The HC-130P/N “King” is the only dedicated fixed-wing Personnel Recovery platform in the Air Force inventory
King 52, the first HC-130 configured for U.S. Air Force (USAF) rescue in 1964, was retired on Mar. 6, 2017 after more than 50 years of faithful service and rescue missions spanning the globe.
The aircraft, tail number 4852, headed to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona, from Patrick AFB, Florida, where it has been stationed since mid 2015, explained Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Maurice, 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs in the article Air Force’s first HC-130 takes its final flight to retirement.
“It was about to retire when we acquired it from Moody Air Force Base,” said Tech. Sgt. Norberto Nieves, 720th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) expeditor and former crew chief to King 52. “It was a work horse; that’s for sure.”
“It’s sad to see it go,” Nieves pointed out. “As crew chiefs, we dedicate a lot of time, sweat, and sometimes blood to these aircraft. They become a part of us.”
“Like Nieves said, these aircraft become a part of you and it’s tough to see something you’ve worked so hard on go into retirement,” King 52’s current dedicated crew chief, Tech. Sgt. Matthew White explained. “The most rewarding part of being a dedicated crew chief is seeing the aircraft you spent so many hours on takeoff and come back home safe and sound.”
During its time at Patrick AFB, King 52 flew local training missions as well as missions to Key West, Florida, and across the country to Davis-Monthan AFB.
Maj. Nick Philpitt, the 920th Rescue Wing Inspector General Inspections chief and an HC-130 navigator who flew King 52 a handful of times, is honored to be part of the aircraft’s final flight.
“I haven’t flown a lot of missions with #52; however, it is somewhat sentimental to be flying her to retirement denoting it’s the end of an era,” Philpitt said. “Like a classic car that you’ve owned and driven, an airplane become an extension of you. Putting it to bed for the last time is moving.”
King 52’s career ends with the Air Force Materiel Command’s 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG), where it will be stored in the “boneyard” with other retired military and government aircraft.
As for the 920th RQW’s HC-130P/N maintenance crews, they continue to work hard at home and abroad ensuring the fleet is rescue-ready.
The HC-130P/N “King” is the only dedicated fixed-wing Personnel Recovery platform in the Air Force inventory.
First flown in 1964, the aircraft has served many roles and missions. It was initially modified to conduct search and rescue missions, provide a command and control platform, in-flight-refuel helicopters and carry supplemental fuel for extending range and increasing loiter time during search operations.
The mission of the HC-130P/N is to rapidly deploy to austere airfields and denied territory in order to execute, all weather personnel recovery operations anytime, anywhere. King crews routinely perform high and low altitude personnel and equipment airdrops, infiltration/exfiltration of personnel, helicopter air-to-air refueling, and forward area refueling point missions. When tasked, the aircraft also conducts humanitarian assistance operations, disaster response, security cooperation/aviation advisory, emergency aeromedical evacuation, casualty evacuation, and noncombatant evacuation operations, and, during the Space Shuttle program, space flight support for NASA.
Source: U.S. Air Force; Photo credit: Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Maurice and Steve Kraus / U.S. Air Force
