What It's Like to Fire the AC-130 Gunship

This is what it's like to fire the AC-130 Gunship, the most heavily armed aircraft in the world!
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Special thanks to the incredible team at Cannon AFB for hosting me!
Video Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:53 Aircraft Overview
1:50 Weapons Overview
2:15 30mm Gun
2:55 105mm Howitzer
3:31 Flight Deck & Recoil
4:14 Safety Cage
4:37 Mission Brief
5:42 Aircrew Flight Equipment
6:14 Flightline
6:50 Mission Operator Pallet (MOP)
7:14 Takeoff + Tweaking
8:33 Learning the Controls
9:10 Firing Gun 1
9:44 Gun 2 + Fire Mission
11:50 Loading the Gun
13:43 Landing + Conclusion
Views expressed in this video are my own and do not represent the official views of the United States Air Force or Department of Defense
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Email: ✉️
[e-mail]

[@SamEckholm]

For those interested in becoming an Air Force pilot and maybe even flying the AC-130 yourself, one of the best routes you can take is to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy. It's a 4-year tuition-free university that graduates the most amount of pilots every year. I'm so excited to announce the release of my online course called The Air Force Academy Blueprint! I cover everything you need to do to prepare, apply, and survive the Air Force Academy. You'll have access to over 60+ video lessons, downloadable resources and checklists, access to a private community of other applicants, and so much more. Sign up here: www.academyblueprint.com/

[@HS-ig4ly]

cant wait to commit war crimes, so hype to join!!!

[@cmur078]

No thank you.

[@johnlewis8934]

I would love to be a pilot. Where would I apply for the Airforce academy?

[@MrSharkytales]

@@johnlewis8934go to your local recruiting office. I promise it’s harder than you think to join the Air Force. A lot of smart studs.

[@denissh7902]

Как понял такое оружие нужно только для борьбы со слаборазвитым и слабо оснащённым противником. А так нормальное ПВО на раз два эту бочку ещё на подлёте снесёт./

[@jtwiard7099]

It was great flying with you Sam! I was the gunner on the 105mm. We really enjoyed having you ride along with us. Too bad you got to miss out on all of the fun pilot pro after we dropped you off.

[@joshkerr]

Thank you for your service!

[@SamEckholm]

So great flying with you guys!

[@ultralaggerREV1]

Mr. Jt Wiard. What did Sam had to do to have a ride on the AC-130? How much paperwork he has to do? What did the Department of Defense need to do to allow someone to have a ride on a military aircraft, do we have to pay some amount of money???

[@advaitagrawal9042]

@@ultralaggerREV1 Sam is in the US military so I guess they allow him as it may be marketing for them

[@2AToday]

@@ultralaggerREV1 public relations stuff, mainly in the form of KZbin, is Sam’s full time job as an active duty member of the Air Force.

[@willienelsongonzalez4609]

The clarity of those images from the aircraft’s onboard camera system on that AC-130 is just unbelievable! Seriously high tech and utterly amazing! Respect to the all the crew that operate and maintain those gunships.

[@swimmingturtle247]

Not to mention the software that has to calculate where the gun actually needs to be aimed, as the high speed of the aircraft as well as elevation and drop, while factoring in distance is a lot for just placing a marker on a target and pulling the trigger.

[@fastone942]

I got to fly in a C130A model 2 7.65 mini guns 2 20 mm guns and a pair of 40mm Bofors guns that was in 1974 Hurlburt Field I was in civil air patrol and they let a couple cadets go on a mission and we where told at time we the first cadets and first time they had ever allow civilians on mission even a practice one but back to the Camera wow how much they have improved for the low light TV set up and early type FLIR

[@night__walker]

If you haven't noticed, i think we don't look through the actual optics here. At one point the projectile comes in from the left side. So it's probably a drone that's capturing the images. I guess you can't show actual optics from an operating weapon system 😅

[@BigMacCeo]

@@night__walker i think we do, because in certain parts of the video they show the screens, then show censored versions of them when actually firing

[@Apexium]

@@night__walker if the target is a mile away, plane going 300-350mph, there will be some angle between shot and the screen.

