USA 2010 TRIP REVIEW PART 1: ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN & NEVADA
JULY-AUGUST 2010 KEVIN PERRY
Following two recent trips to the States this year, I can
eventually complete some reports, looking back on the events after the long
process of sorting out the photographs etc. This is my first trip report for a
while now, after the Bahrain reports earlier this year, and since then I have
set up my Fotopic site, which has also kept me very busy, as I try to keep up to
date with the latest shots as well as adding older collections. So, for this and
future reports I will include the direct link to the collection, so that all the
shots can be viewed, and not just a small selection of highlights as previously
done. As well as the two USA trips in the space of three months, there has also
been the recent annual Dubai airshow visit, this December having the MEBA show,
which also included a visit to Sharjah. However, these shots can wait for now
and may feature in a future report, if I can get around to them before too long!
So, my first visit to the States since early 2008, was to be planned around an
event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the DC-3. As a big fan of propliners
and older generation jetliners, this was a not to be missed 'once in a lifetime'
event, with the 'Last Time' organizers planning a gathering of DC-3's at a
previously unheard of airfield in North West Illinois called Rock Falls. As part
of the event, a mass formation of Dak's was planned, to fly up to Oshkosh for
the coinciding EAA Air Venture 2010 (more on this later though!). The DC-3
actually first flew on 17th December 1935 at Clover Field, Santa Monica, 32
years to the day after the Wright Brothers historic flight at Kitty Hawk, NC,
and was in fact designed by Jack Northrop (who had moved to work with the
Douglas Aircraft Company).
As part of the trip planning, around Rock Falls & Oshkosh, other options were
looked at, as part of what was to end up being an eleven day trip to the States.
Another major event going on around the time was the planned launch of the Space
Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-134 on 29th July. With only two launches
remaining, this is something I had wanted to try and catch before the Shuttle is
retired, and hopefully get some great shots from the NASA causeway viewpoint
(which is the closest the public can get to a launch). However, the well known
risks in planning such a trip to catch a launch, are the frequent delays due to
weather or technical problems, and it was to happen again! This time, however,
it was to be a delay with the payload being ready in time. The 'Alpha Magnetic
Spectrometer' (wow!), built in Switzerland, was going to be weeks late, which
ultimately lead to the launch being postponed, initially to 16th September, and
then to 1st November. More on this in Part 2 though!
As the remaining full trip plan was being finalised, I now had a 'spare' four
days, which had been put aside for Florida to catch the Shuttle. Serious thought
was given to flying up to Detroit, and have a few days at Willow Run and Toledo
Express chasing old jets, being the respective home bases of National (the old
Murray Air) and Air Transport International, both still operating DC-8's. These
in addition to some classic DC-9's, with USA Jet at Willow Run and the
Delta/Northwest DC-9-30's about to go out of service at their Detroit home base.
However, the thought of shooting Pakistan Air force F-16's among others, on Red
Flag at Nellis AFB at the time, along with the rest of Las Vegas was too good to
resist, and it was also somewhere I had never been. And so the planning was
done, with the main events starting in Illinois with the Prairie Airshow,
followed by Rock Falls and up into Wisconsin for Oshkosh, before down to
Milwaukee for the flight to Vegas. Then back for the Rockford Airfest, before
heading home. Unfortunately 'The Elbow' couldn't make this trip, but I was to be
joined by Craig 'Hamish' McCorriston from Linlithgow for the first part.
Link to kevin perry photography:
http://kevinperry.fotopic.net Direct Link to this trip:
http://kevinperry.fotopic.net/usajul-aug2010
Friday 23rd July As I would be on holiday at home in the UK, I had planned the
most convenient flights I could to the States, and decided to take the direct
Manchester-Chicago O'Hare service with American Airlines. So after the early
drive, I caught AAL55 operated by B757-200(WL) N189AN, for the 8.10 hour flight,
off at 1010 and landing at 1220L. Craig meanwhile had flown a less direct route,
with Easyjet from Edinburgh to Belfast, then Continental B757 to Newark and ERJ
down to O'Hare, arriving not long before my flight. Meeting up in the Rental car
park, which gives a good view of aircraft on finals to one of the many runways,
he was lucky enough to catch a USMC EA-6B Prowler among the regular stuff!
Our intention today was to end up at Peoria, around 130 miles to the South West,
after visiting three airports en route. So, with half of the day left, it was
straight off to the first stop, the GA/Executive airport of Chicago-Du Page.
