Here's Why the C-130 Hercules Might Fly for 80 Years 

Incredible video that never die

C-130s been flying for 63 already! That's a good start on 80 years.... Privileged to have worked on them for 32.5 years.... Pray for the good sense of it's engineers, operators, and maintainers. It should fly on indefinitely....

The C-130 is right up there, with the DC-3 and B-52, in being a revolutionary and iconic plane. I don't see why the C-130 won't still be made and still be flying in 2050, and beyond. It is a truly remarkable plane.

I got a ride in one when I was 4 years old back in 1966 and is one of my earliest memories. My Dad was stationed at Naval Station Argentia in Newfoundland. They had military family day and offered families a chance to take a ride in a C130. During the flight the pilots allowed my Dad to take me up to the cockpit where he handed me to one of the pilots and the pilot lowered me down to look through the floor level window. I'll never forget looking down at that landscape.

What a beautiful reliable platform. My dad managed to hitched us a ride in 1973 from Saigon to Hue to attend my grandma's funeral. Sat on the floor among South Vietnamese troops in full combat gears heading into battles, still vividly remember the looks on those soldiers' faces🤙

Great cargo aircraft and a work horse for the military. Not to mention the gunship version in support of ground infantry troops. Also used in search operations and even by NOAA as Hurricane (data) hunters. Extremely tough and versatile!

My dad was a 20 year man in the USAF.I was born on an airbase in France.Couple years ago,at a graduation party for a buddy's niece,outdoors,neighborhood with a lot of low flying planes,a C 130 flew directly overhead.Quite loud,but a thrilling moment.I always watch for them.

I remember watching the 1968 siege of Khe Sanh on the evening news on TV when I was 6yrs old. Saw C130s literally bouncing off the dirt strip, if they even got that low, and dumping supplies out the back while hauling ass as mortars were exploding in the background. It was the only way to get supplies to the surrounded Marines for weeks. My hats off to the pilots and Marines that endured Hell on Earth. As far as TV coverage, was nothing like WW2. Seemed the only time you saw the enemy was when they were dead.

As an infantry paratrooper, this was my favorite bird to jump out of. What a glorious airplane.

*Because its the best aircraft ever built.* Its a cargo plane, its a fuel tanker, its a SAR and CSAR platform, its a special mission infiltration/extraction plane, its a bad ass gunship, its a maritime operations (coast guard) platform, it works in the arctic/antarctic, its been used (but dont know if it still is) for electronic warfare, a flying command post, a drone carrier. The Herky bird can land places the A400 and C-17 cant. Heck its even landed on an aircraft carrier!

I used to catch MAC flights when I was in the military. Basically you’re hitching a ride on a cargo plane. My favorite plane was a C130 that was outfitted with litters for medical evacuations and transportation. Usually 30 cots bolted to the walls and then cargo takes up the rest. Put your earplugs in, grab a cot and sleep while you’re flying! A badass plane

Spent the last third of my career on the Herc. The new props and controls are awesome. Heard many good things. The AMP program will keep the H models along with wing boxes for another 50 years easily. The J is here to stay as well.

this is the best channel always gives right info love u man

Took you long enough to make a video of the C-130 but im glad it's out

Just as we should care for all of our veterans I love that we're caring for and refurbishing the Hercules! I have the honor of living just off the take off path for MSP airport in South Minneapolis and I love seeing the C-130 squadron take off! In this modern age of jets and loudness it's a wonderful reminder of past innovations.

The C-47, which has performed well all these years, still had that Art Deco look to it. The design spoke of early aviation technology. The C-130 came to us in 1954 after WW2 and Korea. Both of those conflicts pushed aviation technology to a stage of maturity which can be seen in the C-130’s concepts. It was the first pressurized cargo aircraft. It was the first cargo aircraft that dared play in the rare air of fighter jets and pushed to speeds nearing what a P-51 could do. This airplane was and is a break through in technology in so many ways. It certainly deserves its place in history.

Thanks America for donating 3 of them to the Colombian Air Force. God Bless America.