[@MrRiceFN2010]

"You see that tank?" "Yes Sir." "I don't want to." "Yes Sir."

[@_xpiercer8984]

This is the EXACT definition of team work makes the dream work

[@cliftonwhittaker260]

Loved it! I had the privilege of having an AC-130 do a close support mission for me one time. Short story was that there was a concrete tower in a village harboring a sizable enemy force. We were in the attack right at dusk and I reported to our company commander that I had taken a sniper round from the tower. What to do? He said don't worry, we have Spooky enroute. Turned out to be an AC130 and after a couple of passes the tower was a pile of concrete rubble on the ground. What a show!

[@haydonlee]

USA!!!!!!

[@ftboomer1]

Wow. The US should send some to the Ukraine.

[@kulesama3185]

@@ftboomer1 that would not be a good idea

[@ftboomer1]

@@kulesama3185 understood and fully agree. My point was sarcasm.

[@GovernmentalMoments]

@@kulesama3185 if the threat of nuclear war didnt exist then it COULD be a good idea

[@stillamarine1001]

This aircraft saved not just me but it also saved my whole Marine infantry squad in Afghanistan. We was just about over run on our FOB. The Taliban mortared all day. We called troops in contact but didn’t get anything as far as air assets for over an hour. We got two F15Es but they dropped two 1000 lb bombs but had to go get gas. Then we got two Apaches but they also had to go for more gas after 20 mins. But when we got the 130 it was killing them left and right. After the battle we went on BDA patrol to see what was what. It was total devastation. The 105 hit a mortar team and cooked off there ammo killing the team. There was dead Taliban all over. We counted 34 dead Taliban.

[@justalpha9138]

The embodiment of devastation. No disrespect to the attack helo and jet fighters because I like to think of each of us in the military as a team.

[@PasonNugget]

Thank you for your services towards our country. Sadly some people just don’t see the impact that our soldiers make on an hourly basis. I hope you get the well-earned respect deserved

[@yajstylez]

@@PasonNugget Yeah, killing and murdering them ON THEIR LAND. LMAO. But whatever... dumb is what dumb does; it keeps our economy in check.

[@sucknorrisatchuckboris2713]

@@PasonNugget Because it is bullshit. Afghanistan is in the same state as it was before 2001. The information to invade Iraq was also fabricated, and this isn't even a conspiracy anymore. The USA went there, killed half a million civilians and made some extremists more extreme, resulting in ISIS

[@thegreatest1176]

there is a reason talib commanders feared this bird. Also where in afg was this??

[@NateOblivion]

I was an Air Force weapons troop at Cannon AFB who just got out 5 months ago, I JUST missed you! haha! I'm glad you had fun my friend!! My job was loading the aircraft with bombs/munitions, as well as upkeep of the 30mm and 105mm guns!

[@TheTechAdmin]

Fun Fact for tech nerds like me. I've had to replace the custom graphics card on a AC130 a little over a decade ago. The displays in the cockpit that the pilots use actually use two graphics cards at 99% and 1%, to drive the displays in the cockpit. Each graphics card can cost between $120,000-$260,000 (this was the cost 10 years ago). The graphics cards that you can buy online for your everyday/gaming PC are built for performance. The graphics cards that go inside airplanes, in terms of PERFORMANCE would be only as fast as a $190 card today. However, graphics cards designed for military airplanes are built for endurance, efficiency and redundancy. Every single component on the card is designed in duplicate for redundancy. So if any part of the card malfunctions, it automatically switches to the backup. And in the worst case that the entire card fails, the plane computer switches to a duplicate backup card. Each card is also coated in a waterproof chemical that makes the entire card and all of its components feel like rubber.

[@-what]

Underrated comment

[@Artilleriy_Pushkin1]

​@@-whatunderrated fantasies

[@good_or_goodnt]

thanks for sharing good to know with all that hi res feed they def need graphics card with good endurance

[@TheTechAdmin]

Awww. I'm sorry you see it that way. Just go outside man. There's a whole world of..................... "fantasies" out there.@@Artilleriy_Pushkin1

[@KenshinAntrax]

Companies steal from the us tax payers a 200$ gasket would get sold to nasa for 15k same w the army

[@Tybell350]

My unit was supported by an AC-130 back in 2011 in Kunar Province. It was a pretty intense experience, I was an Army Artillery Officer so seeing a 105mm Howitzer fire over my head was nuts.

