Workhorse - RAAF C-130s
"Workhorse" is a podcast about Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft from their earliest history through to modern times. The series is based on the soon to be released book “Air Mobility Workhorse”, which will be available from Big Sky Publishing.
Topics include:
- Operations from around the globe, including all four corners of the planet, from 1959 to now
- Aircraft technical discussions
- Training
- Roles (Search and Rescue, Air Logistics, Airborne Operations, Special Operations, Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief, Surveillance, Non-combatant Evacuation, Aeromedical Evacuation and Firefighting)
- Maintenance and modifications
- Logistics
- And, of course, the people that made it all possible.
Episodes
65 episodes
Workhorse - E65 - 4 Engine Change with Matt Nunn
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 Z...
Workhorse - E64 - Media with Eamon Hamilton
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 200...
Workhorse - E63 - Airfield Engineering with Gilbert Gonthier
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 Australia...
Workhorse - E62 - Cope Thunder with Greg Scholes
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 ...
Workhorse - E61 - Detachment S with Ian Scott
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 co...
Workhorse - E60 - Safety Systems with Dave Turner
Air Force safety systems evolved through the 1990s-present day. This journey included major shifts in policy that led the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to the current airworthiness system that oversights C-130 operations. Dave 'DT' Turner w...
Workhorse - E59 - Repatriation from Nias with Scott Olsen
Shark 02 crashed on the island of Nias in 2005, resulting in 9 fatalities. Scott Olsen was a C-130H and J loadmaster, and in this episode, he recounts the repatriation mission that ensued, along with a rundown of his career.
Workhorse - E58 - Nicknames with Hally and Kramer
Nicknames are rife in Australian culture; particularly in the Royal Australian Air Force. This episode of Workhorse dives into nicknames used by the RAAF C-130 community (aircrew, maintenance and support staff). Tony Hall (Hally, or...
Workhorse - E57 - 2-Engine Failure with Michael Garside
Royal Australian Air Force C-130s participated in courses run by the US Advanced Airlift Tactical Training Center (AATTC) to hone their skills in combat environments. The course developed skills in airdrop, low-level flying, and threat avoidanc...
Workhorse - E56 - Flight Instructing with Ash Pendergast
Ash Pendergast had a long association with the Royal Australian Air Force's 36 Squadron where he was a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI); took part in original NVG trials; and was a Flight Commander. Ash recalls these roles and his RAAF career ...
Workhorse - E55 - Engine Fire with Ben Charters
In mid-March 1997, the yacht Queen Charlotte was being skippered from New Zealand to Japan by Australian Bob Cornell, with four passengers. On 19 March, the yacht was located approximately 600 nm east of Cairns when it ran into Cyclone...
Workhorse - E54 - Flight Engineers with Tony Hall
This episode features a wide-ranging discussion of the flight engineer category and its place on the C-130 Hercules. Tony Hall also covers his operational C-130 experience, along with his transition onto Caribous and then as a Loadmaster on C-1...
Workhorse - E53 - Innovation with Gav Nicholson
Gav Nicholson recounts his involvement with systems integration on RAAF C-130Hs during the late 1990s to the late 2000s, including electronic warfare self-protection, the FMS-800 flight management system, and other modifications of that era. Al...
Workhorse - E52 - Formation Lead with Andrew Elliott
Royal Australian Air Force C-130s airdrop parachutists and equipment to force project Australian military capabilities. C-130s flew in formation as a tactic to concentrate Army parachutists on a target area as quickly as possible (thereby minim...
Workhorse - E51 - Somalia and PNG with Graham Johnson
Graham 'Johno' 'Johno1' 'Kramer' Johnson flew C-130Hs on a variety of operations from 1989 to 1999, including Operations Solace (Somalia 1993), Immune (Pilot Strike 1989) and Ples Drei (PNG famine 1998), all of which he discusses in this episod...
Workhorse - E50 - C-130J Goes Tactical with Justin Ryder
The Royal Australian Air Force's C-130J fleet was acquired in 1999, but it was not fitted with electronic warfare self-protection systems. When C-130Hs deployed to the Middle East in early 2003, 37 Squadron had only just begun training its C-13...
Workhorse - E49 - Extended Range Surveillance with Michael Phillips
Reports arising in 1996 from Australian-flagged fishing vessels indicated the presence of dozens of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing vessels in the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Exclusive Economic Zone. In response, ...
Workhorse - E48 - Test Flight at the North Pole with Matt Hegarty
The FMS-800 flight management system was installed on RAAF C-130Hs in 1999 under Project AIR 5195. The FMS-800 delivered a range of enhanced capabilities for C-130Hs making them even more ideally suited for the Airborne Operations and ...
Workhorse - E47 - 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami with Charlie Siedentopf
On 26 December 2004, an earthquake measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale struck north of Simeulue Island in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake lifted an estimated 30 cubic kilometres of water which radiated from the epicentre devasting coastal commu...
Workhorse - E46 - 2002 Bali Bombing with Peter Kennedy
WARNING: This episode discusses a graphic account of the 2002 Bali bombing and related PTSD issues.On 12 Oct 2002 two bombs exploded in the Kuta district, Bali, Indonesia, destroying two popular night clubs – Paddy’s Irish Bar and the n...
Workhorse - E45 - Taking fire in Iraq with Anthony Lock
Royal Australian Air Force C-130s arrived in Doha 11 February 2003 to support Australian, US and Coalition efforts as part of the US-led invasion of Iraq. In this episode of 'Workhorse', Anthony 'Locky' Lock describes his role as a...
Workhorse - E44 - Afghanistan Jan 2002 with Rob Sokol
In early January 2002, Rob 'Soky' Sokel captained the first RAAF C-130 mission to Afghanistan - under Operation Catalyst. In this episode you can hear Soky describing this epic mission with all its challenges:Scrounging for equipmen...
Workhorse - E43 - OP Vista - Cambodia - with Dave Steel and Jon Kain
On 2 July 1997 civil war erupted in Cambodia. Nations rushed to evacuate non-combatants. This episode details the Australian evacuation which was conducted by 36 Squadron, under the name Operation Vista. This marked the first use o...
Workhorse - E42 - PNG Tsunami and Bougainville with Richard Lennon
This episode features retired Air Commodore Richard 'Yoko' Lennon discussing his career along with C-130 operations in Bougainville (Lagoon, Usherette, and Bel Isi) and northern PNG in the aftermath of the 1998 tsunami at Sissano Lagoon (Operat...
Workhorse - E41 - Timor and Middle East with Darren Goldie
This episode features the career of retired Air Marshal Darren Goldie, a C-130 E, H and J pilot who became Commanding Officer 37 Squadron and later Air Commander Australia. The discussion covers Australia's C-130 contributions to UN operations ...