C-130J Low Level - Rocky Mountains, Colorado

[@michaelyoung6557]

At the 42:18 mark you flew right over my house. BTW there are 2 grocery stores in Buena Vista, that's where we get our groceries.

[@ambassadorforjesuschrist5933]

Hey, thanks for the ride along! Life is great laying in my bed, yet flying over Colorado! Buff 😎 Georgia, 🇺🇸

[@DavidSmith-se9kz]

Awesome flight I was able to follow it on Google Earth. I’m 73 now, but it brings back memories of navigating C-130H in the ‘70s at Dyess Air Force Base. (Back in the day when we still used celestial navigation to cross the pond)

[@jwdickinson643]

it’s gratifying to see one of my birds flying…I worked on the J program briefly at the Mother Company before I went back to the existing fighter program in process. Walking the manufacturing and assembly lines was jawdropping. Everytime I got to see one roll off the line, I offered a little prayer that each aircraft operate perfectly and bring its crew and personnel home safely. God Bless all of you!

[@byronharano2391]

God bless the men who fly.

[@donc9751]

And those that keep them flying and the planes operating safely.

[@AnthonyAdrianAcker]

Impressive how sharply a plane that big can turn! I didn't realize they were so nibmle.

[@1966spyderco]

Lived here in Colorado my whole lfe and driven many of these areas on and off road but from this altitude its cool AF seeing this route. Thanks!

[@brandonzink8283]

Same!! Came here to say the exact thing, I dream of being a pilot one day, but even then I’ll never see anything as cool as this cargo plane flying like a fighter thru the mountains like that

[@straywolf77]

As a semi-native Colorado resident, I've seen you guys fly your low-level flights in those vert same spots. I remember once watching a C-130J pop over a ridge line and swoop down over Lake Dillon. You guys flew right over me as I was riding my mountain bike. Was way cool. I mean, whoever was flying that bird, went LOW...just skimming some of the sailboats on Dillon. Thanks for the video!

[@DrJohn493]

Looked like South Park...yep, there's Fairplay! What an armchair thrill on this virtual ride-along sitting on your left shoulder. Felt like I was in the left seat with you while watching it on the big screen teevee. The IFR along I-70 and LXV to DRO was spectacular!! Spent many summers in the Colorado Rockies in these areas. In 2008 I was working on a volunteer trail crew with the Colorado Trail Foundation just outside Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness near Silverton. A C-130 on a low level training route flew directly over some of us, and as a pilot myself, it was a double thrill being on top of the Colorado Rockies and seeing that C-130 hugging the earth. Got it on video and it showed up in one of my YT videos. Thanks for a great ride and all that spectacular Colorado scenery from the air! Closest I've been to flying since I retired from a Baron, that is except for an F-16 VIP retirement ride with the Alabama ANG 187FW. Gonna miss the -130 low level flyovers out of MXF above the house here at home. Thanks for the thrilling low level ride over familiar territory!! New sub, I'm hooked!

[@charliehilbrant]

You and I could sit and talk flying for days. I can tell just by how you write

[@dgodrummer8110]

crazy, the hit speed tour we just witnessed. usually a 6.5 hour drive from Durango to Denver. Just did it in 40m.

[@dalekrohse1871]

That was a great flight video. In 1982, I worked with a powerline construction crew in the San Luis valley. Two jet fighters popped over the Sangre De Cristo mountain ridge and came right down close to the ground and chased each other down the length of the valley. Incredibly loud and exciting to see from the ground. Thanks for the helpful comments that pop up on the video.

[@laurasplicer712]

Nothing quiet like sound of the engines outside as it passes by. Very unique

[@gazof-the-north1980]

Yeah, the Turbo-Prop Harmonica is a beautiful sound 👍

[@freedomreigns333]

great stuff!! ex-air force weapons guy here…live in Lake City, CO….see some C-130’s fly over at low altitude once in a while…love it!!!!