[@Max.E.Danganan]

11:23 The unit cohesion is so good I listened to this part like 10 times! 😆👍🏻

[@bluewaterboof82]

I watched an interview with a gunship crewman and he said it was absolutely awful and that pretty much everyone he flew with came down with severe respiratory diseases from all of the toxic chemicals floating around inside the plane. Like living in an enclosed shooting range with minimal ventilation.

[@WomanTakenBytheWind]

A lot of lead poisoning and endocrine disruption too.

[@crossoutdude6769]

finally a truthful comment

[@Somethingsomethinglol]

yup. cancer rates are higher amongst them

[@rockystefano]

All jobs come with a measure of risk. I'm assuming that people joining the armed forces are aware of the fact that "this job" might come with more hazards than your typical office job.

[@bluewaterboof82]

@@rockystefano Thank you for pointing out the obvious.

[@asakad21]

No wonder why my 105mm in CoD takes a lot of time to reload..

[@benjaminflash1108]

now we know why :D

[@medicalsyrup5086]

Now we know why :)

[@8bitz39]

Now we know why ツ

[@Cantfindaname917]

Now we know why :]

[@borarider669]

shows explain how realistic that game was

[@Snipedog1978]

I remember working on the weapons systems of the H and U model of the AC130 gunship when stationed at Hurlburt Field. These aircraft have changed so much from the old days of 20mm, 25mm and 40mm guns

[@perniciousreaper4393]

Back in '06, I spent a couple weeks TDY at Hurlburt. Myself and the other two guys from our squadron that were down there with me were sitting at the DFAC one morning when a major wearing a bag walked over to us. Completely random as far as I know. We knew what he drove because of the Spooky patch he was wearing. He chatted us up for a minute, asking where we were from and what we were doing at Hurlburt. Then he told us he had room for one more on his aircraft that night for a mission over the Eglin range, and asked would one of us want to take a ride. All three of us said "hell yes" at once, and he told us "looks like you're going to have to draw straws or something." We did exactly that and I ended up being the lucky one. He took note of my name, told me when and where to show up, and turned around and walked out. That night I went up in an AC-130U and got to do just exactly what Sam did; it's one of the single most fun memories of my time in (and I had a lot of fun during my enlistment). I was a bit surprised they let him film as much as he did. I wanted to snap some pictures back with the sensor controls and was told it was an absolutely solid negative.

[@itrycrazy3447]

Good ol Hurbie baby, hell yeah!

[@olligesd9343]

Didn't the older models have dual GE gatling cannons as well? Why did they replace those? One would think the rain provided by them would be superior to the firepower of the 30mm.

[@lucasblanchard47]

That looked like an absolutely incredible experience! New sub here, can’t wait to watch more of your content. Much love from Texas!

[@Kyler-.-]

That's pretty awesome. I was stationed at an RAF base, and we would see an AC-130 come in now and then and a few times, you could see obvious bullet holes. Truly epic Aircraft.

[@oompaloompaboi]

As a former CSO, much respect to these crews and their coord in real ops! They’re doing so much more than he goes into, and hats off to all of these airmen for the lives they save every day!

[@JS-rv3et]

what would you rather have in the sky ( on your team ) A-10 wart wart or AC-130 spooky?

[@ieuanhunt552]

@@JS-rv3et Considering all blue on blue incidents A-10s have been involved in I would hate to see it in the sky.

[@A-Warthog-cc1wm]

@@ieuanhunt552 bro…

[@143AD]

They also cheat to do it.

[@traydog9807]

Construction safety officer

[@Jack-jh2ls]

I’m a crew chief for those bad boys at cannon glad to see you enjoy it. They’re a massive pain to work on but totally worth it for the mission.

