Whilst I have done many missions on the aircraft it is often those that have a special place in your heart, rather than the more demanding ones that you recall. I think my most memorable sortie was when I flew in a missing man formation of 4 Hercules that did a fly past at the RIAT to commemorate the loss of our colleagues in Iraq. It was a privilege to represent 47 squadron in that formation.
I think the Hercules is so loved for a few reasons, firstly, its shape, it looks almost comedic with its large bulbous tyres and rounded nose, who couldn’t love an aircraft like that. The second is the fact that the aircraft has always been seen as the ’saviour’ in some way, whether that be dropping relief supplies, evacuating the injured or stranded, or rescuing hostages, it does not have the image of a fighter or bomber aircraft, it is one that saves lives, doesn’t take them.
The legacy aircraft and the J are so very different, it is often likened to owning a 1980s Ford Fiesta in comparison to a Tesla. Although at their core, the are both Hercules the capabilities and technology that the J has, eclipse those of the earlier models; whether that be the glass cockpit and heads-up-display (HUD), or the FADEC controlled uprated engines with a six-bladed carbon fibre prop, or the state of the art avionics that reduce the number of crew required to operate the aircraft tactically from 5 to 3.
The Hero has lasted so long because of the built in ability of the original design to be adapted as technology evolved. The aircraft provides capabilities that, until recently, had no equal, and in some areas, it still doesn’t.
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