[@deeski3914]

That's our baby! Love this Beautiful J-Bird! ❤

[@caspertheghost9999]

love your ‘Herc’ vids,,, my Dad had over 5,000 hours in the D & E models w/ the 143d AW,,, I know he’d love the J’s,,, God bless all our aircrews !

[@johnwarren6487]

Had a low level incentive ride in the Phillipines in "86. Will never forget that ride. Began learning to fly right after :-) thanks for sharing this ride!

[@OscarGolf21]

Bucket list experience for sure! I've watch flights of two or three C-130s flying through our valley at low altitude several times now. I live in the Wet Mountain Valley and its amazing to watch the aircraft rip by at low altitude with the Sangre de Cristo range as a back drop. Safe travels out there!

[@markmark2080]

After roaming Colorado for over a half century using paper maps, it's a treat in my old age to follow this flight on google earth... Thanks for posting.

[@tboltjohn]

My son was a Loadie on a Marine J. After service he climbed Mt. Elbert (seeing beautiful glimpse of that area). Thank you for the tour!

[@johnwayne2103]

Ahh the good Ol Hosemaster we called them.

[@donc9751]

Beautiful scenery everywhere one looks!

[@BradNelson1]

Awesome!!! I think I saw you fly over those two scary ridges south of Tarryall in person. This is such a cool video!! Thank you!!!

[@billsjapanlife8387]

35 years with the Herc. Nothing better than low level!

[@amamdawhatever]

I flew these things for a minute and seeing a day VFR mountain low level in my home state is something special! It makes me want to map the route and fly it in my King Air. Growing up, we camped every summer in Leadville, so seeing it all from the air brings so many memories to the surface.

[@ReachAviation]

Maybe ill post the coordinates.

[@amamdawhatever]

@@ReachAviation I actually mapped it out on ForeFlight as you went, the waypoints were pretty recognizable. I flew the route in MSFS in the TBM just to get a feel for the terrain and I’m pretty impressed by the handling of the J from Lake George through Eleven-mile canyon. Seems like the power is much more available compared to the old H models based on the way you popped over the ridges with relative ease.

[@ReachAviation]

It does well. I never flew the H so I can't compare but I've only rarely felt strapped for power.

[@7983jj]

WOW!! Thanks for the ride-along. AMAZING

[@PeterTeehan]

This is pretty cool to see finally. I see you guys in the air at least 2 3 times a week. Always amazing to see. Living in the Springs is such a gem. At the Academy, they are near completion of the church, they are almost done with the brand-new visitor's center and a new hotel both anchoring the North Gate entrance of the Academy.

[@aviation-action]

Pretty GD epic right there... love it

[@stebstebanesier6205]

What a great thrill you guys gave to the people on the ground, especially the folks on the lake. It must have seemed like you were 100' off the deck.

[@byronharano2391]

Blessings on your Air Force career and anticipated Air Force Academy graduation.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@YANKYVICTOR]

Some crazy views! Beautiful place!

[@dungeonrat]

Great flight guys; I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

[@jeff9104]

Great video, nice low level flying in a 130 !! wow........looking forward to the landing which is a requirement, Haha. Keep them coming and thanks

[@michaelmaggini9160]

Thanks for the ride boys.. I've seen you guys flying those routes. Love it when you blast off from EGE heading east!! God Speed Bitches!!!

[@mikebarrager8293]

Brought back many great memories flying low level in this area in the C-141 in the 80’s and 90’ I don’t recall having calm air like you Guys experienced that day. The worst turbulence we ever experienced was we were doing a 3 ship fly bye for the cadets. Thought the proverbial wing off light was going to come on.

[@Oni76]

Thoroughly enjoyed the video as a person that has flown (single engine and not low level) plus ridden and driven much of these routes, it’s an amazing perspective from your vantage point. Appreciate you sharing!

[@AV4Life]

Awesome footage! I recognize a lot of this scenery / routes back when I was getting my PPL at AFA.

