BLUE ANGELS RECEIVE MARINE KC-130

Pensacola, Fla. - During recent ceremonies here, a Marine Corps KC-130 Hercules and a Marine flight crew began support of the Navy's Blue Angels.

 Colonel Douglas D. Perry, senior Marine liaison officer at Pensacola, turned the aircraft's logbook over to Captain John P. Fox, chief of staff, CNATra, who accepted the aircraft on behalf of the Blues. Acting on a request from the Navy for a new support aircraft to replace an aging C-121 cargo Plane, the Marine Corps provided the C-130.

 The Hercules will haul starter units, public address systems, spare parts, miscellaneous equipment and a maintenance crew. It is also capable of wing-tip refueling and, if required, can carry a spare jet engine.

 Other advantages include easier loading and unloading and less en route time to demonstration sites. The C-130's back-loading capabilities and roller-bed cargo ramp eliminate the need to handle equipment and supplies with forklifts, as was the case in the C-121. The increased speed should allow for a busier schedule for the demonstration team.