The Royal Air Force (RAF) has more than 60 years of experience flying the Hercules, but as 47 Squadron Flt Lt Peter Marshall explains, the key to effective, safe operations is constant practice.
“The C-130J is a real pilot’s aircraft. It isn’t fly-by-wire like most modern large aircraft are, it’s something like a giant Cessna, but with 19,000hp! At low level the aircraft handles superbly.” So says Flt Lt Peter Marshall, a 47 Squadron Hercules pilot and flight safety officer, adding: “Although, operating effectively at low altitude in a large aircraft requires a level of crew co-operation – crew resource management – rarely seen in other environments.”
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