NAS/JRB Willow Grove, Pennsylvania - 08/03/05 (many pics!)

I plundered again this week and this time to another one of my local airports...err, air bases. NAS/JRB Willow Grove is about 40 miles from my house and usually takes about an hour to reach via I-295, CR 541, NJ 413, the Burlington Bristol Bridge, PA 413, US 13, PA Turnpike, and PA 611. Unfortunately, the base is been cited under the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) and the ANG tenant unit, the 111th Fighter Wing, to be disestablished.

Pictures were taken from a parking lot that belongs to TNS Intersearch, which is located about a half mile south from the base of Runway 15/33 (on the 33 end). Lighting is pretty decent in the afternoon but in the morning, it might be a challenge. USUALLY, there are no problems with military police and the Horsham Police Department, since there is a group of photographers from neighboring towns who frequent the parking lot when 33 is active (and Lancer's Diner, which is used to catch anything departing 15 and the 33 departures as they begin to roll). The cops know the photographers and won't bother you if they recognize your vehicle.

The first couple of pictures come from a museum that is on base. It has free admission because of its location. Captions below each picture when possible.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AA%20Me262.jpg
Messerschmitt Me-262.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...HAA%20Fury.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...%20Panther.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...%20Cutless.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...HAA%20Dart.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0F-14A%201.jpg
F-14A Tomcat... not on museum land but on base land. Shot this through holes in the fence.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0F-14A%203.jpg
The Tomcat wears markings with the names of the pilot and RIO that were killed at Willow Grove during the 2000 airshow.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...iagara%201.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0A-10s%201.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0A-10s%205.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0A-10s%209.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...A-10s%2012.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...A-10s%2013.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...ore%20crop.jpg
I only cropped that picture... no resizing!

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0no%20crop.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0no%20crop.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...ore%20crop.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0no%20crop.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0no%20crop.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...A-10s%2035.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0no%20crop.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0no%20crop.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...ore%20crop.jpg
A-10 wearing markings showing that this particular aircraft is the Wing Commander's plane.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...ore%20crop.jpg

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...20C-12%202.jpg
US Army C-12 Huron.

Wow, I love those A-10s. Are they the usual fare at this air force base? I may have to make a trip to this base for some pictures in the near future.

Josh

The A-10s are usually the most common to go up on a normal day. It's not really an Air Force Base per se, it's a Joint Reserve Base, with the Navy as the main tenant (VR-52 flies 4 C-9s, VR-64 flies C-130Ts, and VP-55 flies P-3C Orions out of Willow Grove). Lots of those A-10 shots are because one A-10 in each flight of two I saw chose to shoot low approaches, so I got a decent number of pictures of the respective planes.

Some day I would love to see that ME-262 for real!

Wait till you guys see where I'm gonna be this week, then you'll wish you'd want to start shooting military stuff! I have to warn you though...you can go an hour or more between airplanes, depending where you're at!

nice pictures steven!