A good friend who is a Nevada Air National Guardsman invited me to participate in a PR flight on a C-130. That plane has been is use, albeit with improvements, since 1952. It is a tried and true mainstay cargo mover and quite impressive both outside and in.
The base is at Reno/Tahoe Airport on 83 acres and also serves as the areas primary fire fighting air support with retardant container C 130 configurations. They have gotten their share of use in recent years.
After a comprehensive flight briefing, the group boarded two C-130s through the deployed cargo rear cargo doors to be seated on fold down jump seats. There are a few windows but most inaccessible and walking around isn't advised.
The crew was great and helpful to those who couldn't stomach the rough bumpy flight to Pyramid Lake and back. I was one of the lucky ones who threw up. I was a pilot and experienced rough air before but this was a roller coaster ride with big drops, sways and sudden altitude rises. The weather was windy and worse when we flew low near the lake. It was still magnificent viewing when mid-flight the rear cargo doors was opened…a real thrill. Here are a few pics:
