Combat Talons fly for last time

A loadmaster with the 919th Special Operations Wing admires his aircraft, the MC-130E Combat Talon I, in flight one last time April 15 during its final flight before retirement. The last five Talons in the Air Force belong to the 919th SOW and are scheduled to be retired at a ceremony April 25. They will make one final flight to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., by the end of the fiscal year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Combat Talons fly for last time

Aircrew from the 919th Special Operations Wing admire their aircraft, the MC-130E Combat Talon I, in flight one last time April 15 during its final flight before retirement. The last five Talons in the Air Force belong to the 919th SOW and are scheduled to be retired at a ceremony April 25. They will make one final flight to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., by the end of the fiscal year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Combat Talons fly for last time

Newly retired Col. (Dr.) Ed Seeliger, the former 919th Medical Squadron commander, checks out the view from an MC-130E Combat Talon I during its final sortie before its retired as well. Seeliger spent 30 years in the Air Force Reserve, all at Duke Field. C-130s have been a part of Duke Field for more than 40 years. The last five Talons in the Air Force are scheduled to be retired at a ceremony April 25. They will make one final flight to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., by the end of the fiscal year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Combat Talons fly for last time

MC-130E Combat Talon Is roll down the taxiway at Duke Field April 15 for their final sorties before retirement. The last five Talons in the Air Force belong to the 919th Special Operations Wing and are scheduled to be retired at a ceremony April 25. They will make one final flight to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., by the end of the fiscal year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Rearview

A 919th Special Operations Wing MC-130E Combat Talon I sits on the Duke Field flightline before its next mission. The 919th are the only wing in the Air Force that still flies the Talon I. Over the next several years, the Talons will be phased out of the 919th as it moves to an Aviation Foreign Internal Defense mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Talon loadmasters

919th Special Operations Wing loadmasters attempt to lower the load bay door on an MC-130E Combat Talon I during an aerial drop mission from Duke Field, Fla. The 919th are the only wing in the Air Force still flying the Talon I. Over the next two years, the Talons will be phased out of the 919th as it moves to an Aviation Foreign Internal Defense mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Final flight

Aircraft 64-0523“Godfather” lifts off for its final flight June 22 at Duke Field, Fla. The final flight will land at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., where 0523 will become a static display at the base’s airpark. The aircraft has the distinction of leading the Air Force’s assault force during the Son Tay Raid to rescue prisoners of war in Vietnam in 1970. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Final flight

Master Sgt. Kent Castro, of the 919th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals out Aircraft 64-0523 “Godfather” to its final flight June 22 at Duke Field, Fla. The final flight landed at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., where 0523 is scheduled to be a static display at the base’s airpark. The aircraft has the distinction of leading the Air Force’s assault force during the Son Tay Raid to rescue prisoners of war in Vietnam in 1970. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Godfather

Aircraft 64-0523’s name plate shows the aircraft’s nickname and the current crew chief. The aircraft never officially had a nickname until it was given the name “Godfather” by Rick Andreozzi, who was its first crew chief when it arrived to Duke Field in 2000. 0523 lead the Air Force’s assault force during the Son Tay Raid to rescue prisoners of war in Vietnam in 1970. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Dark Lady

Aircraft 64-0559, a MC-130E Combat Talon I, stands at the ready on the Duke Field flightline. Aircraft 0559 is one of the four Talons scheduled to be retired by the end of fiscal year 2012 as part of the 919th Special Operations Wing’s remissioning. Eventually, all of the Talons will disappear from the Duke flightline to be replaced by an aviation foreign internal defense aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Tail flash

The sun shines off the tail of 64-0559, an MC-130E Combat Talon I on the Duke Field flightline. 0559 is just one of four aircraft scheduled to be retired by the end of fiscal year 2012 as part of the 919th Special Operations Wing’s remissioning. Eventually, all of the Talons will disappear from the Duke flightline and will be replaced by an aviation foreign internal defense aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Pass over

A UH-1 passes over the MC-130E Combat Talon Is of the 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, Fla. Currently, the 919th SOW has nine Talons on its flightline. Four of Duke’s Talons are scheduled to retire by fiscal year 2012 as part of the wing’s remissioning. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Wing of fire

