2005 Displays

Click on any picture below to link to the related display.

More DC-3 pictures from 1993 to 1998 have been added and the display has been split into two parts.

December 17, 2005 was the 70th Anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas DC-3 at the Santa Monica Airport. Here's a collection of photos of DC-2 and DC-3 variants spanning the years 1972 to 1989.

Here's a collection of photos of DC-2 and DC-3 variants taken since 1990.

Steve and Cori Galeener of Bellflower, California and the Aviation Enthusiast Corner are violating my father's copyright.

They have taken many of the B-52 photos from my web site, cropped off the credits, pasted their own names on the pictures and submitted them to the Aviation Enthusiast Corner as their own. Most of the pictures are public domain, but several were taken by my father. It's lame enough to slap their names on public domain Air Force and NASA photos, but it is plagiarism and a violation of my father's copyright to put their names on his pictures.

During World War II and again in the 1980s, engineers sought to increase the performance of the Vought F4U Corsair by installing a 4,360-cubic-inch, 28-cylinder engine in place of the standard 2,800-cubic-inch, 18-cylinder engine. The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engine generated nearly twice the horsepower of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 that equipped the standard Corsair. The R-4360 is the most powerful reciprocating engine ever installed in a single engine airplane.

In order to combat the threat of Japanese kamikaze pilots in World War II, the R-4360 radial engine was mated to the Vought F4U Corsair to produce a specialized fighter with an extremely high rate of climb.

In 1982 a standard F4U Corsair was modified with an R-4360, clipped wings, and a cut down cockpit canopy to compete at the Reno Air Races as the Super Corsair. It won the 1985 Gold Unlimited Race at Reno, setting a new race record.

In the latter half of 2005, the Pt Mugu Missile Park was extensively refurbished. AMD/IMA Airframes Division repainted all the missiles, installed new curbs around the displays and repaved the walkways.

Saturday, December 17 was the 70th anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas DC-3 at the Santa Monica Airport. To commemorate the event, the Santa Monica Museum of Flying broke ground for a new DC-3 memorial and staged a formation flyover of DC-3s at the Santa Monica Airport. Several vintage airplanes were displayed to the public, including Bob Odegaard's Goodyear F2G-1 Super Corsair.

Proteus returned to the Mojave Airport from a four-day visit to McGhee-Tyson Airport at Knoxville, Tennessee on December 10, 2005.

McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10, N450AX 10 Tanker Air Carrier was sighted flying over Goleta at an altitude of 27,000 feet at 8:48 A.M. on Thursday, December 8. 10 Tanker Air Carrier is based at the Southern California Logistics Airport near Victorville. Its test flights take it over Palmdale and Goleta to a test area off the California coast.

The Air Force Flight Test Center Museum South Base Annex display has been updated with pictures of many of the airplanes on display at the Open House in years gone by.

The Saline Valley is a remote and beautiful part of Death Valley National Park. The primitive roads and utter lack of services make it one of the least visited parts of the park.

I spent four days in November camping in the Saline Valley photographing military jets, mostly Super Hornets and RAF Hercules.

McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10, N450AX 10 Tanker Air Carrier was sighted flying over Goleta at an altitude of 12,000 feet at 7:32 A.M. on Friday, November 4. 10 Tanker Air Carrier is based at the Southern California Logistics Airport near Victorville. Its test flights take it over Palmdale and Goleta to a test area off the California coast.

The Air Force Flight Test Center Museum boasts a collection of airplanes and helicopters that have contributed to the vast history of flight testing that has occurred at Edwards Air Force Base. The AFFTC Museum is part of the tours hosted by Edwards AFB public affairs on the first and third Fridays of each month.

Static Displays and Arrivals

Edwards Air Force Base hosted an Open House over the weekend of October 22-23. During the two-day event, visitors saw new and unique aircraft in the Air Force inventory, and some of the best aerial demonstration pilots performing today. The various demonstrations included Air Force aircraft such as the F/A-22, F-117, F-16, KC-135, C-17, B-1, B-2, several NASA aircraft including the NF-15B, F/A-18A, T-34C and ER-2.

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Airplanes scheduled to perform at the Open House rehearsed their flights on Friday, October 21.

On Tuesday, October 18, the Edward Air Force Base Public Affairs Office provided representatives of the media with a glimpse of some of the equipment to be displayed at the Open House.

The last Lockheed-Martin Titan IVB rocket launched a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload into orbit from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 11:05 A.M. Thursday morning. Future large payloads will be launched from Space Launch Complex 6 on the Boeing Delta IV Heavy.

