A Canadian Forces C-130 Hercules plane was spotted over Prince George on Monday, July 29.
The four-engined turboprop plane, used by the Forces' Transport and Rescue Squadrons, could be seen in different parts of the sky in the late morning.
There is as yet no official word on the reason for the plane's appearance, nor its home field. The 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron is based at 19 Wing Comox; but uses different aircraft. The squadron handles rescue operations in the Victoria Search and Rescue Region, which includes most of B.C. and the Yukon, along with 560,000 square kilometres in the Pacific Ocean, up to 600 nautical miles (1,100 km) offshore.
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, originally designed as a troop and cargo transport craft, became popular with rescue teams due its ability to use unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings.
Effective for use in rescue missions in remote and Northern environments, Hercules planes are based at CFB Trenton in Ontario, CFB Winnipeg and CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia.
