Pallas Aviation will be the first operator of the new Lockheed Martin LM-100J commercial freighter out of Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas.
The company will provide management services and operational control of two LM-100J aircraft requiring heavy-lift/oversized cargo capability into and out of unconventional airports and remote locations for a specific set of clients in multiple industries.
In conjunction with this announcement, an LM-100J aircraft will be on static display at the Alliance Air Show in Fort Worth, 13-14 October.
The LM-100J is a production variant of the proven C-130J Super Hercules, which is the military aircraft of choice for 18 nations around the world.
Pallas Aviation president, Emory Ellis said: “In choosing the LM-100J, we have access to one of the newest cargo freighters that happens to have one of the most proven pedigrees in aviation: the C-130J Super Hercules. The LM-100J offers an outstanding performance record, reliability, experience and unmatched capabilities.
“There are other cargo aircraft in the market, but there’s one LM-100J, and that’s the airplane we need to do our job.”
Lockheed Martin introduced the LM-100J freighter in 2014 as an updated version of the L-100 legacy Hercules commercial variant. It has delivered more than 100 L-100s to private and government operators from 1964-1992.
The LM-100J offers a civil-certified option for operators that builds on the proven performance of the military C-130J variants, which have flown almost two million hours in support of a multitude of mission requirements.
Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager for air mobility and maritime missions, George Shultz said: “Over the past few years, we’ve had the honor to partner with the Pallas team in building the LM-100J and are excited to see this joint vision be a reality that we can share with the aviation industry.
“We can’t wait for Pallas to show the world the versatility and capability that is found only in an LM-100J.”
Two LM-100Js are currently flying in support of FAA type certificate update testing. The C-130J was fully FAA certified when it was first developed and the LM-100J requires an update of this certificate.
