For six decades, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130H Hercules fleet has been a cornerstone of New Zealand’s air transport capability, serving both at home and abroad. However, the fleet is now set to take its final bow, officially retiring on January 31, 2025, after years of dedicated service.
To mark this milestone, the RNZAF recently conducted flypasts over Northland and the central North Island, with a final South Island flypast planned on February 3 and 4, 2025. Following this, four of the aircraft will be relocated to RNZAF Base Woodbourne. One aircraft is expected to be preserved at the Air Force Museum at Wigram, with delivery options currently being explored.
The RNZAF’s C-130H Hercules fleet has had an illustrious operational history since its first three aircraft arrived in 1965. These aircraft were immediately put to work transporting personnel and aid to Vietnam. By 1969, the fleet had expanded to five aircraft due to their proven strategic and tactical airlift capabilities.
The RNZAF C-130H Hercules fleet has amassed more than 155,000 accident-free flying hours and nearly 100,000 landings in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
“It’s an incredible record considering the often inhospitable operating conditions,” said Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb. “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.”
Over the years, the Hercules fleet has undertaken a wide range of missions, including midwinter Antarctic rescues in minus 35-degree temperatures, rapid disaster-response operations across the Indo-Pacific, and short-notice evacuations in conflict zones such as Kabul in 2021. The aircraft have also played vital roles in humanitarian relief efforts, peacekeeping missions, and military operations worldwide.
Air Vice-Marshal Webb recounted some of the fleet’s most memorable missions, including the recovery of victims from the 1979 Mt Erebus aircraft disaster in Antarctica and the dramatic 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami evacuation from Banda Aceh, where one survivor brought his pet monkey along. Other unique tasks included air-dropping a bulldozer to the remote Pitcairn Islands, transporting crocodiles and elephants to wildlife reserves, and even carrying a live pig gifted by Bougainville Islanders.
The future of RNZAF airlift capability
The RNZAF’s C-130H Hercules fleet has undergone multiple upgrades over the years, including a major Life Extension Programme in 2005, which modernized avionics and structural components. Despite these efforts, in 2020, the New Zealand Government announced the acquisition of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to replace the ageing fleet. The final aircraft arrived in December 2024, paving the way for the C-130H’s well-earned retirement.
