2021
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C-130 Pilots Test Out ‘Entirely New’ Cockpit For Aging ‘H’ Models Oct. 17, 2023 | By David Roza Pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are testing out a new cockpit layout for the C-130H transport plane that will replace its analog gauges with glass multifunction displays, digital engine instruments, a new flight management system, autopilot, terrain awareness and warning system and other digital upgrades that should make the aircraft safer and easier to fly. “This is much larger than just a software or hardware upgrade,” Maj. Jacob Duede, an experimental test pilot with the 417th Flight Test Squadron, said in an Oct. 17 press release. “It’s reconstru…
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Four More Guard Wings Tapped for Upgrade to C-130J Sept. 14, 2023 | By Greg Hadley The Air Force has selected four more Air National Guard wings to transition to the new C-130J Super Hercules, a key inflection point as the Guard modernizes. The C-130Js feature a roomier, “stretched” fuselage, more powerful engines with composite six-blade propellers, and digital avionics and mission computers. That means J’s can fly faster, higher, and farther than the C-130H. The four wings receiving new C-130Js in place of H-models: 103rd Airlift Wing, in Connecticut 120th Airlift Wing, in Montana 133rd Airlift Wing, in Minnesota …
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1957 LOCKHEED HERCULES C-130 Turboprop Aircraft Select Your Currency $6,150,000 Aircraft Location: Goodyear Seller Information View Seller Information Jet Fleet Aviation LLC Contact: Steve Gage Phoenix, Arizona General Year 1957 Manufacturer LOCKHEED Model HURCULES C-130 Serial Number 560511 Condition Used Description Currently flying, Seller buying larger aircraft, USA based & registered. STRICT Terms of sale: Buyer, End-user, and related parties must be in good standing with, and in compliance with, all U.S. laws and regulations, and Buye…
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165th Airlift Wing bids farewell to last C-130H Hercules A C-130 Hercules aircraft formerly assigned to the 165th Airlift Wing (AW), Savannah Air National Base, Georgia, lifts off the runway at Savannah/Hilton-Head International Airport August 18, 2023. The C-130H Hercules aircraft, which has been flown by Savannah aircrews for 41 years, will continue being flown at the 166th Airlift Wing, Delaware Air National Guard as the 165 AW prepares to receive its first new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft by the end of December 2023.
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Last week, our Guard Airmen with the 193rd Special Operations Wing made history as they were the first, and only Air Guard unit to receive the MC-130J Commando II mission. It was a very humbling moment to be a part of this incredible aircraft's historic first flight with our Pennsylvania National Guard Airmen as we welcomed a new era of air power for our Air National Guard!
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Here’s What Units Will Move to Davis-Monthan to Join AFSOC’s New Power Projection Wing Aug. 2, 2023 | By Greg Hadley The Air Force unveiled plans for the new 492nd Power Projection Wing that will replace the A-10 mission at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on Aug. 2, describing for the first time which units will be included. The new wing will be part of Air Force Special Operations Command and draw units from around the country. The 492nd Special Operations Wing will be re-missioned and re-designated, providing the headquarters element; it will relocate to Arizona from Hurlburt Field, Fla., where it is has led AFSOC’s training and education effort…
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Multi billion dollar investment in new C-130J Hercules aircraft for the RAAF July 24, 2023 (by Asif Shamim) - The Albanese Government will purchase 20 new C-130J Hercules aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force for $9.8 billion. This will provide the Air Force with a state-of-the-art C-130 Hercules to meet the air transport needs of the future. RAAF C-130J-30 #A97-467 sits on the flight line at Mountain Home AFB on November 1, 2018. [USAF photo by SrA Alaysia Berry] The new acquisitions will replace and expand upon the 12 Hercules aircraft currently o…
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165th AW completes final overseas exercise flying the C-130H during Air Defender 2023 July 17, 2023 (by MSgt. Caila Arahood) - This summer, one Savannah C-130 Hercules aircraft along with nearly 60 Airmen from the 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard, traveled to Germany in support of Air Defender 2023, the largest collective defense air exercise since the inception of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. USAF C-130H #93-1562 from 158 AS, taxis on the runway at Wunstorf AB during exercise Air Defender 2023 (AD23) on June 20, 2023. [ANG photo by MSgt. Caila Arahood] This exercise marks a historic milestone for the 165th AW, as it…
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Air Force Special Ops Wants Runway Independence, More Speed 7/14/2023 By Stew Magnuson Air Force photo TAMPA, Florida — Air Force Special Operations Command has a long technology wish list. The command is tasked with transporting commandos covertly, quickly and across long distances and to penetrate where other aircraft can’t normally go. Naturally, it wants to improve its performance in all these categories, especially the latter, taking personnel to locations where there are no runways — a job best carried out by rotary-wing aircraft. But what if almost three-fourths of the planet could serve as a runway by allowing fixed-wing aircraft t…
