Four decades have elapsed since the U.S. Air Force issued its original design specification, yet the C-130 remains in production.
The initial production model was the C-130A, with four Allison turboprop engines. A total of 219 were ordered and deliveries began in December 1956.
The C-130B introduced Allison T56-A-7 turboprop engines and the first of 134 aircraft of this model entered USAF service in May 1959. Introduced in August of 1962, the 389 C-130Es that were ordered used the same Allison T56-A-7 engine, but added two 1,290 gallon external fuel tanks and an increased maximum takeoff weight capability.
In June of 1974, the first of 308 C-130Hs were delivered, with the more powerful Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engine. Nearly identical to the C-130E externally, the new engine brought major performance improvements to the aircraft.
The latest C-130 to be produced, the C-130J, entered the inventory in February 1999. With the noticeable difference of a six-bladed composite propeller coupled to a Rolls-Royce AE2100D3 turboprop engine, the C-130J brings substantial performance improvements over all previous models. The C-130J-30, a stretch version with a 15-foot fuselage extension, increases the capabilities even more.
Four decades have passed since the U.S. Air Force issued its original design specification, yet the C- 130 remains in production to this day. The original product model was the C- 130A, with four Allison turboprop engines. A total of 219 were ordered and deliveries began in December 1956. The C- 130B introduced Allison T56-A-7 turboprop powerplants and the first of 134 aircraft of this model entered USAF service in May 1959. Introduced in August of 1962, the 389 C- 130Es that were ordered used the same Allison T56-A-7 engines, but added two,290 gallon external tanks and an increased outside takeoff weight capability. In June of 1974, the first of 308 C- 130Hs were delivered, with the more important Allison T56-A-15 turboprop powerplants. Nearly identical to the C- 130E externally, the new transport brought major performance advancements to the aircraft. The last Model C- 130 to be produced, the C- 130J, entered the force in February 1999. With the conspicuous difference of a six- bladed compound propeller coupled to a Rolls- Royce AE2100D3 turboprop engines, the C- 130J brings substantial performance advancements over all former models. The C- 130J- 30, a stretch interpretation with a 15- bottom fuselage extension, increases the capabilities more than previous variants.
The C- 130 Hercules primarily performs the Non Strategic portion of the airlift contingent of any Air Force. The aircraft is able of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the Go-to transport for airdropping supplies and equipment into hostile areas. The C- 130 operates throughout the U.S. Air Force, serving with Air Mobility Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command, fulfilling a wide range of functional operations in both peace and wartime situations. The C- 130 is also a crucial transport aircraft in the air forces of numerous countries, including France, Egypt, Pakistan, Spain, Kuwait, the UAE and further.
Pima Air Museum C-130 Hercules
C-130A Hercules
Serial Number: 57-0457
Current Markings: 118th Tactical Airlift Wing, Tennessee Air National Guard, Nashville, 1989
C-130 D
Serial Number 57-0493
Current markings: 109th Tactical Airlift Group, New York Air National Guard, Schenectady County Airport, New York, 1984
Role: To support the “DEW Line” early-warning radar sites located on the far northern ice cap. this C-130 Is Equipped with skis able to land on Polar Ice Caps and Other Cold weather Environments.
F-14A Tomcat BU#160684 (NL-211) — Pima Air And Space Museum
Written By Dan Rivera
Walk around video of the Pima Air Museum F-14 Tomcat (Above)
Video Courtesy Of Marc0 Antonio Avila MarktownUSA and Fans Of the Pima Air and Space Museum Admin
Photos of BU#160684 (NL-211) Operational:
In Flight
In Flight #2
At an Unknown Airshow #1
At an Unknown Airshow #2
At an Unknown Airshow #3
At an Unknown Airshow #4
F-14 Tomcat History
It was 1960, additionally, the Soviets were developing a family of long-range formidable cruise missiles that may be launched from ships, submarines, and aircraft. These missiles flew quickly and at low altitudes which made them ideal for targeting US Navy carriers. A sufficiently sizable amount of these missiles could overwhelm the foremost of any advanced air defenses of that time. The US Navy also lacked a Long-range fighter with a sufficient weapon load and range to intercept and destroy these Soviet missiles and aircraft before they got too close to the carrier group. This made them realize the need for a fighter that can fly long-range mission necessary from the carrier and intercept Soviet bombers and missiles before enemy aircraft could engage the battle group.
