Editing Lockheed MC-130 (section)

====Kingpin====
[[File:Sontayraiders.jpg|thumb|Mixed formation of helicopters and Combat Talon of the Son Tay rescue operation during a practice mission]]
Two Combat Talons were employed as navigation escorts and for airborne control during ''[[Operation Ivory Coast|Operation Kingpin]]'', the operational phase of the attempted rescue of [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] from [[Son Tay]] prison camp in North Vietnam on 21 November 1970. 64-0523 was drawn from the 15th SOS at Nha Trang<ref>Thigpen (2001), p. 143. The Talon was already at LAS Ontario for previously-scheduled modifications when it was sourced to the rescue operation.</ref> and 64-0558 from Det. 2, 1st SOW at Pope AFB. The aircraft were modified at LAS Ontario with installation of FL-2B [[Forward looking infrared|FLIR]] sets borrowed from the ''Heavy Chain'' project to compensate for difficulties in terrain-following created by the slow speeds necessitated by the mixed aircraft force.<ref>Gargus, John (2007), ''The Son Tay Raid: American POWs in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten'', Texas A&M Press. {{ISBN|1-58544-622-X}}, p. 58. Gargus was radar navigator on ''Cherry 02'' and a mission planner.</ref>

24 primary and five backup crew personnel, all ''Stray Goose''/''Combat Spear'' veterans detached from 7th SOS (''Combat Arrow'') and 1st SOW (''Combat Knife''), developed helicopter-fixed wing formation procedures for low level night missions and jointly trained with selected Special Forces volunteers at [[Eglin Air Force Base]], Florida. Between the end of August and 28 September 1970, Talon, helicopter, and [[A-1 Skyraider]] crews supervised by Combat Talon Program Manager Lt. Col. Benjamin N. Kraljev rehearsed the flight profile in terrain-following missions over southern [[Alabama]], flying 368 sorties that totalled more than 1,000 hours.<ref>Gargus (2007), pp. 63–64.</ref> A month of intensive joint training with the Special Forces rescue force followed at a replica of the prison camp.

In early November the task force deployed to [[Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base]], Thailand. The 24 primary crew members, a 7th SOS crew (''Cherry 01'') under Major Irl L. "Leon" Franklin and a 1st SOW crew (''Cherry 02'') commanded by Lt Col Albert P. "Friday" Blosch, conducted the mission, which was successfully executed without loss of any personnel. However the operation failed when the prison was found not to contain any prisoners.<ref name="kp">Thigpen (2001), pp. 139–157.</ref>