SHAH ALAM: RMAF flew the body of former Sarawak governor and chief minister Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud from Subang airbase to the Kuching international airport today (February 21). Taib, 87, died earlier in the morning at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur.
Taib was also a former Defence Minister, serving from 1978 to 1979 when he was then the MP for Kota Samarahan. A state funeral is scheduled for tomorrow also in Kuching. According to RMAF, Taib’s body was flown on board a Hercules from No 20 Skuadron – took off from Subang at 1.58pm and landed at Kuching at 4.38pm.
Interestingly, from the pictures taken at Subang by RMAF and the media showed that the Hercules aircraft which flew the body and the immediate family members was tail number M30-14. Lucky 14 is the same aircraft which belly landed in Labuan back in 2017.
The Defence Ministry, in a statement, said the pilot of the military transport aircraft, C130 Hercules, was forced to land without tyres at 5.15pm, after circling for six hours to burn off fuel.
“The military aircraft was unable to land normally at the airport in Labuan due to its malfunction landing gear.
“The aircraft made the emergency landing after circling the airspace for six hours. It has landed safely.”
The pilot and crew on board were unhurt.
Since the incident, I had tried to out find about its fate but to no avail. It is likely that the aircraft had been repaired within the last few years and were already active since then. It is only I had failed to take its pictures or noticed the aircraft in the various social media postings by RMAF and the squadron itself. It must also be noted that RMAF usually try not to post pictures of its aircraft with its tail numbers for its own reasons.
Nonetheless it is interesting to note that Lucky 14 is still active and in service.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (8)
rip
He managed to escape PH spiteful vengeance.
Otoh must have been quite a bumpy ride on a Herc.
No lah, the Hercules I had been on, around a dozen times was among the smoothest I have been on especially ones with VIPs on board. As most of these flights were with VIPs, inevitably the flight crew will be the most senior ones, even the squadron CO or deputy COs.
Even the most adventurous one was due to a three star former fighter pilot becoming the co-pilot.
They used the Hercules as the aircraft can be equipped with a roll-on roll off airline style seats for the VIPs. They not bought similar ones for the A400Ms.
Nice to know that all 14x C-130H in TUDM fleet is flyable.
M30-14 is one of the youngest C-130H (it is a C-130H-30 stretched version) in the fleet, entering service in 1995 (29 years old this year). I have no issues with TUDM flying the Hercules up to 2040 as per its current plans.
There are even older C-130 still operational in South East Asia. Singapore RSAF has 4x KC-130B that is currently about 62 years old and still operational. Pictured below is RSAF 720, the oldest in the fleet, original USAF code is 58-724, which means it was paid for in 1958 US budget.
http://static.beritaharian.sg/s3fs-public/articles/2023/06/08/yaohui-pixrsaf-6249.jpg
Also one of the oldest C-130 operational, N117TG, is based in Senai, Johor for Oilspill Response
https://www.oilspillresponse.com/globalassets/iar-hercules-c-130-mobilisation-and-logistics-plan.pdf
Not sure, never been on one. But I heard that it can be much noisier & harsher than comparable civvie plane ride. These planes are not made for comfort after all.
>comparable civvie plane
Compared to what? I've took flights on Fokker 50, ATR-72 and even MA60 and they're all have harsher ride than C-130
- I've been in a Merpati CN-35 from Lombok to Denpasar and it was comfortable but then I wasn't sitting in the rear on jump seats.
- The Caribou was notoriously loud and uncomfortable due to its turbocharged engines; which is why passengers preferred the Herald.
- Yes the C-130 is much louder than ''than comparable civvie plane ride'' [one needs ear pieces to communicate] but is not that uncomfortable if sitting to the rear on jump seats.
... - ''Nice to know that all 14x C-130H in TUDM fleet is flyable.''
They are all ''flyable'' although from time to time some could be inoperable; undergoing squadron or depot level maintenance or awaiting spares.
@dundun
"Compared to what?"
As for Azlan said above.