personnel in the United States, No. 36 Squadron became the first non-US operator of the Hercules in December 1958, when it began taking delivery of twelve C-130As; deliveries completed in March 1959. The official history of the post-war Air Force described the Hercules as "probably the biggest step-up in aircraft capabilities" the RAAF had ever received, considering it roughly four times as effective as the Dakota, taking into account the improvements in payload, range, and speed. In September 1960, No. 36 Squadron began parachute trials on the Hercules. It made the Hercules' first troop-carrying flights into a combat zone in December 1962, joining a Commonwealth airlift from Singapore to Borneo at the onset of the Konfrontasi between Indonesia and Malaysia; similar missions were undertaken over the next five years. The squadron was again awarded the Gloucester Cup in 1963. In August 1964, No. 36 Squadron became an independently operating unit under the command of Headquarters RAAF Base Richmond, following the disbandment of No. 86 Wing. No. 486 Squadron was disbanded at the same time, leaving No. 36 Squadron responsible for its own day-to-day maintenance until 1966; No. 486 Squadron was re-formed that year to service both No. 36 Squadron and No. 37 Squadron, the latter having taken delivery of twelve C-130E Hercules. During the Vietnam War, both squadrons undertook long-range transport and medical evacuation flights between Australia and South East Asia, servicing Phan Rang, Vũng Tàu, and Nui Dat. No. 36 Squadron was presented with its own standard by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on 1 April 1971, in recognition of a quarter-century's service. Eight of its twelve Hercules were involved in relief efforts after Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin, Northern Territory, on Christmas Eve 1974; the aircraft flew over 550 hours, carrying 2,864 passengers and almost of cargo. Having remained in service for twenty years, clocking up 147,000 accident-free flying hours, the C-130As were replaced by C-130Hs in 1978. In November 1978, one of No. 36 Squadron's C-130Hs became the first Australian Hercules to land in Antarctica, at McMurdo Sound. The squadron reached a total of 200,000 accident-free flying hours in C-130s during 1984. When No. 86 Wing was re-formed at Richmond on 2 February 1987, under the newly established Air Lift Group (later Air Mobility Group), No. 36 Squadron formed part of its complement. The unit again received the Gloucester Cup in 1989. That year, it provided transport for