The US Navy officially retired its last C-2A Greyhound aircraft on July 28, 2026.
The plane landed at Naval Air Station Pensacola after a final flight escorted by the Blue Angels.
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The retirement marks the end of six decades of carrier onboard delivery service for the fixed-wing platform. Operations are transitioning to the tiltrotor Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey.
Final Flight and Ceremony
The last operational unit, Fleet Logistics Support Squadron VRC-40, held a sundown ceremony. The final airframe was transferred to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Florida.
The Greyhound made its final carrier landing on the USS Nimitz in June.
Lieutenant Commander Alex Vogel highlighted the challenges of flying the aging twin-engine turboprops across the Pacific.
“It’s a little bit of a nail-biting experience to make sure that your fuel transfers properly and that your engines are running properly,” Vogel said.
Pilots rotated duty in the cockpit while auxiliary tanks supplied extra fuel during critical transits.
Vogel noted the unique role the Greyhound played in bringing non-aviator passengers aboard carriers.
“For all tailhook aviators, the most exciting thing you can do is land on the ship or take a catapult shot from the ship,” Vogel said.
“Our platform is extremely unique in that we can provide that opportunity for 20 plus passengers at a time.”
He added that introducing passengers to carrier operations remained a highlight.
“Having the opportunity to do that for everything from Make-A-Wish kids to high school teachers to foreign dignitaries is really rewarding,” Vogel said.
