Last ever RAF Hercules flights

[canberraman]

Wednesday June 28th 2023. A sad day in the annals of RAF history, as after over 56 years of illustrious service, the RAF finally bade farewell to the faithful Lockheed Hercules. The last two aircraft - ZH867 and ZH870 - made their final flights into Cambridge airport at 1115 and 1125 today. ZH867. the first to arrive - callsign Judgement 24, was captained oy OC 24 Sqn Wg Cdr Gav Anderson. ZH870, with the commemorative tail markings, came in as callsign Omen 47 captained by OC 47 Sqn Wg Cdr James Sjoberg.  

 

I can just about remember the type's arrival in service back in 1967 when a sa five year old I used to watch them overflying my house en route to their home station at Lyneham. It's difficult to comprehend that now as a recently retired 61 year old I've just witnessed their last ever flights!  Still can't fully understand the rationale of withdrawing such a useful and versatile asset, especially when the Germans are in the process of buying them to supplement the A400M, but no doubt HMG has their reasons!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Mark

[noelh]

Hard to  believe. But I suppose every aircraft has its final day. Not that the C130 is finished. Lockheed still manufacture them after all. 

 

I suppose they're going to Marshalls to be refurbished and sold on? 

 

Hopefully not scrapped. 

[canberraman]

Just now, noelh said:

Hard to  believe. But I suppose every aircraft has its final day. Not that the C130 is finished. Lockheed still manufacture them after all. 

 

I suppose they're going to Marshalls to be refurbished and sold on? 

 

Hopefully not scrapped. 

Hi Noel, I believe it is the intention that they will be resold as opposed to scrapped. A number of earlier retirees went to Bangladesh and Austria so there's clearly a market for second hand Hercs with one careful owner!

 

Mark

[Whitewolf]

I was hoping someone with an ounce of common sense in authority would step in and reverse this decision.  There is no sane reasoning behind it, just another cut to our operational capabilities 

[Alpha Delta 210]

A sad and bemusung day indeed, Mark.

 

Thanks for sharing your record of this historic day.🙄

[noelh]

1 hour ago, canberraman said:

Hi Noel, I believe it is the intention that they will be resold as opposed to scrapped. A number of earlier retirees went to Bangladesh and Austria so there's clearly a market for second hand Hercs with one careful owner!

 

Mark

Well that's good. As they also said about the C47. The only replacement for a Herc is another Herc.

 

They'll be flying on for years.

[Troffa]

I saw a Hercules on the Climb out of Yeovilton a couple of hours ago- was it one of these machines, or a foreign aircraft?

[canberraman]

1 minute ago, Troffa said:

I saw a Hercules on the Climb out of Yeovilton a couple of hours ago- was it one of these machines, or a foreign aircraft?

Chances are it was an RAF machine you saw Troffa but I suppose it could have been a USAF machine or another foreign military user as Yeovilton does get a few overseas visitors. 

 

Mark

[Troffa]

Just found out it was a USAF MC-130J at Yeovilton this afternoon. Nice to see.

[Alan P]

End of an era. Used to watch a regular Hercules flight in and out of Gibraltar when I lived there as a kid. The old brown scheme. I remember being left in a parked car behind one that was starting up engines and being scared the car would tip over because it was rocking so much!

[Evalman]

61 - I see we are the same vintage, a good year that🤣

 

It is sad to see these retire so early.  I spent a couple of ATC Camps at Lyneham and remember flying in the old ones when they where painted brown/tan. 

Lyneham was a place to behold back then.

 

I wonder what's next for the chop? I saw 5 x AAC Gazelles showing on radar yesterday, it's been a long time since I've noticed that many flying at the same time.  I guess they'll quietly disappear in the next year or two. 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by Evalman

[ColinChipmunkfan]

Great photos of a tragic time.  I cannot see the logic of getting rid of them at all.  They are still in production and other countries are still buying them.

[stevehnz]

1 hour ago, ColinChipmunkfan said:

They are still in production and other countries are still buying them.

Yup, I'm looking forward to seeing our new ones though I did quite fancy half a dozen Embraer c-390s.

Steve.

[TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED]

All the operational reasons for keeping the Herc are still there, such as specialist Special Forces requirements, according to reports the A400 is still not fully cleared to do some of the Herc capabilities.

 

The RAF are getting rid of about 25% of its Military lift assets for no other reason than cost saving.

 

I spent 26 years in RAF Supply and Logistics so the dear Herc was always there, not due to the fact its old, due to the fact its needed.

 

The C130K we got in 1966/7 and retired in the early 2000's, the C130J was purchased brand new again about 2000 so not that old.

