HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- On May 19, 1997, the AC-130U Spooky gunship arrived at Hurlburt Field, Florida. This aircraft earned the nickname "Big Daddy" because it was the father of the AC-130U gunship fleet. Over the course of 23 years, the 4th Special Operations Squadron flew 7,236 combat hours and 1,392 sorties in "Big Daddy."