The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport that has been in production since the 1950s. It carries troops and cargo, drops paratroopers, tracks hurricanes and fights fires, and flies with the Air Force, Air National Guard, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.
C-130 at a glance
- First flight
- 1954
- Length
- 97 ft 9 in (29.8 m); C-130J-30 112 ft 9 in (34.4 m)
- Wingspan
- 132 ft 7 in (40.4 m)
- Engines
- 4 × Allison T56 (C-130H) or Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 (C-130J) turboprops
- Crew / capacity
- ~92 troops or ~42,000 lb cargo
- Cruise speed
- ~290–340 kt (334–391 mph)
- Service ceiling
- ~28,000 ft
- Range
- ~1,800–2,800 nmi
How to recognize the C-130
The C-130 is a chunky, high-wing transport with four propellers. Its shape has barely changed in 70 years.
- Wing: high-mounted, straight and long.
- Engines: four turboprops on the wing. Older C-130H models have four-bladed propellers; the C-130J has six-bladed, curved scimitar propellers.
- Tail: a tall vertical fin and conventional low horizontal tail, rising from an upswept rear fuselage with a cargo ramp.
- Fuselage: boxy and short, with a rounded nose and a radome.
- Landing gear: main wheels in pods on the sides of the lower fuselage.
- Color: usually gray; Coast Guard HC-130s are white with an orange stripe, and the Blue Angels' Fat Albert is blue and yellow.
- Sound: a deep, droning propeller roar that can be heard from miles away.
The C-17 is much bigger, with four jet engines and a T-tail. The ATR 72 is a high-wing turboprop airliner with only two engines and a T-tail.
Seen from below, the C-130's straight wing and four propellers form a distinctive cross-shaped outline, and the fuselage sweeps up into a tall tail. Special versions add their own features: WC-130J Hurricane Hunters carry weather sensors, and ski-equipped LC-130s fly to Greenland and Antarctica.
Where and when you'll see it
The Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve fly C-130s from many bases, including Little Rock (Arkansas), the main training base. The Coast Guard flies HC-130Js for search and rescue, the Marines fly KC-130J tankers and the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flies WC-130J Hurricane Hunters from Keesler in Mississippi. Guard C-130s also fight wildfires with special tank systems.
They often fly low-level training routes at 300 to 1,000 ft and cruise at FL180 to FL250. On ADS-B the type code is C130 for older models and C30J for the C-130J; callsigns vary and some do not broadcast. See airliner, bizjet, helicopter or military and turboprop.
C-130 crews practice airdrops and assault landings around their bases, so you may see one flying low and slow or circling an airfield for repeated approaches.
Easily confused with
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster III: The C-17 is larger, with four jet engines and a T-tail.
- ATR 72-600: The ATR 72 is a twin turboprop airliner with a T-tail and windows.
Quick facts
- The C-130 has been in continuous production since the 1950s, longer than any other military aircraft.
- In 1963 a Navy KC-130F landed on and took off from the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal without arresting gear or catapults.
- More than 2,500 C-130s have been built and they fly with dozens of countries.
C-130 questions
How can I tell a C-130J from an older C-130?
Count the propeller blades. The C-130J has six-bladed curved propellers; older models have four blades.
Why do C-130s fly so low?
Crews train for tactical missions, including low-level navigation, airdrops and assault landings.
Cities where it's a regular
Atlanta · Minneapolis · Tampa · Sacramento · Virginia Beach · Jacksonville · Providence · Louisville · Hartford · Tucson
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for C130 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.