"OLD TACAMO"

The webpage dedicated to the aircraft of "OLD TACAMO"   For 30 years, from December of 1963 to August of 1993 these US Navy model EC-130G and EC-130Q kept silent watch over America. For almost 20 years they flew non-stop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week "Just in Case".      Most are but a memory on paper in the Naval Historical Archives and in the minds and hearts of the Crews that flew them and the Maintainers that kept them in the air. A lucky two still live on flying as civilians, two enjoy retirement as displays to the dedication of the people of the US Navy that stood the watch ready to answer the call that never came.   Contact the webmaster at: tacamowebmaster@yahoo.com     Visitors since 01 August 2000       From: Captain Vern Lochausen, USN (Retired) Sun, 6 Jun 2004 I was looking at the web site and am very glad that some TACAMO Sailors care as much as I do about preserving the history of what we all did to help win the Cold War. I recently listened to Senior Chief Mike Shook say it better than I could at his retirement. He said that what it meant to be a TACAMO Sailor in the Cold War was to be on alert, get the call and rush out the aircraft, not knowing if this was it, the real thing, the time when we would have to do what we trained to do and know that having done that the world and life as we knew it would not be the same again and yet we did and would go and do just that. His son, a young airman just starting in TACAMO was a part of the presentation of Old Glory to the Senior. About the patch on the website, I wanted to give credit for it. LT Luke Caron was in VQ-3 at Barbers Point, HI in the late 1980s and was one of our finest Herc pilots when we trying our best to bring on the Merc. The Boeing testing of the Merc at the redline airspeed found that with full rudder deflection put in quickly in both directions, parts of the vertical tail came off. This was outside the envelope but part of Boeing's policy to test to the limits. The fix for this delayed the introduction of the Merc's to TACAMO and so Luke and several other Herc crews got PLE'd to maintain airborne coverage in place of the Merc crews that could go up yet, due to no aircraft. Luke came into my office one afternoon and hesitatingly asked me if I would allow the patch. My HERC heritage was running hot and of course I agreed. They sold like hot cakes in December. Herc crews carried the load in VQ-3 until the last one went home and in 1990 VQ-3 became an "all Merc" squadron. Warm regards to all those TACAMO Sailors, Vern       Navigation Links to the Old TACAMO webpage EC-130's that are:   Still Flying On Display Mishaps Spare Parts Sold By the Numbers Davis-Monthan 1995 Information & Credit Wheelin-n-Dealin Miscellaneous   Please visit the TACAMO Survivors webpage! www.tacamo.org         New info added 13 Oct 05   Three TACAMO birds sold!!   Three ex-US Navy EC-130Q aircraft (owned by Maurice Skinazi) have reportedly been sold to the KLU (Royal Netherlands Air Force).   All three are currently stored at the ARM/DMI yard in Tucson, AZ.   Two are to be made flight worthy while one is to be used for  spare parts.   Derco Aerospace was involved in the sale.   The three TACMO Hercs are: EC-130Q 159469 FAA N54595 C/N 4595 EC-130Q 160608 FAA N14781 C/N 4781   EC-130Q 162313 FAA N9239G C/N 4988   4781 and 4988 are going to the Netherlands, 4595 is the parts source (for now).   The two "fliers" will most likely be converted to current C-130H standards.   There is talk of replacing the analogue instruments of the current two RNAF C-130H-30s for digital ones.   If this happens 4781 and 4988 will also undergo this programme.   Both C-130Qs are intended to ultimately replace four Fokker F60 Utility aircraft which are essentially cargodoor-fitted,  lengthened transport versions of the well-known Fokker 50 commuter/regional propliner...   162313 as of Oct 05     New info added 14 July 05     From Bob Daley: 161223 is about to be scrapped.