[@shotbynextel]

Used to live there. Worst base of all time LOL.

[@robspecht9550]

How does the plane react to 50lb slugs leaving the airframe at high velocity?

[@jakerubino3233]

@@robspecht9550 if you listen hard enough it grunts “Get Some!” after each recoil action! 😂

[@idcanthony9286]

Used to work on the H’s and W’s in beautiful Cannon AFB. Miss the mission and people.

[@Cazline]

@@robspecht9550 in the video the pilot mentions the plane moves 6 feet to the side

[@samuellp1146]

This was a super fun video to watch. I really liked seeing a young air crew group working so well together training, serving and protecting our country with that powerful air tank. I am sure it gets really hairy with those guys at night when actual ground crew are desperate for pinpoint air support.

[@TmoneyProductions]

9:00 Seeing this truly makes me respect the effort put into mw2 when you are in the ac-130 it literally looks just like that 😂

[@karenhatch3841]

Thank you Sam I now see just what my son has done for 16 years, great job! Proud momma of Master Sgt. Hatch

[@SamEckholm]

He’s the man!

[@CannonAirForceBase27SOW]

We love MSgt Hatch!

[@warthy4889]

​@@CannonAirForceBase27SOW Cannon Air Force Base ?

[@ssheeessh]

I know they're all very well trained, but seeing the unit cohesion aboard that plane is really impressive to see. Good job to Sam for filming as well as he did. Honestly it'd hard to grasp all the teamwork and communication going on up there if we didn't literally just see it firsthand.

[@righty-o3585]

My dad was a ground based 105 mm operator in Vietnam, as well as the quad 50 Cal operator, a grenadier, and a tank driver 🤘😁

[@AlphaSniperAcademy]

3:12 I just found it funny but admirable how ready he was to take the round back haha Super careful, super professional and accommodating

[@SamEckholm]

Wow! This was a fun one to film. Let me know what your favorite part of the AC-130 is and which aircraft I should cover next! 👇🏼

[@kylelemanski3203]

Just commented my suggestion in the regular thread

[@uzairwaraich774]

A10 warthog

[@Dragomaster08]

Or know as the angel of death

[@MustangF35]

My opinion to which aircraft to cover i think the AH 64 Apache helicopter and the next video you should do the C17 Globemaster III.

[@joshuatiemeyer3617]

Check out the KC-135

[@jgn2112]

I was a navigator on the AC-130U and the upgrades in capabilities to the J model defy belief. Always good to see our SOF getting the best possible support necessary to complete the most dangerous missions in our mission set. Anything with the AC-130, history, present, and future, will always hit home with me hard. I can't believe I got to do what I did.

[@143AD]

Good cheating weapon, huh? And Taliban still beat you. Don't get triggered, Bro. It is what it is.

[@diqital_aviator]

I LOVE how modern the aircraft is. So sleek and badass - I closely knew the British C130's before they retired - what a wonderful aircraft!

[@TheRealLink]

What a great experience! Could only imagine how nervous and exciting it was!

[@mrgold3591]

Love the AC-130 gunship. The version we would live fire with was a little different when I was active duty in the 90s. I "think" it had 105mm howitzer, twin 20mm Vulcans, 7.62mm mini gun, and 40mm Bofors gun. It make one hell of a mess and an absolutely beautiful sound when all guns were firing.

[@noob.168]

glorifying war is crazy. u should join the invasion of ukraine then.

[@mrgold3591]

@@noob.168 It is because of people like me that served and that makes it possible for you to stay at home and criticize. Your welcome.

[@iseensumshit69420]

@@mrgold3591 What did the noob guy say?

[@mrgold3591]

@@iseensumshit69420 He/she/it was just criticizing the Military for being warmongers, killing people for no reason, don't need them, and a waste of money.

