Combat Talon Dedicated

Posted 6 May 2011

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Photo by A1C Caitlin O’Neil-McKeown

A historic MC-130E Combat Talon I was dedicated as a static display at Hurlburt Field, Florida, in ceremonies on 6 May 2011. The aircraft, US Air Force serial number 64-0567, was flown during Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted rescue of Americans held hostage in Iran in 1980, and was the aircraft used to fly Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to the United States to stand trial for drug trafficking after his capture in 1989 during Operation Just Cause. On 26 November 1979, a crew flying this aircraft conducted the first fixed-wing airland flight while using night-vision goggles. Nicknamed Wild Thing, the aircraft was retired with 21,336.6 flight hours and is painted in the same scheme it wore during Operation Eagle Claw.

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