Where Are They Now?
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Tail number 977, a C-130H, formerly assigned to the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" is now assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.
After years of tracking down hurricanes, the H-model is now tracking down people in need of rescuing. The plane is scheduled to be repainted in the coming months and ready to fly rescue missions soon thereafter. The 403rd Wing replaced the H-model with the newer, more technologically advanced J-model, which climbs higher, faster and more efficiently. The last H-model left the 403rd Wing in January, 2006. (Air Force Photo by Major Chad E. Gibson)