Thai Air Force officer slightly wounded in US shooting

[billd766]

Red Flag is one of the best training exercises for combat aircraft. Probably the best in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag_%E2%80%93_Alaska

It's serious stuff. With many nations around the world participating. The one at Nellis is the premier event. I've met the pilots and they are top notch. No messing around. Highly trained.

Indeed. I understand that it is the pinnacle of training for the fast jet community - with a highly skilled "opforce" who mimic Russian sorry "Fantasian" tactics. Wall to wall brylcream and Kelly McGillis lookalikes prancing all over the place on white stallions. (sorry about that - as a lowly infantryman I get carried away by the Gods of Thunder).

This does rather raise the question as to what part in the proceedings was played by an early model C130 stooging about filled to the brim with RTAF officers?

I am sure with your excellent knowledge base you could do a little research and tell us all about the trip instead of just making a guess to try to score points. Do you know what model Hercules it was and what its purpose is?

The RTAF use them for basic needs and also for air-sea rescue and surprisingly enough part of the Red Flag Alaska exercise was about air-sea rescue. This year in many Red Flag Alaska exercises the USAF, RAAF, RNZAF, the Korean Air Force, the RAF as well as the RTAF so did all those countries waste their time and money also?

Edited September 2, 2015 by billd766

[hawksway]

At least the Americans made him feel at home!

[Kannikapor88]

At least the Americans made him feel at home!

[JAG]

Red Flag is one of the best training exercises for combat aircraft. Probably the best in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag_%E2%80%93_Alaska

It's serious stuff. With many nations around the world participating. The one at Nellis is the premier event. I've met the pilots and they are top notch. No messing around. Highly trained.

Indeed. I understand that it is the pinnacle of training for the fast jet community - with a highly skilled "opforce" who mimic Russian sorry "Fantasian" tactics. Wall to wall brylcream and Kelly McGillis lookalikes prancing all over the place on white stallions. (sorry about that - as a lowly infantryman I get carried away by the Gods of Thunder).

This does rather raise the question as to what part in the proceedings was played by an early model C130 stooging about filled to the brim with RTAF officers?

I am sure with your excellent knowledge base you could do a little research and tell us all about the trip instead of just making a guess to try to score points. Do you know what model Hercules it was and what its purpose is?

The RTAF use them for basic needs and also for air-sea rescue and surprisingly enough part of the Red Flag Alaska exercise was about air-sea rescue. This year in many Red Flag Alaska exercises the USAF, RAAF, RNZAF, the Korean Air Force, the RAF as well as the RTAF so did all those countries waste their time and money also?

The RTAF operates 12 C130H, a variant which ceased to be built over 20 years ago - so it could certainly be described as an early model.

They use them for a wide variety of roles, yes including air - sea rescue, although that use would probably be more accurately described as maritime searching.

They have a crew of 5, so even allowing for spare crew(s) 45 does seem rather a lot to keep one aircraft in the exercise, but then I will accept I am not an aviator, and it might have required a lot of mending, so I may be wrong.

Quite what it was doing in San Francisco I do not understand, The logical route to and from Alaska is via Japan/South Korea, and goes nowhere near California. San Francisco to Thailand involves crossing the Pacific Ocean at its widest point - which seems strange - but then again I am not an aviator. San Francisco is almost certainly a better place for a spot of R&R than Alaska, as long as you don't get shot. Perhaps he should have worn some flowers in his hair?

They managed to deploy one of their 12 C130s to Alaska, with a "little detour" to San Fransisco. But as someone remarked earlier, "Couldn't get a C130 in the air in the early days of the MH370 search."

​I hope that makes you feel better.

Edited September 2, 2015 by JAG

[mark131v]

Red Flag is one of the best training exercises for combat aircraft. Probably the best in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag__Alaska

It's serious stuff. With many nations around the world participating. The one at Nellis is the premier event. I've met the pilots and they are top notch. No messing around. Highly trained.

Indeed. I understand that it is the pinnacle of training for the fast jet community - with a highly skilled "opforce" who mimic Russian sorry "Fantasian" tactics. Wall to wall brylcream and Kelly McGillis lookalikes prancing all over the place on white stallions. (sorry about that - as a lowly infantryman I get carried away by the Gods of Thunder).

This does rather raise the question as to what part in the proceedings was played by an early model C130 stooging about filled to the brim with RTAF officers?

I am sure with your excellent knowledge base you could do a little research and tell us all about the trip instead of just making a guess to try to score points. Do you know what model Hercules it was and what its purpose is?

The RTAF use them for basic needs and also for air-sea rescue and surprisingly enough part of the Red Flag Alaska exercise was about air-sea rescue. This year in many Red Flag Alaska exercises the USAF, RAAF, RNZAF, the Korean Air Force, the RAF as well as the RTAF so did all those countries waste their time and money also?

The RTAF operates 12 C130H, a variant which ceased to be built over 20 years ago - so it could certainly be described as an early model.

They use them for a wide variety of roles, yes including air - sea rescue, although that use would probably be more accurately described as maritime searching.