The unique Dornier Do-24ATT turbo-prop, tri-motor amphibian, call sign Romeo Papa Charlie two four zero three, recently visited the Santa Barbara Airport. It departed from the Santa Barbara Airport at 11:45 A.M. on Monday, October 10 and flew to the Los Angeles Yacht Club, Cabrillo Beach, where it made a water landing. It was displayed there until October 12. It is continuing on its tour to the San Diego Maritime Museum, San Francisco Bay, and Lake Tahoe. It will return to Santa Barbara on October 24. In coming months, it will be touring Central and South America.

Dornier Do-24 web site

The Santa Barbara Airport is being visited by air tankers and classic tri-motors.

Fifteen years ago, a plume of dense smoke erupted over the Santa Ynez Mountains on the afternoon of July 30, 1990. Several large air tankers fought the fire in the Santa Ynez Valley from the Goleta Tanker Station.

On September 26, I photographed three of the four Constellations and both of the Super Constellations that reside in Arizona.

VC-121A, N9463 Columbine II has been ferried from Santa Fe, New Mexico to the Marana Regional Airport. It is for sale. C-69, N90831 and VC-121, 48-0614 Columbine are displayed at the Pima Air and Space Museum.

C-121G, N105CF sits derelict at the Marana Regional Airport. EC-121T, 53-0554 is displayed at the Pima Air and Space Museum.

In recent years VC-121A N494TW departed the Marana Regional Airport to be put on static display in South Korea, VC-121A N749NL departed the Marana Regional Airport to join the collection of the Aviodome Museum in the Netherlands, and VC-121B N608AS was scrapped in place at Ryan Airfield.

The National Museum of the Air Force is transferring the last B-36 built, B-36J-75(III), 52-22827 from Fort Worth, Texas to the Pima Air Museum near Tucson, Arizona. It was fully restored at the Lockheed-Martin plant in Fort Worth. It will be reassembled and placed on public display.

The Air Force STP-R1 Streak satellite was launched into polar orbit by a Minotaur rocket from Space launch Complex 8 at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 7:24 P.M. PDT on Thursday, September 22, 2005. The rocket climbed in to sunlight about 70 seconds after ignition of its first stage.

Lockheed SP-2H Neptune, N355MA Tanker 55 made a visit to the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station.

The unique Dornier Do-24ATT turbo-prop, tri-motor amphibian is visiting the Santa Barbara Airport. Iren Dornier is taking it on a world tour. It is headed for Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Lake Tahoe. In coming weeks, it will be touring Central and South America.

Dornier Do-24 web site

A Minuteman III missile was launched on a suborbital trajectory toward Kwajalein Atoll from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:01 A.M. on Wednesday, September 14. The launch was triggered by an Air Force launch team aboard a Boeing E-6 Mercury. The ascent of the missile was monitored by a crew aboard HALO II, a modified Gulfstream IIB with a large infra-red telescope.

A Minuteman III missile was launched on a suborbital trajectory toward Kwajalein Atoll from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:53 A.M. on Wednesday, September 7.

North American T-28A Trojan, N81643 is based at the Santa Barbara Airport. It was recently restored in the colors of a T-28A that was flown by the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in the 1950s. It will appear at the upcoming Edwards Air Force Base Open house in late October.

The Camarillo Airport hosted an airshow over the weekend of August 27 - 28, 2005. The airshow was sponsored by Chapter 723 of the Experimental Aircraft Association and featured flying performances by the airplanes of the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.

Once the Oxnard Air Force Base, Camarillo Airport is now the home of over 560 production, homebuilt, and World War II aircraft, as well as active chapters of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the Commemorative Air Force (CAF).

“Chapter 723 of EAA is proud to sponsor this annual event,” says Larry Beckett, air show chair. “The Air Show is our way of sharing with Southern California families the fun, diversity, and contribution of aviation.”

Friday, August 26, Arrival day.

Saturday, August 27

Sunday, August 28

A Minuteman III missile was launched on a suborbital trajectory toward Kwajalein Atoll from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:01 A.M. on Thursday, August 25.

Here is a retrospective of the career of the first Space Shuttle, OV-101 Enterprise, which was used for five test flights of the last phases of the approach to landing at Edwards Air Force Base in 1977. It was often displayed at the Edwards Air Force Base open house in the early 1980s.

The Space Shuttle Discovery departed from Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base on 747 Carrier Aircraft NASA Nine Oh Five at 8:31 A.M. PDT Friday, August 19, 2005. It is returning to the Kennedy Space Center. It landed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma at 1:31 P.M. CDT. It arrived at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana at 5:46 P.M. CDT. The shuttle remained at Barksdale Air Force Base on Saturday and continued to the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, arriving at 10:00 A.M. EDT. Discovery is scheduled to perform the next Space Shuttle mission in March.

