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C130's circling overhead....

Old 04-16-2015, 05:22 AM
  #11  
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Sierra Nevada, eh? Stay classy....
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Old 04-16-2015, 11:36 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by Ftrooppilot View Post
Was it one of the new AC-130 "Bomb Trucks" ?

The U.S. Air Force's New AC-130 Gunships Are Really Bomb Trucks
Might have been, it was that color but I didn't notice any racks or external fuel tanks. It was fun this morning watching the cloud of mist form off the trailing edge of the wing every time he banked and turned. Lots of humidity down here right now.

For the past 30 minutes there's been a solo F16 going around in circles over the lake, making quite a racket. After listening to him for a while I went outside to see what was making all that noise, it was just one F16 but doing tight circles down around 2000', just below the broken cloud deck.

I wish he had buzzed my dock for a door check!
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Old 04-17-2015, 05:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Ftrooppilot View Post
Was it one of the new AC-130 "Bomb Trucks" ?

The U.S. Air Force's New AC-130 Gunships Are Really Bomb Trucks
Thanks for sharing that! Hard to believe the new AC-130s will have less armor.
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Old 04-17-2015, 07:41 AM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by block30 View Post
Thanks for sharing that! Hard to believe the new AC-130s will have less armor.
Probably trying to save gas!
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Old 04-17-2015, 08:12 AM
  #15  
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Ugh, you live near me????? Hahaha

Timbo, Avon Park has an Air Force range right up against River Ranch. Did you know that?
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Old 04-21-2015, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by KC10 FATboy View Post
Ugh, you live near me????? Hahaha

Timbo, Avon Park has an Air Force range right up against River Ranch. Did you know that?
Yes, I know that, I have to get permission to fly little planes through it. I've been out to the AP range to watch A10's shoot the big gun, great fun, I love the sound it makes!

I've been listening to jets working the AP range for about 17 years. They are usually up high and going fast, but what I've been seeing/hearing this past week is something new.

Never seen a C130 doing low circles for HOURS, days on end, before now. I figured maybe there was a new unit in town doing some ISR training or such. Looked like there was a King Air up there too, doing the same thing for a few days, followed by F16's zipping around down low.

Today it was a flight of WW2 T6's but they are training for Sun N Fun, going over to Lakeland later today.
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Old 04-21-2015, 04:40 PM
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Originally Posted by block30 View Post
Thanks for sharing that! Hard to believe the new AC-130s will have less armor.
The ceramic armor helped in Vietnam....but I doubt it did much for us after that - except add weight. The last time a gunship was hit by enemy "fire" it was an SA-XX. No armor will protect from a hit to the engine or wing by one of those.
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Old 04-21-2015, 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by dtfl View Post
The ceramic armor helped in Vietnam....but I doubt it did much for us after that - except add weight. The last time a gunship was hit by enemy "fire" it was an SA-XX. No armor will protect from a hit to the engine or wing by one of those.
Yeah, I am sure a lot of smart people were involved in the project..But then I turn around and look at the A10 cancellation and question my first supposition!!
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Old 04-23-2015, 10:29 AM
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I am going with this as well. The King Air is probably an ISR asset.

Originally Posted by thurberm View Post
It's probably a CSAR exercise. The rescue wing at Moody AFB does them there on the regular. C-130s, A-10s, and HH-60s.
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Old 04-24-2015, 05:13 PM
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Originally Posted by block30 View Post
Yeah, I am sure a lot of smart people were involved in the project..But then I turn around and look at the A10 cancellation and question my first supposition!!
I flew them for 6 years then flew with them in ops for another 6. Never in the past "as long as I can remember" has an AC130 been hit by AAA. (I meant since Vietnam....Grenanda? Panama? DS? Nope) They aren't putting the armor on that we had because it's like teets on a bull. They may have newer lighter armor....
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