C-130 Hercules News
Four RNZAF C-130H Hercules aircraft sold to US aerial firefighting company
The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) retired fleet of C-130H Hercules aircraft has been sold to an American aerial firefighting company for $9 million.
Airmen from the 109th AW make history, Landing the LC-130 Hercules on Fresh Water Ice for the first time
Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing have landed an LC-130 Hercules on freshwater ice for the first time in the wing’s history during Operation Nanook-Nunalivut, Inuvik, Canada, on March 5, 2025.
AMMROC and Marshall signed a strategic service agreement to advance C-130 fleet readiness at IDEX 2025
Marshall and AMMROC, the Middle East's leading provider of military maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) solutions, today signed a strategic service agreement outlining the first work package to be delivered within their new long-term strategic partnership.
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C-130 Fleet Status
C-130 fleet - May 13, 2025
Fleet overview:
scrapped: 180
write-off: 351
preserved: 92
stored: 584
instructional: 160
on order: 2
active: 1314
Changes '23/'24:
Fleet adds: 5
Fleet drop: 16
Sponsor - New
Today in C-130 history
13 May 1982
C-130E #64-0543, c/n 4033, of the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, crashed when wing broke during formation flight near Judsonia, Arkansas.
13 May 1995
C-130E, #62-1838, c/n 3801, 'Sumit 38', operated by the 302d Airlift Wing, Peterson AFB, Colorado. Number 2 engine caught fire at a cruise altitude of 26K ft AGL after departing Boise, Idaho. The aircraft commander directed the flight engineer to discharge an extinguisher bottle, when that failed to put out the fire, the second one was activated. However, the fire re-ignited and the aircraft had no further extinguishing capability. Crew attempted to divert to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho (MUO). Number 2 engine improperly disengaged from its mount, causing severe fuselage and wing damage. Wing eventually severed completely from the airframe, causing Sumit 38 to crash approximately 23 minutes after leaving Boise, killing all six crewmembers. This was the only Hercules hull loss in the entire calendar year of 1995, making it the safest year of C-130/L-100 operation since 1963.

Quote of the Day
You know you've landed with the wheels up when it takes full power to taxi.
-- Unknown
C-130 Hall of Fame
Largest aircraft to land on a carrier
USNavy #149798
KC-130F
Used for carrier suitability trials on the USS Forrestal making 29 touch and goes, and 21 landings and unassisted takeoffs just off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. The aircraft was being studied for use as a Carrier Onboard Delivery transport. The refueling pods were removed from the aircraft for the tests. This C-130 made history as the largest aircraft to land and take-off from an aircraft carrier but never became operational.
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