This large, well kept airport, receives some of the biz flights for the Chicago
area, with a few hangars housing some resident biz. First shot of the trip was
to be the beautiful BBJ N888TY, parked on the main ramp next to the terminal.
This is a frequent visitor to Zurich during the WEF, but looked amazing here in
great weather! Other highlights were a pair of classic Westwind's, with a very
friendly guy showing us in his hangar, to see N78GJ which was for sale,
alongside its replacement Citation Sovereign.
The great weather wasn't to last though, with some menacing looking clouds
starting to build up as we headed to our next stop, Ottawa-Skydive Chicago
Airport. As we arrived the jump-aircraft were beginning to be pulled into the
hangar with the approaching storm, being quickly photographed before heading
over to the derelict DC-3. It was then the warm humid temperature suddenly
dropped as the wind picked up, quickly followed by a massive downpour. This
weather was, as we were to discover, have a dramatic effect on events over the
next few days, as we quickly headed off for our next stop, at times crawling
down the highway in treacherous conditions!
Reaching our final stop of day one, Bloomington Airport, the weather was
breaking, resulting in a couple of nice shots with dramatic dark sky. The
friendly people at FBO Image Air, were kind enough to let us on their ramp and
hangars, which was to reveal a nice/strange surprise, a 'Convair 880' nose
section! Painted in 'Delta 880' colours, it was said to be a pre-production
airframe converted to a simulator. The odd-shaped nose cone would maybe back
this up, but any further information has been hard to come bye, despite a lot of
research. If anyone can add anything further, and confirm it is a 'real'
aircraft or not, please do so!
After Bloomington, we were maybe hoping to reach Peoria in time to catch the
Prairie Night Airshow, but getting there well after dark and with the show about
to finish, we decided to head straight to the hotel. Obviously, after all the
travelling we were 'bushed' and decided to get a good nights sleep, not needing
much 'rocking'!
Saturday 24th July Getting into the Prairie Airshow at Peoria Airport as the
gates opened, our intention today was to shoot everything as quickly as possible
without many 'bodies' around, before heading off. Anyone who has been to
American airshows will know this can be very difficult, as usually there are
no/few barriers or ropes to stop people 'swarming' over the aircraft, making
photography a nightmare! Getting in first obviously helped, although 'waiting
for the sun' meant it still took a couple of hours. One very nice shot was the
'Tulsa' F-16CG in high-viz markings, which the USAF guys had kindly agreed to
pull the steps away from using a tug, which was then stood on, to get the
perfect shot (with the dark clouds in the background)! Success, and a nice
little airshow with some tasty military stuff, which would never be seen in the
UK. Leaving the show then, our intention today was to get to Rock Falls via a
quick stop at just one other airport, Moline-Quad City (around 115 miles in
total). Possibly because of the bad weather around, Quad City was host to one of
the DC-3's en route to Rock Falls, with the polished N3006 getting ready to
depart. Indeed, after leaving, the aircraft duly routed over us at quite low
level, beating us to Rock Falls.
Also known as Whiteside County Airport, Sterling-Rock Falls were certainly
having their 'ten minutes of fame', as the small airfield, with no terminal or
services, was the focus for the 'Last Time' gathering of DC-3's to celebrate the
aircraft's 75th anniversary. The organisers had originally chosen the airfield
as a 'staging post' for the aircraft and crews to meet up on 24th & 25th July,
prior to launching a mass formation to then head up to Oshkosh on Monday 26th,
as the highlight of Air Venture 2010. As the event gained momentum and
popularity among the aircraft operators, the organisers increased and capped the
total to 40 aircraft, and revealed a 'secret' star of the event would be the TWA
DC-2 from the Seattle Museum of Flight, flown in by legendary pilot Clay Lacy.
Wow! However, some negative news was also coming to light, with the 'Last Time'
organisers and the EAA Air Venture organisers not co-operating on the plans for
the mass-formation arrival at Oshkosh, leading to a rift between the two groups.
This came to a head when the EAA announced it would "exclusively organize and
co-ordinate all Air Venture activities for the DC-3 75th anniversary", to which
the 'Last Time' organisers responded on their website by saying it was a
"hostile takeover" of the event, after they had been working on the gathering
for over a year, independently and without any support from the EAA. The EAA
responded by saying it wasn't a hostile takeover attempt, rather it was just
trying to ensure it goes smoothly and safely. However, it seemed the damage was
done, as it was followed by the announcement that the formation flight up to
Oshkosh was to be cancelled, and would instead be done over Rock Falls, as the
event there was growing into an airshow of it's own. In fact, originally, only
those with press-accreditation could attend the gathering at Rock Falls, but
that then changed to all the public being welcome. So some good news, in a way,
but not what most enthusiasts, who would only be going to Oshkosh, wanted to
hear! This now meaning that a visit to Rock Falls was essential, to catch all
the Dak's, in case it came to the worst, and non or not all of them made it up
to Oshkosh, with nobody really sure what was going to happen in the end!
