Just to let all of you know, I found out last night that I'm going to be a Herc pilot out at Dyess AFB, TX!  So I hope we get some Dyess birds painted up!

Ryan

Actually, I'm at Laughlin AFB, which is in Del Rio, TX.  I have 2 more flights left including my final checkride and then I'm done with pilot training!  I've flown into Abilene and Dyess many times in the T-1 as a student.  Next time I'll be flying in as a herc pilot.  There's a lot to look forward too!

Congratulations sir!  I'm in the 39th AS at Dyess, do you know which squadron you're going to be assigned to?

Congratulations Polcat, I certainly wish you all the best, man!  I shouldn't tell you that it was nearly 30years ago that I earned my wings or took my first solo flight, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the day i did my first carrier trap on board the Lady Lex, in a T-2!  I was scared out of my mind, and even lost my breakfast   But, over 4000 hours and 1000 traps later, I look on those days with fondness.

I wish you all the best in your career, and enjoy the flying, it is the best job in the world

J.R. (Guns)
Captain, USN Ret.
4000+ hours in the Tomcat

Congrats LT! And enjoy survival school, it's a blast.

Jeff
USAF

Good job Ryan, Happy days!

This must be the coolest forum on the net. Period.

Fly Safe!

David Gough

Bath
UK

Polcat,

Sorry this reply took so long, I have been TDY to Goodfellow AFB for the NCO Academy and then I was on leave for a few weeks.  Everybody in the 39th is great and there is a strong sense of family and team there.  Since there are restricted tails in our inventory, we fly a few H1's and mostly E's.  We also have a couple of H's as well.

Live everyone said, enjoy the survival schools, they are a blast!

Dan,

The wing crack business is exactly why we have E's.  They are all borrowed, none of them actually belong to Dyess...

Ryan,

Dyess C-130's consist of 3 different variants:  C-130H1's, C-130H's (think E model with -15 engines, a.k.a. Super E's), and borrowed C-130E's.  H1's and H's both use the -15 engine, so the performance is the same, the only real difference is that the H's have a GTC and ATM, whereas the H1's use an APU.  

The E models that are borrowed have -7 engines, therefore different performance charts.  We borrowed them only because we have restricted tails here but still the same flying hour demands.  None of our H1's have been sent to the boneyard, fortunately.

Dyess FE's don't get the E model pubs issued to us, they are in kits that we check out when we go fly them, otherwise, I'd have a whole lot more info to upload here for everyone to enjoy.

Dan, Matt Miller sounds familiar, but I cannot say that I do.  He may be in the 40th.  Has he been at Dyess for a while?  I'm still a newb as I've only been there since June 04.  I mentioned your name to Gary Newman today and he said to tell you 'what up' next time I was on here.  I guess he knew you from his days at DM.

Dan,

I asked Gary about Matt, and he said he doesn't know him either.  However, I do know Storm, he's over in the 40th and doing well.

Will do Dan. 

After I get my minimum time in here at Dyess (about 18 months), I'll be trying to get some orders to either DM or Hurlburt...