Early in the morning on Friday August 12, I drove to the top of the Santa Ynez Mountains to observe the Perseid Meteor Shower. I observed for 100 minutes. In that time, I counted 51 Perseid meteors and two erratic meteors (not associated with the Perseid Shower). I shot 94 thirty-second time exposures with a Nikon D70 set to an effective film speed of 1600 ASA. I used an 18mm f3.5 lens. On those 94 exposures I found four meteor streaks.

The Hawthorne Airport hosted an Air Faire on Saturday, August 13. A host of vintage airplanes and warbirds flew in on Friday afternoon to be placed on display.

McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10, N450AX 10 Tanker Air Carrier was sighted flying over Goleta at 10:36 A.M. on Thursday, August 11, 2005

The Santa Paula Airport hosted a two day Airfair over the weekend of August 6 - 7, as America's favorite small town airport turned 75. The airport is home to a great variety of vintage airplanes and many more flew in for the airfair.

The International Space Station streaked across the sky as Discovery's double sonic boom rocked the south coast of Santa Barbara County this morning at 5:10 PDT. The space shuttle was not hot enough to be incandescent or high enough to reflect the sun. A few bright Perseid meteors also lit up the sky.

Rutan's White Knight, N318SL returned to the Mojave Airport from display at the Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-in at Oshkosh, Wisconson on August 2, 2005. It left SpaceShipOne at Dulles International Airport to be put on display in the Milestones of Flight Gallery at the National Air & Space Museum. On its journey it visited Albuquerque, Tulsa, Dane County Regional-Truax Field at Madison, Wisconson, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dulles International, Spirit of St. Louis Airport at St. Louis, Missouri, and Pueblo, Colorado.

Omega Tanker 707-321C, N707AR has returned to Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu. In recent days, it has flown operations at R-2508 in the Mojave Desert, W-291 off the Pacific Coast, and the Chocolate Mountain gunnery range in southeastern California. N707AR flies under the call sign Omega Seven Zero.

Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu is home to four squadrons of Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes, VP-65 Naval Reserve squadron of Lockheed P-3 Orions, NP-3D phased-array radar equipped Orions of VX-30 Bloodhounds, Lockheed C-130T Hercules of VR-55 Minutemen, and Channel Islands Air National Guard C-130 Hercules. It is also visited by numerous civilian airplanes operating under government contracts.

A Minuteman III missile was launched on a suborbital trajectory toward Kwajalein Atoll from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:01 A.M. on Thursday, July 21. The full moon illuminated the landscape and clouds during the 198-scond exposure.

The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737-7ES Wedgetail AEW&C prototype, N378BC flew from Boeing Field, Washington to the Boeing's facility at the Southern California Air Logisitics Center at Victorville on Saturday July 9.

In recent years, a fireworks show has appeared in the sky over Goleta on Independence Day.

On Thursday, June 30, the Amtrak Coast Starlight was pulling two vintage rail cars, the Southern Pacific Overland Trail and the Pennsylvania Colonial Crafts.

The Coast Starlight rolling through Goleta.

Way off topic. Goleta is right next to Santa Barbara, where they host the annual Summer Solstice parade.

DC-10 Tanker Air Carrier, N450AX returned to Victorville from its performance at the Paris Air Show on June 17. It can carry up to 12,000 gallons of water.

Omega Tanker 707-321C, N707AR was recently operating at Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu. On Thursday June 16 it made two flights off the coast of southern California. It returned from the first flight shortly before 1:00 PM. N707AR was preceded by a pair of Hawker Hunter F Mk 58s from Hunter Aviation in Wilmington, Delaware. On Friday June 17, N707AR flew to Grant County International Aiprort at Moses Lake, Washington. On Saturday Jun 18, it flew to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

The 2005 Chino warbird airshow featured five flying Republic P-47 Thundebolts. The airshow was blessed with the bluest skies in years. It was also the hottest it has been in years. Temperatures climbed to over 100 degrees F on the flightline.

Static displays

Flying displays, page 1: P-51D Mustang Rides, Missing Man formation, Tumbling Bear, Silver Wings Wing Walking, Northrop N9MB Flying Wing, Victory Over Japan - Navy Flight, Korean Air War, Tailhook Legacy Flight.

Flying displays, page 2: FIVE P-47 Thunderbolts!, U. S. Air Force Heritage Flight, Victory Over Europe, Doolittle Raiders, Air Power Formation Flight.

A Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124 Ruslan delivered a large payload to Vandenberg Air Force Base on Friday May 20, 2005

The NOAA-18 satellite was launched from Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base on a Delta II booster at 3:22 A.M. PDT, Friday May 20. The Santa Ynez Valley was shrouded in fog and the waxing gibbous moon was hanging over the western horizon. NOAA-18 will replace NOAA-16 later this summer.