They have a crew of 5, so even allowing for spare crew(s) 45 does seem rather a lot to keep one aircraft in the exercise, but then I will accept I am not an aviator, and it might have required a lot of mending, so I may be wrong.

Quite what it was doing in San Francisco I do not understand, The logical route to and from Alaska is via Japan/South Korea, and goes nowhere near California. San Francisco to Thailand involves crossing the Pacific Ocean at its widest point - which seems strange - but then again I am not an aviator. San Francisco is almost certainly a better place for a spot of R&R than Alaska, as long as you don't get shot. Perhaps he should have worn some flowers in his hair?

They managed to deploy one of their 12 C130s to Alaska, with a "little detour" to San Fransisco. But as someone remarked earlier, "Couldn't get a C130 in the air in the early days of the MH370 search."

​I hope that makes you feel better.

Sounds a lot like the RAF better known to the rest of UK Forces as crab air, you want to go from A-B for your RnR, possible but crab air like their beach living brethren are incapable of traveling in a straight line so usually you have to go via X and Y and squeeze a couple of delays in as well. Strange though where ever they are in the world they seem to find a 5 star hotel while the rest of us are living in a hole in the ground, thinking about it I should probably have tried harder at school....

[JAG]

Red Flag is one of the best training exercises for combat aircraft. Probably the best in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag__Alaska

It's serious stuff. With many nations around the world participating. The one at Nellis is the premier event. I've met the pilots and they are top notch. No messing around. Highly trained.

Indeed. I understand that it is the pinnacle of training for the fast jet community - with a highly skilled "opforce" who mimic Russian sorry "Fantasian" tactics. Wall to wall brylcream and Kelly McGillis lookalikes prancing all over the place on white stallions. (sorry about that - as a lowly infantryman I get carried away by the Gods of Thunder).

This does rather raise the question as to what part in the proceedings was played by an early model C130 stooging about filled to the brim with RTAF officers?

I am sure with your excellent knowledge base you could do a little research and tell us all about the trip instead of just making a guess to try to score points. Do you know what model Hercules it was and what its purpose is?

The RTAF use them for basic needs and also for air-sea rescue and surprisingly enough part of the Red Flag Alaska exercise was about air-sea rescue. This year in many Red Flag Alaska exercises the USAF, RAAF, RNZAF, the Korean Air Force, the RAF as well as the RTAF so did all those countries waste their time and money also?

The RTAF operates 12 C130H, a variant which ceased to be built over 20 years ago - so it could certainly be described as an early model.

They use them for a wide variety of roles, yes including air - sea rescue, although that use would probably be more accurately described as maritime searching.

They have a crew of 5, so even allowing for spare crew(s) 45 does seem rather a lot to keep one aircraft in the exercise, but then I will accept I am not an aviator, and it might have required a lot of mending, so I may be wrong.

Quite what it was doing in San Francisco I do not understand, The logical route to and from Alaska is via Japan/South Korea, and goes nowhere near California. San Francisco to Thailand involves crossing the Pacific Ocean at its widest point - which seems strange - but then again I am not an aviator. San Francisco is almost certainly a better place for a spot of R&R than Alaska, as long as you don't get shot. Perhaps he should have worn some flowers in his hair?

They managed to deploy one of their 12 C130s to Alaska, with a "little detour" to San Fransisco. But as someone remarked earlier, "Couldn't get a C130 in the air in the early days of the MH370 search."

​I hope that makes you feel better.

Sounds a lot like the RAF better known to the rest of UK Forces as crab air, you want to go from A-B for your RnR, possible but crab air like their beach living brethren are incapable of traveling in a straight line so usually you have to go via X and Y and squeeze a couple of delays in as well. Strange though where ever they are in the world they seem to find a 5 star hotel while the rest of us are living in a hole in the ground, thinking about it I should probably have tried harder at school....

I think it is an international syndrome mate - once clad head to toe in blue polyester it just takes over.

And whatever you do don't mention " movers"!

[NeverSure]

OK, I'm not going to roll over and play dead for this one, LOL. It makes no sense why they were in San Francisco which is by far the long way home. They were in the very vicinity of the annual gay pride parade, even if by accident. Regardless of sexual orientation, and no aspersion implied or intended, it is a huge party after all.

The question isn't about the military training but rather why this route? It at least doubled the distance of their route home. San Fran is also one of the most expensive cities in the world for travelers or residents.

Cheers.

Edited September 3, 2015 by NeverSure

[craigt3365]

OK. Mystery solved. They were at Travis AFB for training. It's a major MAC base and a C-130 would be part of that. It's not too far from SF. Perfect for a day trip to scout around. I use to live there while my father was station here in Udon.

http://abc7news.com/news/two-arrested-after-allegedly-robbing-shooting-tourist-in-sf-/956681/

The victim was later released from the hospital and is going to be OK. He returned to Vacaville where and his Air Force friends have been training at Travis Air Force Base.

C-130's don't have a long flight range. I remember my father's tales of all the spots he had to land while going from one place to another. Lots of short hops.