 

The real shame is at last the RAF was using the C130 for its basic design function of a short to Medium range Tactical Lifter, leaving the long range strategic lift to the C17 and the A400M.

 

Bit of history for you.

 

Back in 1964 the then UK Gov cancelled the TSR2 which I am sure you know all about, but at the same time they cancelled P1154 the supersonic Harrier variant and importantly for the RAF Logistical role, cancelled AW681.  AW681 was a Jet Powered Strategic Lifter that looked very much like the C17 (Please google the AW681).  

 

The RAF Transport fleet at the time consisted of Bristol Britannia,  Hadley Page Hasting, C47 Dakotas, Backburn Beverley, DH Comet, AW Argosy ( The Whistling Tit), all of these were either side loading or tail siting, or a complicated rear loading system.  The USAF at the time had C141 Starlifter, C123 Provider and C130 Hers which they had been using for over 10 years., all with modern rear loading ramps.   With the cancelling of AW681 the RAF took on board the Short Belfast large but underpowered, that gave a lot of trouble and served only from 1966 to 1976,

 

1976 GET RID OF THE LOT.

 

The year I joined the RAF and after the withdrawing from East of Suez, retired in one go, Comets, Befast, Argosy, and the last of the Hastings and Beverleys, leaving  only the VC10 for passenger work (10 Sqn Shiny 10) and C130 for all military lifting, both tactical and Strategic, hence when we retired the C130K they had more flight hours than any other countries C130 as we had ragged them to within an inch of their lives, buy flying them all round the world.

 

The basic design of the C130 Herc is the same as the C47, the Maximum amount of Cargo that can be flown into the shortest, roughest possible landing strip.

 

The arrival of the C17 in 2001 made a massive difference for the RAF at last 40 years after cancelling the AW681 we had a Jet Powered Strategic Air Lifter with modern Loading/unloading Systems,  thus leaving the new C130J to do what is was designed for Tactical Air lift.   The Problem of the C17 was the RAF could not make up its mind and initially leased the Aircraft from the USA, hoping to chuck their hat into the new Airbus A400M programme.   Delays with the A400M, and the obvious qualities of the C17 already in service and doing its job was to buy them which they did in 2007ish plus buying 2 more.

 

There are 20 plus A400M in service with the RAF and they are working hard to make it work well, but both the C130 and C17 were proven systems up and running when we got them, I think getting rid of the C130 is possibly the stupidest  decision in RAF Logistical history and I am sure it will come back and bite them in the rear within a year or so.  The World is a dodgy place at the moment, and defense cuts of any type should be put on hold until Ukraine situation is solved.

 

VC10 Note,  in the 1980s when British Airway retired the VC10 the RAF got most of them and converted them to Cargo/ Tankers (KC kerosine/Cargo), this was to replace the old V Bomber fleet doing the tanking at the time.  At a similar time we also took on ex BA L1011 Tristars for the same reason.  The Falklands War was a massive logistical kick up the RAF's rear and showed us totally lacking sufficient long range cargo lift capability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED

[speedy]

The Hercules has been in and out of my life during our history.

 

I remember during the school holidays spotting at Boscombe Down during a merky day. I could hear the Herc coming into land and out of the merk came this Herc with new pods on the wingtips. I felt like a journalist who'd got the scoop and was beside myself. Needless to say an Airfix kit got made.

 

Now an adult working at Boscombe Down in the mid eighties. I got invited for a jolly whilst they're chucking stuff out the back over Larkhill ranges. Noisy, as it was not an experience I'd had before.

 

Having now joined the RAF and been detached to the Falklands in early 1996. I got a jolly in the resident Herc at the time (non tanker) and was asked to to flying from the right hand seat!. LHS pilot did the rudder and was giving me instructions as the crew were taking trawler/ship registration numbers. It was so surreal and I loved it. On the same flight we got buzzed by the F3 Tornados. The ramp was lowered and the F3 was slowly edging closer to the ramp. There must have been 3 or 4 of us looking back at the F3 and the engine noise was very apparent as throttle movement was heard. You could clearly see the Pilot and it felt like you could touch the pitot tube. Obviously not but even the loads said that was closer than they'd done previously and was a wow moment.

 

Now on a detachment in another country just after 9/11. We were resurplied by Herc (from Cyprus) who'd reverse up to our compound and with engines running everything was off loaded by hand. Everybody on the detachment helped and this came round every 2 weeks.

 

A few years on and having landed at Basra to get the taxi up North to Tallil airbase. Did a detachment there and once that had ended got on a grey cab (round robin) to return to Bahrain or Ali Al Salem to get a VC-10 back to the UK. We ended up doing 6 hours on the Herc as the some aircrew had left their bags at Tallil and we went back to get it. Numb bum definitely.

