This awesome photo shows a Marine Corps KC-130F Hercules piloted by Navy Lt. James H. Flateley III taking off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal in 1963. The Herk performed a bunch of landings and fully loaded takeoffs aboard the ship over the course of several weeks in November of that year, setting the record for the largest aircraft to ever operate from an aircraft carrier.
I've seen videos of the KC-130 taking off and landing on the Forrestal many times but this is the first close up shot I've seen of the giant plane flying from the carrier.
Click through the jump to watch the video of the Herk operating on the ship (notice how you can see the phrase "Look Ma, No Hook" painted on the C-130's nose:
Image via SNAFU.
