EAGLE CLAW EC-130E Close to being Scrapped

[APG85]

EC-130E 62-1818 is in trouble!
This aircraft is one of three EC-130E's (along with three MC-130E's) that were flown to Desert One in Iran on the night of April 24, 1980 during the ill-fated attempt to rescue the American's being held hostage in Tehran.
The mission that night for the EC's was to refuel the RH-53D helicopters at Desert One. One of the EC's, 62-1809, was destroyed when one of the helicopters crashed into it during re-positioning. Aircraft 1818 was parked next to 1809 at the time of the collision.
62-1818 was flown to Desert One as "Republic 6" and was the last aircraft to depart. It also became the command aircraft for the abort/evacuation (Kyle and Beckwith both flew out on this plane).
In addition to it's Eagle Claw history, this aircraft served as an ABCCC (Airborne Command and Control Center) aircraft for most of it's operational life.
As can be seen in the picture, the aircraft has been liberated of her wings and she awaits her fate in AMARC. A few months ago I sent a e-mail to the director of the Pima Air Museum asking that the museum consider taking this aircraft. He did not respond.
What a sad end to an aircraft that was directly involved in the most daring rescue attempt in military history.......








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[RMAllnutt]

I agree, this aircraft should be saved as it played a significant part in histiory. However, not to take anything away from the daring and sacrifice of those who took part, but I wouldn't call it the most daring military rescue in history. It never actually got beyond the base-camp.

Probably the most daring high-profile military rescue I can think of is when the Germans flew gliders in to Mussolini's mountain-top prison. They actually succeeded with their mission.

There was also the case of Hanna Reisch flying a Fiesler Storch in to Berlin during the last week of the war to take Hitler out. He refused to leave of course, but she left the same way she came, right in front of the Russian forces. You have to remember that the German Reisch literally constituted a few blocks of Berlin by that point.

There's also the one legged stuka pilot (forget his name at the moment, but he won the highest German military award... only one other was issued, and that was to Goering, who had to have one of everything regardless of whether he'd earned it). Anyway, this guy was truly crazy. He landed his stuka in a field, with the Russian army literally advancing from the other side of it, to pick up the crew of a downed stuka. They got away safely.

I'm sure there are plenty of other amazing military rescue stories from military combat going back to when military operations first began eons ago. I honestly don't think that the operation to free US hostages from Iran comes even close to the top... and that's speaking as someone who had several friends at the time with fathers trapped as hostages in Iran.

Cheers, Richard

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

How about Bernie Fischer in the Ashau Valley ?

[APG85]

How about one of the most daring rescue attempts....

Read "The Guts To Try" by James Kyle. It's a page turner...

At any rate, this aircraft derserves better. Someone is "asleep at the wheel" on this one.......

[skymstr02]

For one, the airplane is not the hero, the crews are.

Secondly, that mission was a failure and an embarassment to the Government.

I apologize if I sound harse, but not every airplane built will be put on display after its useful life has been lived out.

[APG85]

I never said the "aircraft was the hero" and I agree that the crews are, however, the aircraft represents the crews and as such I think it would be a shame if it was not preserved.
Although this mission was a failure, it set the course for future special operations missions and gave birth to AFSOC as a major command. I find NOTHING embarassing about trying to save your fellow citizens!
I attended the 25th anniversay of Eagle Claw last April and met many of the aircrews who participated in the mission. If you could see the look on their faces when they saw one of the mission aircraft that was flown in for the event, you would immediately see the importance of preserving at least one of these planes. These guys put there lives on the line for their country and those planes mean a great deal to them.
There are plenty of non-descript C-130's preserverd in air parks and while I agree you can't save them all, I think this particular aircraft has a history worth saving.
I find your comments (skymstr02) pretty harsh. I was only trying to bring to light the plight of an aircraft with a facinating history.

[wendovertom]

not to rain on the parade here - believe me, I'd like nothing more than to have a EC-130 for our museum BUT - to get a plane out of AMARC requires funding, serious funding. You have to be able to either disassemble or pay for disassembly and demilling (if required) and then truck or fly it out. Judging from the picture its a truck it out situation. This just runs into too much money for mst folks.