 

Further landings into Basra which was becoming more established. Luckily we'd filter off once we'd got our bags and got on the green taxi to go North to Baghdad. Some great flying and amazing memories. I'd left 1 week before that Herc was shot down. I had mates that were killed on that trip and we'll leave it there.

 

Now on a 2 week exercise to Romania with 6 Sqn Jags and their MiGs'. We were told we flying by Tristar. In the end we went by Herc. Fully loaded with peeps and kit it was a long flight, some 4-6 hours. We flew into a base about 10 miles(ish) to Constanta. Exercise went well and returned by Tristar.

 

So loads of memories for me but everything comes to an end, as indeed my 24 years in the RAF. I do wonder if the RAF is under pressure to mak3 cost savings and how much they're told/instructed that the Herc is going as opposed to the top brass getting rid of it, if comes across as english. 

Edited June 29, 2023 by speedy

[TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED]

As I stated its been got rid of due to simple cost savings, I think the RAF Brass would be more than happy to keep it, but whos going to rock the boat and tell the MoD.

 

The basic problem is they are getting rid of a perfectly serviceable Aircraft with plenty of lift left, that's still been produced, replacing it with a platform that is not totally fully capable as yet, but I am sure it will be made fully capable.

 

Basic Logistics why operate a 10 ton truck when a 5 ton truck does the job.

 

You are right everything comes to an end, and only time will tell if they have made the right move.

 

 

[PLC1966]

12 hours ago, TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED said:

 

 

The arrival of the C17 in 2001 made a massive difference for the RAF at last 40 years after cancelling the AW681 we had a Jet Powered Strategic Air Lifter with modern Loading/unloading Systems,  thus leaving the new C130J to do what is was designed for Tactical Air lift.   The Problem of the C17 was the RAF could not make up its mind and initially leased the Aircraft from the USA, hoping to chuck their hat into the new Airbus A400M programme.   Delays with the A400M, and the obvious qualities of the C17 already in service and doing its job was to buy them which they did in 2007ish plus buying 2 more.

 

VC10 Note,  in the 1980s when British Airway retired the VC10 the RAF got most of them and converted them to Cargo/ Tankers (KC kerosine/Cargo), this was to replace the old V Bomber fleet doing the tanking at the time.  At a similar time we also took on ex BA L1011 Tristars for the same reason.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a couple of thoughts....

 

I have a gut feeling that we ended up purchasing that first batch of rented C-17's basically because we had smashed the contracted for flying hours due to Ops in sandy places and it was going to be cheaper to buy them than to pay the penalties at the end of the rental period....

 

Ref the RAF Tristars, I seem to remember being told that BA sold the jets to the RAF as they were the shortest range, most expensive to run models of their Tri-Jet fleet...not sure if true and can't be bothered to Wiki but it was an urban myth at Brize at one ime.

[PLC1966]

1 hour ago, speedy said:

 

 

Now on a 2 week exercise to Romania with 6 Sqn Jags and their MiGs'. We were told we flying by Tristar. In the end we went by Herc. Fully loaded with peeps and kit it was a long flight, some 4-6 hours. We flew into a base about 10 miles(ish) to Constanta. Exercise went well and returned by Tristar.

 

Long flight on a Herc................try three days to Belize and then come back to me..............LOL

[TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED]

My last oversea det was to Alaska for 4 months, came back on a Herc, took about 3 days.

[TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED]

You may well be right why we ended up buying the C17, as the lease was possibly temp until we got the A400M which was in development for years before coming into service.

 

The basic reason we bought, borrowed, leased or stole was we had a massive deficiency in strategic Air Lift at the time of increasing oversea commitments  

Edited June 29, 2023 by TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED

[Latinbear]

Nice shots Mark! As many have said a sad day indeed and once driven by short sightedness (again) and of course finances or lack of them. Congratulations on your retirement! Hope it is a long and happy one. 

[canberraman]

1 hour ago, Latinbear said:

Nice shots Mark! As many have said a sad day indeed and once driven by short sightedness (again) and of course finances or lack of them. Congratulations on your retirement! Hope it is a long and happy one. 

Many thanks Latinbear! I think we're all in agreement that the premature retirement of the Herc may be decision that the Government may come to regret, but was no doubt brought about by the state of the nation's finances. Thanks also for the nice retirement wishes! I'm certainly enjoying the extra time to do all the things that work once got in the way of!

 

Thanks also to everyone else that has commented on or liked the photos.

 

Mark

[HOUSTON]

Beautiful  photographs  Mark.

Thank you for sharing your photos.

Even the skies look a tad glum...

and to others who worked in the RAF in one way or another  THANK YOU for Your  SERVICE.