Algerian AF Hercules visits Eindhoven,   5 March 2010

Halfway February we received a request for landing permission at Eindhoven Airbase for an Algerian Hercules. Unfortunately this flight was cancelled later that week. Early this week the civil part of the airbase, received the same request. This time we had some more luck, as they really came to Eindhoven this time. For me it was a good opportunity to try my new Canon EF 300mm F4 L IS USM, which I received the day before.

In 2005 an Algerian Air Force Hercules visited Eindhoven already, and at first they planned to send that same aircraft. Luckily for us all, they decided to send another one instead. As I had afternoon shift at tower, I had all the time of the world to take some shots of this nice visitor.

First I positions myself on a nice spot of the landing, followed by some taxi shots. When the aircraft was parked at the civil apron I walked to the crew to ask permission to take some more shots. Of course this was no problem at all, so I took shots from various positions.

Later that afternoon when I was already at the tower I found some time to take a few shots of this nice looking aircraft during departure. Unfortunately the sun was already gone at that moment, but we were pretty lucky with the weather in the morning. The forecast for the morning was rain and snow, but it turned out to be nice sunny.

Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Jaza’eriya - C-130 Hercules

In 1981 the Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Jaza’eriya (Algerian Air Force) received their first C-130s in 1981. They received ten C-130Hs and eight C-130H-30s, and all had arrived by 1984 expect for one which was delivered in 1990. The first batch of C-130Hs were delivered as an acknowledgement by the US of Algeria's mediating role in the release of the Tehran Embassy hostages.

All the Hercules' retain their civil registration and most still wear the white/grey scheme with a green stripe, along with roundels and Algerian Air Force titles in English and Arabic on opposite sides of the fuselage. Some of them however wear a nice brown/green camouflage scheme.

They all are operated by the 2^e Escadre de Transport Tactique et Logistique stationed at Boufarik AFB. At this moment the Algerian Air Force has 17 Hercules' left. On 30 June 2003 a C-130H caught fire shortly after take off and crashed into the Beni Mered district, sadly killing all five crew members and ten people on the ground.

Source: Algerian Air Force