Some folks got to go on a C-130 ride in Nevada. It looks like they flew out of Reno, went over Lake Tahoe, and then to Pyramid Lake.
Not only are there some great shots in that set, I see a lot of familiar scenery. That's the same area that I fly gliders in the summertime.
Very cool stuff. I'd love a C-130 ride someday--you know, on the off chance that someone reading this happens to have one. :-)
Posted by flickr at August 08, 2005 11:29 PM
I'm told the National Guard is looking for talent. They'd let you ride in one.
When I was a teacher back 5 years or so, they invited some of us to the air force base for a ride up in a tanker while they refueled some F16's (I believe that's what they were), let me say that was cool. Nothing like looking out the window and seeing a fighter jet right next to you. We even got to take turns laying down in the back next to the boom operator as the jets came up under to connect and refuel.
My dad was in the Air Force and flew C-130s, that was the only way I knew of to get inside one. Man, I am jealous of some of the pictures he was able to get in his years of flying though. Nice formations of C-130s flying over the north pole at sunrise (an odd term for the north pole, but I have no better one).
The other fun part was when he "retired" and became a civilian contractor who manged their flight simulators. He used to grab me on weekends, we'd stop at a dunkin donuts, and then head in to work, where he would do whatever he did after plopping me in the simultor for a couple hours.
Who needed video games?
I got to ride on a C-17 into Iraq (as a contractor) earlier this year, then the monsterous C-5 on the way back out of theater. Pretty awesome. The C-17 was much more fun, since passengers go in the cargo hold. On the C-5, there is a dedicated passenger area on the upper deck, and it's basically like a regular airliner (other than the G's generated by the tactical departure, of course).
Agree with the first commenter: the Air National Guard has, like, a whole fleet of them :)
Lot of exhaust:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thekenzers/21326195/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thekenzers/21326179/in/photostream/
High heels on a C130 has got to be hazardous!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thekenzers/21326145/in/photostream/
The funnest thing to do with a C130 is jump out the back. If your young and in good shape, take a trip on the wild side: http://www.goarmy.com/ranger/index.jsp
I signed up for YPN the first day it went into beta. Never heard a word back. No email, call, nothing. Guess I'll try it out when they open it up to the rest of the web.