In 1962, the present long F-111 of the USAF was re-designated because the F-111B was evaluated to be a newly armed fighter to fulfill this role thanks to its long-range and serious weapons load. However, it had been simply too heavy and its deck multiple too large at over 85,000 pounds to be a Naval fighter. It had been too clumsy as a fighter and it had development issues in this arena resulting is pilot losses during testing It was canceled in 1968 and therefore the US Navy proceeded to (research) for a specifically designed new fighter for Fleet-Air Defense and Carrier Operations. Thus in 1968, Grumman was awarded the contract to be the vender to make a next-generation air superiority fighter for the U.S. Navy. It had to fly at speeds faster than Mach 2.2, have a wonderful lightness, and be able to perform secondary strike roles. It would deploy the AIM-54 Phoenix ultra-long-range Air to Air missile in conjunction with the long range AWG-9 radar.
Grumman engineers examined wind tunnel models in diverse configurations and eventually the version which became selected had a swing-wing design to manage a range of flight envelopes and dual high-bypass turbojet engines. The specific characteristic of those engines was that they developed close to 40,000 pounds of thrust on an airframe which weighed 42,000 pounds dry yet were economical (for a fighter). This proved to be an excellent format as the area between the engines below the fuselage allowed for carrying the larger AIM-54 Phoenix missile or multiple bombs. This layout required a very tall vertical stabilizer (tail) which could abate adverse yaw motion and provide stability. But hanger height would restrict tail height so Grumman opted for a lower dual tail configuration which complimented the use also of full tail horizontal stabilizers. Roll rate was augmented by spoiler banks on the upper wings. Unlike the Side-By -Side through seating utilized by the pilot and the radar intercept officer in the F-111, the F-14 featured tandem seating for its 2 pilot team which led to additional streamlining of the F-14. The final design selected turned into the Design 303E
Present Day
“Top Gun,” was the Movie that made the F-14 Tomcat famous. The last of the Grumman’s “Cat” collection of Naval Aircraft, which started with the F4F Wildcat in the 1930s The Tomcats entered Service with the U.S Navy aboard the USS Enterprise (with VF-1 & VF-2) in 1974 which started flying a number of the final American combat missions over Vietnam while supplying air cover over Saigon throughout the American evacuation in April 1975. (In this same time-frame, the Shaw of Iran also purchased 78 F-14’s from Grumman via the U.S State Department; these aircraft being delivered by U.S. aircrews to Iran; and Iranian pilots being trained by the same aircrews in the U.S. at NAS Miramar with VF-124. These F-14’s were all delivered slightly before the Shaw of Iran was disposed during the Iranian Revolution.) The Tomcat was retired from U.S. Navy in 2006 because of the growing expenses of operation. The Iranian Air Force has retained their Tomcats in service long beyond their retirement in the United States.
The Pima Air and Space Museum has been instrumental in preserving one of these F-14 Tomcats (BU#160684). This Aircraft is one of the centerpieces of the Museum's collection. The Tomcat that the Pima Air and Space acquired has a a real unique history. However there has also been some speculation about certain facts about this aircraft. Since the Movie Top Gun Made the Tomcat a household name, this aircraft (BU#160684) has been rumored to have appeared in scenes of the movie.