[@casparwhittey]

Grew up in Colorado, and USNA alum.. super cool to see the low altitude perspective where I can actually recognize stuff. Thanks for posting! Good luck to the USAF cadet in waiting

[@gustavo072]

24:47 The shade is cool, I love the Lockheed C-130

[@GreenCurryiykyk]

Fantastic video! So many places I've bicycled and flown gliders. I grew up in the Springs and rode around Black Forest and USAFA a lot. In the 90s I flew out of Kelly air park east of Castle Rock and later in the upper Arkansas area (end of video). The "lake" at around 28:00 are the tailing ponds for the Climax Molybdenum mine. Used to be evil greens and blues in color. They've done a lot of remediation in recent years. I hope the jumpseater doesn't feel too bad. FWIW, I puked my guts out on my second glider flight, but ended up flying them for over a decade.

[@jdavis7515]

Very cool video. As someone who loves Colorado, and visits as often as I can, this was a new perspective. Wish we could have seen the portion over Ouray and down through the 550 corridor!

[@ReachAviation]

We got weathered out. Clouds were too low. Getting good weather across the whole state would have been some serious luck.

[@scottpeters8640]

@@ReachAviation I also was hoping to see you guys fly over Red Mountain Pass there on 550, as I have drove that route to Durango and it is awesome. It looked like you kept up a very nice groundspeed, as you covered vast areas of the state quickly. That was such a great tour and thanks for sharing it.

[@ajsap8160]

Man they are banking that big ass plane like it's nothing. Cool flight, Know that whole area like the back of my hand. I'm up in broomfield now, miss seeing all the military flights.

[@BrettMcNary]

Love your video. I've lived in most of those areas you flown over.....it's super badass seeing you fly through 10 mile canyon! I live in Gunnison now and watch you guys spin laps through town all the time. Always gives me the chills.

[@desertdanblacksmith1394]

29:00 is Climax Molybdenum Mine and tailings pond....to starboard os Camp Hale where 10th Mtn Division trained WWII....thanks for the ride over my old stomping grounds! I got my flight training at Lake County airport....a lot of bumpy country

[@herk8762]

You know, as a Legacy Herc flyer (FE), I’ve always had a disdain for the J. But as I grow I’ve come to realize what a good machine it is. Quiet and lots of power (we’re power houses too with our new props now), and a great flight deck and set up for the Loads. Ultimately the next evolution that will keep the Herc relevant for decades to come is, the J model.

[@bjs030]

I too had a disdain for the J. Still do as a J pilot. The J has all the power the H never had with the Hamilton Standard props, but it's still loud as crap. I left the H model world just before the NP2000's came on line. The HUD is nice, but I really miss flying the H and having FE's and Nav's. Cue the Billy Madison "don't you ever say that" scene. It's probably nostalgia on my part knowing I'll never rip around a low level with all my friends again. I have a few friends that have flown the J and Legacies with the NP2000 upgrade and they say the J still has more power FWIW. Anecdotal.

[@ReachAviation]

I deployed with navs in the 135 multiple times as part of the RT/SOAR program. Absolutely miss having that crew member and support.

[@bjs030]

@@ReachAviation Not sure how it was in the SOAR program, but they took so much work off of me as a basic AC. I basically just showed up to all the planning being done and flew the jet. Lead Upgrade and IP school were still a kick in the junk though.

[@herk8762]

@@bjs030 that seems to be a trending piece of feedback from the J flying community. I’ve always been an advocate for having a trained load or qualified/current pilot ride in the jump seat to act as a pseudo FE or observer if you will. At least on TAC. To make that standard however, would cost a lot of money time and effort. AF was not and still isn’t interested in that it seems.

[@richardholmes5691]

Great video of a great plane.

[@chjarvis85]

These guys are regularly hotdoggin it out over my farm, getting down underneath some really low ridges

[@tommcadam9897]

Loved the bank angle at 5:24.