I'd be interested in the plane just from the unique mission that EC-130s serve and not necessarily the Desert One mission.

Alas,

Tom P.

[John-Curtiss Paul]

We're lucky enough to have Bernie Fischer speak to audiences and tell the story of that rescue at several of our events held during the year (Warhawk Air Museum). He is a great man. It's really amazing to listen to a man who has been awarded the Medal of Honor.

[Tigercat]

APG85,

Thanks so much for bringing the plight of this plane to our attention. I sure wish the Government was not so eager to turn a wonderful aircraft into a few bucks worth of scrap aluminum. I can never forget the thousands of historical aircraft that have been turned into beer cans because of short-sightedness by the powers that be!

[skymstr02]

I find your comments (skymstr02) pretty harsh. I was only trying to bring to light the plight of an aircraft with a facinating history.

Life is harsh, get used to it.
I'm on my third warbird, so I have a financial stake in keeping warbirds flying. How much cash have you invested in keeping airplanes flying? Its easy to make an anonymous statement on a public board to "Keep Em Flying", but are you willing to write the check? You don't pay, you don't play.

I've also restored several aircraft from boxes of parts to trophy winners at Oshkosh, so I think that I have a knowlegable stake in what is salvegable and what is dreaming. I've made a living keeping warbirds alive since 1984.

[tom d. friedman]

the israelis had the ballsiest rescue mission with c-130's.... the raid at entebbe 1976. a brilliant operation. as to our attempt during the iran hostage crisis......... noble effort, but flawed planning.

[B29Gunner]

You guys could always just buy the nose section, would still be a job moving it. Here's an idea of the size





Ya could try contacting the Spec Ops museum, they might be interested in it

[APG85]

I’m not advocating that anyone should grab a toolbox, run to DM, and start getting 1818 ready to fly out for full restoration and display next to the Spirit of St. Louis. I was only trying to make people aware that this is (in my opinion) a historically significant aircraft and it’s a shame it was not saved for a museum. It’s obviously to late for that.
1818 flew into DM last year under it’s own power. Unfortunately, it was not flagged as historically important until it was no longer flyable. Usually, that is done prior to retirement to AMARC. A last ditch effort (prior to the aircraft loosing it’s wings) was made (by the command) to convince the Pima Air Museum to take the aircraft – to no avail. I was told that Moody AFB had expressed interest in the aircraft for incorporation into a future airpark on base. These plans also fell through the cracks.
I realize that you can’t save them all, but 1818 deserved better. She was a veteran of the Vietnam War, Operation’s EAGLE CLAW, URGENT FURY, JUST CAUSE, DESERT STORM, the recovery efforts of Congressman Mickey Leland in Ethiopia, and the conflict in Bosnia, just to name a few. For over 40 years, she always brought her crews home safely.
Am I biased about this – absolutely. I’m a SMSgt in the USAF and I’ve been wrenching on C-130’s (including 1818) for 21 years now as a Crew Chief. I’m also a member special ops.

Life is harsh. Yeah, I’m aware…..

[tom d. friedman]

apg 85....... i agree!!! this herc has a significant historical background. i visited my ex wife's cousin years ago at keesler air force base biloxi mississippi & crawled all over the hurricane hercs. talk about brave air crews!!! flying through hurricanes!! i "liberated" a pair of nomex flight gloves from the flare shute station onboard 1 of the hercs. my ex cousin said they were fair game, & highly prized, + i was a taxpayer & i bought them. so i swiped them!!! that was 13 years ago, & those gloves are still worn by me & in solid condition.

[RMAllnutt]

APG85... thanks very much for bringing this story to our attention. You are indeed correct that this airframe should be preserved well above others of it's kind, and it's really very sad what has been allowed to happen to her. I had no idea she was still flyable at such a recent date. It seems a crime that she has been allowed to fall into such a state in so short a time. Not sure if there's anything I can do to change that, but I do hope that something positive is done to save at least some of her for posterity. I wish you all the best!

Cheers. Richard