Eventually, people calmed down a bit, and 26 DC-3's made it to Rock Falls, down
from the planned 40, with some aircraft affected by maintenance problems, put
off by the extreme weather at the time, or put off by the bickering going on
(with a few going straight to Oshkosh)! However, the formation flight up to
Oshkosh was back on, and went ahead as planned with 23 aircraft in the end,
after three had developed problems before or after take off from here on the
day.
After getting into the show then, the rest of the day was spent photographing
and enjoying the sights and sounds of DC-3's, as more were arriving, while
others were giving pleasure flights (some in formation), and all in very nice
weather! In addition, a couple of other aircraft present today included Legacy
N53NA, belonging to one of the DC-3 owners, which then departed, while the
arrival of Paris N760X was also very welcome. Also, a small incident, when
Starduster N32JM had a 'naughty' moment, when just after landing, appeared to be
caught by a gust of wind and was 'flipped' into the corn field by the side of
the runway! However, it ended with no damage or injury, and after being dragged
out by a tractor, the aircraft taxied to stand under its own power. Speaking to
the pilot later, after he had calmed down, he confirmed the only damage was to
his ego! No wonder Snoopy doesn't look happy!
At the end of another long, very good day then, after we had stayed on at the
show to get some night shots of the Dak's, we headed off to the hotel for the
night, which was a bit out of town after not booking early enough to get into
one closer (not surprisingly all quickly booked up for a long time).
Sunday 25th July Today's plan was to reach Oshkosh by the end of the day, after
taking in a few places en route. First though, after getting up and seeing the
glorious weather outside, we decided to head back to Rock Falls to photograph
the Dak's one more time, with the great sunlight now on 'the other side' of the
aircraft. Also, a few had been difficult to shoot the day before, so after now
being happy to have good shots of everything, we began the long haul up to
Oshkosh, around 215 miles to the North.
First stop was Chicago-Rockford, including a visit to the Pride Aircraft Inc
hangar, who specialize in restoring and maintaining private, former Eastern
block fighters and trainers, with some nice examples of the L-39C present, which
has become very popular in the States. Also photographed, was a favourite of
mine, the first Sabreliner of the trip, an ex-USAF example on the Rock Valley
College ramp area. This visit to Rockford was to be the first of two on this
trip, as I was to return a week later for the annual AirFest, when this large
but quiet airport would be very different! Crossing over into Wisconsin, the
next stop was Janesville, which didn't produce anything of interest, before we
then reached Madison-Dane County Airport. This is home to the 115FW Wisconsin
ANG F-16's, although being a Sunday the place was very quiet, with no aircraft
even outside. However, the visit was made worthwhile by the presence of a FedEx
B727 and ATR-72 parked nicely in the sun. From here it was across country up to
Fond Du Lac, not far South of Oshkosh, which gave us the first real signs of how
the recent very heavy rain had affected the area, and in particular the Air
Venture show. We had heard that Oshkosh had stopped any more show arrivals after
running out of parking space, with the grass parking areas too waterlogged. This
resulted in Fond Du Lac receiving a lot of Air Venture light aircraft, with a
lot of tents in evidence, as the owners camped out waiting for things to improve
and complete their journeys North. Of interest, along with the masses of 'tin'
were a few biz, as well as Mexican Navajo XB-JCA.