[@Old_B52H_Gunner]

We used to do low level like that in the B52 back in the 80s.

[@derangeddualsporters]

I hope y’all post up the video coming down i70 near Idaho Springs and Georgetown 👌🏻 that pass made my day!!

[@Aabuscap]

Flew Marine A-4s ‘81 to ‘91 out of El Toro and Willow Grove PA. Retired to CO and now live about a mile or two north of the hard left over the east end of the Dillon Reservoir. I like watching things go by at 300 kts much better. 420 doesn’t give you much time to look around.

[@McMartinVille]

First few minutes--thanks for the PUDS tonight!

[@spurgaming5400]

These are so good bro! Thanks so much for posting them as I thoroughly enjoy! Now I just need a C130J for FS2020 👊

[@mabriTV]

me too. Capt. Sim… hmmm… but better than not 🤷‍♂️😂

[@doccolorado]

Great video ! Love it, I sure miss this type flying. Did the O-2 in the 70's between Stapleton & Hill AFB flying the route I-80 takes today. I have some cool pics but man our cameras were no where as great as these. (We were in formation flying of 3 O-2's on our way to Boise), slow and low.

[@asyed916]

Saw you guys parked at Pete! I work right by the flight line

[@Q1776Q]

Fantastic video!!!

[@605pilot]

Flew the KC-130R in the Marines back in the early 80’s. I now live in the area close to the Sangre de Cristo mountains where you flew by. Still flying but a C-182.

[@MrJosuecf]

It will be very interesting in you get to track your route with something to create a KML file this way we can see it in different apps the route you flew. I think I’ll be interesting to see the flying path that way. Great video!!

[@taytayflyfly7291]

Go to google maps and I believe you turn on "globe view" and you can change it to a 3d view in which you can tilt, pan, zoom, etc. It is then possible to track most if not all of the flight depending on how good you are at navigating via checkpoints.

[@DavidFerree54]

Also fun: Being the last person out and running from the bulkhead to the open tailgate and leaping off at 16k AGL.

[@ReachAviation]

Sounds like a blast to me.

[@petesmith6213]

Wonder if these guys know how many 14,000ft mountains they passed in this video? 5:30 - Pikes Peak (straight ahead) 21:05 - Quandary Peak (port side) 29:00 - Mt Democrat, Mt Lincoln, Mt Bross (cluster straight ahead) 34:40 - Mt Massive, Mt Elbert (starboard side) 40:15 - La Plata Peak (port side)

[@jakembakem8357]

You should get someone on rampart road with a good camera to get a shot of you guys going up the pass. I got a picture of two 130s and a bae146 tanker going up the pass back in July.

[@PrBaLLaz123]

Taking AFOQT and TBAS in Aug. C130 would be amazing to fly!!!

[@ReachAviation]

It's a great time!

[@wildwezul1]

Haven't seen any videos in awhile. Did you get out of the Air Force? Hope everything is going well. Loved the videos

[@ReachAviation]

Went to a non flying job for a while. I have a few saved that i could upload. Just need the time. Ill get to fly again someday and there will be more.

[@cecilswenson3162]

Must be nice to ski in Colorado he says. Meanwhile they’re just stuck in the daily grind of flying the Rockies. Apparently envy is relative.

[@mikecomeau3038]

I had the opportunity to fly in an old "B" model on a similar route on an initial SCNS system check flight as the avionics tech standing in the IP position. Better than anything Disney has.

[@westrig180]

Beautiful day just a little bumpy which is unusual given these mountains and valleys. Crew member pointing out landmarks needs correction. Fraser - is far northeast of them near Winter Park and out of view as they approach Frisco Dillon area. Copper Mtn not Ski Cooper is the huge ski area where there waypointed at i-70 and hwy 91 south towards Leadville where Ski Cooper is hidden from view as its a west facing ski area. Overall a stunning birdseye view of our incredibly awesome state which is proud to have a huge military presence in Air Force / Space Command/ NORAD bases as well as the AFA.

