Photo By Tech. Sgt. Justin Norton | Lt. Col. Jim Akin (ret), Four Horsemen demonstration team pilot, stands next to a...... read more read more
PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- An Air Force legacy pilot who was part of the first C-130 demonstration team in the 1950s, recently visited the 302d Airlift Wing at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, for a tour of a C-130H aircraft.
Ninety-nine-year-old retired Lt. Col. Jim Akin was one of four pilots who flew the C-130A Hercules from early 1957 to 1960 as part of the first Air Force C-130 demonstration team, known as the Four Horsemen. The team was named in honor of Coach Knute Rockne’s legendary backfield on Notre Dame’s 1924 football team. The first C-130 entered service in the Air Force in December 1956, and the team showcased the aircraft’s maneuverability and its capacity to take off and land in formation on short runways.
“It brought back memories, good memories and sad memories,” said Akin. “It just taught me how much I miss it. That’s the finest airplane they ever put in the air in my opinion, the C-130.”
Akin served in the Army Air Corps and Air Force from 1944 to 1967, and flew in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. The list of aircraft he flew is long and distinguished and includes the C-119, B-25, P-38, C-130, and C-7A, as well as civilian crop dusters and executive transport aircraft. He was shot down twice in Vietnam while flying the C-7A.
Members of the 302 AW, a C-130 pilot and maintainer, helped guide Akin through the aircraft as he walked around the exterior, through the cargo bay and sat in the crew compartment.
Col. DeAnna Franks, 302d Operations Group commander, listened as Akin recalled key operations and advancements in the C-130 community while he scanned the flight deck, kicked the tires and ran his hand lovingly along the airframe.
“I tried to relate to my career of flying C-130s in the last 20 years,” said Franks. “But it doesn’t really scratch the surface to the impact Lt. Col. Akin had on our Herc family. It was truly an honor to share with him what our Airmen fly today and I could tell he was reliving many moments of history.”
Akin noted a few differences between the C-130A model he flew versus the C-130H model the unit flies today. Members of the C-130 community recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of the 1954 YC-130s first flight.
“There’s a lot of differences,” said Akin. “I remember the 3-blade then the 4-blade propellers and they were perfect. I never flew one like this. It’s a fine thing, that engine, but the propeller never goes any different speed. It’s the blades. When you advance the throttle, you turn the blades.”
He was accompanied on the tour by his daughter, Sharon Benn, and his granddaughter, Col. Elizabeth Mathias, head of the U.S. Air Force Academy Department of English and Fine Arts.
“The visit was poignant because I saw my grandpa relive an important part of his life,” Mathias said. “He served in the Air Force long before I was born so while I’ve heard his stories, I had never seen him in an Air Force setting before this visit. He has so many memories of the C-130, it’s been such a big part of his identity as an Airman and pilot and it was powerful to see him in his element.”
After the visit, Akin recounted some of his memories to his granddaughter. He spoke of a time he received a coin from President Dwight Eisenhower in 1960 and described flying in Bermuda, Guam, Puerto Rico, Japan and various states in America.
“Japan is a real beautiful country,” said Akin. “We’d go across the South China Sea, you know we’re at 25,000 feet and you just turn the lights down low, light a cigar and turn on some good music. In the wee hours of the morning, you’re just sitting there with a big full moon, it’s just heaven. I really enjoyed flying at night like that.”
The original Four Horsemen were Gene Chaney, James Akin, David Moore and Bill Hatfield. Akin is the last living member of the team.
| Date Taken: | 09.30.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2024 12:02 |
| Story ID: | 482096 |
| Location: | PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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