CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The final word is in and the 130th Airlift Wing is now officially the home of the C-130J aircraft. Wing officials have been preparing for the transition for months, but the final and most important piece of the paperwork to make the transition arrived this week with the authorization from the Secretary of the United States Air Force.
“It solidifies the C-130J basing decision for the Air National Guard and puts the final stamp of approval on the 130th Airlift Wing transitioning from flying the H model to the J model C-130,” said Colonel Patrick Chard of the 130th.
The move modernizes the 130th fleet and sets its future in stone for another three decades or more at McLaughlin Air Base and Yeager Airport in Charleston.
“This means we’ll go from flying aircraft that are 25 years old to flying brand new J-Model aircraft, the equivalent of what our active duty counterparts are flying. It also further solidifies the 130th Airlift Wing’s mission at Yeager Airport and our connection to the community for the next 20 to 30 years,” Char added.
The news comes as great comfort to those around Charleston and Kanawha County. Back in 2005, the community came extremely close to losing the wing and the base through the BRAC Commission. A coordinated fight, led by then U.S. Senator Robert Byrd protected the base’s standing and saved it from closing.
With the most modern cargo aircraft in the fleet coming to Charleston, the 130th personnel have a lot of work to do. According to Chard they are physically ready with facilities to take on the planes which should start arriving in the next few months. However, there will be an extremely steep learning curve for personnel and the training will be intense.
“You’re going from an analog aircraft to a flying computer. The training for our air crew and maintenance personnel is very substantial,” he said.
Pilots will spend five months training at Little Rock Air Force Base. The initial cadre of training has already gotten underway and training for other crew members and the maintenance personnel is now starting and will be substantial according to Chard.
“Our conversion process itself will take roughly three years,” he said.
The old C-130 Hercules models will not be headed to the boneyard though. The aircraft, which have been the backbone over the skies of West Virginia for many years, still have life. They’ll be transferred to the Connecticut and Montana Air National Guards.
The C-130J is already in the fleet of the California and Rhode Island Air National Guard. West Virginia joins the Texas and Kentucky Air National Guard as the newest to base the J-Model aircraft.