[@RealDavidN]

i was in breck last summer and two C-130s flew down the valley below where we were having lunch. I wondered where they came from. Now I know. A fantastic video - I was looking forward to the trip over to Ouray and Durango as well. Next time?

[@ReachAviation]

It's on my bucket list

[@RealDavidN]

​@@ReachAviation wondering about your passenger? Anoxic or just white-knuckle?

[@ReachAviation]

Just nervous white knuckle.

[@travispower2683]

Great video. I drive up that region all the time we camp just past Fairplay. Your jumpseater was clearly showing signs of anxiety. Probably hyperventilating a bit too and that did nit help with the oxygen levels dropping hence the tingling in the hands.

[@dgodrummer8110]

42:07 Looks like Silverton on lower far left, where the road goes up to red Mountain pass, and back to Durango. y'all fly through our canyons north west of Durango sometimes. Loud 'n slow, right by the cabin. Do me a favor, stay out from Nov. 11- 26, while wife and I are hunting our bulls. haha.

[@lidarman2]

I think at ~29:00 is the Molybdenum (Climax) Mine near Leadville. Not sure but at 32:32 Mt Elbert on the right, 14,440', tallest peak in CO.

[@iahflyr4690]

Awesome video. I've spent many hours making that drive on I-70 to Copper Mountain Resort for some outstanding skiing. Thanks so much for sharing this adventure. What was your average IAS flying through the valleys? PB&J for lunch while low level flying, perfect!!

[@BlakeEdwardYoutuber]

As a loadmaster on MC's I can confirm that being in the back during low level is rough. Some good days and some bad. Ill do PP any day over LL HAHA

[@ReachAviation]

LMs kicking LCLA out the back, puke, drift back, puke, kick another bundle, dry heave, close up, drop checks complete

[@BlakeEdwardYoutuber]

@@ReachAviation This had me wheezing lol

[@bagelman-v3n]

As a C-130J program office engineer, I enjoy playing your videos in the background while working from home. Have you flown any Block 8.1 aircraft yet?

[@ReachAviation]

We have em but im not cert'd yet

[@outdoorsdelmarva5691]

very nice

[@tomaex8237]

Nice flight through my home town of Dillon, CO! I have a low level route for you! If you except the challenge! lol

[@access_denied1082]

Love you so much pilot

[@Marktastic11]

We had a lot if Reach flights in to CYYT during the whole Oceangate fiasco.

[@buckbuchanan5849]

Excellent video, love the low level routes. Think your guy with tingly fingers was hyperventilating? “Tetany”…. I’ve seen it in the altitude chamber

[@ReachAviation]

Yep i think that's about right.

[@TheYtAirplane]

You have some great and unique videos that don’t get enough attention. You have really inspired me to fly in the military, and I am applying to the Air Force Academy and Naval Academy next year with the hope of one day flying. Do you have any words of advice for me? And also how did you commission and get a pilot slot?

[@ReachAviation]

I got a degree in Meteorology from Embry-Riddle and commissioned through ROTC. If you can get into one of the service academies your chances of flying are much higher. If you go through ROTC or OTS its harder to do and more of a competition. Degree doesnt matter nearly as much as having a good GPA. That applies at both the academy and ROTC. I realized this my Junior year into a mechanical engineering degree after which I switched to Meteorology. Both are considered tech degrees so I got to keep my scholarship in the switch but had to extend school for an additional year. Just by luck that worked in my favor. My peer group had very few pilot slots but the group behind us, the one i graduated with, had far more and I was able to snag one. Any flight time you can accumulate and log prior to graduation will help you both with getting a pilot slot out of ROTC/OTS and UPT from any commissioning source. I believe 10 hours is still the sweet spot to really boost your TBAS score. Feel free to reach out if you have questions. I see comments sooner than emails. Good luck and fly safe!

