It is a feature of getting old that so many things that seem recent really aren’t.  The introduction of the C-130J to service took place in the late 1990s.  One of the earliest operators was the Royal Air Force.  That means that their aircraft are coming up on 25 years old.  That is not that old for a Hercules but they have been used pretty intensively.  Combine that with the cost of supporting multiple transport fleets and it might not be so surprising that they are now being retired.

I figured I would roll through my collection of shots to see how often I had photographed the RAF J models.  The answer is not that often.  The fact that I left the UK not long after they came in to service is part of the reason.  I have seen them at various locations though so I am not without shots.  It is funny to hear the stories now about whether the A400M is ready to take on the role and whether the Hercs should be retained.

When the Js came along, there were loads of stories of how they couldn’t do the things that the old K models could.  Of course, they gradually ironed out the bugs and became a solid workhorse.  The same will probably happen for the A400M and in a couple of decades, someone will be complaining that whatever replaces them is unsuited to the task and that they should be retained.  Such is life…