So Oshkosh, otherwise known as Wittman Regional Airport, was reached in good
time, and with nice clear skies we spent the rest of the day making a good start
on photographing a lot of the nice stuff what was present. First stop was the
Basler facility, as if we hadn't seen enough Dak's already, these guys were
going to provide another dozen or more! In fact, 'top respect' to them as they
had opened their gates to the public, so we could freely walk around their ramp
and storage area, shooting everything present (apart from what was being worked
on inside the hangars, which we were asked not to do). Basler Turbo Conversions
LLC has a long history at Oshkosh, beginning in the late 50's with FBO Basler
Flight Service and Basler Airlines, flying the DC-3. Following years of
experience on the DC-3, this lead to a plan to make major improvements and
modernize the aircraft, resulting in the 'Basler BT-67'. Work on the first
conversions began in 1990 at the new facility, with old DC-3 airframes getting a
new life after being retrofitted with P&W PT6A-67R five-bladed turboprop
engines, as well as a longer, strengthened fuselage, modifications to the
leading edges and wing-tips, as well as new avionics. At the time of the visit,
as well as the Dak's that were present outside, which are mostly awaiting
possible conversion (or spares use), the 'production' hangar contained three
aircraft in the early stages of the modification process, all in bare metal
without wings or tail fins. In addition, was an aircraft nearing the end of the
process, N56KS being all but finished, but still unpainted, destined to be
C-FTGX four months later. Also to mention at Basler, is the 'field storage' area
located nearby over the road outside, containing five more DC-3 fuselages. We
were not aware of this at first (I'm sure a lot of enthusiasts missed it!), and
although it involves a bit of a 'trek' getting there, it was well worth it, to
add another five Dak's to the collection! These included the special N23SA,
which was used as an experimental tri-turbo aircraft, also fitted with a PT-6A
engine on the nose, as shown at Farnborough 1978, while three others remain not
positively identified (although we have a rough idea), so if anyone can confirm
100% please do so.
After Basler, we headed around the airfield to do the main ramps around the
terminal and FBO's, which were quite easily accessible, providing a few biz and
more good shots. As we then still had enough of the day left, and with the
weather and sunlight still being very good, we decided to head into the show.
Our pre-bought tickets for the show also allowed entrance on the Sunday, which
was well worth while, giving us the chance to start getting good shots of
aircraft on the main show ramp (Aeroshell square) and other areas, without lots
of 'bodies' around. These included the 'Eastern' DC-7B, which had thankfully
made it from Opa Locka, only twenty days after its 'first flight', and the
experimental Falcon 50 with the unbelievable looking winglets! And so another
very good day was done, as we then drove the short distance to our 'digs' for
the next two nights. With most hotel accommodation around Oshkosh all booked up
maybe a year in advance, a trend here has grown where some local residents 'rent
out' rooms in their homes during the show, these being book able via the main
EAA website. And so we had two bedrooms booked in a large family home, which
worked very well, with the good hospitality you would expect.
Monday 26th July The bad weather certainly was over, as we awoke to another
glorious day, on Day 1 of Air Venture 2010 (and a happy birthday to me!). First
off was another quick visit to Basler, with good sunlight on 'the other side' of
the DC-3's outside. From here, we then looked for a good spot around the end of
the main landing runway, which was Runway 36 from the South, to photograph some
arrivals from the Eastern side of the airfield (with the show side being better
in the afternoon when the sun had 'got around'). Parking at the end of a lane
next to the edge of a large garden and private house, we were able to get pretty
good landing shots from here. That was until the owner sent his very large dog
out to 'deal with us'! Luckily we both escaped a mauling as the guy explained
that he had grown sick of people hanging around his property during the show,
but then felt a bit guilty and let us use his purpose built wooden stand at the
bottom of his garden for an even better view! So after a few hours of landing
shots, we left for the show, again via a quick look at the main ramps around the
terminal and FBO's. This produced a few very nice biz, including US Coast Guard
Gulf 5 '01', as well as a US Customs & Border Protection modified Citation 550
and Mexican Citation 501SP.
The highlight of today's show was, hopefully, to be the mass-formation arrival
of DC-3's from Rock Falls. It seemed nobody knew for sure what was happening
with this, as we visited a couple of the Operations posts to try and find out
what time and how many were coming, and very importantly, which runway they
would be using, so we could position ourselves in a good spot to get touchdown
shots ideally. Frustratingly though, nobody seemed to know! So, as arrivals were
still using '36 we headed down that end with the Dak's not far out. But guess
what! After the amazing sight and sound of 23 DC-3's flying over together in
formation, they then split off for downwind approach onto Runway 18! @***!
Quickly heading back then, we stopped at a spot opposite an intersection and
shot them all as they rolled out on '18. That being the first of two 'not funny'
moments at Oshkosh for us! Still, more good shots of the Dak's, just not the
landing/touchdown shots we really wanted. From this position then, we sat and
watched more of the show, before later taking a long walk around the rest of the
static aircraft we wanted to photograph. Not really being interested in all the
'tin', this mainly involved the warbirds area, where all the Dak's had also
parked up. This then took us up to the end of the day.
