THREE military planes will fly over parts of Dorset today as part of a farewell tour for the craft. 

Flying over Poole and Wimborne this afternoon will be three Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules military planes as part of a farewell tour. 

The planes will fly overhead at around 4pm on Wednesday, June 14 before heading towards the Isle of Wight. 

A spokesman for RAF Brize Norton said: “The fly-past to mark the forthcoming retirement of the C-130 Hercules from RAF service is today. 

“We’d love to see your photos of the three aircraft as they fly over sites of significance to the aircraft and 47 Squadron.” 

The planes left  RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire at 10am and will travel to a number of RAF airfields across the country. 

At around 4.20pm, the planes will be over Boscombe Down and Salisbury plain in Wiltshire 

 

A spokesman for the Bournemouth Aviation Museum said: “Three Lockheed C130J Hercules will be doing a farewell tour around the country today (Wednesday 14 June) and although there was doubt they would venture this far south it appears they will be crossing the Isle of Wight (east to west) past Ventnor, past the needles then across to Poole.  

“Then turn North past Wimborne and up past Salisbury so, if you can, keep a look out and get your pics. (Info. from RAF Valley spotters). I believe the time is around 4pm (ish).”  

The C-130J is the newest version of the C-130 Hercules and is the only model currently in production. 

Introduced to the air in 1999, the C-130J was used extensively by the United States Air Force and the USMC in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Five hundred have been built since 1996 and the plane is used all over the world, including by our Royal Air Force.