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Final RAF C-130J mission set for 17 June as Hercules retirement nears By Dominic Perry17 April 2023 The UK’s long history as an operator of the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules will all but come to an end on 17 June when the Royal Air Force (RAF) performs its final mission with the type. Consisting of a three-ship fly-past as part of the King’s Birthday celebrations, the sortie will be a bittersweet moment ahead of the official retirement of the RAF’s remaining J-model aircraft on 30 June. Defence officials announced in 2021’s Integrated Review that the 15-strong C-130J fleet would be retired by 2023 due to cost savings, with operations transitioning…
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AC-130J Ghostrider Could Get Huge Upgrade From AESA Radar An active electronically scanned array radar would allow AC-130Js to independently engage targets in any weather and at greater distances. byJoseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway| UPDATED May 15, 2023 7:47 PM EDT The U.S. Air Force plans to test an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Adding an AESA would give these aircraft a valuable tool for spotting, tracking, and engaging targets, especially in bad weather and at extended ranges. The radar could perform more general intelligence-gathering and provide improved situational awar…
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This unusual new Air Force tactic is likely raising alarms in China, expert says “The agility of the U.S. military’s distributed method for strike missions and the suddenness of those strikes will increase immensely.” By David Roza | Published Jan 4, 2023 8:54 AM EST A U.S. Air Force pilot assigned to the 352d Special Operations Wing conduct a rehearsal flight on an MC-130J Commando II in preparation for a live-fire demonstration of a palletized munitions system during ATREUS 22-4 at Andøya Space Defense Range, Norway, Nov. 8, 2022. (Tech. Sgt. Brigette Waltermire/U.S. Air National Guard). The U.S. Air Force is thinking outside the box, an…
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RNZAF C-130J's taking shape May 12, 2023 (by Asif Shamim) - A key C-130J project milestone was celebrated this week, as representatives from New Zealand, Defence personnel, and Lockheed Martin senior staff gathered for a bulkhead signing ceremony at the factory in Marietta Georgia, USA. RNZAF C-130J #5978 the first New Zealand airframe seen on the production line on April 3, 2023. [Lockheed Martin Photo by David L. Key] Five C-130J have been purchased for the Royal New Zealand Air Force to replace the current C-130 Hercules. The new aircraft are on track …
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The United States military made history yesterday when it landed a C-130 aircraft on Highway 287 north of Rawlins during a joint training exercise. Moments after sunrise, the cargo plane burst through storm clouds to the east of the roadway at about 240 miles per hour. 500 feet off each wingtip was an A10. Known also as “flying guns,” A10’s are the Air Force’s primary low-altitude close support aircraft. Until yesterday, the Air Force had never landed a C130 on an American highway, although two A10’s landed on a Michigan highway earlier this month. Prior to that, such a feat had only been done in Estonia during the Cold War. With a wingspan of more than 132 feet,…
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New Wing at Davis-Monthan Will Include AC-130s, MC-130s, CSAF Says April 27, 2023 | By Greg Hadley The Special Operations “Power Projection Wing” planned for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., will include MC-130s, AC-130s, and “light attack” aircraft—probably the new Sky Wardens—Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. told Congress on April 27. The new mix of Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft will replace the A-10s now based at Davis-Monthan as they are retired in coming years. The Air Force cited plans for the 492nd Power Projection Wing in its 2024 budget request and subsequently confirmed those plans to Air & Space Fo…
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This Day in Aviation, L-100 Flies, 20–21 April 1964 April 21, 2023AviationAllison 501-D22, Allison Division of General Motors, c/n 3946, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed L-100, Lockheed Model 382, Lockheed Model 382E-44K-20, N1130E, N50FW, Type Certificate A1SOBryan Swopes Lockheed L-100 Hercules N1130E, in flight. Both outboard engines are shut down and the propellers feathered. (Lockheed Martin) 20–21 April 1964: Nearly ten years after the first flight of the Lockheed YC-130 Hercules prototype, the Lockheed Model 382, serial number 3946, the commercial version of the military C-130E, made the longest first flight in history when it flew for 25 hours, …
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The Last of Them: The boneyard receives final MC-130H Published April 10, 2023 By Capt. Jantzen Floate Air Force Special Operations Command HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- On April 2, the final MC-130H Combat Talon ll made its last flight, arriving at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona to retire at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG). This aircraft was the last of the final six MC-130Hs transferred for storage at the 309th AMARG, known as the boneyard. The aircraft, tail number 89-0280 belonging to the 1st Special Operations Wing, was flown by a Total Force crew and includ…
