Lockheed C130 Hercules

Here are a couple of photos of a Herc cockpit on an asymetric approach into Lyneham. Unfortunately I don't have the a/c serial number or the date - but it was quite a few years ago...!


Note the no1 throttle and engine instruments...


Nav position

Ah! Just noticed the second photo is date-stamped 1999, which is probably about right.

We saw the three aircraft fly over our village yesterday on their way to RAF Halton. Didn't have my camera handy at that time ! Good to see and hear though !!

Saw the three yesterday; looked like after the flypast, they'd passed overhead Fairoaks heading in the general direction of Farnborough/Odiham.  I saw them south of my place near Chobham about a mile south of me at about 1000ft.
I was expecting the Chinooks to pass to the north of me on H3 (M3 motorway) heading back to Odiham but there was no sign.

Final retirement date is 30 Jun.

Whether here is the best place to -  'Reminisce' on the 'Herc' - Well a total shame to see the C130 leaving service but expected considering it age and what has more-or-less replaced it... notwithstanding, the C130 has a great history and legacy. I remember living at Hayling Island and sailing to the West shores of Thorney Island and seeing Beverley, Argos flying around in the 60's to being replaced by the Herc's and Andover's. Then joining the RAF a short time later... then being an AC and working at Thorney too, circa Jan-1970, an Uncle of mind was a 'Loadmaster' on the Herc's - was there any influence - who's knows...!
I recall the many hours in the hold of a number of C130's over the years whilst in the RAF. Recall 'Pinky and Perky' at Ascension. Experiencing some short 'take-offs/ landings' too.... On a number of occasions to not leaving/keeping one's feet on the cargo 'floor'....   Grabbing a spot on the cargo boxes/ load en putting your 'slug' down and sleeping in the warm space well above the aircraft's floor.... Particularly on hops across the 'pond' or to Italy and being diverted for some aircraft mechanical reason to Iceland or Ganda on 'pond' trips, either delays of hours to days waiting on parts being flown in.... before completing our journey. Happy Days, Skip

Skipp wrote:

Whether here is the best place to -  'Reminisce' on the 'Herc' - Well a total shame to see the C130 leaving service but expected considering it age 

The C130Js which are about to retire (30 Jun 2023) all have a lot of 'life' in their airframes and are being sold to other airforces.

Peter wrote:

We had a chalet at Selsey from 1961-1965 but don't recall the large aircraft from Thorney but plenty of Whirlwind ASR rotary action. Oddly we only saw them off East Beach and not off West Beach, despite spending more time on West beach due to the sand.

 

We stayed at Butlins at Bognor (the first 3 years they opened) in '60/'61/'62 just along from Selsey and all I recall are Meteors out of Tangmere plus Scimitars presumably out of Ford and the occasional Whirlwind demo off the beach every week.