[@iseensumshit69420]

@@mrgold3591 "it" 😂

[@urias.j2701]

I love how everyone just admiring the aircraft and telling their stories with it. Truly love seeing brothers share each other stories! Thank you for your services

[@catoonz]

Ah yes, casual invasion of iraq for no reason and war crimes

[@mr.universe8739]

@@catoonz this is about the A-C130 doing its job, not an armed conflict between two nations

[@paulsimons769]

@@catoonz ah yes I love when murder is re-marketed for recruiting kids to do their future invasions/ murder 👏

[@hotdog9262]

@@mr.universe8739 job is bully poor people/forces

[@mr.universe8739]

@@hotdog9262 enemies in territorial disputes, sorry we advance,😐

[@this_is_nick]

I work on the MK 46 30MM chain gun in the Navy. I was a little surprised to see the similarities from our variant to the Gau-23 variant on the AC-130.

[@Fallub]

The production quality is amazing. Great video.

[@starfox6478]

I didn't realise the modern variants had a different weapons loadout, I was under the impression that all AC-130's had the classic twin 20mm, 40 and 105

[@donnieharmon9292]

The new j models do not the have gone to the more adaptable set up with the pilons for missiles

[@ChevTecGroup]

The originals had 7.62 miniguns as well. Kinda sad that the 40's are gone, but it is likely a lot less labor intensive to keep fed and easier supply with A-10 ammo commonality.

[@edm240b9]

@@ChevTecGroup IIRC, they got rid of the 40mm Bofors because they were having a hard time looking for spare parts all over the world and they were reloading shell casings made during the 40s. As sad as it is to see a workhorse like the Bofors finally retire, it’s probably for the best. The 30mm cannon I hear is a good compromise and is really accurate.

[@ChevTecGroup]

@@edm240b9 i know they were reloading cases and such for a while. But it shouldn't be that hard to source components. But yes it will be missed. 30mm avenger would have been a cool upgrade. Or the new 50mm chain gun that the Army is looking at for IFVs

[@edm240b9]

@@ChevTecGroup it was hard because the US was the only country still using the 40mm Bofors and every other country had scrapped them or they weren’t salvageable.

[@scurvys5309]

the quality of this video was so good, you deserve more recognition sam!

[@OriginalSniperLol]

This was awesome Sam! I hope to see more videos like these soon.

[@dylanbea8789]

I can’t believe the plane doesn’t just shake apart when that howitzer goes off, amazing

[@davidwolf226]

Damn, Sam! You have no idea just how many of us old duffers would love to have the same experience you just shared! What a tremendous weapons platform! I have a nephew who was an avionics tech on these a while back and he also loved working on them. What do I like about this aircraft? Everything!

[@MorgothSr]

I love your videos! My father was a C-130 pilot, among other aircraft; C-119, C-123. He flew the C-130 in Vietnam and was awarded the Distinguish Flying Cross for providing support to Khe Sanh during the siege of that outpost in 1968. He would have loved to see your videos! Keep up the good work!

[@821marko]

A good friend of mine I used to work with was a machine gunner at Khe Sanh he was there in 68' he said if Nixon hadn't stepped up the bombing in Laos there would have been a lot more dead Marines...he said Khe Sanh was remote and they hit it all the time, small world ....hats off to your dad...

[@821marko]

@@LauRoot892 I'm originally from Ft Wayne Indiana but I'm living in Tucson Az right now...with the work I've done I've traveled all over this country extensively...overseas as well just to get a break

[@821marko]

@@LauRoot892 how about you

[@821marko]

@@LauRoot892 I'm on telegram... Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Twitter or anything owned by Google, I'm pretty much banned from those platforms or to put it bluntly anything owned by nazis, communists and fascists ...

[@821marko]

@@LauRoot892 KZbin and Lyrics Translate are also owned by Google,...I used to post English translations of Russian songs on Lyrics Translate and they kicked me off there, blatant violent communists control that platform and depending on the subject KZbin will shadow ban or outright block comments I post

[@ShiftGolf]

Remember the AC-130 in Viet Nam when at Danang - We had the 119 Stinger A/C - Original A/C 130 had the 105 hanging from the front door I thought - plus it had 8 mini's 4 20's 2 40's and the 105 howitzer. Lots of firepower - The guys from Spectre in Ubon came to NKP one time, crazy group, kept playing the "Ghost riders in the sky" song.