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Retirement Of MC-130H Speeds Up MC-130J Low-Flying Radar Upgrade Older MC-130Hs are now all retired, something that was delayed over concerns about key low-altitude radar capabilities on the MC-130J. byJoseph Trevithick| PUBLISHED Apr 11, 2023 1:43 PM EDT Sierra Nevada Corporation The U.S. Air Force says it has accelerated work to integrate Raytheon's AN/APQ-187 Silent Knight terrain-following/terrain avoidance radar onto its MC-130J Commando II special operations transport/tanker aircraft. This has come amid the retirement of the Commando II's predecessor, the MC-130H Combat Talon II, with its highly specialized AN/APQ-170 radar. T…
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February 7, 2023 (by MSgt. Alexander Farver ) - The first MC-130J Commando II aircraft arrived at Middletown, on February 2, 2023, achieving a major milestone in the 193rd Special Operations Wing's mission conversion. The 193 SOW is the first, and currently the only, Air National Guard unit to receive the Commando II mission, a flagship mission of Air Force Special Operations Command. USAF MC-130J Commando II #08-6206 arrives at the 193rd SOW on February 2, 2023 at Middletown, Pennsylvania. The aircraft is the first to arrive to the 193rd SOW, marking a symbolic beginning to its new primary mission as the first, and currently only Air National Guard uni…
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Youngstown Air Reserve selected as preferred location for new C-130Js While the final decision won't be made until this summer, Youngstown's selection as the preferred site offers hope for the Valley. Thursday, December 22nd 2022, 6:09 PM EST By Robert McFerren The Youngstown Air Reserve Station has been selected as the preferred location to replace its eight C-130Hs with eight C-130Js out of the four locations being considered. Youngstown ARS was selected to host this mission after a site survey was conducted that assessed the location based on factors related to the mission, infrastructure capacity, community support, environmental consider…
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'Spirit of Mansfield' finds new home at MAPS Museum 88-4401 (#5154) Kelly Byer The Repository GREEN − The "Spirit of Mansfield" became the largest military plane at the Military Aviation Preservation Society (MAPS) Museum with its arrival Saturday. The C-130H Hercules, which was previously flown from the Mansfield-Lahm Air National Guard base to the Akron-Canton Airport, was towed to MAPS just west of the airport while about 50 people watched. With a wingspan greater than 132 feet, it took about an hour or more of maneuvering and wood placed under one side to lift a wing over the museum's gate. "It's very difficult to move …
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November 3, 2022 (by Capt. Alicia Premo) - Air Force Special Operations Command received its 31st and final AC-130J Ghostrider, completing the command's transition from the legacy AC-130W, AC-130U, and AC-130H fleets. http://s9.addthis.com/button0-rss.gif http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif USAF AC-130J Ghostrider #19-5946 taxies on the flight line following the AC-130J Ghostrider dedication and delivery ceremony on November 2, 2022, at Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, Fla. The ceremony marked the 31st and final AC-130J delivery to the U.S. Air Force. (USAF photo by TSgt. Michael Charles] Following a commemoration ceremony at the Lo…
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Special Ops C-130 Tests Pallet-Dropped Cruise Missiles In The Arctic The Air Force’s Rapid Dragon palletized munitions system has made its first trip to Europe, including being loaded aboard a Polish C-130. byJoseph Trevithick| PUBLISHED Nov 9, 2022 4:32 PM A U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft has launched an AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range cruise missile, or JASSM-ER, above the Arctic Circle in the first-ever demonstration in Europe of the Rapid Dragon air-launched palletized munitions concept. In addition, U.S. personnel trained together with their Polish counterparts on the system hi…
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Air Force grounds most C-130Hs due to cracked propeller barrels 64 Stephen Losey Fri, September 30, 2022 at 5:33 PM·2 min read WASHINGTON — The Air Force has grounded most of its older C-130H Hercules cargo planes and variants due to a problem with their propeller barrels. Air Mobility Command on Friday confirmed a wide swath of its C-130H fleet, which numbered 128 at the beginning of fiscal 2022, is unable to fly, and it’…
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How Air Force maintainers achieved a rare perfect inspection on a 49-year-old aircraft “This rarely happens, especially on an aircraft nearly a half-century old.” By David Roza | Published Sep 28, 2022 10:38 AM Airmen assigned to the 755th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron celebrate their achievements in getting an EC-130H Compass Call to zero discrepancies at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Aug. 17, 2022. (Staff Sgt. Kristine Legate/U.S. Air Force). Johnnie Walker has its Black Label whiskey; American Express has its Black Card; and Metallica and Jay-Z each have their own Black Albums. But when it comes to maintaining aircraft i…
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