Voor de echte Hercules FAN
Na een tip van Frank van den Hurk om een Badges bevestiging ophangkleed te bestellen en dat is mij goed bevallen ik heb er een Nederlandse Belgische Luchtmacht Hercules kunstwerk van gemaakt!
Alweer drie weken geleden dat een van de twee Nederlandse Herculessen van onze Luchtmacht was ook mijn geliefde C-130H-30 G-273 Ben Swagerman c/n 5273 afgeleverd in 1995 die deel nam aan herdenking droppings op o.a Ginkelse Heide en waar ik ooit het geluk gehad heb om mee te mogen vliegen in 1996 naar een weekend Fairford heen en terug dus ongeveer twee en half uur in een Hercules over Londen en starten en landen op Fairford wat een onvergetelijke belevenis was helaas had men toen nog geen digitale camera of telefoon met camera maar dit effe terzijde!
Maar ook niet vergeten dat het weer mooi genieten was dit jaar op de toch wel winderige parkeergarage p-3 want 5 herculessen uit diversen landen dat zie je bijna nooit twee weken konden de Hercules fans en andere genieten van laag overvliegende Herculessen en C-27J c-295 en A400M’s tijdens oefening Falcon Leap en Herdenking Market Garden!
RNLAF 336 SQUADRON C-130H reg G-781 ex US NAVY EC-130Q deze Herc was een van twee onze luchtmacht Herculessen die deelname aan de oefening Falcon Leap en herdenking Market Garden die alles bij elkaar twee weken duurde ja twee weken zolang is het ook alweer geleden zaterdag 19-9 ook weer een stel foto’s van mij zelf die ik nog niet geplaatst heb!! website beheerder André Pouw
Van de 5 Herculessen was de Zweedse Luchtmacht C-130H REG 846 c/n 4885 ook wekome HERC die deelnam aan de dropings op de Ginkelse Heide MARKET GARDEN maar ook aan FALCON LEAP deze Herc is afgeleverd in 1981 aan de Zweedse luchtmacht echt een ouwe herc wel diverse updates gehad natuurlijk! foto’s webmaster André Pouw
own click, 15092026 Eindhoven Griekse schone 747 credits Johan van Bunt
Own click, Low and fast Zweden Luchtmacht reg 846 C-130 H Eindhoven Falcon Leap
Own click, eindhoven 15092026 laag en hard o ver P4 C-130H- reg 846 Zweden Luchtmacht credits Johan van Bunt
72 years of the Hercules! On August 23, 1954, the first Lockheed Hercules took flight from Burbank, California. More than seven decades later, the C-130 Hercules continues to serve – including in the fight against wildfires.
C-130H airtankers are used for rapid initial attack, delivering fire retardant to wildland fires. The first C-130H was put into service at AEU’s McClellan Airtanker Base on August 26, 2024. Today, these aircraft are strategically located throughout California and are an important part of the state’s aerial firefighting response.
Happy 72nd anniversary to the mighty Hercules!
Marshall Aerospace has received a multi-year extension to its Engineering Support (ESP) contract for legacy C-130 aircraft operated by the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force (RNLASF).
The extension, concluded between Commando Materieel en IT (COMMIT) and Marshall, paves the way for Marshall’s Aero Engineering Services team to continue providing expert guidance to maximise the availability and capability of RNLASF’s fleet of four C-130H aircraft until their out-of-service date.
Under its support-to-operations service model, Marshall provides direct dial-in access to its engineers based in Cambridge, who routinely advise front-line operators and RNLASF airworthiness staff on wide-ranging technical matters including repairs, parts, modifications, service bulletins and documentation.
“We are delighted to continue this very successful technical support arrangement with RNLASF, which has seen our two teams working incredibly closely in support of 336 Squadron’s C-130H fleet.
“As the aircraft enter a new phase of their operational lifecycles, our expertise on legacy C-130 aircraft will translate directly to availability as we respond to unique challenges related to retirement from service.”
Mark Hewer
Director of Aero Engineering Services, Marshall Aerospace
The technical support service forms part of a broader working relationship between Marshall and RNLASF that is now in its 30th year. Over the decades, Marshall has supported the air force’s C-130H fleet with modifications and a range of maintenance, supply chain and engineering services.
In 2012, Marshall completed a series of major modifications and upgrades on all four aircraft, known as the Cockpit Upgrade Programme (CUP) and the Cabin Safety Improvement Programme (CSIMP). The programmes included the removal of legacy or redundant systems and the integration of commercial off-the-shelf equipment, in addition to solutions developed specifically to meet RNLASF’s requirements.
At the time of acquisition, two of the Dutch aircraft had been configured and operated as EC-130Qs (a maritime electronic warfare variant of the C-130H) by the U.S. Navy before being put into long-term storage in Tucson, Arizona. The aircraft were dismantled and transported to Cambridge where Marshall Aerospace led the recovery and upgrade to C-130H build standard—one of the most extensive and complex engineering projects the company has undertaken to date.
Mexico becomrst country in Latin America to operate C-130Js
MARIETTA, Ga., Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (FAM) recently announced the acquisition of their first Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifter, making Mexico the first country in Latin America to operate the C-130J.
The FAM’s acquisition of the Super Hercules was the first of two international C-130J contract awards to close out in 2025, with the second new international customer yet to be disclosed. In choosing the C-130J-30 Super Hercules, the most advanced Hercules ever built, Mexico joins 24 other nations and a global fleet of more than 560 C-130Js operating today.
A longtime Hercules operator, the FAM is recapitalizing its legacy fleet with the modern C-130J-30 Super Hercules — a decision rooted in five decades of proven C-130 operational performance and existing interoperability between nations.
FAM crews will operate the C-130J-30 Super Hercules — the stretch version of the C-130J that adds 15 feet of cargo space ― marking a new modern era of tactical airlift capability for Mexico and Latin America. With increased power, range, fuel efficiency and space, the C-130J-30 provides the FAM with proven and known capabilities ready to support any tactical mission requirements while leveraging Mexico’s decades of C-130 flying, maintenance and logistics experience.
Leveraging their knowledge of the C-130 aircraft and existing infrastructure enables a seamless transition for Mexico, saving significant time, while ensuring sustained fleet readiness and faster modernization through continued access to Lockheed Martin’s established global enterprise-wide network.
“This historic decision by Mexico reflects the continued trust placed in the C-130J Super Hercules by operators around the world,” said Trish Pagan, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Air Mobility & Maritime Missions. “With their new C-130J-30, the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana’s tactical airlift capability will deliver unmatched performance, exceptional reliability, and the versatility to perform all 20 missions the C-130J is certified to execute across Mexico, throughout Latin America, and worldwide. The C-130J-30 is truly built to deliver and built to last.”
For more than 50 years, the C-130 Hercules has played a vital role in Mexico’s response to natural disasters, military operations and other critical missions. The C-130 is a powerful symbol of Mexico’s commitment to regional security and cooperation, and its continued operation is a testament to the strong partnership between Lockheed Martin and the FAM.
Mexico’s selection comes amid renewed interest in multi-role airlift capabilities across Latin America. The C-130J Super Hercules provides the FAM operators what no other tactical airlifter can: certified multi-mission versatility, proven operational performance, a true global presence, known capabilities and trusted reliability.
bron lockheedmartin.com