There's something about old planes that soldier on (forgive the pun). Who'd have thought that aircraft built in the 1950s would still be the workhorses for organizations big and small around the world in 2011? The particular plane I'm referencing for this piece is the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
I've been fortunate enough to walk among some of the older examples of the Hercules flying in the United States.
International Air Response IAR, operating out of the World War II flying field at Coolidge Municipal in southern Arizona, is one such organization. They use their Hercs for exactly what they were designed do: everything. IAR uses them as quick response platforms to perform a number of missions: aerial spraying (agricultural as well as oil dispersant), parachute training, test and evaluation platforms and fire fighters among other things.
Walking among them in the early hours of a crisp winter morning makes me wish they could lapse into a "there I was" story mode. Considering many of these aircraft date from the 1950s, there must be a tale or two in those airframes. Don't despair at their appearance; many are undergoing heavy maintenance by a dedicated crew of mechanical wizards. They fly. They'll keep flying... because that's what Hercs do.
I've been fortunate enough to walk among some of the older examples of the Hercules flying in the United States.
International Air Response IAR, operating out of the World War II flying field at Coolidge Municipal in southern Arizona, is one such organization. They use their Hercs for exactly what they were designed do: everything. IAR uses them as quick response platforms to perform a number of missions: aerial spraying (agricultural as well as oil dispersant), parachute training, test and evaluation platforms and fire fighters among other things.
Walking among them in the early hours of a crisp winter morning makes me wish they could lapse into a "there I was" story mode. Considering many of these aircraft date from the 1950s, there must be a tale or two in those airframes. Don't despair at their appearance; many are undergoing heavy maintenance by a dedicated crew of mechanical wizards. They fly. They'll keep flying... because that's what Hercs do.
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