C-130s show Herculean muscle Published Nov. 14, 2006 By Tech Sgt. Arlo Taylor 314th Airlift Wing Strategic Information Flight LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Little Rock C-130s wowed 266,000 spectators Saturday and Sunday showing what they do best with capabilities exercises at the Airpower Arkansas Air Show. Arkansas' airlift crews from the 314th Airlift Wing, 463rd Airlift Group and the Air National Guard's 189th Airlift Wing showed the Hercules' unmatched versatility and capability dropping cargo and Airmen from the Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The C-130 colossal feat of strength gave many in the audience their first look at the skills aircrews use to deliver people and cargo around the world. "I didn't know what C-130s did before (today)," said Matt Crockett, from Little Rock. "It seems like it would be difficult to drop all of that cargo. They made it look easy." The exercise also showed the crowd the payload capacity C-130s employ to relieve convoy operations on the ground in Iraq. "I knew they dropped paratroopers, but didn't know how cargo was dropped (before today)," said Rose Copeland from Little Rock. "I didn't know cargo that size could be dropped from a C-130." Five year old Connor LeBaige described it best, "It was very cool!" Connor, son of Staff Sgt. Bryan and Erika LeBaige, dreams of being a pararescueman, but he was fascinated with all of the parachutes falling to the flightline Sunday. The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission. The aircraft is capable of operating for rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport fro airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.