Midday sun shines off the wing of 64-0559, a MC-130E Combat Talon I on the Duke Field flightline. 0559 is just one of four aircraft scheduled to be retired by the end of fiscal year 2012 as part of the 919th Special Operations Wing’s remissioning. Eventually, all of the Talons will disappear from the Duke flightline to be replaced by an aviation foreign internal defense aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Talons out

A fleet of MC-130E Combat Talon Is stand at the ready on the Duke Field flightline. Four of Duke’s nine Talons will be retired by the end of fiscal year 2012. Eventually, all of the Talons will disappear from the 919th Special Operations Wing flightline to be replaced by an aviation foreign internal defense aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

C-130 Mission

Staff Sgt. Cris Hunter, a flight engineer for 711th Special Operations Squadron, walks on the wing of a MC-130E Talon I to check for malfunctions prior to a training mission on Duke Field, Fla. The flight engineer monitors the aircraft systems and calculates performance capabilities of the aircraft. The 711th SOS, part of the 919th Special Operations Wing, conducts flight training missions five days a week to maintain currency on all of their readiness requirements. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Cheryl Foster)

C-130 Mission

Staff Sgt. Cris Hunter, a flight engineer for 711th Special Operations Squadron, checks for malfunctions on the wing of a MC-130E Talon I on Duke Field, Fla. The flight engineer monitors the aircraft systems and calculates performance capabilities of the aircraft. The 711th SOS, part of the 919th Special Operations Wing, conducts flight training missions five days a week to maintain currency on all of their readiness requirements. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Cheryl Foster)

C-130 Mission

Tech. Sgt. Patrick Taylor, a loadmaster for 711th Special Operations Squadron, calculates weight and balance for the MC-130E Talon I before a training flight on Duke Field, Fla. Loadmasters are responsible for ensuring the aircraft’s cargo is loaded and restrained properly. The 711th SOS, part of the 919th Special Operations Wing, conducts flight training missions five days a week to maintain currency on all of their readiness requirements. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Cheryl Foster)

711th Express

Master Sgt. Mike Vasquez, a flight engineer for 711th Special Operations Squadron, advises pilot, Capt John Karlesky, on the MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft’s flight system status during a training flight out of Duke Field, Fla, Aug. 2011. The flight engineer monitors the aircraft systems and calculates performance capabilities of the aircraft. The 711th SOS, part of the 919th Special Operations Wing, conducts flight training missions five days a week to maintain currency on all of their readiness requirements. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Cheryl Foster)

Drive by

A 919th Special Operations Wing maintainer watches as an MC-130 Combat Talon I pulls into its parking spot after returning from a deployment Aug. 7 at Duke Field, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

UTA morning

Day breaks on behind a 919th Special Operations Wing MC-130E Combat Talon April 2 at Duke Field. The wing provides and maintains the Combat Talon special operations aircraft designed for covert operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

SO flyers

A CV-22 Osprey from the 413th Flight Test Squadron flies overhead as the 919th Special Operations Wing MC-130E Talons wait to be launched. Duke Field’s flightline is busy again after an eight-month construction project. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

On the ground & in the air

A CV-22 Osprey from the 413th Flight Test Squadron flies overhead as the 919th Special Operations Wing MC-130E Talons wait to be launched. Duke Field’s flightline is busy again after an eight-month construction project. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Life savers

Air Force combat medics watch the vital signs of a critically wounded Afghanistan National Policeman during a medical evacuation mission in 2009. The mission was flown by a deployed 711th Special Operations Squadron aircrew from Duke Field on their MC-130E Combat Talon I. The perilous medical evacuation mission, flown at night through blinding snowstorms, was a success in that all the wounded passengers survived after suffering injuries from a suicide bomber. (Photo still from video source)

Life savers

Air Force combat medics hover around critically wounded Afghanistan National Police aboard an MC-130E Combat Talon I during a medical evacuation mission in 2009. The Duke Field Talon was crewed by deployed 711th Special Operations Squadron reservist Airmen. The medical evacuation mission was a success in that all the wounded passengers survived after suffering injuries from a suicide bomber. (Photo still from video source)