They recover the first military aircraft that landed in the Falklands War

By paying a debt with history, the first air brigade of El Palomar recovered the C130 TC-68 Hercules, the first military aircraft that landed at

Argentine port

On April 2, 1982 at 8:45 am, he remained inactive, with many of his missing parts, in a hangar at the military base.

Due to its aging and deterioration, the aircraft was left at the mercy of scrapping so that its parts could be used as spare parts for other air units.

"The base personnel, especially the technicians from the Hercules C130 maintenance area, took over the repair problem, so that it regained its luster, and rebadembled the parts that had were kidnapped. "Commodore Juan Piuma, chief of the first air brigade of El Palomar, explained to LA NACION.

Three years ago, a note in LA NACION showed the advanced deterioration of the ship, which was particularly sad, especially for the crew that had ordered it for a month and a half and who had served as a bomber during the war. In the early months of 2018, in order to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the integration of the C-130 weapons system into the air force, naval authorities have warned that the moment had come to try to recover.

For now, he will remain in the unit, symbol of his contribution to the decisive role played by the Air Force in the Falklands. But the officers and technicians who worked on his recovery do not rule out another goal: to put him in a position to steal, says Commodore Piuma.

"It is common for airplanes, when they stop working, to have parts removed to incorporate in other planes, but everything is preserved, the parts are dismantled but do not disappear," he explained. the head of the unit.

Commodore Piuma explained that thanks to the efforts of the brigade personnel, the TC-68 had been found, although he was not yet able to fly. "Today, it is not for stealing, but the illusion is not lost," he said.

The recovery process lasted eight months and the work was completed in December 2018. The base personnel returned to give the aircraft the colors it wore to the Malvinas – green and brown, with the blue belly – with traditional camouflage. , known as the "Vietnam model", so that it goes unnoticed in the field of operations.

The brushing is finished, the parts are prepared, the interiors and the seats of the cabin are restored and the badembly is finally finished. Almost all the pieces that have been incorporated are the originals of the plane. Many pilots who had handled it offered advice and ideas.

The Hercules C130 TC-68 landed at Malvinas amidst obstacles on the runway of the airport of Puerto Argentino, while the clashes were not yet over. Among the other actions that remained in history during the war, low flights surprised British ships seeking to supply their troops. The squadron was based in Comodoro Rivadavia. From there, he transferred personnel and transported equipment to the islands in a two-hour flight. It is known as the "Hercules Bomber" because it was installed in Córdoba specifically to carry bombs.

Today, he is already perched on the military platform of the 1st Air Brigade of El Palomar, waiting for his future mission.