I flew in them a couple dozen times for deployments when I was stationed in Britain. That was 40 years ago. If someone had told me they'd still be flying this long I'd have laughed at them.

FANTASTIC AIRCRAFT RODE MANY HOURS In THE 130 NOT The MOST COMEFORTABLE BUT EXTREMELY RELIABLE 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Thank you for your service C-130s

Nice video and very informative and very entertaining and very satisfaction 😊.

I spent 4 years in the regular Air Force as an aircraft mechanic / crew chief on C-130 Bs and Es. Then another 3 years in the Air Force Reserves as a flight engineer on C-130s. It’s one hell of an airplane. I can only remember two times having mechanical problems while out on a mission that could not be repaired and delayed the mission. One in Tehran, Iran where we had what turned out to be instrument problems with to much and to little torque and a TIT problem. Another was a bird strike in #2 engine that caused enough damage to have to change the engine. I can not think of any other aircraft I would have rather been on. I loved our missions and have seen a lot of our planet from a C-130. All 50 states, Canada, 11 countries in Europe and the Middle East, North Africa, and The Philippines. Three Thunderbird support missions, 3 or 4 over water navigation training missions to Hickam AFB Honolulu, Hawaii for a week each time. Many many trips to drop Army Paratroopers and lots of cargo. And many more to numerous to mention. I could write a book.

I saw c 130 fly over my house

I flew in the Herc 30 back in 1961 from Frankfurt Germany to Libya and landed in the desert with no runway , what a ride.

I got to work with C-130s in the late 1960s as not just cargo craft but as intelligence vehicles. We flew along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and marked -- and sometimes attacked --targets. Beautiful airplane.

Most of my jumps as a young paratrooper at Ft. Bragg back in the 80's, were from C-130's. Great memories whenever I still see one of these fly overhead.

That sound is unmistakable to those of us that have worked on that awesome plane

I really enjoy your videos.

Nice planes from old a bit noisy back in the 1970’s . Love them all the same

C-130U "Spooky" all day loooong.

very incredible facts, love it

.... because the Herc is such a badass aircraft!!

I love this channel.

No wonder why, Blue Angel´s Fat Albert is a C-130 Herc

Very nice video , greetings from algeria

During my stint in the Marines back in the 70s, I rode on them several times.

Electric Props originally came on the first 'A' models that came out of the factory. In rainstorms, they sometimes went into reverse all on their own. Not good. That's why they went to hydraulic props. Love a Dirty thirty!

Dedicated Crew Chief on Tail Number C-130E, 63-7819. By the time I got this airplane it already had over 17,000 flying hours and a lot of them in Vietnam. The 63 was the year it was built. I flew on it for another 5-6 thousand hours. Left in 1987 and it was still there. Think it went to boneyard or static display or ground trainer somewhere nowadays. 😅 Lockheed got it right for this tactical airlift work horse. Lots of people went to college back in 80s my education was flying around the world as a twenty year old on a C-130!

The J models from the late 1990s are already getting the center wing boxes replaced. EBH hours are using the airframe hours really fast as well.

5:26 the angel of death

LOVE the HERC. I've flown on many!

Short Answer: Lockheed made a damn good platform.

Nothing can replace the Hercules. It is the longest flying most versatile airframe that is still in production today.

LOVE THE HERC!!!

It would not surprise me to see it be in service for 100 years. They are still building them.

I have seen and been in this aircraft doing some really amazing shiz big time. We know the machines are great but it take really awesome pilots to drive that baby to its fullest capabilities! Respect for the pilots 🇺🇸👍🍻

I've flown in a C-130! Noisy as all heck inside but will never forget the ride!

These upgrades are not new. The avionics updates have been going on for 15+ years. I love this bird.

4 fans of freedom....Forever! Load Clear!

excellent

hi!this plane's one of my favourite,it has crossed decades,thanks to an expenditure of improvments,a myth plane like the Dakota.!.

The big 4 engine transport that can take off and land from an aircraft carrier. An awesome workhorse.

