The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) is bidding farewell to its venerable fleet of C-130H Hercules transport aircraft after six decades of service. The official retirement date for the five-strong fleet was Friday, Jan. 30th, 2025, marking the end of an era for the workhorse aircraft that have served New Zealand both at home and around the globe. To commemorate their service, the Hercules fleet has recently conducted flypasts over Northland and the central North Island, and has scheduled further flypasts over the South Island for Monday and Tuesday, next week.
Corporal Naomi James, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The history of the RNZAF’s C-130H fleet began in 1965 with the delivery of the first three aircraft, designated NZ7001 through NZ7003. These were the first C-130H models to roll off the Lockheed production line. In 1969, the fleet was augmented with two more aircraft, NZ7004 and NZ7005, bringing the total to five. The initial trio were immediately put to work, transporting personnel from the NZ Army 161 Battery and delivering aid to Vietnam. That same year, a Hercules made its first flight to Antarctica, demonstrating its versatility from the outset. Over the years, the aircraft have undergone numerous modifications, most notably a Life Extension Programme (LEP) which commenced in 2005, and included a comprehensive avionics upgrade of the flight deck, and a structural refurbishment; this led to the aircraft being redesignated C-130H(NZ).
The C-130H fleet has amassed a remarkable record of over 155,000 accident-free flying hours and nearly 100,000 landings. These aircraft have operated in some of the most challenging and inhospitable environments imaginable. They have conducted midwinter Antarctic rescues in temperatures plummeting to -35 degrees Celsius.
The operational history of New Zealand’s C-130H is punctuated with unique and often talked-about tasks. Notably, they were involved in the recovery of victims from the Mt Erebus aircraft disaster in Antarctica. The Hercules also assisted in the evacuation of 120 people from Banda Aceh following the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, famously including a survivor with his pet monkey. A bulldozer was once airdropped to the remote Pitcairn Islands in the Pacific. The fleet has also transported personnel to Europe in support of Ukraine and aided in the evacuation of refugees from Afghanistan. The C-130H has also carried troops, cargo, and humanitarian aid, serving as the first RNZAF aircraft to visit mainland China and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The fleet also provided service in Pakistan, Cambodia and Bangladesh. The aircraft deployed to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, and supported United Nations peacekeeping efforts in various locations, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Uganda, the Persian Gulf, and Rwanda. The Hercules also sustained over 1,000 New Zealand troops stationed in East Timor, and deployed detachments of the 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment to Afghanistan. Closer to home, they have supported disaster response missions such as the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, Cyclones Pam and Winston, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, and more recently Cyclone Gabrielle.
The retirement of the C-130H fleet is made possible by the arrival of five new C-130J-30 Hercules, a replacement program announced by the New Zealand Government in 2020, with the last aircraft arriving in December. Four of the retiring aircraft will be relocated to RNZAF Base Woodbourne, while one will be preserved at the Air Force Museum at Wigram.
To mark the retirement, additional flypasts over the North Island’s West Coast and South Island towns are scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3rf, and Tuesday, Feb. 4th. On Monday, the route includes Whenuapai, Auckland City, Port Waikato, Raglan, New Plymouth, Hawera, Whanganui, Ohakea, Palmerston North, Paraparaumu, Porirua, Nelson, Murchison, Westport, Greymouth, Fox Glacier, Aoraki/Mt Cook, Twizel, Omarama, Hawea, Wanaka, Alexandra, Cromwell, Queenstown, Te Anau, Tuatapere, Riverton, and concluding in Invercargill. Tuesday’s flight plan includes Invercargill, Gore, Nugget Point, Balclutha, Dunedin Airport, Dunedin City, Oamaru, Timaru, Geraldine, Ashburton, Darfield, Burnham, Christchurch Airport, Christchurch City, Hamner Springs, Kaikoura, Trentham, Wellington City, and finally Woodbourne. It is important to note that all timings are subject to change based on weather conditions, local traffic, and air traffic control requirements.
“Beyond the vast accumulation of data lies mission purpose, and for many, life-changing assistance provided by those who support, maintain and operate our C-130H aircraft,” says Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb. The retirement of the C-130H Hercules fleet marks the end of a significant chapter for the RNZAF, honoring an aircraft that has provided critical service and support for six decades.
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