In commemoration of the retirement of the C-130 from active duty, today the 14 june 2023, with the RAF, a formation of three C-130 aircraft will depart from Brize Norton. They will head towards Wales and then proceed across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland. From there, they will continue their journey to Scotland, tracing the east coast and over flying at various bases along the way. Finally, they will conclude the route with a full stop landing back at Brize Norton. This itinerary will serve as a tribute to the C-130's service as we mark the end of an era.

We will follow approximate route except we will be landing along the way

Some History

On February 2, 1951, the USAF issued a General Operational Requirement for an aircraft to replace its large fleets of Curtiss C-46, and Fairchild C-82 and C-119 piston-engined transports. Lockheed responded with its L-206 design, which the USAF chose as the winning contender on July 2, 1951, ordering two YC-130A prototypes based on the proposal.

The first production C-130A Hercules entered service in December 1956 and Lockheed went on to create a bewildering array of variants and subvariants for the US and foreign militaries, and civilian market

Known to the RAF as Hercules C.Mk 1 (the C-130K designation only came into regular use as a differentiator after the C-130J entered service), the first aircraft completed its maiden flight on October 19, 1966. The type entered service in 1967, but defence cuts in 1975 saw 13 Hercules aircraft withdrawn and two squadrons disbanded.

A December 1993 MoD requirement identified the need for a Hercules replacement and although the European FLA was considered, the only substitute for a Hercules turned out to be a Hercules, in the shape of the more powerful Lockheed C-130J, a next-generation machine then under development and featuring the latest avionics systems.

The December 1994 order comprised ten standard C-130J aircraft and 15 of the longer C-130J-30, with first delivery (of a J-30) in August 1998. The initial operational example reached RAF Lyneham, then the RAF’s Hercules base, on November 21, 1999.

Designated Hercules C.Mk 4 in service, the C-130J-30 is just a little shorter than the C3, while the Hercules C.Mk 5 has the same fuselage length as the C1. Inflight-refuelling probes are installed as standard, while the type’s improved range enables most sorties to be flown without the characteristic underwing fuel tanks of the legacy versions.

Having worked intensively during Operations Telic and Herrick alongside the legacy Hercules fleet, the C-130J has accumulated flying hours rather more rapidly than had been projected. It was identified in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review for withdrawal from service in 2022, a decade earlier than originally planned, while the C-130K was retired on October 28, 2013 after almost five decades on the frontline.

Ultimately the C-130 will be replaced by the A-400