Tomcats Used in the Movie:
The Tower Flyby Scene- Lloyd "Bozo" Abel Flying
The Tower Flyby Scene And the Real Story of Pima Air Museum's F-14 Tomcat
Lloyd Abel aka "Bozo" was one of the actual pilots of this particular Tomcat. He logged 18 flights in this aircraft when attached to VF-111. For those that do not know who Bozo is he is the Tomcat pilot who flew the tower scene where Maverick and Goose Buzz the Tower spilling coffee on the CAG in the Tower. He is the authority on this aircraft and stated that the paint scheme on Pima's Tomcat is authentic and correct. This Aircraft was however at NAS Miramar during the filming of the movie and was not an aircraft used. Bozo, From March 1979 to June 1980, was attached to VF-111 and flew this aircraft as well as the other 16 aircraft in the squadron. He made the USS Kitty Hawk Cruise from June 1979 to March 1980. During Sept 1979 Bozo had punched out of BU# 160672 due to a dual engine failure off the catapult on the 8th of September 1979. After Bozo left the squadron, Pima's F-14 Tomcat would have been at NAS Miramar for Many Years Later.
Nose for (BU#160665) and was painted with the fist and Lightning Bolts on the tail. and 114 (BU#160694) was painted with the diving Falcon on the tail for the entire filming.
Aircraft 104 (BU#160665) was the NAS Miramar Tower Flyby Aircraft, Flown By Lloyd Abel aka "Bozo” (The Tower Flyby With the Coffee Spilling on the Air Boss.), was also the Aircraft us for the carrier Operation scenes from the USS Enterprise. This aircraft also served as the Camera bird which filmed some of the actors and Bozo in actual flight. It also was the aircraft that he flew and filmed Tom Cruise (and 6 other actors) in the cockpit.
Aircraft 114 BUNO#160694 (flown by Ben Schneider) made the scary approach to the boat; the inverted flight; and was used (like 104) when single filming was done for Maverick or Iceman using only one aircraft, which was about 60% of the filming. Ben and Lloyd flew as Iceman (104) and Maverick (114), respectively, when section (2 aircraft) shots were called for about 30% of the filming; some at NAS Miramar off the coast with Clay Lacy and his camera Lear jet; and a large chunk at NAS Fallon. There were several calls for four aircraft about 10% of the filming during the NAS Fallon filming where Bozo brought up two more aircraft (BUNO#160679 & BUNO#160675) from NAS Miramar with pilots Denny Broska & Scott Altman. RIO aircrew were Chuck Lewis, TC Skeels, Rick Moe, and Ken Smith and were often interchanged among the various sorties flown. (Additionally, BUNO#'s 160657 and 160663 were also used on various occasions to cover filming requirements when primary aircraft were unavailable during NAS Miramar shooting.) See photo taken at NAS Fallon during filming.
L-R Back row: Lcdr Lloyd Abel, Lt Rick Moe, Lt Chuck Lewis, Lt T.C. Skeels, and Lt Scott Altman.
L-R Front Row: Lt Denny Broska, Lt Ben Schneider, and Lt Ken Smith.
Photo taken at NAS Fallon during the filming of Top Gun
History of F-14A BU#160684
The F-14 Tomcat was there for the filming of the movie but did not participate in any scenes , and as per Pima's information below:
Built by Grumman Aircraft, Bethpage, New York and delivered to the U.S. Navy on December 8, 1978. December 1978 To Fighter Squadron 111, (VF-111), Naval Air Station Miramar, California. April 1979
Deployed aboard USS Kitty Hawk. February 1980 Returned to Naval Air Station Miramar, California. February 1981
Deployed aboard USS Kitty Hawk. January 1982 Returned to Naval Air Station Miramar, California. April 1982 Unit moved to Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia. November 1982
To Fighter Squadron 124 (VF-124), Naval Air Station Miramar, California. December 1985 To Fighter Squadron 51 (VF-51), Naval Air Station Miramar, California. March 1986
Deployed aboard USS Carl Vinson. February 1987 Returned to Naval Air Station North Island, California with VF-51.
After 1987 To Fighter Squadron 124 (VF-124), Naval Air Station Miramar, California. September 1994
Loaned to Pima Air and Space Museum by the National Naval Aviation Museum.
Special Thanks
I would Like to acknowledge the following people and groups who assisted in helping me research this important article:
The Pima Air and Space Museum for displaying such an awesome significant aircraft in their collection and keeping her in tip top condition and to their restoration team for the same. Please visit them at their website.
Michael Sheriff and the Top Gun Fans Page, where I would not have been able to start my research. This group is dedicated to Top Gun and the fans that grew up on this movie in the 1980's. Please visit their group here.
