European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 27, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pages the stars and stripes Friday december 27, 1985 trucking around Europe in a c-130 Stor and photos Jim "mack\ri.\nf. K Ai Mil i Mai i. England the Sun is just beginning in Peck mar the Hori on when capt. Russ Brown presses the engine starter switch on his truck. I our thousand five Hundred pounds of horsepower Roar to life quiet hours ire Over. Brown does t real notice his cars arc encased in an aviation Headset and his practice hands arc already on the next switch within minutes the 2-Ycar-old air 1 orce Captain repeals Itu sequence on three More engine. A Quick Check no the gauges to ensure smooth operation and Brown is  Lor his 10-hour, 1,-100-mile truck ride around Western Europe the Semi is a Veteran -130 Hercules aircraft be longing to the 4 the tac Airlift so from Pope Al a . As part of Raf Mildenhall s Bravo so. Drown and his Crew will be hauling passengers and cargo to three for Ward a-10 Thunderbolt ii bases in Germany. Bravo is the nickname for the rotational c-130 squad Ron flying from rat Mildenhall. Squadrons come from Pope  Rock fab. Ark., and Dyess fab. Texas for 70 Days at a time. While Here Crews Fly 75 percent of the daily cd 30 missions for Sakr. This run is like driving a truck said 1st i Dave policy a 2n-Vcar-Nld co Pilot finishing his first Lour with . We never know what we re going to pick up until we it there pull cd said i can be an thing from a Colo Nel to  chemicals we take it  before he stepped into the right seat of a c i policy was an English instructor at the University of Ieav he hoped to join the air i orce and teach i English at the air i orc Academy. His Recruiter steered him to Pilot training instead. Brown and policy lift their c-130 off Mildenhall s runway 2l at 6 44 . The Lirosi Stop is rap Benwa tvs in the East coast of England. The base is Home for the a ios of the Hist  f High tar Wing. All of the a 10s Ai the Forward operating locations in Germany be Long to the Hist. Joining Brown and Pollov on the flight deck Are 1st i i John Keiser navigator and tech. Sol. Lay no bless. The flight Engineer. Downstairs in the cargo compartment three Load Mas ters from the 5th Mobile Aerial port so take their last break for the next 10 hours. Tech. Sgt. Russell Nasser is joined by staff sgt Bill Mendenhall und Bob Kel lev the 5th maps is one f the permanent military Airlift come units stationed Ai Raf Mildenhall. Normally there would be just no other Load master but we re taking the Chance to do instruction and evaluation today Kellcy said. Our times on the ground will be Short so it la be a it xxx test of How Quick and accurately we can get the Job  at Raf , the 81st has a Load Wail ing on the ramp. A pallet and a Dinosaur the device used to Load the a to s 30mm gun Are silting in the in la. The Load masters go to work putting the cargo in the right place while the cockpit Crew members Check the weather and update their flight plans. The plane is tin the ground for slight More than an hour. In Addi Tion to the cargo 26 passengers climb into their luxury red webbed seals for the flight to Alhorn. A German air base near Bremen. We probably would have been off the ground sooner but someone put a corrosive chemical on the cargo pallet and we need a special waiver to carry that and passengers at the same time says pc scr. He Points out that safety is the first concern and since icy did t think the margin was wide enough with 26 passengers on Board the Load masters would not Cap. Russ Brown looks out the window or his c-130 Hercules before starting the engines. Accept the cargo until the chemical was removed. No one tries to put things Over on us intentionally but you have to watch out for that kind of stuff policy said staff sol. Bob Kelley a Loa Masier with 5lh maps takes a special Pride in making the thousands of Passen Gers Bravo flies a bit More comfortable. People May grumble when the Sec the web seat but i try to cheerfully give them a bite to cat and then turn up the heat Kcal by said. Before you know it they be do cd off and we re where they want to  the next few stops Are routine. The Small Ger Man base at  Venich near Bonn is a flurry of activity but the air traffic controllers still have plenty of time for the visiting 130, these German controllers Urc always right on lop of what you need Brown said. If you re crossing the runway they re ready with the clearance before you get there. It s a pleasure to Fly  Brown likes flying in eau rope so much that he s on his third rotation with Bravo in a year. He rents a room from a fellow air Force member at Pope. It s just been a place to Wash my clothes this  he says with a laugh. The Crews flying to Alhorn say they never have to worry about overstaying their Welcome. The 130s arc the critical Supply link to the 75 permanently stationed . Air Force members at Alhorn. Its operations director maj. Acc Whitaker said. The c-l30s Stop three the Loudema slots position an a id s .10mm gun for hoarding into he cargo hold of the c-130. Times i week and bring us Etc ruling we need from spare parts. Pol Petroleum Oil and lubricants and Malmin supplies to people and our  Tiik final Stop in German is Sembach a near Kaiserslautern. It s been a Long haul since break fast at 4.30 . And the Crew is looking Forward to eating. Bleess has been singing the praises of the dining Hall there for two hours. Brown taxis the aircraft to the terminal i Olley and bless shut Down the engines. Passengers file into the terminal. Pc scr s watch says 2 14 . The Crew Heads for the dining Hall where bad news greets them. Lunch is served from 11 30 . To 2 . A wave of disappointment passes through them. It s up to Bleess to add the philosophical exclamation Point "1 guess they either did t know How hungry or How important we Are. I know a place Ai Hen Walers where you can gel great  missed meals and Long hours Are a regular part of flying cd 30s with Bravo so. Tomorrow it will be much the same. The Crew will spend the night at Ben Waters climb out of bed Early and head Back to Germany. They la touch Down at Rak Mildenhall about 8 30 . After spending 20 of the previous 3h hours in the air. Despite the sometimes unglamorous truck driving routine no one is complaining. Macfarlane Lime Media relation special it Al me Suth to Kllc Lal Rill wino i Public attain Vilice at Raf Mildenhall. England tech. Sgt. Russ Bleess flight Engineer left and capt. Russ Brown go through the preflight Check in the c-l30 cockpit. Navigator 1st it. John Keiser right prepares his equipment