Page 1: Static displays and arrivals.

Page 2: Flight performances.

Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation N6937C was displayed at the Rockin' Airfest 2005 at the Van Nuys Airport on Sunday May 15. It arrived on Friday, May 13 at a quarter to one in the afternoon. It is the last airworthy Super Constellation in the United States.

I toured the Collings Foundation Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, N93012 Nine-O-Nine and Consolidated B-24J Liberator, N224J Witchcraft during their visit to the Santa Maria Airport.

The Collings Foundation Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, N93012 Nine-O-Nine and Consolidated B-24J Liberator, N224J, which was recently repainted and renamed Witchcraft, are visiting southern California.

The bombers flew from Long Beach to Camarillo on Tuesday, May 3. They will be taking aviation enthusiasts aloft on nostalgia flights at Camarillo until Friday. They will be flying to Hawthorne on May 6, to Santa Maria on May 9, to Paso Robles on May 11, to Shafter on May 13, to Van Nuys on May 14, and to Burbank on May 16. It is reported that they will also visit the Santa Barbara Airport.

The Commemorative Air Force B-17G, Sentimental Journey is also visiting southern California. She flew to Fox Field near Lancaster on May 3. Following the 60th Anniversary of VE-Day on Sunday May 8, Sentimental Journey will fly to Visalia on May 9.

The Experimental Aircraft Association brought Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Fuddy Duddy to the Santa Barbara Airport at 10:30 in the morning on Thursday, April 28. It spent four days taking aviation enthusiasts aloft on nostalgia flights.

The Boeing 707 has been adapted to many military functions. The United States Air Force and Navy operate 707s under the designations C-137, C-18, E-3 Sentry, E-6 Mercury, and E-8 J-STARS. The E-3 Sentry is also operated by NATO and the Royal Air Force. Several other nations operate 707s as VIP transports and tankers.

Figueroa Mountain in Santa Barbara County is home to a wide variety of wildflowers.

NASA's Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology satellite was launched on an Orbital Sciences' Pegasus-XL booster at 10:27 A.M. PDT this morning. The Pegasus-XL booster was dropped from Orbital Sciences' L-1011 Stargazer N140SC, which took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Orbital Sciences' L-1011 Stargazer, N140SC returns to land on Runway 30 at Vandenberg AFB following the launch of the DART mission.

The Air Force Research Laboratory launched its Experimental Satellite System-11 (XSS-11) satellite from Space Launch Complex 8 at Vendenberg Air Foce Base at 6.35 A.M. PDT this morning. The launch vehicle was a Minotaur, a rocket that is part Minuteman and part Orbital Sciences' Pegasus. The micro-satellite is intended to demonstrate autonomous inspection; rendezvous and docking; repositioning; and techniques for maneuvering around other satellites.

The Minotaur launch vehicle reached the desired orbit about 12 minutes after launch. The XSS-11 micro-satellite separated successfully from the booster and is functioning properly.

For the Natural History wing of the museum:

Here's a display of wildflower pictures from a trip to Death Valley during the first weekend in April. Stops along the way include the Antelope Valley, Inyo Mountains, Alabama Hills, Augereberry Point, Wildrose Canyon, and the Padre Crowley Overlook above the Panamint Valley.

The California Poppies are starting to come up in profusion in the Antelope Valley. More pictures, taken on Tuesday March 29, have been added to the 2005 Wildflower display.

I spent Saturday, March 26 at Los Angeles International Airport shooting pictures of the airliners with some of my aviation minded friends.

Part 1: Sepulveda Boulevard

We started the day on Sepulveda Boulevard, under the approach to the north runways, Runway 24L and Runway 24R.

Part 2: Imperial Avenue

We moved to the benches on Imperial Avenue that overlook the south runways, Runway 25L and Runway 25R, for the middle of the day.

Part 3: Vista del Mar Park

We finished our day at LAX by photographing departures from the north runways from Vista del Mar Park, above Dockweiler Beach.

Lockheed P-3B Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Orion, N144CS was one of several airplanes flying at March Air Reserve Base on Wednesday, March 23.

Rutan's Proteus landed at the Mojave Airport on Tuesday, March 15, 2005.

A Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124 condor landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base on February 8 and February 10. It delivered the first Lockheed-Martin Atlas V booster and its Centaur upper stage to the west coast launch complex.

The An-225 Mriya was photographed at Qandahar Airport, Afghanistan by friends of the museum on February 1, 2005.

New Display Archives:

2007 New Displays

2006 New Displays

2004 New Displays

2003 New Displays

2002 New Displays

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