The Buzz on the C-130s

July 14th, 2006 · 11 Comments · Local, Main

Shortly after I rejoined The Lakeville Journal Company in March 2005, I noticed renewed aircraft activity over the Northwest Corner and neighboring New York. What’s going on here, as the tagline to this blog asks? Why our area?

The chief culpit was the C-130 Hercules transport, a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and a key transport workhorse for military forces worldwide.

The view of the aircraft from below, as in the photo above left (which I got courtesy of the image archive at spectrumwd.com), is the one most area residents will recognize. This is because when they come over our area, the roaring aircraft announce their arrival well in advance but are flying low enough that you can’t see them until they’re practically on top of you.

The planes don’t really bother me. My 10-year-old son gets a kick out of them. Until recently he still had my original LJ article on the C-130s, complete with USAF photo, tacked to the wall next to his bed. And frankly, in this era of terrorists and assorted malcontents plotting to destroy us, I am comforted by the fact that our servicemen (and women) are hard at work training to keep us safe.

Unfortunately, links on this website to my article have expired, but after it appeared on March 10, 2005, the overflights (which sometimes numbered several per day) became noticeably less frequent. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but I’d have to think someone with the authority to redirect or diminish the flights took some action.

But this morning I got a call from a Sharon resident who said she has noticed the flights have become more frequent. She said there was a flyover last night around 8:45. Come to think of it, that same plane flew over my house on Robin Hill in Lakeville at about that time. It seemed to be flying lower than usual and this time it buzzed directly over my house, shaking us to our core.

The woman, whose name I cannot recall, lives near Williams Road and is afraid the planes will strike something, such as nearby Red Hill. Last year, a Salisbury antiques dealer wrote state Sen. Andrew Roraback asking him to help redirect the overflights elsewhere. The man said the situation was “unacceptable,” warned of a “possible catastrophic accident” over the town and worried “about our trees, chimneys and church steeples.”

I’m sorry, sir, but the chances of that happening are remote at best. People who know aircraft tell me the C-130s look like they’re flying lower than they are simply because they are so massive. So when we see them they are typically at about 1,500 to 2,000 feet above sea level, not 800 feet or so, as some people suspect.

Accidents do happen, but I would be shocked if an Air Force pilot were so incompetent as to slam into a hillside or topple chimneys. I’m sure the chances of a motorist veering off course and striking your home are far greater. Military planes often fly at such low altitudes in combat situations because it gives enemy anti-aircraft forces less warning that they are approaching. This is called “low-contour” flying and the best way to get ready to do it in combat is to practice stateside.

So, as I said, the planes really don’t bother me. But what irks me is that back in March 2005, few of the Air National Guard people I called would return my messages or — if they did call back — they said they weren’t their planes and did not know where they came from. Some of the spokespersons, such as the nice man at the Connecticut Air National Guard, gave me the numbers of other bases that might be responsible. But of course none of them would talk.

c5.galaxy.jpg Others in the area who did not want to be quoted told me the operation is really quite simple. The C-130s take off on a training mission from Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y., they practice low-contour flying going in a north-northeasterly direction, then when they get to Salisbury, they see the water of the town’s many lakes (which serve as a “way point”) and they bank to a more easterly direction until they get to Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Mass., near Springfield. Once they’re over Westover at about 1,000 feet, they dump their cargo and return to Stewart. It’s a maneuver called “touch and go” and it’s the reason we usually see a south-southwesterly return flight about half an hour later.

I think this is a minor incovenience and one that poses a minimal threat to those on the ground. Besides, it could be worse. We could have C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft flying over us like the folks in western Mass., where there are 16 stationed at Westover. They’re the size of a 747. I saw one fly over my car at low altitude when I was driving on the Mass Pike last month. We’re fortunate. I can only imagine the plight of folks living in places like Chicopee and Ludlow — or for that matter, our military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now there’s misery …

[C5 Galaxy photo above right courtesy of US Air Force]

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11 responses so far ↓

1 Robin Leech // Jul 14, 2006 at 10:26 pm

I agree that when I have seen them, they are very low and figured they were doing manuvers. I can’t really get too excited about them, as far as being dangerous, and think that those who are worried about this factor just plain aren’t knowledgeable enough about the pilots’ capabilities which will avoid any problems, short of mechanical (read engine) failure. Much ado about nothing, I think of the complainants.
2 Judy Jacobs // Jul 15, 2006 at 1:20 am

Whenever I see any military aircraft, I am in awe of their size and the ability of our service people flying them. I agree with Terry that it is comforting knowing that our military is working to keep us safe. We should be very proud of those who are willing to sacrifice for us and not complain about the small annoyance these jets are causing us.
3 James // Jul 15, 2006 at 4:24 am

And frankly, in this era of terrorists and assorted malcontents plotting to destroy us, I am comforted by the fact that our servicemen (and women) are hard at work training to keep us safe.

