Refueler Squadron Gets New Aircraft

[unhappycamper]

Refueler Squadron Gets New Aircraft
Marine Corps News | October 12, 2007

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan -- A new, more advanced model of cargo aircraft is giving 1st Marine Aircraft Wing a technological boost, but with the added capabilities comes the need to educate its crew.

Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 added a second new KC-130J Super Hercules to its inventory this week. The first aircraft arrived in June and since then, the squadron’s Marines have been training and adapting to the aircraft’s new crew configuration.

More automated controls and a computer system that troubleshoots in-flight mechanical problems has eliminated the need for a navigator and merged two other crew positions into one. The six-man crew needed for the KC-130 Hercules is shrunk to four for the J-model, with the flight mechanics and flight engineers needed to man the KC-130 merged into a single crew chief position.

The old model’s crew consisted of two pilots, a tactical systems operator, flight engineer, flight mechanic and a loadmaster. The new model’s crew is two pilots, a crew chief and a loadmaster.

Since May, the squadron has brought 15 pilots, eight loadmasters and four crew chiefs up to speed on the new aircraft. The squadron’s remaining air crew personnel are scheduled to be fully trained by October 2008. The squadron is scheduled to have eight J models by then.

Before the J model arrived, a team of Marines and civilians with the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training from Pensacola, Fla., came to MCAS Futenma to train 20 flight engineers and flight and ground mechanics. The Marines spent two months learning about the new aircraft through the on-site initial accession school.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,152580,00.html



uhc comment: You can read a bit more on the KC-130J here --> http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/kc-130j.htm