[@logiqueraison5631]

3:05 the moment you realise you might not be straight after all.

[@FalamRZ]

Recently just went to an Airshow and managed to tour inside and even sit in the pilots seat of a Canadian C-130 Hercules, and that was amazing in itself. However I simply cannot imagine how magnificent it would be to see one of these things in person. Truly amazing to think about.

[@ericmartin6983]

Loved this segment. Really impressive aircraft. Just a great, ready for tv video! Well done, Sam!

[@doesntmatter4477]

Great channel, great video, all around awesome stuff. I deeply appreciate our military members. Thanks fellas, you guys are incredible.

[@dashalbrecht2571]

They’re murderers

[@DanielWitmer]

I have the brass from the 105 and a 40mm bofors brass as I was the Army air/ground liaison on the AC 130. This was a day before you heard about Operation Just Cause, by the time you heard about it, the Morgue at Gorgas hospital was already full.

[@thegenr8]

What a great demonstration of the teamwork it takes. This is what our military is all about.

[@rachel0706]

ii wwaannaa ggeettt llaaiidd by that girl🤤😍

[@christophed4579]

Yes, US teamwork worked exceptionnally well in Afghanistan, what a great military success.

[@nickcerni3860]

the teamwork it takes to kill humans in an insanely brutal way

[@manueladan5031]

Sir Sam, I learned a ton from your vlog. Am a military enthusiasts ans and you literally opened my eyes and my mind to to the myriad of info about our military. Thank you, Sir Sam for your excellent articulations,you speak very clearly and your grasp of the details are likewise excellent. Kudos!

[@brandonmasoncharles8928]

I actually love this thanks for letting me see this because I am being sent to military in a few years so at least I get to experience the AC-130 it’s my favorite gunship

[@nan16cd]

Best AC-130 video ever

[@cowchip]

Enjoyed this very much. A lot of changes since I worked on the AC130 Spectre Gunships we used in Thailand in 1969-1970. Fire power and electronics greatly improved. Ubon, Thailand 1969-1970. USAF

[@DOProductionsNL]

Thank you for your service, sir!

[@keith_jones]

Brava, to you and your filming crew! Another very good video put into the channel. The genuine delight you take in your work is so nice to see. You managed to make a stunning video that is as action packed as it is informative, all with a touch of humor. Mike Rowe make way for the next generation!

[@SamEckholm]

Thank you ☺️

[@montemiller3447]

That was fun! Another dream fulfilled; thanks , Sam and crew>

[@rollracerepublic]

The communication when firing the guns is f’ing awesome

[@TonyYaDiGG]

This must be one of the most fun aircrafts to be a pilot on you literally have a whole gun show going off right behind you 🤯😎

[@thatonefastbaguette]

My man literally called in a killstreak

[@MarkVickers-xq9si]

Man , along With the A-10 , and (even ) non - nuclear B - 52 (all subsonic) , the Spectre is frightening . I'm just glad they are on our side . They all send a bit of chill up my spine. The crews (inside AND on the ground) train hard & Long . I salute you . And Thank You All . ♥️

[@Rotorhead1651]