CJ "Heater" Heatley, author of "The Cutting Edge" book and an actual Top Gun Instructor, for becoming my friend and for putting me in contact with Lloyd " Bozo" Abel. Heater Also Flew With Lloyd "Bozo" Abel In the Back seat Armed wit ha large Panaflex camera to film some of the over water scenes
Lloyd "Bozo" Abel, pilot for the Tower Flyby scene as well as many other scenes in the movie; but specifically as the F-14 Aerial coordinator and for giving me this valuable information on the Museum's F-14 Tomcat.
Matthew Lawlor whose direction and knowledge and history was very invaluable getting the information I needed to research the history of this beautiful aircraft.
Thank You!
Top Gun- Maverick My Thoughts
Top Gun was the Iconic Movie that Every kid my age at the time loved the first movie, however the New Top Gun-Maverick is the new sequel to the franchise. We wanted to be Maverick and we wanted to be Iceman and Viper. Our Pop Culture revolved around " I feel the Need For Speed", "Show me some of that Pilot Shit" and other catch phrases that have lived with us for over 35 years. Naval Recruiting Went through the roof after Top Gun was released. I gather now that with all of the pilot shortages that are going on now, I feel that This will prove a valuable tool again for recruiting new pilots to different aspects of aviation, not just military.
With all of the reboots of movies such as Red Dawn , Midway, The Star Trek franchise as well as the new Firestarter movie that are now out in theaters and DVD, one has to be very skeptical on how Top Gun- Maverick Is going to be played out in theaters after such a long wait for this movie.
This all came full circle on May 24th at 7 pm when I went to see the premiere of the movie with a friend. I was not expecting what I saw. Tom Cruise Said that this was a "Love Letter to aviation", well it most certainly was. The technical aspects have already been picked apart by some of the best aviators, such as Real Top Gun Pilots. Ward Carrol has already stated that the technical inaccuracies in the movie are there however, the movie was very enjoyable.
Now here are my thoughts of the movie.
Since being an Aviation Enthusiast, I give this movie major credit about the aerial scenes and the pains-taking detail to realism for the movie. The Aircraft in the movie ( I wont Spoil it for you) are the real stars of the show. They gave the movie a firm base on what was to happen next. Seeing this in the theater puts a real perspective just like the Original Top Gun Did back in 1986, however we did not have the technology we do today like XD and Imax.
The plot was again in fact....plausible, however not really believable. This I will be very vague on do to the fact that many of you have not yet seen the movie. the Turn of Events for Maverick and crew is one of struggle and strife. As I listen here to "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, this movie reminds me of a childhood that I remember fondly.
The Actors did a wonderful job in playing their parts. The Internal conflicts that arose in the movie were faintly similar but were not exactly the same as the original movie. Tom Cruise did do a wonderful job as well as did the other actors such as Mile Teller and Jennifer Connelly. The Story was well thought out and it gave a sense of urgency for one possible current crisis.
This Movie was definitely not a reboot in any respects. I was very Skeptical about it and I now eat my own opinions and words about Top Gun- Maverick. It kept me on my seat and had a lot of humor to go along with the drama and seriousness. In my Eyes Tom Cruise when he said it was a love letter to Aviation, he meant it. there were many unexpected things that happened in the movie that will surprise you, make you definitely cry and be sad. But the one thing that I go out of this movie was pure enjoyment. Some say this was better than the first Top Gun, I cannot put my own opinions on that one. You will just have to see it for yourself.