“Terrorists” have been around for thousands of years. In fact, this country was founded because a group of “terrorists” decided that they could no longer be oppressed.

Contrary to what the national media and certain government officials would have you believe, the “terrorists” that we have encountered are trying to get us to leave their people and religions alone. While we continue to stick our nose in bees’ nests we are going to get stung.

It’s not that they seek to destroy us, it’s that they seek freedom from occupation by foreign forces, freedom to run their societies as they see fit.
4 James // Jul 15, 2006 at 4:34 am

Forgot to add my comment about the flyovers….

While the planes can be annoying, how often does one get to see a piece of technology of this magnitude so close? While some take them for granted, airplanes are incredible pieces of technology. Flight, once thought of as childish folly, has become an important part of our modern society.

The next time you get the opportunity to see one of these planes fly over the area, put aside any thoughts that it is a nuissance and take a closer look. Think about the fact that is a several-ton hunk of metal hurtling through the sky and about the amount of careful planning and architecture that it took to put it in there. It’s pretty awe-inspiring.
5 billium // Jul 15, 2006 at 1:50 pm

These pilots have been doing the same low contour route for over 30 years. As for its configuration, the 130 is also used as AC130, the cannon equipped gunship with devastating capabilities, but don’t tell the nervous nellies that, they’ll pee when it comes over. As for the C-5, it far outsizes a 747. More unnoticed have been the higher flying version, the P 3 ORION spy and electronic warfare ship patrolling our skies and along the Canadian border and costal routes. They are mostly coming from Brunswick N.A.S. And are probably aware of what you are watching on your T.V., saying on cell phones etc. They are on patrol around the globe 24/7 . Why worry? They have our “backs”. Billium
6 Terry // Jul 15, 2006 at 6:25 pm

James,

While it is true that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, I am not particularly concerned about the motives behind the Islamists. If they want to kill us we must protect ourselves.

The real failure in the Middle East lies in the abyssmal governments in most of those countries. They are either feudal monarchies (Saudi Arabia, Oman), religious fanatics (Iran) or corrupt dictatorships (Pakistan, Egypt, Syria) on the verge of becoming like Iran.

Some of those wretched places we have supported; others we oppose. But I see no reason why we should take the rap for their failures. In fact, I agree with Bush’s goal of spreading Democracy in the Middle East. I’m just not sure it can be done at gunpoint.

Agree with you about focusing on the technology of C-130s. They are awesome machines …
7 Marshall Miles // Jul 16, 2006 at 12:27 pm

Thanks for enlightening me on the flyovers. I thought Salisbury was massing troops to take over Falls Village, and possibly North Canaan!!!
8 The Winged Avenger // Jul 17, 2006 at 8:57 pm

Clearly residents of the Northwest Corner, with their visceral hatred of the president, are being targeted in retaliation with super-secret “stupid” rays that makes them buy $4 cups of coffee and fight to the death over cell phone towers and firehouses.
9 The Winged Avenger // Jul 17, 2006 at 8:59 pm

Correction - “Make” them buy…

Plus close scrutiny of photo #2 shows the pilot has his eyes shut, so who knows where he thinks he is?
10 Jake // Jul 20, 2006 at 7:22 pm

C-130 technology is roughly comparible to a 1964 Ford Galaxy 500. So a little slip up over Lakeville isn’t totally out of the question. Pray for more C-17s.
11 Paul Bartomioli // Jul 30, 2006 at 7:09 pm

um, no.

The technology in the ORIGINAL C-130 is ancient. The technology in the ones still in service is state of the art. The MSM does not report anything good about the military, so ignorance is widespread.

The granddaddy of all old flying planes is the B-52 Stratofortress. The upgrade is nothing short of phenomenal; the darn thing is even heated and air conditioned now! Of course with all the computers and 21 century ordinance, temperatures in the zero range are unacceptable to this equipment.

BTW, the people that founded this country were not terrorists by any definition, other than that of the looney left of American politics. Treasonous? Yes! Traitors? Yes! Rebels? Yes! Terrorists? Only if you believe the mantra of the left in America, today.

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