An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Jan. 28, 2010

Hercules gets a bath

By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Keith West Virginia National Guard

CHARLESTON, W.Va., - The C-130 Hercules is often described as the workhorse of the airlift fleet.

Its military uses include gunship, tanker, bomber, drone mothership, psychological warfare, special operations, electronic intelligence, command and control and humanitarian support to disaster areas.

Occasionally, it needs a bath.

"Every 180 days," said Tech. Sgt. Adam Mace, an aircraft mechanic with the 130th Maintenance Squadron at Yeager Airport. "We do this right before every ISO inspection."

An ISO, or isochronal inspection, is a phase of aircraft maintenance based on calendar days.

"Right before every ISO inspection, it [plane] comes in and gets washed, and then halfway through this phase, before the next ISO, it gets washed again. So it gets two washes a year," Mace said.

Washing a C-130 transport aircraft is almost the same as washing a car, except the maintenance crew uses a heavy industrial soap that is mildly corrosive.

"There's soot from the running of the engines. On the flap wells you'll have greases, oils, and hydraulic fluids. And around the engines you might have some JP-8 fuel," said Master Sgt. Kraig Thomas, the inspection element supervisor for the 130th Maintenance Squadron.

Maintenance crews use a low pressure spray gun that foams the soap so it clings to the surface of the aircraft and has a longer hang time. Then the scrubbing begins.

"We start at the bottom and wash our way to the top," Mace said. "We get the landing gear, then we get the wing and the tail, and then we get on top of the wings."

Ideally, it takes about 10 maintenance troops to wash an aircraft. However, on this wintery day in early January, Mace has a crew of four. It will take them about nine hours, washing the right side of the aircraft in the morning and the left side after lunch.

This particular C-130 being washed belongs to the 125th Fighter Wing of the Florida Air National Guard.
Mace said the aircraft was once used to track hurricanes. "This plane ... flies over salt water," he said. "Salt water's real corrosive, so it's important that we get it cleaned."

Washing an aircraft is just like washing your personal vehicle, Mace said. Once the water is shut off, the maintenance crews get to step back and take a look at the freshly scrubbed airplane.

 

 

Related Articles
Tech. Sgt. Franklin Angel, 105th Airlift Wing production recruiter, poses for a photo with his two Blue Suit Awards at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, April 22, 2025. The Blue Suit Award recognizes the 14 top-performing recruiters from around the world, including those in active duty, the Air National Guard, and the Air Force Reserve.
Meet the New York Air National Guard’s Record-Setting Recruiter
By Senior Airman Sarah Post, | April 23, 2025
STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. – One recruiter at the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing is standing out from his peers, having recruited more Airmen in 2024 than any other recruiter in the Air Force and...

U.S. Air Force Col. Daniel Martinie, North Carolina Joint Force Headquarters-Air, State Air Surgeon and Staff Sgt. Idris cates, 145th Medical Group, medical technician pose for a photo in an exam room at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport base, March 8, 2025. Martinie is being highlighted for being named one of North Carolina’s best doctors for 2024.
N.C. Surgeon Reflects on Military Medicine, Career and Service
By Staff Sgt. Reanna Hartgrove, | April 23, 2025
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After nearly three decades of military service and more than 25 years in medicine, Col. Daniel Martinie, North Carolina National Guard Joint Force Headquarters - Air chief flight surgeon, remains committed...

Four Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conduct a close-quarters battle exchange with members of the Tajik military April 7 - 11, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The engagement was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, which has connected Virginia and Tajikistan since 2003.
Virginia Army Guard Soldiers, Tajikistan Conduct Battle Exchange Training
By Mike Vrabel, | April 23, 2025
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan  –  Four Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers recently conducted a close-quarters battle exchange training with members of the Tajik military.  The engagement was conducted April 7-11 through the...