Thank you For Reading
Dan
In Memory Of Captain Ted Harduvel
Ted Harduvel was born on 28 October 1947. He was the son of Theodosius Theodore Harduvel who emigrated in the early 1900s from Leonidion and Poulithra in Arcadia district, Peloponnese. He enlisted in the Army to get his citizenship and fought in France during WW1. His mother was Luxembourg and English named Margaret M Cooper. Except for Ted the couple also had another son, John Harduvel, an MIT graduate is an aerospace engineer who worked for McDonnell Douglas, and a sister, Maria, an ultrasound tech living in Chicago. Ted joined the Air Force after his father died in 1971. He was working on his Master's Degree in Physics at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. The Vietnam War was on, Ted had a low draft number, so rather than join the Army, he volunteered for the Air Force. Since he was a college graduate, he went to Officers Training School in 1971 graduating as a distinguished graduate, and got selected for pilot training in 1972. He completed his Undergraduate Pilot Training in Webb AFB Texas and got assigned to fighters at MacDill, FLA, in December 1972 where he took his training on F-4 Phantom. Ted met his wife Janet Sciales (who was also half Greek and half Italian) in March of 1973. He was so proud of his heritage and when he first met his wife he told her that he was a Spartan and that he would come home with his shield or on it, a phrase the Spartan mothers told their sons before going to battle.
He was stationed in Europe at Hahn AFB in Germany from 1973-1977 flying with the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS). It was there that he won Junior Officer of the Quarter. Upon his return to the United States, Ted attended the F-4 Central Instructor School at Homestead AFB, FLA, and F-4 Fighter Weapons School (the TOP GUN Program of the Air Force) in the fall of 1978 at Nellis AFB in Nevada. He came back to ΜacDill in March 1979 as a Fighter Weapons School Graduate and in December of that year, he and Janet had their daughter Kiki born. He got selected for the F-16s in the summer of 1980 and was in the 13th TFS when he won the Top Gun Turkey Shoot competition. During those days he was the wing weapons officer for both F-4 and F-16. He was posted to Korea in March 1982 and joined the 80th FS and won the Top Gun Award there two weeks before he was killed in his F-16.
Captain Harduvel's tragic crash occurred on November 15, 1982, near Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. Harduvel, an experienced military pilot and flight instructor, was leading a flight of three F-16A fighter aircraft on a routine training mission. The other two pilots accompanying Harduvel were Captain David L. Moody, the subject of the training exercise, and Captain Andy C. Denny, who flew behind the other planes in a chase position. The planes were flying at an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet and an airspeed of 480 knots. About eight minutes into the flight, Harduvel radioed the other pilots,
"Knock it off. One has a problem. Two join me. Three continue the route."
After sending this radio message, Harduvel began a hard left-hand turn back toward the direction of the airbase. Before Moody could join up with Harduvel's craft, Harduvel left available clear air and flew into a small cloud. He emerged from this cloud, and then entered a solid cloud bank. Both Moody and Denny testified that at the time they last saw Harduvel's airplane, it appeared to be flying normally. Although there were no witnesses to the final seconds of the flight, Harduvel for some reason became disoriented in the clouds and inadvertently allowed the plane to go into a steep dive. Shortly after turning into the cloud, Harduvel's aircraft hit the back of a mountain ridge at a downward angle of approximately sixty degrees, with wings level. Captain Harduvel was killed and the aircraft almost completely destroyed. Five hours later an Air Force team arrived at the Harduvel home in suburban Tampa. Janet Harduvel opened the door, took one look at the officers’ faces, and asked,
"Am I a widow?"
It was several days before the Airforce could recover remains and confirm that Ted Harduvel had indeed died on that remote Korean hill. At the memorial service, they eulogized a fallen Top Gun. They gave Janet a flag and a medal and announced that they wanted to promote Capt. Theodore Harduvel posthumously to the rank of Major. Then, they labeled the accident "pilot error" placed the blame on a dead man, and quietly swept Ted Harduvel under the rug. Janet couldn't accept it. Ted Harduvel was no rookie. He had more F-16 time than most pilots in the Air Force at the time. He had been an instrument flight instructor and had graduated with honors from the elite Fighter Weapons School, the Air Force equivalent of the Navy’s Top Gun school. In fact, he had graduated near the top of his class in everything he had ever done. She decided to fight so as to clear her husband's name. Ted’s crash dealt a sobering blow to other Air Force pilots. They realized that, if someone with the "Gamble's" ability could die in the F-16, so could they. Almost as soon as Ted Harduvel was buried, Janet began hearing from other pilots that there was a coverup by the Air Force involved in his death. As early as the first report the Air Force was pointing to pilot error. Because Ted had died in a smoking hole on a rainy day, halfway around the world it wasn't expected that an independent investigation would be conducted.
