Workhorse - RAAF C-130s

Bill 'K9' Kourelakos

"Workhorse" is a podcast about Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and the people that flew, maintained and supported them. The podcast series draws much of its information from the book “Air Mobility Workhorse”, which is available from Big Sky Publishing.

Topics include:

Operations from around the globe, including all four corners of the planet, from 1959 to now
Aircraft technical discussions
Training
Roles (Search and Rescue, Air Logistics, Airborne Operations, Special Operations, Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief, Surveillance, Non-combatant Evacuation, Aeromedical Evacuation and Firefighting)
Maintenance and modifications
Logistics
And, of course, the people that made it all possible.

The podcast is usually published around the first of every month, usually on a Friday. The odd one might get missed due to lack of an interviewee.

Contact me if you have a story to tell about C-130s!!! ( Spartan.spirit@yahoo.com ) or find me on Facebook.

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20 episodes
monthly
Avg 1 hr 26 min
English

Episodes 20

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S1 · E69
October 2 · 1 hr 29 min
Workhorse - E69 - Double Asymmetric with Brett Gibson
Having one engine out was experienced by many a C-130 crew, probably multiple times in their careers. But having two out was rare. Even rarer was having two out on the same side - a MAYDAY situation. In this episode, Brett Gibson details one such incident in 1998 on a Royal Australian Air Force 37 Squadron C-130E, along with his career as a Flight Engineer on C-130Es and Hs.
#68
August 29 · 1 hr 58 min
Workhorse - E68 - The Air Lift Fleet with John Oddie
With the Royal Australian Air Force buying 20 new C-130Js, divesting C-27Js, and in need of more heavy lift aircraft, force structure of the RAAF's Air Mobility Group is topical. In this episode of Workhorse, previous Commander Air Lift Group, John 'JOddie' Oddie discusses the options open to Australia's force designers. He also discusses his lengthy career stretching from formative years as a Huey pilot to Command in the Middle East and at Air Lift Group. Note: This episode contains course language.
#67
July 31 · 52 min
Workhorse - E67 - Overloaded with Allan Edwards
The Royal Australian Air Force has never crashed a C-130, but there have been a few close calls. One of the most remarkable close calls came three days after Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin (24 December 1974). In the rush to get emergency equipment to Darwin, C-130E A97-190 was loaded without knowing the exact weight of the six generators in the cargo hold. Taking off on runway 10 at RAAF Richmond, the pilot, Allan Edwards, discovered the error when he pulled on the yoke at 'rotate', ... and nothing happened. As they would discover days later, instead of the planned 155 000 pounds, the aircraft was actually 176 000 pounds - over the manufacturer's wartime limit. Feel the tension in Allan's voice as he describes how the aircraft broke ground at the far end of the runway and then began to sink into the surrounding lowlands. You can hear all about this amazing story and Allan's long flying career (and passion for photography) in this episode of Workhorse.
#66
May 29 · 1 hr 29 min
Workhorse - E66 - Broken Nose Gear Landing with Chris Sinfield
Chris Sinfield was the flight engineer on a Royal Australian Air Force C-130H during a 285 Squadron training flight mission during which the crew discovered they had a broken nose landing gear strut. Chris recounts the ensuing actions and landing in this episode of Workhorse. He spent his entire career at one base: RAAF Richmond, and he also recounts the many associated career experiences including being a flight engineer on C-130Es, C-130Hs, C-130Ks (on Exercise Long Look) and B707s, .... and almost getting shot in the back of a C-130.
#65
April 30 · 1 hr 33 min
Workhorse - E65 - 4 Engine Change with Matt Nunn
In early 2007, Royal Australian Air Force C-130Hs A97-003 and A97-010 were operating as Krait 61 - a formation flight conducting special operations support training during Exercise Red Flag. On the ground at a gravel strip called Keno Landing Zone in the Nellis range near Las Vegas, A97-003 was showered with rocks as A97-010 departed. The ensuing damage was repaired by changing all four engines and propellers along with several windows, both air conditioning packs and the auxiliary power unit. This episode features Matt Nunn - the captain of A97-003 - recounting this incident along with his career in the RAAF.
#64
March 28 · 1 hr 16 min
Workhorse - E64 - Media with Eamon Hamilton
