Goodbye to the old faithful C130, The Herc!

[wytonpjs]

Sad day. They were my first tour in the RAF at a very interesting time (Op Corporate), taken me to some very interesting places in the world and provided a wealth of memories I cannot relate over numerous further tours. At a later point, my wife was the RAF lead for HIOS working with Marshall’s and Lockheed Martin to support the fleet.

End of an era for us

 

[Len the dog]

I had a 3hr flight in one from RAF lyneham back in the 80s when I was in the Air Cadets. After maintenance they were taken out for a proving flight so they used to offer up a free flight to any cadets in the area, we were on summer camp at Rudloe Manor so got the chance.
Unfortunately they didn’t have enough tethers to be able to drop the ramp but the cadet sergeant did get a go at the controls.
All very special for a boy in his early teens.

 

[Ratel]

Oh " Happy Days" in and out of a Hercules.

 

[Smelly Yeti]

Old Faithful until youre in the back of one and theres a fire and youre flying over somewhere you would rather not make an emergency landing…

Still much rather take my chance of surviving to evade in the Herc - although on second thoughts you’d probably have a better chance in the A400……. but only because it would have gone tech & the mission scrubbed before you’d even left the DOB!

 

[kenbro]

Oh " Happy Days" in and out of a Hercules.

Bet you were in and out the Hastings too, like me?
Certainly old enough.
Ken.

 

[snake_2586]

Is the herc one of the few craft that can reverse itself?

Yes, as can the C17, that I find the more impressive sight, I have never seen a, A400 even try reversing yet, but it is rare to even see one of them moving under it's own power.

 

[flatliner]

 

[Mick9abf]

Taxied all over the world in these workhorses! Withdrawn from service by our short sighted ‘leaders’ 13 years earlier than planned & yet another huge hole left in our defence capability

Nail on head, Sudan and the pull out from Afghan should have told them all they needed to know about why they should keep fat Albert for a bit longer but the bean counters call the shots.

Replaced by less airframes which are not free of gremlins by any stretch of the imagination from what I’ve read and the fleet sold, no doubt for next to bugger all, to the Americans (among others). You would have thought they would have learned their lesson when they did the same with the Harriers.

This is the day when the U.K. openly said to the world that we have no real military heavy lift capability or interest in our strategic airframe capabilities that can be used anywhere at anytime.

 

[kenbro]

Once saw short film clip of a C130 doing a takeoff run, but instead of rotating the undercarriages were raised and it just carried on at the height it was before the wheels went up.
Very impressive, to me anyway.
Ken.

 

[Oh6]

Once saw short film clip of a C130 doing a takeoff run, but instead of rotating the undercarriages were raised and it just carried on at the height it was before the wheels went up.
Very impressive, to me anyway.
Ken.

The same sort of fun, as working out how low you can fly a Herc over water -at different speeds- without leaving a visible wake...