The lawyer who would help Janet was Howard Acosta helped by lawyers and aircraft accident investigators Sam Taylor and Myron Papadakis, an ex USN carrier pilot and also a Greek American. Actually, Sam Taylor was Myron's mentor regarding accident investigations. According to the latter:
"I felt drawn to Ted Harduvel and I identified with him. Like me, he was a Greek, the son of a Greek immigrant. His widow was half-Greek and the combination brought memories of my father and his struggles as a young immigrant in New York. It summoned the memory of my father telling me to “never turn your back on another Greek if you can help him." At age 42, I was confronted with just such a chance".
Janet was willing to fight to the end. She told Papadakis:
"If you believe the Air Force,” said Janet, “then Top Gun forgot all his training. He forgot how to fly instruments, he forgot everything he had learned in 11 years of flying and he got incredibly stupid instantly. I'll tell you, I just don't believe that. Do you?"
That was a start of a battle that she wasn't willing to lose.
Above: After returning from overseas duty in Hahn AFB, Germany, Ted Harduvel became an F-4 Phantom instructor in Homestead AFB and also graduated from the USAF FWS in Nellis AFB. He then posted in MacDill AFB and specifically in 13th TFS which at the time had training duties for Phantom crews. During his days as a "Panther", he won the Top Gun Turkey Shoot competition. Note his FWS patch at his shoulder as well as his flying helmet decoration with the 13 and the "Panther" claws. (Gerrit Kok collection and Janet Sciales)
Middle: Ted in a happy mood in front of the 10th TFS squadron insignia, in Hahn AFB, Germany, during his first overseas deployment. (Janet Sciales)
Below: U.S. Air Force flight line personnel of the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hahn Air Base, Germany, waiting for snowy conditions to clear before guiding a McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II aircraft out onto the runway during exercise "Salty Rooster" on 15 April 1978. The F-4E is equipped with an AN/ALQ-119 jamming pod. (USAF)
Left: A 31st TFW F-4E Phantom waits for the next training mission at Homestead AFB. Harduvel became an F-4E instructor while based there. Homestead AFB was also the place where the first Hellenic Air Force Phantom crews trained, before the delivery of the "Peace Icarus" F-4Es during 1974. (Eric Tamer)
Above: F-16A Block 15D, #810692 was the fighter in which the Greek American pilot lost his life due to electrical problems on his jet, during a low-level training mission near Taejon, South Korea. The first major change in the F-16, the Block 15 aircraft featured larger horizontal stabilizers, the addition of two hardpoints to the chin inlet, an improved AN/APG-66(V)2 radar, and increased capacity for the underwing hardpoints. Block 15 also gained the Have Quick II secure UHF radio. To counter the additional weight of the new hardpoints, the horizontal stabilizers were enlarged by 30%. Block 15 is the most numerous variant of the F-16, with 983 produced. The last one was delivered in 1996 to Thailand. According to Myron Papadakis: "In my opinion, the outcome blaming Ted was an absolute must to ensure continued sales... over time the F-16 electrical problems and insulation problems were corrected. Many lost ac and several deaths... now it is a mature and reliable agile lightweight fighter. In 1982 it was beset with electrical problems." Who knows. Maybe Theodore Harduvel loss was also the reason those problems to be solved and the F-16 become the main fighter used by NATO and allied Air Forces today. (Tom Cooper)
Above: Myron Philippos “Pappy” Papadakis was born In New York, NY in 1940. He was the son of an immigrant Greek who came to the USA alone at age 16, served in the Army as a drill instructor in WWI. Obtained a Ph.D. Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University and retired as a research chemist after years as a Professor Emeritus. (Dr. Phillipos E. Papadakis). Pappy graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Nebraska in 1963, served as a US Navy Officer, Navy carrier Pilot, and second tour Navy Research and Development Test Pilot. He then flew both domestic and international for Delta Airline Inc. He has Captained B737, B727, B757, B767, Lockheed TriStar, and Boeing 767-400NG aircraft. His logbook shows 23,500+ accident-free flight hours in 40 different aircraft. He has landed aboard aircraft carriers. (Shang Ri La CV38, CVs Lake Champlain39, CVs Essex 9, CVsWasp11, and CVs Lexington16.) Pappy attended Law school graduating with a Juris Doctorate degree in 1974. He has published extensively including two reference Legal textbooks and over 40 professional journal articles. In his lifetime he has evaluated, investigated, or helped litigate over 450 separate aircraft accidents. The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) awarded him their yearly 2013 Jerome Lederer International Air Safety Award signifying technical excellence in Aircraft Accident Investigation. In his spare time, Papadakis has taught Aviation Law and Product Liability Law from 1980 through 2018. The ISASI award suggests Pappy is a very experienced air Safety Investigators.
