Air Traffic at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
June 9 - 11, 2011



In addition to visits by 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911 and plain vanilla Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F, air traffic at Mesa Gateway during the period of June 9 to June 11 included the usual MD-83s flying for Allegiant Air and Falcon Air, Arizona Army National Guard Beechcraft C-12 Hurons, a US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules, and a Fairchild RC-26B Metro.

See the location where I photographed air traffic at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport on June 9, 10, and 11, 2011 in Google Earth.

June 9, 2011

10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911 arrived at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 8:28 AM on June 9, 2011. It made one flight at 11:30 to drop retardant on the Wallow Fire, almost 150 miles to the east. It returned at 12:40.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 9, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911 on approach to land on Runway 30 Left after dropping a load of retardant on the Wallow Fire.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 9, 2011 This DC-10-30 carries construction number 47957. It was completed on April 18, 1975. IIt was delivered to Finnair as OH-LHB on May 6, 1975. It was leased to Nigeria Airways in September and October 1981. It was leased to VASP on March 31, 1993 and then to Birgenair on June 23, 1994. Finnair retired it on September 13, 1994. It was leased to Air Liberté as F-GPVB on June 27, 1995. Continental Airlines registered it as N17085 on May 30, 1997. Omni Air International bought it on November 10, 2002. It was placed into storage at the Southern California Air Logistics Center at Victorville in 2007.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 9, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Falcon Air Express MD-83 N836NK, June 9, 2011 Falcon Air Express MD-83 N836NK was completed on October 4, 1990. Its construction number is 53045. It was delivered to Pol/Midway as N906ML on October 31, 1990. It was withdrawn from use on November 13, 1991. Pol/Air Aruba registered it as P4-MDB in April 1992. Pol/Reno Air registered it as N833RA in August 1992 and then merged with American Airlines on Aubust 31, 1999. It was withdrawn from use on September 15, 1991. Spirit Airlines registered it as N836NK on Februrary 18, 2004. Aeropostal acquired it on May 7, 2006. Falcon Air Express acquired it on June 24, 2010.

Arizona Army National Guard Beechcraft C-12T Huron 85-1270, June 9, 2011 Arizona Army National Guard Beechcraft C-12T Huron 85-1270 of the Operational Support Airlift Command (OSACOM) Detachment 31.

Falcon Air McDonnell-Douglas MD-83 N125MN, June 9, 2011 Falcon Air McDonnell-Douglas MD-83 N125MN was delivered to GPA/Avianca as EI-CER on June 1, 1992. Its construction number is 53125. It was returned to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest and registered as N125MN on November 18, 2009.

US Army Beechcraft C-12U Huron 84-0177, June 9, 2011 US Army Beechcraft C-12U Huron 84-0177

US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352, June 9, 2011 US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 (VMGR-352) Raiders based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.

US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352, June 9, 2011 US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352

US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352, June 9, 2011 US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352

US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352, June 9, 2011 US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352

US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352, June 9, 2011 US Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo 165736 of VMGR-352

June 10, 2011

Plain vanilla Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F made a touch-and-go landing at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 11:07 AM on Friday June 10. It will be delivered to Nippon Cargo Airlines as JA13KZ. Its construction number is 36138. N6009F is a standard Boeing test registration that has been applied to many Boeing jetliners.

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F on approach to land on Runway 30 Center. It took off from Paine Field at 7:58 AM PDT and flew down the Pacific Coast to San Diego. A planned side trip to Tucson was skipped on its way to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway. Smoke from several wildfires has produced a thick haze and reduced visibility.

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 N6009F lifts off from Runway 30 Center.

Photography Prints Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F Mesa Gateway Airport June 10 2011: You can buy prints as large as 24 inches by 36 inches or 5-ch by 7-inch greeting cards of this photograph.

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F rapidly climbed to cruising altitude and headed north to Wichita, Kansas, Miot Air Force Base, North Dakota and Alberta, Canada. It returned to Paine Field at 4:00 PM PDT.

June 11, 2011

Tanker 911 did not fly on Friday, June 10. It resumed flying missions against the Wallow Fire on Saturday Morning.

, June 11, 2011 Allegiant Air Flight 151 from Missoula International Airport, Montana. McDonnell-Douglas MD-83 N416NV was completed as an MD-82 in 1987. Its construction number is 49555. It was delivered to SAS as LN-RMD on September 4, 1987. Scanair leased it on June 2, 1991. JetX registered it as TF-JXA on May 3, 2004. Iceland Express leased it on June 25, 2005 and returned it to JetX on February 25, 2006. It returned to SAS service as LN-RMD on December 10, 2007. SAS re-registered it as SE-DIO on January 15,2008 and then as LN-RMD on December 10, 2008. Allegiant Air registered it as N416NV on February 19, 2010 and converted it to an MD-83 on June 23, 2010.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 It returned from its first mission on Saturday at 12:21 PM.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369, June 11, 2011 Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369

Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369, June 11, 2011 Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369 carries a steerable sensor ball under the cockpit.

Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369, June 11, 2011 Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911 took off on its second mission of the day at 2:01 PM.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Photography Prints 10 Tanker Air Carrier DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911 Take-Off Phoenix-Mesa Gateway June 11 2011: You can buy prints as large as 16 inches by 24 inches or 5-ch by 7-inch greeting cards of this photograph.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369, June 11, 2011 Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369

Native Air PC-12/45 N658PC, June 11, 2011 Native Air PC-12/45 N658PC was built in 2005. Its construction number is 658. It has been registered to Red River Aircraft Leasinf LLc since May 5, 2010.

Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369, June 11, 2011 Fairchild RC-26B Metro 92-0369

Falcon Air Express MD-83 N836NK, June 11, 2011 Falcon Air Express MD-83 N836NK

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911 returned from the second mission at 2:58 PM.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Photography Prints 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911 Mesa Gateway Airport June 10 2011: You can buy prints as large as 16 inches by 24 inches or 5-ch by 7-inch greeting cards of this photograph.

Tanker 911 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 11, 2011 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911

Tanker 911 returned to its home base at the Southern California Air Logistics Center at Victorville on Tuesday, June 14.




More Mesa Gateway Airport displays

Mesa Gateway Airport The former Williams Air Force Base is now known as Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. In addition to serving as a civil airport, it is frequently visited by military aircraft taking advantage of its limited traffic. Several pilot training schools operate at the airport. Allegiant Air provides passenger service to airports around the country on a fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-83s. An air tanker base occasionally hosts fire fighting tankers. Boeing has a test facility for hot weather tests and Advanced Training Systems Incorporated refurbushes Douglas A-4 Skyhawks.









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