Patuxent Naval Air Station KNHK and Japanese Air Force (JSDF) C-130 Pics

[SengaB]

Greetings, I just finished putting together my NHK Patuxent NAS trip recap. I have been meaning to visit NHK for several years and I am glad to finally get a chance to take some pix there. I just wish I had started earlier. With the USNTPS USN Test Pilot School there I pulled off many new liveries and fairly unique markings on several types. The primary reason for going to the DC area was to get the USN P-8 Poseidon at NHK as I have been an obsession of mine for quite some time. NHK was worth the trip. I'm also pleased to get the P-8 into my collection as I think its one of the best looking 737s out there passenger or military. It was a tough shoot at NHK with the nasty 90+ degree temps heat haze and more often than not being on the wrong side of the planes for good light. There's lots of good stuff at NHK and I hope to get back sometime in the future. I have not seen an active T-2 Buckeye in probably 12 years and it nice to see one again. Also interesting was the Saab 340 with the F-16 nose. It was also quite enjoyable watching the F-35 practice hovering and going around for several hours. The highlight was the Japanese Navy C-130 (Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force JMSDF) C-130. The JMSDF C-130 will be one of my top shots of the year I think.

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Senga

[Gerard]

Absolutely awesome pictures!! So I am gathering you were allowed on the Base or are these great pictures are from high powered lens off base!! Either way a great photo essay on aircraft we dont get to see!!

[Roush6NY]

Fantastic !!! Great stuff as always, Senga.

[Chris S]

Outstanding set from PAX River, Senga !! Thanks for posting them :cool:

[Greg_NY]

Great set Senga, thanks for sharing!

[SengaB]

Thanks all,

Gerard,
Yea with the lack of Air Shows it makes seeing these planes nearly impossible. I think the P-8s came out right when the airshows stopped or around that time I guess.

Here are 2 vids I took while I was there. Flicker compressed them so they look like garbage now.
This taxiway intersects with the main road leading onto the base so instead of seeing cars go by at the intersection you see planes.

USN C-130 Taxi

https://www.flickr.com/photos/aviophotog/14862312902/in/photostream

T-2 Buckeye Taxi
https://www.flickr.com/photos/aviophotog/14676067567/in/photostream

Senga

[lijk604]

Were you a guest of the base Senga, or are these all from public access areas? Absolutely great set of images.

[Kiffy]

Wow! very cool collection of catches and nice spotting locations. That gaggle of C-130s, P-8s and P-3s is very cool. And THANK YOU for posting a photo of that Saab 340, N304ST. I had taken photos of a strange looking large prop plane back in 2010 that I had yet to identify until now!
Here's a brief write-up of the Saab from the owner's site:
http://www.calspan.com/aerospace/flight-test-aircraft-operations/airborne-testbed/airborne-systems-trainer

[moose135]

Excellent, Senga! Great collection of photos. I love the no left/right turn signs where the road crosses the taxiway!

[SengaB]

lijk604,
Yes they were all shot from the base. Unfortunately not much can be seen from outside. The easterly side of the base is bordered by water so its a very tough place to shoot without being on the base.

Kiffy,
Thanks for the link on the SAABs info. I have seen that plane on Google search for a years and was wondering what the heck it was. I was hoping it was military or something but I guess I'll take this one just as much.

John,
Yea you have to be careful and pay attention when on NHK. One wrong turn and you can accidentally end up on an active taxiway or even a runway.

Senga

[SengaB]

Sorry for bringing up a dying thread. I did need to post a much needed correction.

The Japanese C-130 I shot at KNHK is NOT a Japanese Air Force C-130. It is a Japanese Navy C-130. These aircraft will be a new type for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (Japanese Navy) The Japanese navy is in the process of receiving six ex USMC C-130s. This might still be the first one being sent.

I was originally comparing my images with the existing Air Force shots on the internet. I baffled as to why the marking did not match current Japanese Air Force C-130s. Then I typed in Japanese navy and then the markings and the Squadron, S/N were more in line with the existing Japan's larger Naval Aircraft. The C-130 will be a new type for the Japanese Navy.

Later in the Day I came across this interesting article about the upgrade and delivery program.

http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.NAVAIRNewsStory&id=5277


Senga