Anyone who has read about air mobility in the Royal Australian Air Force News over the past 20 years has probably been reading the work of Eamon Hamilton. He served as the Public Affairs Officer (journalist) for Air Lift/Mobility Group from 2006-2022. You can hear all about his career and how the media integrates with operations, exercises and training in the latest episode of 'Workhorse'.
S1 · E63
February 27 · 55 min
Workhorse - E63 - Airfield Engineering with Gilbert Gonthier
C-130s are capable of landing very rudimentary runways, including grass, coral, sand, dirt, etc. Yet, they can't land on all types of surfaces because some are too soft to support the weight and tyre pressures of a C-130. In the Royal Australian Air Force, the science of figuring out which runways can support a C-130 belongs to the Airfield Engineers. This episode features Gilbert Gonthier who led the Mobile Airfield Engineering Team (MAET) in 2007-08. In this episode of Workhorse, Gilbert describes how airfield engineers assess runways for suitability, along with snippets from his long career in the RAAF.
#62
January 30 · 52 min
Workhorse - E62 - Cope Thunder with Greg Scholes
Exercise Cope Thunder was run in the Philippines, providing combat air mobility training for anyone lucky enough to participate. Greg Scholes was a pilot with 36 Squadron and relates his experience on Cope Thunder, as well as details about his career on C-130Hs, VIP operations, and his RAAF career.
#61
Dec 31, 2025 · 1 hr 14 min
Workhorse - E61 - Detachment S with Ian Scott
Detachment 'S' was a loosely formed task force that conducted air transport operations in Vietnam during, circa April 1975. It was primarily a humanitarian assistance mission, providing food to refugees on the island of Phu Quoc, but it also conducted evacuations from Phan Rang, Operation Babylift, and evacuated embassy officials from Saigon. Ian 'Scooter' Scott was involved in some of these missions, including an Operation Babylift sortie. In this episode Scooter details his exploits as part of Detachment 'S' and relates highlights from his long career in RAAF air mobility and on RAAF C-130s - including as Commanding Officer 37 Squadron, Officer Commanding 84 Wing and Commander Air Lift Group.
#60
Nov 28, 2025 · 1 hr 14 min
Workhorse - E60 - Safety Systems with Dave Turner
Air Force safety systems evolved through the 1990s-present day. This journey included major shifts in policy that led the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to the current airworthiness system that oversights C-130 operations. Dave 'DT' Turner was a C-130H navigator and held many safety roles during his long career in the Royal Australian Navy and RAAF. In this episode, DT recounts the pros and cons of the various safety policies, along with touching on operations he flew during his career.
#59
Oct 30, 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Workhorse - E59 - Repatriation from Nias with Scott Olsen
Shark 02 crashed on the island of Nias in 2005, resulting in 9 fatalities. Scott Olsen was a C-130H and J loadmaster, and in this episode, he recounts the repatriation mission that ensued, along with a rundown of his career.
#58
Sep 26, 2025 · 2 hr 28 min
Workhorse - E58 - Nicknames with Hally and Kramer
Nicknames are rife in Australian culture; particularly in the Royal Australian Air Force. This episode of Workhorse dives into nicknames used by the RAAF C-130 community (aircrew, maintenance and support staff). Tony Hall (Hally, or 'Tony Hall from Australia') and Graham Johnson (Johno 1, or Kramer) join me (K9) in presenting the top 100 nicknames and spinning tales about the nicknames and how people got them. WARNING: Many nicknames came from an era when political correctness was not a thing. This podcast episode is decidedly un-PC and contains explicit language. Don't listen if you're offended by bigoted language and swearing.
#57
Aug 30, 2025 · 1 hr 16 min
Workhorse - E57 - 2-Engine Failure with Michael Garside
Royal Australian Air Force C-130s participated in courses run by the US Advanced Airlift Tactical Training Center (AATTC) to hone their skills in combat environments. The course developed skills in airdrop, low-level flying, and threat avoidance. Michael 'Gus' Garside captained a 36SQN C-130H crew on this course in June 1998, and his crew experienced a double-engine failure during one of the sorties at AATTC. In this episode of Workhorse, Gus recounts the flight, along with highlights from his RAAF career as a flying instructor and C-130 crewmember.
S1 · E56
Jul 31, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
Workhorse - E56 - Flight Instructing with Ash Pendergast
