US Air Force Captain fly's Aussie Medevac

By way of introduction, in 1966, I was a US Air Force Captain, and Flight Examiner Pilot for the Lockheed C-130E Hercules. At that time I had about 5,700 hours total flying experience of which 3,100 hours in the Hercules taking part in a world wide mission with USAF MAC (Military Airlift Command). I was selected for Exchange Duty with the RAAF and assigned to RAAF Richmond, NSW. At the time, 37 Squadron, under command of Wg Cdr Ron McKimm, was in the process of receiving their brand new C-130E Hercules. I arrived in Australia in January 1967.

As I understand the politics of the time, Qantas (or some other Boeing 707) and the RAAF HQ and Army Medical HQ were hotly debating the pros and cons of air lifting wounded Australian soldiers from RAAF Station Vung Tau, Vietnam, back to Sydney. Qantas would have to especially configure one of their aircraft to carry medical patients. Medium/ heavy jets could not operate out of the short field at Vung Tau. That would require the soldiers to be transported to Saigon to board the jet aircraft. Further, altitude restrictions to maintain a lower cabin altitude were placed on the flights by Medical Doctors. That restriction required the jets to fly at an operational altitude much lower than the normal. The low altitude restriction forced an enroute refueling stop - some where between Vung Tau and Richmond.

By contrast, the Hercules could easily operate into and out of Vung Tau. The Hercules was designed as a military cargo aircraft, with equipment designed and built in specifically to quickly convert to a MedEvac aircraft. The Hercules would carry a full MedEvac flight crew, all their necessary equipment, plus a large load of cargo into Vung Tau, reconfigure to a MedEvac and depart 2 hours after arrival. The Hercules would then make a short flight to RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia, which had a fully staffed medical facility capable of caring for any patient who for some unexpected reason did not tolerate the flight conditions. The altitude restriction posed little problem as a prop jet normally flys at a lower altitude than a pure jet aircraft. The MedEvac flight was planned so as to arrive at Butterworth in the afternoon and depart the following evening for a night flight to RAAF Richmond. In addition to being the normal sleep time for the patients, the night flight had further advantage of cooler temperatures for better aircraft performance. The distance from RAAF Butterworth overhead Singapore and Darwin to RAAF Richmond was just about the maximum safe limit for the Hercules - there was little room for error. The flight could stop at Darwin to refuel and be on its way in about one hour - but that was not the plan.

Sdn Ldr Roger Bateson was the Captain (Aircraft and Mission Commander). Because of my extensive long range experience I was assigned as a copilot for the mission.

After a normal flight with stops at Darwin and Butterworth we arrived in Vung Tau on February 27, 1967. As cargo was being unloaded, patients began to arrive by ambulance and helicopter. They were placed in air conditioned ambulances positioned on the ramp near the Hercules. As soon as the cargo was unloaded the aircraft was reconfigured, patients loaded and we departed - on time - for an uneventful flight to Butterworth.

The next evening at base operations, while Sdn Leader Bates and the navigator filed the flight plan, Butterworth to Richmond, I looked over the posted NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen). One notice, amongst many of insignificant nature, advised of a "Purple Flight" enroute to Singapore. That did not ring the bell that it should have. After all this was Malaysia, half way round the world from Europe. At the last possible moment the refueling crew pushed, in the evening coolness, every possible gallon of fuel into the Hercules. Soon, with our precious cargo of troops comfortably settled in we cranked up the Hercules and quickly taxied to the runway. I called for our flight clearance only to be informed by the Control Tower Operator that there was a "Purple Flight" bound for Singapore at the altitude we requested and we would have to delay our take-off about 14 minutes. In the very most forceful voice I could muster, I replied, "Advise the Purple Flight this is Medical Evacuation Flight and by international aeronautical rules I am demanding my right to that altitude. We are not prepared to wait." By the time we reached the runway, the Control Tower Operator came back with our clearance approved as requested and we were cleared for immediate takeoff. And so began the long flight to Richmond. Over Darwin, all looked good to go on. Landing at Richmond, we had covered at total distance of 3886 nautical miles (7,150 Km) and 14 hours 10 minutes flying time, arriving with about 50 minutes fuel remaining (10 minutes to spare) - safely within our limit. The Hercules proved it could do the job. 52 soldiers were home.

The next day Wg Cmd McKimm called me into his office and rather curtly asked me about the flight. After I recounted the flight as being very uneventful, he said the Base Commander had called to find out about the flight and that he had received a telephone call earlier from HRH Prince Phillip who was visiting Sydney. Prince Phillip commented that he had been run off his altitude as he approached Singapore by a RAAF aircraft. Prince Phillip was at the controls flying an RAF aircraft at the time.

OOH !! ---- that Purple Flight - the code for a flight carrying a Royal personage who had priority over all --- except an aerial MedEvac.

Prince Phillip was gracious to tell the Base Commander the Med Evac had every right to any airspace it needed, anyway he was so close to Singapore it made little difference. He was not concerned about being run off his altitude rather being genuinely concerned in the long MedEvac flight and the welfare of the troops.

As an aside, if you are old enough to remember Prince Phillip's visit to Sydney in 1966; while the Prince was visiting the construction site of the Sydney Opera House, a photographer, not watching what he was about fell of the quay into the water. The Prince walked over to the edge and after determining the fellow was OK, was heard to say, "Maybe next time he will look out for himself and not be watching me."

In August 1967 the route was changed. Rather than passing over Singapore and flying directly to Darwin, the new route was established passing over Singapore to Jakarta, Indonesia, straight ahead, SSE, over the ocean and turning onto line extended from Richmond over North West Cape. This new route took advantage of prevailing westerly winds cutting one hour off the flight time.

As for me, while at RAAF Richmond I was promoted to Major, granted a Category "A" Captain and a QFI (Qualified Flight Instructor). I finished 2 years with 37 Squadron, returned to the US and attended flight training on a special C-130E which was equipped with terrain following radar and the Fulton Recovery System. I returned to Nha Trang, Vietnam, posted to a unit that was one of the leading edges of the Special Operations Forces as we know it today. Following a year in Vietnam I was posted to Dover, Delaware where I flew the mighty Lockheed C5 Galaxy until I retired in 1974.

I last saw a photograph of C-130E tail number 159, the first Butterworth to Richmond RAAF MedEvac, sitting quietly and forlornly at a small airport in Delaware along with other RAAF C-130E aircraft. I assume they were for sale.

I shall never forget the great personnel of the Royal Australian Air Force.

Glen A. Bentz
Maj. USAF(ret)
4785 N. Constellation Dr
N. Charleston, SC 29418