The 130 started as a spectacular success in 1967 over Vietnam destroying around 10,000 enemy ground vehicles and devastating enemy troops.
It's packed with punishing ordnance and renowned for its ability to fly in any conditions, at all times of day, for extended periods of time.
With all its weapons pointing out the left side of the aircraft, the AC-130 enters a counter-clockwise pivot turn before concentrating its weapons on a target.
That spiral may be the surest sign a battle is about to turn in the world, and it's accurate enough to happen within just a couple hundred yards of American troops.