Farewell flight 15th Wing Hercules

On 17 December 2021, the Belgische Luchtmacht (BAF, Belgian Air Force) 15th Wing Air Transport will say goodbye to the venerable Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules transport aircraft after almost fifty years of service.

The event will be celebrated with a farewell tour over Belgium. The transporters will leave Melsbroek air base (Brussels) at around 13:00 hrs LT and will return at 15:45 hrs.

The Hercules will be replaced by the Airbus A400M, of which already five aircraft have been delivered.

In March 1971 the BAF ordered twelve C-130Hs to replace its 22 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars. The first Hercules was delivered on 25 July 1972. In 2007, an additional Hercules was delivered.

The remaining C-130Hs have been acquired by the US company Blue Aerospace. The transporters will be temporary stored at Soria-Garray (Spain), after which they will be taken apart for spare parts.

Illustration by Belgian Air Force