In 1985, Harduvel's widow filed a lawsuit against General Dynamics claiming an electrical malfunction, not a pilot error, as the cause. A jury awarded the plaintiff $3.4 million in damages. She and her lawyers proved that wire chafing was responsible for Ted's death. Air Force knew of wire chafing by 1979 or 1980, well before Harduvel's crash in 1982. Indeed, much of General Dynamics' knowledge of wire chafing came from Air Force field reports. Even if General Dynamics shared knowledge of chafing, it failed to inform the Air Force of the "seriousness" of the chafing problem, causing the Air Force to take insufficient preventive measures. A maintenance training film, which states that uncorrected chafing problems can lead to "disastrous" consequences. Because the film was released to the Air Force only after Harduvel's crash, Janet and her lawyers contend that General Dynamics at that time was withholding knowledge of the true seriousness of the chafing problem, specifically that chafing could lead to a fatal loss of aircraft. General Dynamics presented uncontradicted evidence that there had been no reports of a crash caused by chafing, and no reports of navigation instrument failure due to chafing, and no reports of a fire in the right strake area of an F-16 and convinced the judge that he could not be blamed for. However, it’s common sense that such an incident could occur and might happen in Ted's case. Air Force technical orders concerning inspections for chafing reveal that the government was aware of the seriousness of the problem. For example, TCTO-1078, in which the Air Force mandated inspections for chafing at 100-hour intervals, listed numerous areas that must be inspected, including essential aircraft systems and the very right strake panels on which Janet's lawyer evidence focused. The order stated that " [f]ailure to accomplish this inspection may result in loss of one or more systems caused by a chafed harness." This order was issued in September 1982, over two months prior to Harduvel's crash. Technical order 1F-16A-508, dated March 22, 1982, warned that chafing could lead to electrical shorting. Rl6-104. Other technical orders in Exhibit 48-E similarly warn that failure to accomplish them may result in electrical shorts and loss of aircraft systems.
In 1989, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the contractor had immunity to lawsuits, overturning the previous judgment. The court remanded the case to the trial court "for entry of judgment in favor of General Dynamics". The final decision was based upon Boyle v. United Technologies Corp case in 1988. The Court recognized that in certain areas of "uniquely federal interests," state law must be preempted, and if necessary replaced, by federal common law. One such area of uniquely federal interest is the government's procurement of military hardware. The Court grounded the contours of the defense in the "discretionary function" exception to the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2680(a), that protects the United States from liability for its agents' performance of duties involving discretionary decisions. 108 S.Ct. at 2514-2518. Without the defense, the government's own tort immunity for its discretionary functions would be undermined. Contractors held liable for design features that were the subject of discretionary approval by the government would predictably pass on the costs of liability, ultimately imposing costs on the government that its immunity was intended to preclude. Although the case closed in favor of General Dynamics, Janet's cause was justified when the Air Force admitted that the accident was not Ted's fault and his military file remained clean. Ted was a real TOP GUN within USAF with numerous distinctions and awards and that was beyond doubt. A true Spartan left this world upon his shield of steel, the venerable F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Left: Theodosius Hardouvel (Hardouvelis) poses with his military uniform during WW1. Like many first-generation Greek Americans he joined the US Army in order to get American citizenship and if survived to get his own share in the American dream. (Janet Sciales)
Middle: Janet Sciales Harduvel and her daughter Kiki in front of an F-16 Fighting Falcon, the fighter which took Ted's life due to fault caused by wire chaffing. F-16 was the first USAF jets equipped with the new Fly By Wire Technology and before becomes a stable fighter had plenty of problems during his operational debut. Regarding Myron Papadakis, Janet wrote to the Greeks in Foreign Cockpits team: "The lawyer who was the best wingman anyone could ever have, who relentlessly pursued General Dynamics for us is also Greek - Myron Papadakis - he was a Navy fighter pilot. He got an amazing amount of information that helped our case from another Greek pilot he met while investigating my case in Salt Lake City. I do not remember the guy's name, but he and I laughed to ourselves about the "Greek mafia" and the honor code we Greeks live by and so we have to stick together."
