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A staple of Canadian military search and rescue operations is flying off into the sunset.
A retirement ceremony was held for the CC-130H Hercules at the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 17 Wing in Winnipeg on Saturday.
In January, the air force retired a fleet of 12 CC-130H Hercules planes, announcing in August that 10 of those aircraft were being sold off to a British Columbia-based company for aerial firefighting operations. The remaining two are expected to be publicly displayed in museums.
The aircraft model is primarily used for search and rescue operations. But the plane, which has a range of more than 7,200 kilometres, has also been used for air-to-air refuelling, wildfire evacuations and humanitarian operations.
The planes were operated by the RCAF’s 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron and were used in missions across central and northern Canada and other parts of the world.
Col. Ian Perreault, commander of 19 Wing based in Comox, B.C., said the CC-130H Hercules is a “workhorse” that can “do it all.”
WATCH | Winnipeg bids farewell to Hercules fleet:
Winnipeg bids farewell to Hercules fleet after decades in service
The Royal Canadian Air Force is retiring 12 Hercules aircraft that have been used in conflict zones, humanitarian missions and more recently in rescue operations, including wildfire evacuations from northern Manitoba. Over 100 people lined up in Winnipeg on Sunday to see one of the planes before it moves into a museum display.
“Over the course of its service, that aircraft has saved so many lives,” Perreault said at Saturday’s event in Winnipeg.
“This aircraft has done an amazing job and it’s just fitting today that we can come together and pay tribute to the folks that flew and maintain it,” he said, calling the retirement a “bittersweet moment” for the air force.
Curtis Wright, 17 Wing commander, said the aircraft first came into service in 1974, becoming the “backbone” of many operations out of Winnipeg over the years.
“We’re saying goodbye to one of our family members. It’s been doing so much for Canada and the air force for over 50 years,” Wright said.
“It’s really part of our family and one of us.”
CC-130H Hercules will be replaced by the CC-295 Kingfisher search and rescue aircraft starting next month.