Final flight for RNoAF C-130E Hercules

[Boman]

The Royal Norwegian Air Force's C-130E Hercules had their last flight today!

Full story in Norwegian here;
http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks ... 423398.ece

The 6 C-130E's were delivered in 1969, and have since flown the equivilent of 1713 times around the Earth, 15 years of continious flight. They have taken part in rescue operations after the Tsunami, flown the Royal family to Antarctica and delivered aid to people in need. One even landed 2 minutes behind the Italian C-130 that was shot down over Sarajevo in 1992, after wich the RNoAF C-130 got extensive self protection equipment installed.

Today the last flight is marked by a last flight, from the north of Norway to the very south. Two of the machines will perform a last flyby over Oslo to mark the end of an era.

Of the 6 C-130E's, one will be preserved at the Air Museum at Gardemoen while the other 5 will return to and be interned at AMARG.
The Hercules' has had no accidents while in Norwegian service.

The current C-130E's will be replace by brand new C-130J-30's ordered last year, of wich the first should arrive later this year, while the remaining will follow untill the last is delivered in 2010

[Elliboom]

Wonder why there are retiring them already. Only 40 years old and an average of 13,333 flight hours on them, hell they are brand new compared to most of the stuff we are till flying. But I would not mind seeing a ramp full of J-models around here myself.