One of the seven Coast Guard HC-130Hs that may eventually be transferred to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), Coast Guard number 1714, returned to Sacramento McClellan Airport this month. The last time it was seen there was quite some time ago when it was still in Coast Guard livery. When it flew in from Ogden, UT on November 2 it had been stripped of paint. It is likely that the aircraft had been under the care of the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group at Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base.
Mike McKeig got a photo of 1714 at the end of an engine run on November 17, two days before it departed for Roswell, New Mexico.
If the Air Force completes the maintenance and conversion into air tankers as Congress required in legislation passed December 20, 2013, the seven Coast Guard HC-130H aircraft will be transferred to CAL FIRE. They were originally destined for the U.S. Forest Service to be government-owned and privately-operated. But oddly, the agency lost interest and now they will be regifted to CAL FIRE if the Air Force follows through as required. Actually, all seven are still property of the Coast Guard and won’t be transferred over until all of the work is done. In the meantime, CAL FIRE is using at least one to train crews. At news conferences they take every opportunity to have one with the new CAL FIRE livery featured prominently in the background.
But, by golly, that’s a heck of ramp queen though!
Kinda nteresting we are still blaming the Air Force and granted they have been slow …but 2 things I also see here: the USFS CLEARLY wasn’t ready for any sort of standing up up a Large Transport Category aircraft over the weight of 12,500 pounds nor were they ready for any sort of aircraft infrastructure. “Losing interest” is indicative they weren’t ready even if the USAF put the aircraft ahead for IRAN work. Congress probably could have pressured Big Blue but in my mind, Big USFS wasn’t ready and there were other C130 aircraft in the 20 year war that needed to be rotated through Depot. But, the USAF stripped the paint ….so in Government speed….that was pretty quick….
Part of the problem was…
Those folks at depot have yo answer to generals when the USAF aircraft get delayed.
The USFS didn’t have much pull politically with the USAF.