2006 Displays

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

Boeing VC-25A 92-9000 carried the body of former President Gerald Ford from Palm Springs to Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday, December 30, 2006.

A classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite was launched into orbit from Space Launch Complex 2 West at Vandenberg Air Force Base by a Delta-II rocket at 1:00 PM PST Thursday, December 14.

The Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force hosted Pilot Maker Day at the Camarillo Airport on December 9, 2006. Three North American Texans and a Beech Mentor buzzed the airport.

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy display has been updated with more and better quality pictures.

Since 1974, the 146th Airlift Wing has flown Lockheed C-130E Hercules. On Saturday, December 2, 2006, the 146th Airlift Wing conducted its last C-130E flight. The C-130Es have been replaced by Lockheed-Martin C-130Js and are being transferred to Little Rock Air Force Base.

Over Veteran's Day weekend I toured Owens Valley, the Inyo Mountains, Panamint Valley, and Trona Pinnacles. I shot several panoramic photos along the way.

The planet Mercury passed directly between the Earth and the Sun on Wednesday, November 8. First contact occurred at 11:12 AM PST. Final contact occurred at 4:10 PM PST.

The Antelope Valley has a rich aviation heritage. Air Force Plant 42 has been the site of the first flights of many important and novel aircraft. Aircraft flying out of Edwards Air Force Base are often seen in the skies overhead. There are several places where you can see vintage airplanes displayed in the Antelope Valley.

The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F-17 Block 5D-3 spacecraft was lofted into orbit from Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6, pronounced slick six) by a Delta-IV rocket shortly before dawn, at 5:53 AM PST on Saturday, November 4, 2006.

New November 5: Static Displays in 3-D

I photographed the static displays at the Edwards Air Force Base Open House with two cameras to create stereoscopic pairs. To see the airplanes and helicopters in 3-D, cross your eyes until the two images line up.

New November 1: Airshow, October 27 - 29, 2006

The Edwards Air Force Base Open House was held over the weekend of October 28-29.

New November 1: USAF Thunderbirds, October 27 - 28, 2006

The USAF Thunderbirds put on their usual precision flying performance each day of the airshow.

New October 26: A day next to the main runway at Edwards AFB, October 25, 2006

A media contingent spent several hours photographing the air traffic on the main runway at Edwards Air Force Base on Wednesday, October 25. The air temperature was in the 70s. The wind was blowing 17 miles per hour, gusting to 23 miles per hour.

On October 21, 2006, Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 499 hosted an informal fly-in at the Santa Maria Airport. The Seattle Museum of Flight's Douglas DC-2 was joined by a Lockheed model 12A Electra. Both airplanes are restored in TWA livery. Several vintage light planes were also on display.

Turbo-prop equipped Baja Air DC-3-65TP, N145RD was photographed at the Santa Maria Airport on October 2, 2006.

Douglas DC-2-118B NC1934D is one of two airworthy DC-2s in the United States. Its Douglas construction number is 1368. It was delivered to Pan American Airways as NC14296 on March 16, 1935. It was later operated in Mexico as VA-BJL and in Guatemala as LG-ACA and TG-ACA. It returned to the United States civil registry as N4867V. It is now in the collection of the Seattle Museum of Flight and was recently painted by Artcraft at the Santa Maria Airport. It was displayed at the Santa Maria Airport Thunder Over the Valley show on August 26 and 27, 2006. The display has been updated with photographs of the DC-2 taken in the Art Craft hangar at the Santa Maria Airport on October 2.

On September 30, 2006, the Santa Barbara Airport hosted Airport Adventure, a salute to local aviation emergency responders. A number of airplanes, helicopters, and fire trucks were opened up for the public to examine. The show featured flybys of a North American T-28 Trojan and a Grumman F8F Bearcat. Five more T-28 Trojans arrived later in the morning. A Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter demonstrated the retrieval of a crewman as it hovered overhead. A Cessna Citation and a pair of Aerovodochody L-39 Albatrosses made two passes over the airport.

As of Monday, October 2, the Day fire has consumed 162,702 acres and is 92 percent contained. The fire is burning in chaparral and timber, with minimal fire behavior. Light precipitation minimized fire activity. A Sikorsky-64E helicopter accident occurred on 10/1. The pilot and co-pilot received minor injuries. No structures are threatened. Evacuation orders and most road closures have been lifted. Resources continue to be demobilized.

Aerial tankers have been fighting the Day Fire for many days. On Monday, September 25, the tanker action was concentrated over Santa Paula Canyon, just a few miles from Ojai. Lockheed P-3 Orions from the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station shared the sky with Lockheed P-2 Neptunes from the Fox Field Air Attack Station. Bell 205 and 212 Hueys paraded back and forth above the Santa Paula River.