Tuesday 27th July Again awaking to another glorious day, on Day 2 of Air Venture
2010, we again made a quick visit to Basler, where latest conversion N56KS was
now sat outside on the ramp, enabling us to get some shots. From here we headed
to the end of the landing runway, which was now Runway 18, to find a good spot
for some landing shots. However, this was very difficult at this end, so we then
found a spot for approach shots onto the cross runway, Runway 27, which was
busier than '18. But with not much happening we decided to head into the show,
which then lead to 'not funny' moment number two! As we queued to get into the
show, we noticed a largish aircraft heading to the overhead for downwind onto
'18. Looking like a smokey prop' at first we thought it was a C-130, but as it
got closer we could see it was an Orion, but then even closer... an Orion Awacs!
@***! If only we had stayed in our position for landing shots on '18, we would
have got amazing shots of it on tight left-hand finals! Anyway, on into the show
we spent some time close to '27 getting runway shots, before the last few static
shots, including US Customs & Border Protection P-3AEW N147CS, which had just
arrived! Then finally, on our way out, we nipped into the HondaJet marquee to
photograph prototype N420HA. Following work on this first aircraft for a couple
of years now, the second aircraft has now also flown, with FAA-conforming N420HJ
making its first flight on 20th December. Production will be starting in 2011 at
their new facility at Greensboro, NC.
And that was it, Air Venture 2010 done. Leaving the show just after mid-day to
get to Milwaukee, as one of us had a flight to catch. So heading back South East
for the journey of around 90 miles, we first called in again to Fond Du Lac,
which produced a couple more biz, including an interesting Citation 500 with
'Special Forces' logo. A Commemorative Air Force Mustang was also present,
giving pleasure flights. From here, one more stop was planned, at Hartford,
where an Air Cargo Carriers SD-330 has been WFU for some time. Also present,
crammed in a hangar were several fuselage's, covered in graffiti. These were
believed to be ex-Arkia Dash 7's, four of which were sold in the USA earlier
this year. Unfortunately the guys working there asked us not to take any shots,
which would have been difficult anyway. Interesting find though. From here it
was straight to Milwaukee, where more Shorts aircraft of Air Cargo Carriers
would be found, at their facility here. Sometimes its difficult to tell if a
Shorts aircraft is WFU or not!, but of those photographed, the two 360's could
well have been airworthy, while the two 330's definitely were not, with engines
and other parts missing. These included the very nice, former Edwards C-23A. And
then finally, with still a couple of hours spare, we found a good spot to
photograph aircraft on finals to the main landing runway here, providing some
good shots in nice conditions at this busy airport.
And so it was time to say farewell to Craig, who was then going to do some light
aircraft flying around Milwaukee the following day, before heading back down to
O'Hare (and getting a Honduras An-2 at one airport en route!), for his
Continental flights home. As for myself, it was onto AirTran B737-700 N354AT for
flight FL771 to Las Vegas, off at 2120 and landing 3.20 hours later at 2240L.
Time to feel the heat... even at night! So after picking up the rental car, I
had take the drive up Las Vegas Boulevard, to see the amazing sights on offer.
The main strip taking me almost all the way up to my motel for the next two
nights, at Nellis AFB.
Wednesday 28th July Nellis AFB was hosting Red Flag 10-4, from 19-30th July, so
my trip plans had enabled me to catch a couple of days of the action at the end
of the exercise. Not as large as previous Red Flag exercises, but very diverse
in the units that were involved. Obviously, the big news was that the Pakistan
AF were making their first appearance, with six F-16B's from 9 Squadron
'Griffins' at Mushaf Airbase. In addition, were R. Saudi AF F-15S from 92SQ at
Dhahran and R. Singapore AF F-16C/D from the training unit 425FS based at Luke
AFB, Arizona. From the host nation, there was F-16CJ from 77FS at Shaw AFB,
F-15C from 123FS Oregon ANG at Portland, F/A-18E/F from VMFA-225 at NAS Miramar,
EA-18G from VAQ-132 at NAS Whidbey Island, EA-6B from VMAQ-3 MCAS Cherry Point,
KC-135R/T from 909ARS at McConnell AFB, E-3C from 552ACW at Tinker AFB, as well
as the usual Nellis 'Aggressors' F-15C from 65AGRS and F-16C from 64AGRS. In
addition was NATO E-3A LX-N90446.
