Bao Loc Memories

C-130 Pilot Training….

I don’t know which genius was responsible for the decision, but initially, when the company established a forward area at Bao Loc, it wasn’t where it finally ended up.  It was directly off the east end of the runway.  No big deal when only helicopters were operating out of the place, but it was an unfortunate location after we stirred-up hostilities in the AO.  That’s when the Air Force began resupplying the base by C-130 aircraft.

Now Air Force pilots would like everyone to believe that they’re the cream of the crop.  Real professionals.  Not prone to doing stupid things with aircraft like dumb-ass Army helicopter pilots.  Well, that’s not always the case as they proved out at Bao Loc.  What could be more tempting to any zoomy than to see a bunch of Army tents set-up on the approach edge of a runway he’s been sent out to land on.  The trick was to see who could get low enough to knock one down.  They were getting pretty good at it too.  On this particular day, one hot-shot decided to give it his best and was really focused on getting some canvas.  He got our attention right away because he was lower than anyone had ever come before.  We had to duck to keep from getting hit by his wheels and as he went by, we could clearly see the pilot and copilot, their noses stuck to the side windows, grinning as they eagerly watched to see if they had been successful.

Unfortunately for them, someone had neglected to tell them that the runway at Bao Loc is bent over the top of a hill.  You can’t see one end from the other.  As the 130 jocks returned their vision to the task at hand, they immediately realized that they were about to land into the side of a hill.  The pilot snatched the controls back, which changed the attitude of the airplane, but didn’t do a thing for its trajectory.  They slammed into the runway on the main landing gear, but it was a real hard hit.  I’ve never seen the wings of any airplane flex down like those did.  The tips almost touched the ground.  If the crew chief in the back of the plane had hemorrhoids, they were in his socks after that.

The 130 is a tough bird and it recoiled back into the air, then hit the runway again at the top of the hill.  We heard the pilot bring the power up on the engines as the aircraft disappeared behind the rise.  It was looking like another C-130 was going to join the remains of a predecessor in the trees off the west end.  Finally we saw the Hercules clawing its way back into the sky.  The pilot took it around into a wide pattern and set up for another landing.  This was much more sedate and nowhere near as low as his first try.

I suspect after the hard landing inspection and the crew chief blabbing to everyone at the infirmary, the word got out that maybe it wasn’t such a cool idea to try to knock down an Army tent at Bao Loc.  Anyway, shortly after that someone finally decided it wasn’t a good idea to provide such temptation for the Air Force and moved our forward position to the south side, where it stayed for the remainder of time that the 92nd was out there.

Fred Harms

Sidekick 3

Nov67 - Oct68