A MIL FORMATION FLT OF 2 C130'S ENCOUNTER TSTM ACTIVITY OVER LRP; PA. DURING AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS THE LEAD ACFT OVERSHOOTS THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT WHILE AWAITING FURTHER CLRNC FROM ZNY; NY.

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I WAS ACTING AS ACFT COMMANDER AND MISSION COMMANDER AS 'LEAD' FOR A FLT OF 2 MIL KC130 ACFT. I WAS PNF. IFR FLT PLAN; UNDER POSITIVE CTL. FLT WAS BEING CONDUCTED ON IFR FLT PLAN; IN VMC; STANDARD FORMATION. DURING ENRTE CLB ALONG AIRWAYS; ACFT ENCOUNTERED WX AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VMC; AND THEREFORE; UNABLE TO MAINTAIN STANDARD FORMATION. A CLB; TURN OR IFR SEPARATION TO NONSTANDARD FORMATION WAS REQUESTED. HOWEVER; DUE TO VOLUME OF TFC AND REQUIRED COORD WITH ZNY; HARRISBURG APCH WAS UNABLE TO EXPEDITIOUSLY ACCOMMODATE MY REQUESTS. HARRISBURG APCH ADVISED THE FLT OF 2 THAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO COORDINATE. AS TIME PROGRESSED; WE REQUESTED A TURN AND CLB TO 14000 FT MSL TO AVOID A TSTM IN THE FLT PATH. STILL UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE; THE FLT HAD TO TURN; MAKING A L-HAND TURN FOR 30 DEG HDG CHANGE IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE TSTM AND MAINTAIN VMC. DURING MANEUVER; HARRISBURG APCH ADVISED THE FLT TO EXPECT HIGHER IN 11 MI. UNFORTUNATELY; PLT AT CTLS THOUGHT WE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB HIGHER THAN 8000 FT; AND MADE EXCURSION THROUGH 8000 FT TO AN ALT OF 8700 FT. PNF ADVISED PF OF ERROR; AND IMMEDIATE CORRECTION TO ASSIGNED ALT WAS MADE. SECOND ACFT IN FLT 'LOST' SIGHT OF THE LEAD ACFT UPON ENTERING CLOUDS; BUT NEVER MADE ALT EXCURSION ABOVE ASSIGNED 8000 FT MSL. CORRECTIVE VECTORS RECEIVED BY HARRISBURG APCH; NOTING OUR HDG CHANGE AND ADVISING US OF MOVING INTO ZNY AIRSPACE. APPROX 40 SECONDS INTO EVENT; SECOND ACFT REGAINED SIGHT OF LEAD ACFT IN VMC; FLT REGAINED INTEGRITY. REMAINING IN STANDARD FORMATION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. HARRISBURG APCH DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF HANDLING SEPARATION; EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ACFT ON IFR FLT PLANS REQUIRING DEVS FOR WX. THE HIGH VOLUME OF 'TRANSITION' TFC THROUGH THE AREA; COUPLED WITH THE WX SIT ADDED TO OUR DETERIORATING SIT. THROUGHOUT THE EVENT; HARRISBURG APCH REMAINED CALM AND PROFESSIONAL; EFFECTING EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING; ADVISORIES; AND SEPARATION. ONCE THE ALT EXCURSION AND HDG DEV WERE CORRECTED; THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO FILED DEST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 471814: WE REQUESTED A CLB TO 14000 FT AND A L TURN. THE CLB WAS APPROVED FROM 5000 FT TO 8000 FT. WE ALSO STARTED A TURN TO THE L; BUT A L DEV WAS DENIED BY ATC. IN THE CONFUSION; I INADVERTENTLY OVERSHOT THE 8000 FT ALT CLRNC BY 800 FT.