The Pittsburgh-based 911th Airlift Wing closed a long chapter in its history on Monday as it bid goodbye to its fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft.
The Hercs were officially phased out at the Air Reserve station at Pittsburgh International Airport and will be replaced by the bigger and more powerful C-17 Globemaster III — eight of them to be exact.
The hum of turboprops will be trumped by the whoosh of turbofans, ushering in a new era at the airwing.
The 911th now will assume a new role in the Air Force with a plane that has the capability to carry more cargo and personnel over greater distances.
Most of the departing C-130s will be transferred to Air National Guard or Air Force reserve bases throughout the United States. At least one of them will be retired soon.
The Air Force began using C-130s in 1954, and the 911th has been flying them since the 1980s, Col. Jeffrey Van Dootingh, commander of the airlift wing, said recently.
The Globemasters are expected to arrive in Pittsburgh in October.
First Published: April 30, 2018, 6:44 p.m.