Ash Pendergast had a long association with the Royal Australian Air Force's 36 Squadron where he was a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI); took part in original NVG trials; and was a Flight Commander. Ash recalls these roles and his RAAF career in this episode.
#55
Jun 27, 2025 · 1 hr 31 min
Workhorse - E55 - Engine Fire with Ben Charters
In mid-March 1997, the yacht Queen Charlotte was being skippered from New Zealand to Japan by Australian Bob Cornell, with four passengers. On 19 March, the yacht was located approximately 600 nm east of Cairns when it ran into Cyclone Justin and its emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) was activated. In response, Ben Charters and his crew from 37 Squadron flew A97-181 on a search-and-rescue mission. This episode details that mission and the consequent engine fire that caused the crew to believe they would have to ditch in the cyclone. Ben also recounts his career with some focus on his time as a flying instructor.
#54
May 31, 2025 · 1 hr 40 min
Workhorse - E54 - Flight Engineers with Tony Hall
This episode features a wide-ranging discussion of the flight engineer category and its place on the C-130 Hercules. Tony Hall also covers his operational C-130 experience, along with his transition onto Caribous and then as a Loadmaster on C-130Js. The discussion ranges into: RAAF B-707 operations based in Kyrgyzstan (where Tony was an Operations Officer) Impact of the Safety system on Flight Engineer authorisations The latter years of C-130H operations in the RAAF RAAF consideration of having a FLTENG on the C=130J Demise of the FLTENG mustering Transition to Loadmaster
#53
Apr 28, 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
Workhorse - E53 - Innovation with Gav Nicholson
Gav Nicholson recounts his involvement with systems integration on RAAF C-130Hs during the late 1990s to the late 2000s, including electronic warfare self-protection, the FMS-800 flight management system, and other modifications of that era. Also discussed are PNG operations, Operations Falconer (Iraq 2003), Shaddock (PNG), Catalyst (Iraq, as C-130J Detachment Commander) and a mission on Spitfire (East Timor) during which his crew flew an evacuation with 180 people onboard a C-130H.
#52
Mar 29, 2025 · 1 hr 25 min
Workhorse - E52 - Formation Lead with Andrew Elliott
Royal Australian Air Force C-130s airdrop parachutists and equipment to force project Australian military capabilities. C-130s flew in formation as a tactic to concentrate Army parachutists on a target area as quickly as possible (thereby minimising the risk to the paratroopers and aircraft). In this episode of 'Workhorse', Andrew "Stretch" Elliott discusses the many factors that formation lead pilots considered when leading C-130s to a formation airdrop. He also covers his experiences training for fighter evasion on night vision goggles, planning for operations in East Timor (1999), and his role in developing procedures for the C-130J when it was first acquired in 1999.
#51
Mar 3, 2025 · 2 hr 17 min
Workhorse - E51 - Somalia and PNG with Graham Johnson
Graham 'Johno' 'Johno1' 'Kramer' Johnson flew C-130Hs on a variety of operations from 1989 to 1999, including Operations Solace (Somalia 1993), Immune (Pilot Strike 1989) and Ples Drei (PNG famine 1998), all of which he discusses in this episode. Johno also discusses the differences between pushing crew training to the boundaries of aircraft limits and when that transitions into unauthorised flying.
#50
Feb 21, 2025 · 1 hr 34 min
Workhorse - E50 - C-130J Goes Tactical with Justin Ryder
The Royal Australian Air Force's C-130J fleet was acquired in 1999, but it was not fitted with electronic warfare self-protection systems. When C-130Hs deployed to the Middle East in early 2003, 37 Squadron had only just begun training its C-130J crews in tactical procedures. Thus when Middle East operations were extended into 2004, 36 Squadron's C-130Hs remained in the Middle East on an extended deployment because there wasn't a replacement force. This placed great pressure on 36 Squadron's training system, and by early 2004 it was apparent that C-130Js needed to be modified with self-protection equipment and 37 Squadron's crews had to be trained for combat operations. This episode features Justin Ryder who was a C-130J captain in 2004. He relates the C-130J upgrade program and his experiences in the Middle East during the C-130J's first full deployment into a combat environment. His tales include being engaged by an S-60 and a complete avionics failure during a departure out of an Iraqi airfield. He also discusses his later experiences as an air-air refueling captain. (Note: This podcast series will now be shifting to a monthly publication cycle, commencing 1 April).

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