Story and photo by Carlos Bongioanni, Stars and Stripes

Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan-Old age isn't holding back the U.S. military's perennial airlift workhorse, the "mighty Hercules."

That's evident at Kadena, where the Air Force's oldest C-130E, built in 1961, is racking up flight hours supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Air Force Workhorse

With 41 years of service, the plane has more than 14,300 flight hours and nearly 5 million miles. It served earlier as a research plane for NASA, which accounts for its relatively low flight hours, Edwards said.

When flying with active-duty units, C-130s average more than 600 flight hours per year. With reserve or Guard units, they average about 375 flight hours per year.

Capt. Christina Phillips, 30, said she has no qualms piloting an aircraft 11 years her elder.

"We have good maintenance, so we're fairly confident that they take care of all the problems that we find," Phillips said.

Many Selfridge Hercules aircraft maintainers switched from working on F-16 fighters seven years ago when the base expanded its mission to include C-130s.

"I was born and raised on fighters," said Master Sgt. Jerry Schave, 54, a full-time avionics mechanic Guardsman at Selfridge since 1966. "When we got this airplane, we had to adapt. It's got different avionics, but we work it. When it breaks … we troubleshoot it, fix it and press on."

Lt. Col. Brian Dawson, the navigator, said the strength and durability of the C-130 make it the plane of choice for many fliers and crewmembers.

"It certainly wasn't under-built. It is a tank," he said.

Dawson noted how his plane had been in "‘Nam… and all around the globe many, many times."

C-130s originally entered the production line in the mid-1950s to meet the demand for a tactical air-lifter that could perform during combat operations and land on short paved and unpaved runways. It's the only U.S. transport aircraft continuously manufactured for more than 40 years.

"They're still making new ones, so that tells you a little about the success of its design," Dawson said.

While at Kadena, the Air Force's eldest Hercules has moved personnel and cargo "all over the Pacific theater," said mission commander Maj. Joel Vergun. Most missions were to Yokota Air Base, Japan, where roughly two-thirds of its airfield is closed for resurfacing.

"They have about 4,000 feet to take off and land in, with a 15-foot wall at the end," Vergun said. "C-130s are one of the very few cargo aircraft that can go in and out in such a short distance."

Pillar of Defense

With the increased operations tempo generated from the war on terrorism, Vergun said his unit's participation is vital.

"We like to think that we give the active-duty folks a break and a chance to get home" from the long deployments, Vergun said. "And it's a chance for our folks, many of whom have other jobs, to go out there and contribute to our national defense."

The good thing about a C-130, Edwards said, is "it will take you there and bring you back safely. It's a maintainers' and fliers' airplane. It's nice to have."

As a light mist fell on crewmembers conducting preflight checks at Kadena last week, Tech. Sgt. Tony Nacewicz, a hydraulics mechanic and self-proclaimed "weekend warrior," gave the plane another look before takeoff.

While acknowledging he's "not big on flying," Nacewicz said he felt comfortable enough with C-130s that he would fly them over any other aircraft. And while the one at Kadena was the oldest one in the Air Force, "it's one of the best fliers … It does its thing."

Given the normal lifespan of C-130s, Edwards predicted the aircraft still had a few more years of service before it's retired.

The Stars and Stripes article was published in Stars and Stripes on March 26, 200, and is reprinted with permission from European and Pacific Stars and Stripes, a Department of Defense publication. Ó 2002 European and Pacific Stars and Stripes

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