So my first time at Nellis was going to be interesting, with well known
locations to shoot from, and well known launch and recovery procedures for the
Red Flag sorties, photography here is still a big challenge, with fast-moving
subjects often not so close. Also, some luck is needed in which runway is used,
and the recovery pattern for returning aircraft. The two main photo-spots are
the roadside pull-in's outside the speedway track on N Las Vegas Highway (for
Runway 21 landers), and around the industrial estate on E Cheyenne Road (for
Runway 03 landers), the two being joined by N Nellis Blvd. It doesn't take long
to get familiar with these roads, as most photographers find out, after many
'mad dashes' between the two, to get to in position after runway changes etc!
Ideally, the Runway 03L photo-spots are the best for landing shots, as well as
take off shots coming the other way, at any time of day, with aircraft being the
lowest/closest here. The Runway 21 photo-spots are only really useful for
landing shots in the afternoon (as you cant get over to the Eastern side of the
airfield), and even then only '21R for fighters, with '21L being too far away
really. When aircraft are recovering on '21, probably most will turn right-hand
for '21R over/around the speedway track, so its 'just' a matter of being in the
ideal spot along here to get the best shots. Generally it seems that based units
or pilots more familiar with Nellis will turn on tighter finals, while others
will take longer finals, so you need to be further up the road to catch these
the best. However, if aircraft turn left-hand for '21 (as US Navy fighters often
do for some reason), forget it! So, Nellis can be a pain, or with a bit of luck
can be very rewarding, and I would recommend a good 500mm lens in addition to a
usual telephoto zoom.
Day 1 here for me then, saw morning recoveries on '21R which produced a few good
shots as I got used to the patterns, including a nice pair of Raptors operating
with a local test squadron. Then knowing it would be a few hours until the
afternoon launch, I decided to nip down to nearby North Las Vegas Airport for my
first look here. This is the base for Vision Air, and their Dornier 228 aircraft
operating pleasure flights down to the Grand Canyon. It's also a busy GA
airfield with a few biz movements, where I was to return, to shoot the stored
aircraft. Back at Nellis then for the afternoon launch, which was thankfully off
'21R, producing some good shots, followed 1.5 hours later by the recoveries on
'21R (so some more good shots). A reasonably successful day then.
Thursday 29th July Day 2 in Vegas then, was to be at Nellis for the morning Red
Flag launch & recovery, before doing the other three nearby smaller airports
around in the afternoon, and ending up at McCarran International. And so, the
day started with Nellis on Runway 03, with a few inbounds including the Marines
KC-130J and very welcome pair of 'elusive' Prowlers. The morning Red Flag
recoveries then switched to Runway 21, which provided a few more shots here. On
leaving, one of the resident Rescue Blackhawks was inbound, which route very low
over the highway, with their ramp being just inside the fence. Then 'Hydra 03'
was up on the scanner, inbound for '21L, so after getting a 'distance' shot of
this, the NATO E-3A, I was off.
First stop then, on an anti-clockwise tour of 'the other three' airports, was
North Las Vegas. After a quick stop at the Vision Air terminal area for the
active Dornier's, it was off around the perimeter to the ramp where seven more
Dornier's are parked along with some GA aircraft. All the 228's here are
obviously WFU and have been used for spares, with engines and flying controls
missing, all being ex Martinair (in various colour scheme's) apart from the ex
Saudi aircraft, still in the basic old Saudia colours. Nice! Of the two
328JET's, both are intact, with the 'Vision Air' aircraft being sealed up. A
visit to photograph these does require a set of steps, as they are parked 'arse
on' close to the fence. So, pleased to have good shots of all these, it was off
South to Henderson Executive Airport, where first aircraft shot was another
328JET!, the executive N328DA parked in a hangar. This very nice airport has
become quite a busy 'alternative' to LAS for executive traffic, as well as being
an NBAA venue (including the next one, in October 2011). It also features a very
nice terminal building with a bar upstairs that has an outside area overlooking
the main ramp. Fantastic!, with a highlight being the 40 year old HS125!
From here, it was East to Boulder City Airport, the home to DHC-6 'VistaLiners'
(big windows) of Scenic Airlines and Grand Canyon Airlines, as well as Papillion
EC130's and a couple of Cessna Caravan operators, all offering pleasure flights
over the 'big hole'. Thanks here to the female pilot who let me out onto the
Twin Otter ramp, and after getting good shots of everything, went and parked
next to the end of the runway for some landing shots, until the sun dropped
below the nearby rocks. From here it was straight off to the hotel at McCarran
International, to the North West, for the next two nights. The Hampton Inn is a
very nice place (and good price!), ideally located right off E Sunset Road (the
Southern perimeter road), very close to the landing end of Runway 25L.
