Lockheed C-130H Hercules – Belgium-Air Force – CH-09 – Brussels Airport (BRU EBBR) – 2020 12 18 – Landing RWY 25L – 09 – Copyright © 2020 Ivan Coninx

General Information

Aircraft Type: Lockheed C-130H Hercules (L-382)

Air Force: Belgium-Air Force

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Registration: CH-09

Cn: 382-4479

Name: n/a

 

Location & Date

Location: Brussels Airport (BRU EBBR)

Date: 2020 12 18

 

Comments

On Thursday 17 December 2020, the Belgian Air Force and 15th Wing Air Transport officially said goodbye to one of their Lockheed C-130H Hercules aircraft, CH-09.

 

However, just one day later, on Friday 19 December 2020, they operated one more (and this time the real final) flight with CH-09. The aircraft was flown to Schaffen for an aerial drop in the early morning and at around 10:30 LT (CET) / 09:30 UTC, the aircraft was flown back to Melsbroek Air Base (EBMB) (located on the northern apron side of Brussels Airport), its home for the past 47 years.

 

Before landing on RWY 25L, CH-09 performed a low level flyby over RWY 25L with open cargo doors. It then entered a left traffic pattern for a final landing on RWY 25L few minutes later. The end of an era that started in February 1973.

 

At moment of writing, the Belgian Air Force still operates 6 Lockheed C-130H Hercules aircraft. By the end of 2021 all of these are expected to be retired as well, marking the end of the Lockheed C-130H Hercules in service of the Belgian Air Force. They will be replaced by the younger Airbus A400M Atlas, of which the 15th Wing Air Transport already received 2 aircraft in 2020: CT-01 (Luxembourg) and CT-02 (Belgium).

 

So long, CH-09, godspeed and thanks for the 47 years of loyal duty.

 

Copyright © 2020 Ivan Coninx

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