I was a helicopter mechanic with the 20th A.M.U., 1st S.O.W. at Hurlburt Field AFB, Florida (a sister unit to the 16th A.M.U., who were the maintenance unit for the AC-130H's) back in the early to mid 80s. Way back then, there was WAY less room inside the gunships as the armaments were a BIT different. They had the same 105mm Howitzer, but in addition, they had (back to front) a 40mm Bofors (pretty much alongside the 105), twin 20mm rotating cannon, and a HOST of electronic visual equipment, sensors, and lighting. By lighting, I'm referring to the 2 flood lights used EXCLUSIVELY in flight as turning them on, on the ground, would cause catastrophic failures. The first was a 2KW lamp and the second was 40KW, and they could light up an area as if it were broad daylight. The AC's also had low-light TV (LLTV), wide and narrow angle TV, FLIR (Forward Looking [bit of a misnomer as the camera can be rotated in any direction] InfraRed) TV, and "side" looking radar (gave the WSO radar image of ground targets as the acft was orbiting). The avionics in the weapons suite was so advanced then (and we're talking 40+ years ago) that the WSO could put a 105 round IN YOUR LAP, from 10,000 feet, on a starless night, while you were driving at 50 mph trying to escape. When using the twin 20s, the gunship had the same "BRRRRT" sound as the venerable A-10. It could DEVASTATE supply trains, buildings, and aircraft still on the ground. Other, less active, features included the "bathtubs". These were heavy, insulated attachments which were mounted on the wings, overlapping the engine exhasts. They were designed to mix the much colder air at operating altitude with the hot exhaust gases, minimizing the aircraft's thermal signature. Also, the guns were not mounted on gimbles then, so in order to reposition the guns for targeting, the pilot had to reposition the entire aircraft. And finally, there was the "fishbowl", a large acrylic dome, set into the overhead door for the ramp, used by the I.O. (Incoming Officer), to identify inbound threats, such as missiles, rockets, and hostile aircraft. The I.O. would literally lay on his stomach and peer out the dome, monitoring the sky for possible threats (modern sensors have made this position irrelevant). The AC-130H, then, was basically an airborne artillery emplacement, with the power to delete geography. With the weapons and avionics upgrades of the "J" model, it has only gotten more deadly, and NO ONE ELSE has anything like it, IN THE WORLD.

[@ElegantMessTechPC]

What an awesome experience, thanks so much for going through ALL hoops to bring this to us !

[@Mediavidero]

Thank you, really. Was so interesting for people who build scale model kits because the inner space details (panels, screens, boxes, etc ..) and colors.

[@m.asquino7403]

I used to love hearing spooky shooting up the mountains for target practice when I was at Bagram

[@SoupSlayer94]

Was able to experience seeing this thing fire the 105mm in country. Makes you VERY happy knowing it's on our side.

[@ThatAvgeekKid]

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the AC-130. They used to hear them practicing all the time when I was young. Wish I would have seen this video back then, but its still cool to see now.

[@dbf5803]

Amazing opportunity - props to you and the film crew - very well put together. Thanks for representing.

[@LauRoot892]

Hey 👋

[@johnj1766]

This is such a badass thing to have the privilege of being part of, really enjoy this as if I was there 👍

[@sematic1]

This is so badass. I have to show my son. getting to fly or even gun one of these has to be the best job ever.

[@brunoactis1104]

To kill what? Civilians? Please realize the american army are the worst bad guys in the hisotry of humanity.

[@aviationcatB-25]

This video looks Amazing can’t wait till I get old enough to join the Air Force hopefully flying the C-17

[@kman31799]

Study as much as you can. Im currently obtaining my PPL and there's a lot of information thrown at you. The Air Force will take care of you but it's always good to go in with Prior knowledge

[@Adriansdr07]

Unfortunately, even if you join the air forces, the c17 will start to retire one by one.

[@tonyf9076]

@@Adriansdr07 still got another 15 years plus of service life maybe longer 👍

[@Atony94]

@@Adriansdr07 The C130 has been used since Vietnam and the c17 is the current primary workhorse. They're not going anywhere for a long time.

[@Adriansdr07]

@@Atony94 Wdm, The USAF is already planing to retire it’s C17’s by 2035! The c130J is already going to be the primary replacement of the C17, also the c17 has already ended production since 2015 so there already going soon!.

[@1900intz]

Thank you Sam for another informative and entertaining video. Stay safe. Thank all of you for your service.

[@alexlapo4986]

so much freedom on one plane

[@ownagesniper1]

Yes sir, this is a state-of-the-art freedom projectile delivery mechanism.

[@Alpha-Mike-Foxtrot]

Thanks for the video. Great upload

[@exgebe4407]

Hands down. This is human craftmanship. Master class.

[@Ja2808R]

Great production and editing. Props to all the crew of our best infantry protectors.

[@galacticengineer588]

Those pilots look so cool

[@boomerang6130]

Wow, that plane is kickass.

[@seekjesuschrist713]

I flew many ac130 before. Nothing like the rush of one of those bad boys! The enemy team was always so angry after the MW2 matches because of it too!

