1 - The Black Vault

exercise aircraft on the ground were released to
return to home station, except for Thigpen’s aircraft.
It was well past 6:00 A.M. when Thigpen and
his crew took off with Brenci on board and proceeded
back to Fairchild AFB.* The remainder of
the exercise was subsequently canceled, and assets
returned to their home stations between 22
and 23 September. The loss of the SOLL C-130
was the first fixed-wing accident since Desert One
the previous year. As for the 1st SOW, it flew 79
sorties and 353.2 hours during Marvel Exodus,
with the three Combat Talons flying 20 sorties
and 103.4 hours of that total. 31
With forces redeployed to Hurlburt Field, the
1st SOW prepared for US Readiness Command
(USREDCOM) Exercise Bold Eagle 82, which was
flown out of home station beginning on 13 October
and lasting throughout the month. Due to heavy
tasking for quarterly training exercises the previous
year, Bold Eagle 82 was the first opportunity
in over 18 months for the 1st SOW to concentrate
a significant portion of its assets on joint
training with USREDCOM forces. 32 Wing assets
included the 8th SOS Combat Talons, 16th SOS
AC-130H gunships, and 20th SOS HH-53H Pave
Lows. The first Combat Talon sorties were longrange
infiltrations of SEAL platoons from Norfolk
NAS, Virginia, which included CRRC drops, IFR,
and low-level TF. Other missions were flown from
Pope AFB and from Hunter AAF, Georgia, to both
land and water DZs throughout the Eglin AFB
range complex. All airdrops were made to blind
DZs without any markings on the ground. The
Combat Talons also performed three resupply
missions utilizing door bundles when the users
could not prepare them for HSLLADS delivery.
One HSLLADS airdrop was later accomplished on
23 October. Two Fulton STARS (utilizing training
sandbags) and two blacked-out NVG landings also
were successfully completed. 33 Because of a shortage
of exercise airlift, the 8th SOS was tasked to
fly logistics support missions from Pope and Mac-
Dill AFBs. Throughout the exercise the 8th SOS
dedicated two aircraft and flew 71.3 hours during
29 sorties. 34
The wing had hardly caught its breath from
Bold Eagle participation when the next major joint
exercise, named Certain Tribute 82, began at four
locations in the eastern United States. The exercise
was held from 6 to 16 November at Campbell
AAF, Kentucky; Redstone AAF, Alabama; and Volk
AAF and Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. The thrust of
the exercise was to train US Army rangers in air -
field seizure and hostage rescue techniques. Initial
training was devoted to company-size events from
6 to 12 November with load training at Campbell
AAF and airfield seizure practice at Redstone
AAF. A battalion-size operation launched from
Campbell AAF on the night of 14 November en
route to Volk AAF, with a rescue and live fire
scheduled at Fort McCoy. At Volk AAF blackedout
landings utilizing NVGs were employed in the
now-standard airfield seizure operation. For Certain
Tribute 82, a first-ever formal joint search
and rescue (SAR) plan was developed. For the exercise
two 8th SOS MC-130E aircraft participated,
flying 11 sorties and 44.2 hours. 35
Credible Sport II, Phase I
FROM DESERT ONE TO POINT SALINES
After the initial planning conference held in
July, Uttaro and his Credible Sport OUE team
began its test activities on 24 August and continued
through the fall until 11 November. The OUE
test team was composed of the following 8th SOS
crew members: Uttaro, Schwartz, Galloway, Armstrong,
and Almanzar. 36
The purpose of Credible Sport II, Phase I, was
to satisfy prototype test requirements for Combat
Talon II and to identify margins of safety for the
STOL configuration and associated avionics.
During the initial tests, 25 sorties and 60.5 flight
hours were flown. Volumes of test data were col -
lected concerning STOL performance, handling
qualities, margins of safety, and avionics capa -
bilities. The Phase I program also identified major
design deficiencies in the airframe and in its
avionics suite, and the test established the fact
that the Credible Sport I aircraft had been designed
for a specific, limited mission and did not
possess the normal margins of safety required for
peacetime operations. A major effort that would
prove to be expensive and time consuming was
identified to bring the aircraft up to production
standards. 37
During Phase I testing issues surfaced that
had to be resolved before proceeding to Phase II.
These issues included the configuration of improved
flight controls, the preparation of flight
director/autopilot control laws, the installation of
a stall warning system, improved stability augmentation,
and proof testing of the STOL flaps.
Lockheed-Marietta, as the prime contractor supporting
the test, was required to expand the center
of gravity envelope and provide improved roll
__________
*Description of events at Indian Springs is provided from the author’s recollections. Exact landing sequence and timing of events may not be
totally accurate since no notes were taken at the time.
259