My noisy trip on the Super Hercules

Mahmoud Habboush

• Last Updated: November 19. 2009 12:36AM UAE / November 18. 2009 8:36PM GMT

DUBAI // It is one of the most advanced planes of its kind. It has carried out airlifts in the harshest of environments, including the Vietnam war, the Falkland Islands conflict and the first Gulf war. It has performed countless humanitarian missions.

The C-130 aircraft has served more than 50 countries since it was first produced in the 1950s. At the Idex conference in February, the Armed Forces ordered a dozen of the plane’s latest incarnation, the C-130J, from Lockheed Martin.

It is a plane I knew well even before getting an insider’s look yesterday. A C-130 military transport flies over my house in Abu Dhabi almost every morning.

Sometimes I wake abruptly, startled by the roar of its four turboprop engines. The sudden burst of noise makes one lose sense of time and space for a moment. It is no quieter on the inside.

I spent part of yesterday morning on board one of the latest versions of the aircraft, the Super Hercules, as part of an exhibition at the Dubai Air Show.

Flying in a military plane is always a different experience, but being in the cockpit of the Super Hercules as it took off was a unique feeling.

Not only did it take off very quickly, but the ascent was so steep I could practically feel the blood rushing to my toes. The steep ascent is a necessity in conflict areas where runways may be rudimentary and short.

The rush of blood was only exacerbated as the two pilots, in the spacious cockpit, made a sharp turn.

The engines were so noisy they gave the impression the blades powering the aircraft were in fact inside.

Everything was designed to serve the plane’s military purposes of transporting hardware and as many as 92 troops; two benches, which looked like folding beach chairs, were fixed on each side, enough for about one and half dozen people.

A complex chain of electronic wiring sprouted from various parts of the aircraft. Most of the cabin was decked in a nylon fabric, possibly to save weight.

The flight deck bristled with keys and the military touch was apparent in every detail: the colour radar, digital moving map display, the green digital writing in smaller display screens.

The seat belts resembled those worn in a racing car: straps around the waist and two extra straps around the shoulders.

The cockpit, besides the two pilots’ seats, had a third seat for a navigator and further back a bench for two people. There was also room for a few people to stand and move about comfortably.

We took an unlikely sight-seeing tour of Dubai, flying over or near the Burj Dubai, Atlantis Hotel on the Palm and other landmarks for 45 minutes. It was a far cry from the rugged war or famine-struck landscapes where the aircraft normally lands.

The purpose of the C-130J planes bought by the Armed Forces has not been made public, although the country has long performed humanitarian missions in countries such as Yemen and Sudan. The Emirates also have troops based in Afghanistan aiding in the reconstruction of the country.

To take part in the Dubai Air Show, the plane flew from Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, in the United States. This particular plane was part of the Hurricane Hunter fleet of planes that run weather operations in the US, Central America, the Caribbean and parts of the Pacific Ocean.

Its mission is unique since the aircraft is mainly designed as a transport platform. Besides the pilots and the navigator, the plane has an airborne reconnaissance weather officer and a drops-on operator, whose job is to shoot balloons that send back weather information to the plane.

“It’s a great airplane. It’s very sturdy. It does different roles and flies different missions,” said Lt Colonel Dave Borsi, a chief pilot for Hurricane Hunters.

“Going through a hurricane it can get extremely rough at times. It’s a very, very durable aircraft.” The C-130J has been fitted with stronger engines that decrease the takeoff run by 41 per cent and increase the maximum speed by 21 per cent. Its range is 41 per cent greater than older models.

According to the US Air Force, the plane is able to operate from rough dirt strips and is the prime transport for dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.

mhabboush@thenational.ae