Hs, C-130Ks (on Exercise Long Look) and B707s, .... and almost getting shot in the back of a C-130.

In early 2007, Royal Australian Air Force C-130Hs A97-003 and A97-010 were operating as Krait 61 - a formation flight conducting special operations support training during Exercise Red Flag. On the ground at a gravel strip called Keno Landing Zone in the Nellis range near Las Vegas, A97-003 was showered with rocks as A97-010 departed. The ensuing damage was repaired by changing all four engines and propellers along with several windows, both air conditioning packs and the auxiliary power unit. This episode features Matt Nunn - the captain of A97-003 - recounting this incident along with his career in the RAAF.

Anyone who has read about air mobility in the Royal Australian Air Force News over the past 20 years has probably been reading the work of Eamon Hamilton. He served as the Public Affairs Officer (journalist) for Air Lift/Mobility Group from 2006-2022. You can hear all about his career and how the media integrates with operations, exercises and training in the latest episode of 'Workhorse'. 

C-130s are capable of landing very rudimentary runways, including grass, coral, sand, dirt, etc. Yet, they can't land on all types of surfaces because some are too soft to support the weight and tyre pressures of a C-130. In the Royal Australian Air Force, the science of figuring out which runways can support a C-130 belongs to the Airfield Engineers. This episode features Gilbert Gonthier who led the Mobile Airfield Engineering Team (MAET) in 2007-08. In this episode of Workhorse, Gilbert describes how airfield engineers assess runways for suitability, along with snippets from his long career in the RAAF.

Exercise Cope Thunder was run in the Philippines, providing combat air mobility training for anyone lucky enough to participate. Greg Scholes was a pilot with 36 Squadron and relates his experience on Cope Thunder, as well as details about his career on C-130Hs, VIP operations, and his RAAF career. 

Detachment 'S' was a loosely formed task force that conducted air transport operations in Vietnam during, circa April 1975. It was primarily a humanitarian assistance mission, providing food to refugees on the island of Phu Quoc, but it also conducted evacuations from Phan Rang, Operation Babylift, and evacuated embassy officials from Saigon. Ian 'Scooter' Scott was involved in some of these missions, including an Operation Babylift sortie. In this episode Scooter details his exploits as part of Detachment 'S' and relates highlights from his long career in RAAF air mobility and on RAAF C-130s - including as Commanding Officer 37 Squadron, Officer Commanding 84 Wing and Commander Air Lift Group.