Cardiff International Airport Update

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Having made their last operational flights on 25 October, the final two of 66 Hercules C-130K transport aircraft delivered to the RAF – Hercules C3As XV177, callsign “Reynard 1” and XV214 “Reynard 2” – touched down at MOD St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, on Tuesday 29 October 2013 for storage and potential onward sale.

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The arrival of these aircraft brought to an end an exceptional 46 years of RAF C-130K service and the two aircraft joined a further six examples that had earlier entered storage.

Notable amongst the eight aircraft is XV177 which, despite being the second aircraft in the initial batch of aircraft ordered, was the first of 66 examples to be delivered to the RAF, being handed over on 19 December 1966, and as such, it is fitting that she was one of the last pair to be retired.

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The numbers of C-130Ks in RAF service had slowly dwindled over the last 12 years with early disposals to Lockheed Martin in part exchange for new C-130Js being some of the first to leave the RAF; a small number of these subsequently saw service with the Mexican Air Force, whilst later disposals entered service with the Air Forces of Austria and Sri Lanka.

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The eight stored aircraft (XV177, 188, 196, 200, 209, 214, 295 and 303) comprise a selection of C1s, 3s and 3As, a number of which had been modified for a range of special operations with provision for an array of defensive aids, sensor systems and Enhanced Vision System modifications evident on the airframes.

Whether these airframe modifications will have an effect on the viability of a future operator adding any of the ex-RAF examples to their fleets, or whether they are subsequently broken down for spares use, remains to be seen.

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In addition to the aircraft stored at St Athan, XV208, ex-converted Met Research Flight W2 and latterly test airframe for the A400M’s EuroProp TP400 turboprop engine at Cambridge and C3 XV202 are the only remaining C-130Ks in the UK.

XV202 was accepted by the RAF Museum, Cosford on the 19th September 2013 and is now on external display.

Clearly the task of maintaining an aircraft of this size is a substantial one and as such it is doubtful that any others of the marque will be preserved in the UK.

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XV202 at the RAF Museum, Cosford
 
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ZD704 BAe.125 CC.3 .. arrived by road from Brize Norton on 20/11/13. This was substantially damaged in a severe hail storm at Kandahar, Afghanistan. It may be with 71(IR)Sqn for damage assessment.

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ZD-704 RRR1435 "Ascot 1435" 32(TR)Sqn HS125 CC.3 ZD704 seen at CWL on June 25, 2012
 
Tuesday 23 April 2013 a BAe-125 CC3 liaison jet of the Royal Air Force (RAF) sustained substantial damage in a hail storm at Kandahar Airport (KDH), Afghanistan.

On Oct. 17, 2013, members of the USAF's 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron helped to move the damaged plane for transport back to England where it will be reconstructed or used for parts.

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BAe-125 CC3 (HS-125-700)Photographer:U.S. Air Force; Senior Airman Jack Sanders
Registration:ZD704Date:17 October 2013
Operator:Royal Air Force - RAFTaken at:Kandahar Airport (KDH)
Fuselage moved for transport to U.K.
 

UK reveals full extent of Afghan hail damage in storm on 23 April 2013​

Published: 14 Jan 2015

A freak hailstorm that struck southern Afghanistan in 2013 cost the UK government nearly GBP13 million (USD20 million) in damaged aircraft, IHS Jane's has learned.

The figure, which was received on 13 January via a freedom of information (FoI) request, represents the sum total of repair work that was carried out to 12 aircraft that were damaged to varying degrees in the hailstorm that hit Kandahar Airfield on 23 April 2013.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), five Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft sustained Category 3 and 4 damage, which was repaired to the tune of GBP9.1 million (Category 1 damage is classed as the aircraft being repairable within first-line capabilities, with Category 5 being the aircraft considered beyond economic repair); one BAe (Hawker) 125, and one BAe 146 liaison/transport aircraft sustained GBP1.736 million in Category 3 and Category 4 damage respectively (plus GBP1.37 million in contracted maintenance work); and three Boeing Chinook, one AgustaWestland Lynx AH.9A, and one Westland Sea King HC.4 helicopter received GBP386,500 in damage.

However, as noted by the MoD, while most of the aircraft were repaired and returned to service, the BAe 125 liaison jet was later assessed to be beyond economic repair and scrapped.

In addition, the Sea King has been subsequently retired from service.

No Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft or General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles that were also located at Kandahar Airfield were affected in the incident.

While the MoD declined to comment on non-UK assets that may have been damaged, it has previously been reported that eight Afghan Air Force 208B Grand Caravan utility aircraft were damaged to the tune of USD8.4 million, and that three Afghan civilians were killed.

An undisclosed number of US Air Force aircraft were also said to have been damaged, although the service has declined to comment.

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COMMENT​

The hailstorm at Kandahar Airfield arguably caused more damage to coalition aircraft in the space of a few minutes than the Taliban managed in 13 years of warfare (notwithstanding the attack on Camp Bastion in which seven US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jets were destroyed), and is a salutary reminder of the power of nature and the importance of safeguarding against unexpected weather occurrences.
 
As a result of a freak hailstorm in Kandahar on April 23rd 2013 a number of British aircraft were severely damaged.

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A storm moved through southern Afghanistan April 23, causing damage to a number of Coalition aircraft at Kandahar Airfield. ISAF has already implemented actions to mitigate the effects of the storm and our forces continue to receive all necessary support.

It was reported at the time that over 80 aircraft of various types were damaged.

For the UK, the roll call included Chinook, Lynx and Sea King Helicopters, C130J’s, a HS125 from the communications fleet and one of the BAe 146 C3‘s, newly delivered the day before.

The repairs to the 5 damaged Hercules were carried out under the Hercules Integrated Operational Support contract with Lockheed Martin and Marshall Aerospace and Defence in Cambridge. 4 were repaired in the UK and 1 in theatre.

The BAE 146C3 was returned to the UK for repairs and from other reports, the HS125 was written off.

The figures for helicopters have yet to be released.

We should also note the role played by 71 Inspection and Repair Squadron, based at St Athan.

That was an expensive hailstorm, with writing the HS125 off, repairs to the C130 and BAE146, plus the yet to be confirmed repair costs to the Chinook, Sea King and Lynx types, would anyone bet against the total repair bill coming in at under £20m?

This also exposes perfectly, the issue of reducing numbers, in future, if 5 A400M Atlas were so damaged, that would be over a fifth of the entire fleet.

The same calculations could easily apply to frigates or tanks.

Numbers count.
 
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Horizon Aircraft Services (formally Hunter Flying Ltd)

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Moved in from Exeter in December 2011 and are based in one of the hangars nearest St.Athan village.

They provide hangarage and maintenance support to the Red Star Rebels and based private a/c and carry out long/short term maintenance/restoration work.

Renamed in 10/13.

The following are aircraft on restoration, maintenance and storage only in 2013
 
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