Right: Afterburn movie was an HBO production which brought Ted's case and the Janets fight to clear her husband's military file from blaming him for the accident with his F-16 in South Korea. The protagonists were Laura Dern, Robert Loggia, and Vincent Spano.
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Thunder And Lightning Over Arizona Airshow Week Is Here!
Airshows are a great way to see our military in action. It is also a good way to get inspired for Adults and Children. It bonds families and they are all around a blast to watch in person. The aircraft and military hardware and capabilities that are displayed are of the best in the world.
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is home of the A-10 Thunderbolt II. DM Hosts the EC-130 Compass Call Aircraft as Well as A CSAR Contingent for Search and Rescue. The Capabilities at this Air Force Base are quite awesome. Of course we cannot forget about the "Boneyard" where thousands of aircraft are flown in to either be reclaimed or stored for future sale or reactivation.
The airshow experience is a tradition as football is to sports. Walking around with Cameras, binoculars checking out all of the flying acts is a surreal experience. Watching the aircraft fly and the performers do amazing things is awe inspiring.
This weekend will be no exception. It will be one of the largest Airshows on the West Coast. My experience with airshows dates back to my younger years when I first went to an airshow in Niagara Falls and In Schenectady N.Y. Watching the U.S Navy Blue Angels and their A-4 Skyhawks. Unfortunately my Second Airshow was Very Tragic and we lost LtCdr. Bob Gershon at the Niagara Falls International Airport. (See Video Below)
I remember when Lt Andy Caputi bailed out of his aircraft and seeing his Skyhawk Plummet in a flat spin in front of us. To me being a kid seeing that had a big effect on me, however did not deter me from ever watching an airshow again. Since I am a big aviation enthusiast , I continue to go to airshows no matter where they are and if I have money to travel to the airshow sites. It is the thrill of seeing everything going on.
That's why the November 6 and 7th 2021 is going to be a great weekend. Here is what is going on and the schedule of who is going to be there and flying.
Schedule:
November 6-7, 2021 Davis-Monthan Air Force Base 3100 S. Craycroft Road. Tucson, AZ 85707
SCHEDULE
Please note the schedule is the same for both Saturday and Sunday
Parking, gates and static displays open 8:30 AM
Flying begins 10:30 AM
Flying ends 4:30 PM
Static ramp closes 4:30 PM
Performers: (Specific times and order of performers will not be released by the air show)
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo Team
U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II Demo Team
U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet Demo Team
U.S. Air Force Desert Lightning CSAR Demo
U.S. Navy Parachute Team “The Leap Frogs”
Vicky Benzing
Kent Pietsch
Kirby Chambliss
Red Bull Helicopter – Aaron Fitzgerald
Red Bull Skydivers
Joe Shetterly – RV/8
Tom Larkin – Mini Jet Airshows
B-17 Flying Fortress “Sentimental Journey”
B-25 Mitchell “Semper Fi”
F6F Hellcat
Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero
Douglas C-47 “Old Number 30” Aftershock Jet Fire Truck
*Performers and aircraft are subject to change or cancel without notice.
So when you come out to enjoy the many flying acts, please bear in mind on ways to be safe as well as be very aware of your surroundings while having fun. It is an experience like no other. Let's Roll.