Friday 30th & Saturday 31st July Two full days at McCarran International, which
similar to Nellis, has well known photo-spots, which are an option at certain
times of the day, depending on the runways in use. Additional spots can also
quite easily be found, for any of the runways in use, which I will also mention.
LAS has four runways: the East-West 25R/07L and 25L/07R, and shorter, roughly
North-South 19R/01L and 19L/01R. The common runway use here (unless winds
dictate otherwise) is probably '25R for take off's and '25L for landings
(including most heavies), with 19L also used for landings (mostly by airliners)
and 19R mostly for executive and other stuff that parks on the West side. Also a
common practice it seems, is take off's from Runway 01L/R early in the morning,
which if the case, has one photo-spot option, from the multi-story Long Term car
park. For this location, proceed to the top level and walk as far as you can
towards the runway, with the best area to the right of the elevators. This is a
popular photo-spot for the famous rotation shots with the casino's and hotel's
on Las Vegas Boulevard as a backdrop. However, it does require a lot of zoom and
would only be suitable early in the morning due to the heat haze. Some taxy
shots and aircraft on/off the stands below can also be taken from here, but
there are better places to go. Obviously early in the morning, shots on Runway
19/01 are best, with the sun in the east, so that aircraft landing on '25L would
be no good, having the sun 'up the arse'. In addition to the car park then, are
photo-spots to the left of the '19L approach. Area's on the other side of the
perimeter road can easily be found, or alternatively, if you drive in from this
end, there is a short-term car park on the right, next to the perimeter fence,
where fantastic landing shots can be taken with the casino/hotel backdrop.
However, security might not tolerate this in this area, so a lot of discretion
is advised (I sat in the car with the window down to get shots, but it's worth
it!).
As the sun gets around to mid-day, obviously it gets better for '25L landing
shots, with the sun now on the side here. Probably the most famous photo-spot is
good now, the purpose-built pull-in off E Sunset Road, which is fantastic for
touch-down shots, and has ATC radio on loud speakers. However, a large set of
ladders are needed here to get above the high perimeter fence for the easiest
photography, or as some locals do, stand on top of their trucks (beware not to
damage your 'feeble' rental car though!). As I didn't have either, I just parked
on the other side of the road and shot the landers over the fence further down.
If '25L is being used then by most landing aircraft, these photo-spots can
easily be used for the rest of the day for good shots. Alternatively, a good
photo-spot to the right of the '19L/R approach can be used if worthwhile. Just
on the other side of the perimeter road here is an apartment block with some
shops, and from the large car park here, good shots can be had of landers on
either runway in the afternoon. Also to mention, not that they were while I was
there, but if Runway 01L/R is in use, the area around the Jack in the Box
restaurant is a popular place at that end for landing shots after mid-day.
The Runway 19 photo-spot is close to the first of the FBO's that run down the
West side of the airport, which can be explored for great shots of all the biz
here. Around these ramps at the top North West corner of the airport is also
where the Las Vegas Sands aircraft park, with Boeing 737's and Gulfstreams. One
disappointment though was the absence of their 'big stuff' while I was here
(B747SP's VP-BLK & VQ-BMS, B767-300 N804MS and Tristar N388LS). These 'flying
casino's' are known to disappear for up to weeks at a time though, and also
spend time down at nearby Laughlin-Bullhead City, just over the border in
Arizona. Also along this side, is the EG&G ramp with their famous 'Janet'
B737's, which take personnel to and from 'nowhere' ('I could tell you but then
I'd have to kill you')! Unfortunately, the classic B737-200's have all gone now,
replaced by ex-Chinese B737-600's, in the familiar all white scheme with thick
red cheat line. In addition to the 737's are some EG&G twin-props that may be
seen, such as Beech 200's or Beech 1900C N623RA that was photographed. As for
the rest of what was photographed here, I will let the pictures do the talking.
And so another part of the trip was over, as I returned the rental car (which
was only replaced today after the original couldn't take it anymore and broke
down!), and checked in for my next flight, which with the time difference was
pretty much an overnight flight: AirTran B737-700 N261AT as FL776 to Milwaukee,
off at 2340 and landing 3.10 hours later at 0450L.
