Thanks, Xander, and welcome to NYCA - I see you found us!
Thanks, Xander, and welcome to NYCA - I see you found us!
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
Great shots so far, Moose!
Were you able to get Air Force Two yesterday?
Thanks, Chris. No, I completely missed AF2 - I didn't realize VPOTUS was in town until I saw the story about his appearance on the Charlotte Observer web site after it ended. I suspect we may see more such visits in the next few weeks, as NC is a swing state.
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
Word was this was coming in on Saturday morning, then it arrived yesterday. I took an extended lunch today, and ran over to catch it. They had unloaded it when I got there, and were just storing ramps and buttoning it up. Don't know when it is leaving, but should be sooner rather than later.
I'll post more when that pesky work is out of the way - and while this was the most interesting thing at CLT, it wasn't the only interesting thing...more to come!
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
What a great catch, Moose !
More of the Russian beast...
As I mentioned, there was a post on the CLT Spotters FB page saying this was due in on Saturday. Last night, I discovered it had arrived mid-morning (and there wasn't anything happening in the office that couldn't have waited an hour for me to go shoot the arrival...) I was working from home today, and took a ride out to see what was happening. They had it unloaded, and were packing up the ramps and such, then they closed the nose and seemed to button it all up. I had to get back home to deal with a request from a manager, and it turns out it departed around 3pm, about an hour after I left.
From what I've heard, the An-124 visits from time to time - not really regularly, but often enough. Siemens has a plant in the Charlotte area where they manufacture and repair gas and steam turbines and power generators, and some of those parts are very large, necessitating the -124 (and on one or two occasions the An-225!) for transport. So it is possible I'll catch a landing or take off one of these days.
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
I said the An-124 was the most interesting thing at CLT today, but not the only interesting thing I saw. This G-V is registered to the US Department of Justice. According to a local spotter I met (and who saw the police presence at the FBO prior to their departure) it was carrying Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
And this guy must have taken a left at Helsinki instead of a right...yes, it's a Finnair E-170 arriving at CLT. FlightAware shows it came in from Boston. FA also shows that same Finnair flight number (8951) used a bunch of times in the past few months, all for E-170 flights, most originating out of Phoenix Deer Valley Airport. Anybody know if they do some maintenance/refurbishing work there? I couldn't find anything obvious online.
ETA: I hear from Matt that Honeywell has been using that Finnair E170 for test work since January. Makes it an even cooler catch!
Last edited by moose135; 2012-10-26 at 06:33 PM.
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
Very nice shots, John!
I'm surprised Jill Biden was using a government jet--when she came here about three weeks ago, she was on a chartered Challenger.
Nice Mate,can i ask what kind of camera your using?i keep switching back and fourth eos and nikon,Theres a private jet Center not far from here that I've never been Inside yet with a lot of ww2 Planes and a mig 15 >.> i hate not being able to drive
Thanks! Justin, I'm shooting with a Canon 40D. You should just pick one of those cameras you have and learn how to use it well, rather than switching back and forth.
Chris, I wonder if the difference was due to availability, or perhaps because one was strictly a campaign trip versus some official function. I didn't hear why she was in town today, I'll have to check the paper.
Last edited by moose135; 2012-10-26 at 09:21 PM.
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
That's what I was thinking, too. It's probably cheaper to campaign with a government aircraft than a chartered one--if I'm not mistaken, campaigners have to refund the government only the price of a first-class commercial ticket when flying on unofficial business.
It's a very rare catch--congrats on getting some great shots of it! It's been mentioned as one of the CIA's rendition aircraft:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renditi...596GA.2FN977GA
Got a call today from a fellow CLT spotter I met shooting the Antonov about a special that was in town at the FBO. Since I'm in the half of the company with power, and we're covering for the half without power in the NYC area, I had to wait until the end of the day to take a run down there. Fortunately, it was still there...
Ecuador Air Force Embraer ERJ-135
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
I hadn't been out to CLT in a month, and today being a perfect day, weather-wise, I headed over this afternoon.
One special scheme for the day.
The Dash 8 is so stunningly overpowered, they have to keep the spoilers up on the ground to keep it from flying away... :-)
This Citation is owned by a subsidiary of the Coca Cola Bottling Company, based in Charlotte.
Falcon 2000 owned by Sonic Financial, an insurance and investment company located in Charlotte.
I never knew CRJs had an in-flight refueling receptacle above the cockpit!
Lufthansa has switched its daily flight to an A330, and yes, our friend was out to greet it.
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
I wasn't feeling too ambitious today, so since it was beautiful weather, and after goofing off all morning, I took a ride to CLT this afternoon.
First thing I noticed was this Southwest 737 parked on the ramp. Curious, since WN doesn't fly here normally. I figured it must be some sort of charter...was I ever wrong.
More of the usual suspects - this AA MD-83, N961TW, started life flying for TWA...
The LH A330 arrived on the left side. As it was on final, I saw this on final for 18C - yes, another WN 737...
It turns out WN flight 385 from New Orleans to Baltimore (MSY-BWI) diverted into CLT, reportedly with smoke in the cockpit. That's the aircraft out on the ramp, N281WN. The second WN flight came out of Midway to pick up the passengers and take them on to their destination.
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
Great shots! Love the WN 737 shots, wish i went out that day. N281WN is the 500th 737 for WN as well...
Last edited by USAir767; 2012-12-03 at 07:15 PM.
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