The first AC-130U Spooky gunship was retired after more than twenty years of service during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field Florida, on 21 September 2015. Bad Omen was delivered to Hurlburt Field on 17 February 1995. The aircraft (US Air Force serial number 90-0163) was flown on more than 2,300 sorties totaling more than 10,000 flight hours during its career. On 21 July 2011, the crew of Bad Omen was involved in an intense firefight over Afghanistan. During eight separate attacks, 146 40 mm cannon rounds and forty-one 105 mm howitzer rounds were fired. This aircraft, flown by the 4th Special Operations Squadron, was retired primarily because of several non-standard modifications, according to officials. Bad Omen was flown to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, after the ceremony.
Read More