[@briangrady367]

I miss flying with the 16SOS. Great people and awesome mission.

[@davidwas77]

3:02 the way this dude just easily picks up a 50 pound 105mm shell is sick 🥶🥶

[@user-wt9il2xl4g]

TOO COOL!!! What an amazing experience!

[@thebumpercrew3227]

Quality work, Sam! Looking forward to the next installment. Your mate from across the pond - Joel 👏

[@Aditi27]

I just recently started watching some of the videos on your channel, & its very good quality content. The videos are succint but very interesting & never fail to make me smile 😊 so keep it up! Best wishes

[@SamEckholm]

Thanks!!

[@sfdphotographer1841]

Hey Sam, I was wondering why they didn't refer to you as Lieutenant Eckholm? or do they only need to refer to you as rank while you're in unform?

[@thatlegokid6187]

My grandpa was stationed at Phù Cát airbase in Vietnam up until 1969, a year before it was overrun by VC. While he was stationed there, he loaded ammunition onto F-100s and AC-130s.

[@frederiklavdaljakobsen8787]

This is seriously quality videos you make! Keep up the good work Sam

[@Sundrowner]

Absolutely amazing

[@ryantrigwell7821]

I think you've found your calling my guy!! Them shots was pin point!!

[@kjpetitt]

Incredibly well done, Sam! I laughed real good at the COD references 😂😂

[@bogeydope3022]

Thing is, you need total air superiority with these things. But there is hardly anything better for CAS. The big plane circling makes an excellent target too.

[@Mike_Ehrmentraut]

Bro got killstreak on fire🔥

[@zenest3907]

OOOMMMGG HOW INSAANE DOES THIS FEEL. Its the thing that you experience in games and now you see how powerful it actually is in real life

[@estellemelodimitchell8259]

Thank you Sam for covering this awesome aircraft. Really nice footage you got there! For next aircraft, could you do an extension of the C-130 variants by covering the Marines KC-130J Harvest Hawk? Would be great if you could. That would more or less complete the C-130’s family of aircraft. Got another request though - attack helicopter, i.e. either Army Apache AH-64E or Marines AH-1Z Viper? I guess it would be tough since these aircraft are 2 seaters and chances are you won’t get to sit in the Co-pilot/Gunner seat, unless Army or Marines made some special exemption for you.

[@gilnk8534]

The quality of your production is elite. How do you not have millions of subscribers??? Great work Sam, loved it.

[@SamEckholm]

Working on it!

[@jubayarahmed342]

Just watched a clip from the covenant movie, that 130 was lethal.

[@drdroopy15]

Awesome video. Question, what happens to the empty casing after the 105 fires and it then hits the floor? I am sure the secure it for rest of the flight somewhere.

[@raginOKCTHUNDER]

These videos are soooo sick Sam! Keep up the awesome work!

[@riichobamin7612]

9:37 "PILOTS LAUGHT AT SAM" 😂😂😂

[@biglee13m]

I didn't know AC130 had such a modernized panel. Thought it would be analog everywhere.

[@axeboys1004]

I still remember that one line “AC130 UP ABOVE” *exhales* good times ☺️

[@ZxRiGxZ]

So cool the military partners with you for videos like this! Great education

[@WengStansWorld]

in the Navy, on a ship, it was taught to us that when transferring a shell from one person to another, we always cradled the round in our arms. The arms would be bent upward at the elbows with the hands pointed to the ceiling, pivot and pass to the next person who also has their arms bent upward with the hands pointed to the ceiling. In this video, the two men passed the round to each other holding the round in the hands....Hand to hand transfer. I have been out of the military for 30 years this month, has the safety procedure changed since then ?

[@Flatpockets123]

its most likely because being in the air vs the sea is different.

[@aperson336]

Man gunships are really something! Literally is flying artillery

[@ykwoozie606]

Dude is a real-life WarThunder Player

[@sawyernordstrom5392]

you forgot the💀emoji

[@nivensgobs7454]

Excellent video dude. Wow you are a natural. Keep it up. Love and greetings from South Africa 🇿🇦