MILCOM/MILAIR photos

[SteveDouglass]

Thought I would start a new thread hoping MILCOM-MILAIR enthusiast would (along with their intercepts) post any photos of aircraft-installations-antennas etc...

I'll start by posting this photo of VIPER 16 - a brand new Bell/Textron Cobra helicopter I captured today on a test flight out of the factory in Amarillo. The helicopter in the background is a Bell UH1Y.

Frequencies heard:

307.900 MHz (Amarillo approach)
and 123.100 (Bell/Textron tower)

-Steve Douglass

 

[radiouser_magazine]

Cracking picture Steve - will certainly post some when I get back to the shack...

 

[SteveDouglass]

Great! Looking forward to it!

 

[SteveDouglass]

Bell Test 1

This is another photo from yesterday's trip out to the Bell/Textron plant in Amarillo. This is "BELL TEST 1" a UH-1y Helicopter (updated Huey) that I frequently hear on 123.100MHz and 123.200MHz

You can read more about the UH-1y here: Bell Helicopter UH-1Y

 

[SteveDouglass]

C-5 Galaxy from Martinsburg ANG

Discovered this amazing looking well-worn C-5 Galaxy that flew in some time during the wee-hours last night. I think it was here to pick up (or deliver) V-22 Osprey fuselage (or parts) to the Bell/Boeing plant here in Amarillo.

I hope you like this shot - because I literally went through hell to get it. I was attacked my a squadron of blood-sucking mosquitos (lying in wait in the open airport field) that ambushed my bare legs.

I think I lost a pint or two trying to get this shot just right!

Link: 167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard - Home

-Steve Douglass

 

[DPD1]

Nice shots... I find the Y/Zs harder to be alerted to than the older models. The sound is much more like a 412, or typical civilian ship. You don't get the thump thump for five minutes in advance, like the old versions. But I like the new ones.

Steve, if you're interested... I have another site that is for test aircraft, if you ever feel like contributing.

 

[SteveDouglass]

Cobra AH-Z

Absolutely right - they are a lot quieter. I kind of miss the old thump thump - but it doesn't exactly make it easy to sneak up on anyone.

Yes- I'm interested.

-Steve

 

[SteveDouglass]

F-100 on final

F-100 spotted out at the Randall County Barn on Loop 335 In Amarillo. I think this is going to become a permanent display for the Texas Panhandle War Memorial. I heard some Randall County cops talking about it and thought they were joking about escorting the jet down the highway. I decided to check it out and this is what I found. I hope to get permission to get a closer look before it gets mounted on a pylon.

 

[OsloViking1975]

Excellent Photos. Love the shots of all the air crafts.

 

[OsloViking1975]

Thought I would start a new thread hoping MILCOM-MILAIR enthusiast would (along with their intercepts) post any photos of aircraft-installations-antennas etc...

I'll start by posting this photo of VIPER 16 - a brand new Bell/Textron Cobra helicopter I captured today on a test flight out of the factory in Amarillo. The helicopter in the background is a Bell UH1Y.

Frequencies heard:

307.900 MHz (Amarillo approach)
and 123.100 (Bell/Textron tower)

-Steve Douglass

I'll try to see if I can get some pictures of the A10's that fly over and other aircrafts. I'm right along Military airspace area. "Selfridge Air Nationional Guard."

 

[b7spectra]

Swing by Fence Check. You will be in heaven!

 

[SteveDouglass]

Osprey On C-5 Approach.

"Osprey One-Two you are cleared to land on pad C-5."

MV-22 Osprey on final for the Boeing/Textron plant in Amarillo today.

Photo By Steve Douglass

 

[SteveDouglass]

Big Boys!

OTIS KC-130J VMGR-252, MCAS Cherry Point, NC one of three that stopped to do some pattern work and gas and go here in Amarillo. The C-5 was one here regularly to pick up and deliver Osprey (MV-22/CV-22) fuselages to the Boeing/Textron plant.

They (OTIS) departed for NAS FT Worth. I'll post some photos of them flying soon.

- Steve Douglass

 

[SteveDouglass]

C-130J OTIS 81 In flight

Another of the OTIS birds doing low-level approach at Rick Husband International in Amarillo, Texas.

I also monitored OTIS 809 and OTIS 54.

-Steve Douglass

 

[SteveDouglass]

"osprey 39"

New CV-22 (USAF VERSION) out on a test hop today. These are a very common sight here in Amarillo There is one "Special" V-22 that I rarely see out of the hangar that bears the same paint-job as an F-22 - low radar reflecting coating. I call it the Silver Osprey and I'll post a photo of it soon.

-Steve

frequencies:

119.5 Amarillo Approach
123.200 TEXTRON tower

 

[SteveDouglass]

Silver V-22 Osprey

I finally found my photo of the rare "Silver Osprey."

I've only seen it flying twice and several times tucked in the back part of a hangar at the Boeing/Textron V-22 plant here in Amarillo.

Security gets rally antsy whenever it is out in the open - but it has flown over my house so I think they are overreacting just a tad.

Here's it sitting on the ramp in Amarillo.

 

[radiouser_magazine]

One of my best mobile monitoring days. Was given a heads up that US Special Forces would be doing a parachute training exercise at the former USAF base at RAF Machrihanish, Scotland, often linked with covert testing of stealth aircraft and possible connections with Aurora...

Heads up was provided the night before the drop was due to take place, so it was a frantic dash to get all the kit packed for a 0500 departure the following morning, for the four hour drive down the west coast of Scotland to this remote facility.

Monitoring was provided by my handheld UBC3300 and UBC3500. Great day out and one I will always remember.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Regarding the C-130J with the OTIS callsign:

Are you sure that's a Cherry Point plane? The NY on the tail indicates Stewart ANGB as a more likely base.

 

[OsloViking1975]

One of my best mobile monitoring days. Was given a heads up that US Special Forces would be doing a parachute training exercise at the former USAF base at RAF Machrihanish, Scotland, often linked with covert testing of stealth aircraft and possible connections with Aurora...

Heads up was provided the night before the drop was due to take place, so it was a frantic dash to get all the kit packed for a 0500 departure the following morning, for the four hour drive down the west coast of Scotland to this remote facility.

Monitoring was provided by my handheld UBC3300 and UBC3500. Great day out and one I will always remember.

Great Shots.

 

[SteveDouglass]

C-130J OTIS Flight

Actually - I think you are right. They all used the callsign OTIS - but the tailcode does indicate otherwise.
Some had NY and others had BH - but they all used OTIS. I saw one of the pilots in the Old English Field House and asked them who they were with and he said VMGR-252, so I just assumed.. There may have been other C-130s there - across the field. I couldn't stay to watch them all leave.

Here's another shot of 809 sporting the BH tailcode.