MAC Facts: Meet the Fleet - C130

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP) is a joint civil-military airport and is home to the 133rd Airlift Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard (ANG) and the 934th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve (AFR).

Both the ANG and the AFR have a fleet of eight Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft to facilitate the mission of providing worldwide deployment of people, cargo, and services. The C-130 first entered service in 1956.

The ANG reported in May 2022 that they are transitioning their C-130 fleet at MSP from four-bladed propellers to eight-bladed propellers. This update reduces vibration, noise, and the amount of regular maintenance required to operate the aircraft.

The ANG use the C-130 aircraft for formation air drop missions. That is why you'll often see these aircraft flying in and out of MSP in pairs, or formation.

The C-130 is the latest aircraft highlighted in our Meet the Fleet video series. This series gives viewers behind-the-scenes information about different aircraft types. The videos feature commentary from pilots sharing facts about specific aircraft, identifying characteristics, common routes flown and up-close footage of the fleet.

The C-130 Meet the Fleet video is available for viewing on the Meet the Fleet page and MSP's Youtube Channel. Special thanks to Lt. Col. Denny Paulsen and the ANG.