RAAF Lockheed C-130E Hercules A97-180 Vintage Photo, No 37 Squadron 1978 For Sale

RAAF Lockheed C-130E Hercules A97-180
Vintage Photo, No 37 Squadron 1978
Later Rebuilt and Sold to the Pakistan Air ForceDESCRIPTIONOffered here is an original vintage color snapshot photograph of a Royal Australian Air Force Lockheed C-130E Hercules, tail marked "80," taxiing on the ramp with its four propellers turning.Bold red ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE lettering runs along the bare metal fuselage, and a twin engine amphibious flying boat, consistent in profile with a PBY Catalina, sits parked in the background.This aircraft carried the RAAF serial A97-180 (construction number 4180) and was one of twelve C-130E Hercules delivered to No. 37 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales, in 1966, joining the squadron's earlier C-130A fleet.After roughly three decades of RAAF service, A97-180 was retired in 2000 as the C-130J Super Hercules entered squadron use, returned to Lockheed, and rebuilt to "Super E" standard with upgraded T56-A-15 engines and a glass flight deck for the Pakistan Air Force, which took the airframe on under its original construction number, 4180. Flying for the Pakistan Air Force, this same aircraft's career came to an end on November 9, 2018, when it slid into a wall and caught fire during a hard landing at PAF Base Nur Khan, Chaklala.All nine people aboard walked away, and the aircraft was formally written off, closing out a 52 year flying career that began on this very ramp and ended on the other side of the world.The reverse of the print carries an oval Kodak SHARPSHOT process stamp reading "JUL-78," a lab date stamp confirming this print was processed in July 1978, along with the period "THIS PAPER MANUFACTURED BY KODAK" watermark repeated across the back, both consistent with an original consumer photofinishing print of the era rather than a modern reproduction.Images have been scanned at 600dpi. Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right.Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking, so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. All shipments receive rigid, professional packaging, sealed and protected in acid free sleeves. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONVintage color photograph measuring approximately 3.5 x 5 inches, full bleed with rounded corners typical of period Kodak SHARPSHOT drugstore prints. The overall color balance has shifted toward a warm orange amber cast, a common characteristic of 1970s consumer color prints as the dye layers fade unevenly with age; the image remains sharp and fully legible with the aircraft, fuselage lettering, and background detail all clearly visible. No tears, creases, or surface losses are evident in the print. The reverse carries the Kodak SHARPSHOT oval process stamp dated JUL-78 along with the manufacturer's paper watermark, both intact and legible.