[@TheYtAirplane]

@@ReachAviation Thank you man. This has been a dream of mine for a while and any advice I get is super helpful. I just got buzzed by a C-130 a couple of hours ago a little south of Charleston SC and what yall do is so cool.

[@robertbartelmes7623]

Nice sightseeing video ... but I thought you'd end up entering the IP to line up & slow down for a Drop Zone Drop ...

[@MarcusJonesRE]

You at the 181st AS? I just applied not too long ago. Wild how many different places you get to fly

[@TroyFronczek]

At the twenty five minute mark you guys were flying over Silverthorn

[@fouadboutayeb2364]

Très beau paysage

[@MiloMarlotte30]

I have a picture of you flying over my house 😂

[@stevenbingham8407]

Really cool video. How did you guys ever convince your commanding officer to let you do this?

[@kamodude777]

they do this stuff all the time. they flew over my house at maybe 800 ft in this video, and I see them do it a lot more too, its great I always run outside like a kid when i hear these guys, f-35's, and chinooks doing low level runs over my town.

[@peterdoyle5710]

Wow!!!!

[@thegiggler2]

98% of America is just open space like this

[@redmesa2975]

Where you over by Rifle Colorado in the last 2 weeks ? I saw a low level military transport flying east above I-70 & past my place .

[@11B4V]

So you are one of the 130's low-flying over Woodland Park.😂😂😂

[@MiloMarlotte30]

I have a photo of this flight, I live in Fairplay. Haha

[@pjotrtje0NL]

Just a silly question: is the use of these low level corridors coordinated, in such a way that the people living there don’t get too many aircraft overhead with the accompanying noise?

[@ReachAviation]

For an official route yes. For a random route like this one, it has to be one time use.

[@pjotrtje0NL]

@@ReachAviation thanks! And LOVE your channel!

[@FlyingGentile]

Personal question: What made you get or what made you decide heavies over fighter, or rotary. As well as, did the type of mission influence your decision as well?

[@ReachAviation]

I dont necessarily get along with the pointy nosed fighter personality. They're all good people, the heavy/rotary world is just more chill. I debated heavies vs rotary at UPT but Blackhawk Down and all the other stereotypical "guy gets off helo, camera pans to watch it fly away just as a MANPADS takes it out" movies had my wife saying no.

[@FlyingGentile]

@@ReachAviation thanks for the reply

[@GoldKnightColt]

Saw my house in the first clip

[@AshishBalajiR]

29:24 Almost died that was close to a stall all that bank angle.

[@AshishBalajiR]

unless I'm wrong and that angle of bank is exaggerated from the camreas view. But from what I saw there absolutley no reason for that 60 degree or whatever much amount of bank that was. But please correct me if I'm wrong and if that aircraft is capable of doing that.

[@llamasaurus]

would like to try it

[@llamasaurus]

on the western slope

[@duffer2307]

go old IFR "I follow roads" that's pretty high for a c130

[@kyledean4512]

For your navigation update points why do you guys have to be wings level then? Wouldn't there not be a need for an update like that if you were using GPS? Or were you not using GPS?

[@ReachAviation]

We weren't using GPS. The updates were for the inertial navigation system. Wings level helps us better judge where we are in relation to the ground reference which we are using to update the system.

[@laurasplicer712]

Can see why these planes crash if engine props positon changes suddenly or fails. The time.between him making a. Control surface command and the hesitation of the aircraft is wow its like 2 3 secs at least. 👋👋⌚

[@ericvonp]

Charlie gonna send SAM

[@renedefourneaux3561]

Do you fly over Gunnison if so post some video I see someone is flying over my condo on the west side of gunny

[@johnschneider4160]

Show-offs get themselves in trouble, sometimes at the expense of innocent observers.

[@eugenebotkins2469]

Always brief the flight and fly as briefed.

[@ralphballtrip2214]

The crew over in Germany they let me fly the plane for about 10 minutes and then I went back to Abilene and got my permit Finally a Travis Air Force Base. I got my license.