Workhorse - RAAF C-130s cover art

Workhorse - RAAF C-130s

Workhorse - RAAF C-130s

Written by: Bill 'K9' Kourelakos
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About this listen

"Workhorse" is a podcast about Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft from their earliest history through to modern times. The series is based on the soon to be released book “Air Mobility Workhorse”, which will be available from Big Sky Publishing.

Topics include:

  • Operations from around the globe, including all four corners of the planet, from 1959 to now
  • Aircraft technical discussions
  • Training
  • Roles (Search and Rescue, Air Logistics, Airborne Operations, Special Operations, Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief, Surveillance, Non-combatant Evacuation, Aeromedical Evacuation and Firefighting)
  • Maintenance and modifications
  • Logistics
  • And, of course, the people that made it all possible.
© 2025 Workhorse - RAAF C-130s
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Episodes
  • Workhorse - E61 - Detachment S with Ian Scott
    Dec 31 2025

    Detachment 'S' was a loosely formed task force that conducted air transport operations in Vietnam during, circa April 1975. It was primarily a humanitarian assistance mission, providing food to refugees on the island of Phu Quoc, but it also conducted evacuations from Phan Rang, Operation Babylift, and evacuated embassy officials from Saigon. Ian 'Scooter' Scott was involved in some of these missions, including an Operation Babylift sortie. In this episode Scooter details his exploits as part of Detachment 'S' and relates highlights from his long career in RAAF air mobility and on RAAF C-130s - including as Commanding Officer 37 Squadron, Officer Commanding 84 Wing and Commander Air Lift Group.

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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Workhorse - E60 - Safety Systems with Dave Turner
    Nov 28 2025

    Air Force safety systems evolved through the 1990s-present day. This journey included major shifts in policy that led the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to the current airworthiness system that oversights C-130 operations. Dave 'DT' Turner was a C-130H navigator and held many safety roles during his long career in the Royal Australian Navy and RAAF. In this episode, DT recounts the pros and cons of the various safety policies, along with touching on operations he flew during his career.

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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Workhorse - E59 - Repatriation from Nias with Scott Olsen
    Oct 30 2025

    Shark 02 crashed on the island of Nias in 2005, resulting in 9 fatalities. Scott Olsen was a C-130H and J loadmaster, and in this episode, he recounts the repatriation mission that ensued, along with a rundown of his career.

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    1 hr and 15 mins
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