Sunday 1st & Monday 2nd August After the 'red-eye' from Vegas and picking up the
rental car, it was straight off to Chicago-Rockford for the second day of AirFest 2010, around 95 miles to the South West. Arriving just after the gates
had opened, this enabled me to get in early for some static shots without too
many 'bodies' around. The AirFest here has grown into quite a major show in the
States, and attracts a very good amount and selection of aircraft, with very
enthusiastic organization (more on that later). And with the amazing hot
weather, came record crowds. The only unfortunate negative thing is the South
facing crowd line, which of course makes the flying shots very difficult,
towards the sunlight. Not only that, it made the heat almost unbearable, but was
great for a suntan! Of the aircraft present then, it could had been even better,
with FedEx originally planning to have a B727-200 in the static, but was
unfortunately changed to an A310. The biggest disappointment for me though, was
the USAF E-4B cancellation, although instead there was the Boeing Dreamlifter,
making a rare airshow appearance and so one of the stars of AirFest 2010. N718BA
is the fourth aircraft in the fleet, being ex 9M-MPA of Malaysian Airlines, and
first flown on 15th January after conversion by Evergreen Aviation at Taipei.
Prior to the show I had been following developments on the Fencecheck forum,
where I had seen the enthusiasm that the organizers were showing, lead by
Operations Supervisor Dave 'opsguy' Lindberg, who keeps enthusiasts informed
with the latest news and what is expected at AirFest each year. He also arranges
a coach to take photographers around the static on the first day of the show,
before the gates open, for clear shots without any of the public in the way.
After contacting Dave I had arranged special access for the departures day, and
meeting him during the show, this was confirmed. I was to meet him the next
morning, and would spend the day on the ramp in his Ops vehicle as he dealt with
the departing show aircraft! Wow!
Before that though, on leaving the show, and still with great sunlight, I
stopped by the hangars on the perimeter. Here there is a company that deals with
storage and scrapping of CRJ aircraft, with four outside being photographed.
These being two former Independence Air aircraft, still in full colours, who
ceased operations in January 2006. As well as an ex Delta/Comair aircraft
withdrawn five weeks earlier, and an ex Air Canada Jazz aircraft about to be
scrapped after having almost everything removed!
And so the final day of the trip came, and after meeting Dave, we proceeded to
the airshow ramp, where some crews were already with their aircraft, preparing
to depart. First to go was the Boeing Dreamlifter, but first the Atlas Air crew
had kindly let us onboard for some shots, where I then met the Airport CEO and
his wife, who were also having a look inside this massive aircraft, along with a
few other crews. The USAF Thunderbirds were not far behind, with their eight
F-16's still putting on a show, during their departure. Dave then mentioned that
they had played a prank on the airport, leaving one of their 'calling cards',
with the stand 5 airbridge having the number 5 on top turned upside down, after
one of the Thunderbirds crew had climbed up! This to copy Thunderbird 5, that
performs the inverted display, so has the number 5 painted upside down on the
intake! Later during the departures, I asked Dave if any of the Ryan
International B767's (that have their home base here) were due in, as non were
present. After getting on the radio, he was told that one was not far out, so
after getting in position, N637TW was then photographed taxiing onto stand. This
aircraft was recently repaired after suffering a tail-strike on take off at
Lajes on 11th June. Finally, one of the last aircraft to go was the Barksdale
B-52H, but not after I had a good chat with the crew and looked in the somewhat
cramped cockpit, which was looking a little tatty. A real aircraft! The crew
were very interested in getting a copy of the photos of the B-52 arrival at last
years AirFest here, from 'rival' unit 5BW at Minot, which famously made a very
bad 'bounce' landing! Not that they then had an easy time, when trying to taxi
out here, with the upright taxi lights (on stands about two feet high) causing
real problems as the wing-walkers slowly guided the aircraft along, just missing
some of the lights with the outboard wing 'boogie wheels'. These are
retractable, but need to be down to prevent the drooping wings from striking the
ground.
And so after watching the Buff depart, it was time for me to make a move, as I
had to get to O'Hare for the flight home. Saying farewell to Dave then, and a
big thank you for his very kind help, I headed off for the drive of around 65
miles to ORD. Making good time, I had another quick look in at Chicago-Du Page
en route, where half a dozen biz were shot, including an old Falcon 20. Then
after dropping the rental car off, it was onto American B757-200(WL) N175AN for
AAL54 back to Manchester, off at 1750 and landing 7.10 hours later at 0700L on
the 3rd, before the drive home. USA 2010 Part 2 to follow...
Link to kevin perry photography:
http://kevinperry.fotopic.net
Direct Link to this trip: http://kevinperry.fotopic.net/usajul-aug2010