Love these planes 🤍

don't fix what isn't wrong. I flew in one of these aircraft from Edmonton to Kelowna, when I took my Cadet Leader course when I was 15 y/o. This machine is loud, proud and a beautiful

Nice

Are these still in production or just getting upgrades?

ALSS B,at Lyneham on the 90s. now back at Brize,after a 25 year hiatus!

Best plane in usaf still going strong miss working on them good ole days

Nothing like being harnessed to the walls in one of these when the back door is open. In ROTC, I went on a flight twice. I wanted to jump so bad! They didn't issue us parachutes though.

Let's get real, THAT'S ONE BAD ASS PLANE. 80 Years? Nah, it'll be longer.

Hopefully the B-52 hits 100 years of service

The reason why it might fly for 80 years? Because this $*** never gets old!

C-130 rollin' down the strip... Definitely do NOT miss having my legs fall asleep below the knee while packed into that thing like sardines.

i've wrenched on some of these myself. very impressive planes. they're pretty much the F150 of usaf. as a practical matter, it's very hard to improve on this design.

If it’s not broken.... it’s a a awesome peace of equipment for the job it is need for.

It's just solid as a rock, don't fix something that isn't broken

The true reason is because the Mighty Herc is a versatile badass! Can you imagine flying in the Vietnam with a 3 bladed A model?

If it ain't broke, don't replace it. The C-130 is reliable, affordable to build, and cheap to operate. It's the perfect light cargo aircraft.

They're still making C-130s, and no signs of the program winding down. It'll not only still be flying 80 years after the original first flight, it's likely to still be in production. Pretty much only the 737 can also claim that level of longevity of production.

There are YT videos of C-130 landing on aircraft carriers. Saw C-130s at Blue Angels air show. Doing loops and Immelmans just above our heads. I didn't think of C-130 as an acrobatic aircraft.

C-130 Hercules defined tactical airlift, turns 69 years old in August (introduced August 1954). Still going strong.

It is such a beautiful plane, I can't Believe The Air Force Tried to replace it in the 1970's with Yc-14's, Glad They Failed.

Service until 2030? The C-130 is the perfect tactical medium hauler. It has been in use for 70 years as there is not anything they can do other than a slow evolution to make it better. I cannot see a clean sheet design doing the least bit better than to just keep developing the C-130 and updating it. The C-130 Was born about the same time I was and I expect there to be versions of it flying when I am long gone. Someday there will be a C-130Z and only after using up every letter from what is it now, J?

Because it's a legend!

nice

Thats some good value on investment

Ooo a c130 video

BEST Airplane EVER built

I love this Bird.

🙂us old guys - cold war era - late '70s - early ' 80s ( my time) C 130 - SIMPLY AWESOME & NOW W/ NEW TECHNOLOGY !!! 🤗

Best plane ever!

APMHIBIOUS!!! Lockheed seriously needs to make an amphibious version that can scoop up water into a 5,000 gallon onboard tank while doing a "touch 'n go". This would be perfect for fighting wild fires without having to land far away at a runway to refill with fire retardant chemicals.

So, what are the left over after 80 years upgrade?

Crew chief of 550022 at wpafb, 80s👍 still had 3 bladed props. Oh tha history at R & D...

Hey milatary news on monday I looked up your channel and it wasent there

can u cover the F-35's gun as there are some problems and issues with it

best plane ever made, thats why

My grandpa flew on that he was a load master he worked for McCord he takes me to McCord. He told me that c130 is so durable that the air force still uses it

Heck yes

Old is gold

Wing box overhaul is important. Watched a video of a C-130 dropping fire retardant have its wings fold up when pulling up. Lost the plane and crew.

Good morning to all from SE Louisiana 19 Jul 22.

Прекрасный самолёт!

The AC 130J was the one that killed Scorponok right?

Does the Hercules have an especially high limit of pressurization cycles, or does it last so many years because it seldom flies?

Just like the C-47 u can never replace it

You boys and girls always rock

My favorite bird!

Красавец👍

Best plane ever made!!!