On Sunday, September 10, the 146th Airlift Wing hosted a Family Day Luau. Family members of the guardsmen were treated to a close-up look at a Lockheed C-130E Hercules and a Lockheed-Martin C-130J Hercules operated by the 146th. Two North American B-25 Mitchells, a Grumman F8F Bearcat, a Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, a North American T-28B Trojan, and a Beech T-34 Mentor made several passes over the airfield and then parked next to the Hercules for the crowd to examine at close range.

On Monday September 18, a trio of Aero Union Lockheed P-3A Orion tankers; 20, 21, and 25, fought the Day Fire from the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station. On Tuesday, September 19, Lockheed P-3A Orion Tanker 21 continued to fight the Day fire from the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station. It was joined by P-3A Orion Tanker 22, and three Lockheed P2V Neptune tankers; 09, 12, and 44. On Wednesday, September 20, Lockheed P-3A Orion Tankers 22, 22, and 25 continued to fight the Day fire from the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station. P-3A Orion Tanker 21 was out of the rotation for the day. As of September 20 the Day fire has burned 93,339 acres and is 20% contained with no estimate of the date of containment.

North American B-25J Mitchell, N30801 Executive Sweet has been a regular participant at airshows around southern California for over thirty years.

A wildfire broke out northwest of Goleta on Saturday, September 9. A variety of tankers and air attack airplanes arrived at the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station to fight the fire Saturday afternoon.

I recently upgraded to a higher resolution digital camera and started a new sequence of improved Moon photographs.

Since 1988, the 146th Airlift Wing has been located at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, across the runway from Naval Air Station Pt Mugu. The 146th AW operates Lockheed C-130E and C-130J Hercules. In addition to cargo operations, the wing's C-130s fight wildfires with the Mobile Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS).

The Santa Maria Airport and the Santa Maria Museum of Flight hosted the annual Thunder Over the Valley show over the weekend of August 25 - 26. A highlight of the show was the presence of the Seattle Museum of Flight's Douglas DC-2, which had just been painted in TWA livery by Art Craft. In addition to a variety of warbirds and trainers, there were several military helicopters and McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornets from the U.S. Marine Corps and the Canadian Air Force.

Many airplanes and helicopters arrived at the Santa Maria Airport on Friday, August 25.

Static displays, Saturday, August 26, 2006.

Flying displays, Saturday, August 26, 2006.

Douglas DC-2-118B NC1934D is one of two airworthy DC-2s in the United States. Its Douglas construction number is 1368. It was delivered to Pan American Airways as NC14296 on March 16, 1935. It was later operated in Mexico as VA-BJL and in Guatemala as LG-ACA and TG-ACA. It returned to the United States civil registry as N4867V. It is now in the collection of the Seattle Museum of Flight and was recently painted by Art Craft at th Santa Maria Airport. It was displayed at the Santa Maria Airport Thunder Over the Valley show on August 26 and 27, 2006.

The Camarillo Airport hosted an airshow over the weekend of August 19 - 20. 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.

Static Displays.

Flying displays, page 1.

Flying displays, page 2.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels have been flying the McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornet for twenty years. Here's a selection of pictures of the Blue Angels performing at airshows in California.

The skies over Goleta are plied by all sorts of aircraft going to and from the Santa Barbara Airport. They often come close enough to my home for me to snap pictures of them from the back yard.

The annual Independence Day fireworks show over Goleta.

The first Boeing Delta-IV rocket to be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base lifted off at 8:33 P.M. PDT Tuesday, June 27. The launch was postponed to the end of the 19 minute launch window due to winds at the launch pad.

Three aerial tankers and a pair of Air Attack planes came to the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station to fight the Perkins Fire in the Los Padres National Forest on Monday, June 19. Firefighting operations are continuing on Sunday June 25 as the Perkins Fire is 85% contained. Update: As of Monday, June 26, the Perkins fire is 100% contained, having burned just under 15,000 acres.

For over two decades, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Lockheed C-130 Hecules have fought wildfires with the Mobile Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS). In the late 1980s, former Air Force C-130As were transferred to civilian owners and modified with tanks to carry 3,000 gallons of fire retardent slurry. On June 17, 2002, Hawkins Powers C-130A N130HP, Tanker 130 suffered a main wing box failure and crashed as it was fighting a fire near Walker, California. The civilian C-130A tanker fleet was immediately grounded. Only military C-130s continue to be used in the role of firefighting tanker.

The Douglas A2D Skyshark evolved from the AD (A-1) Skyraider. The airframe was enlarged to accept a 5,100 shaft-horsepower Allison XT40-A-2 turbo-prop engine. Douglas A2D Skyshark, BuNo 125485 is the sole survivor of the type.

Three aerial tankers and a pair of Air Attack planes came to the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station to fight the Perkins Fire in the Los Padres National Forest on Monday, June 19.

Airplanes that participated in the Quiet Birdmen Airshow and Barbecue on Monday, June 12, took off and landed at the Camarillo Airport. The vintage warbirds of the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force were joined by the Curtiss P-40N Warhawk and Douglas SBD Dauntless of the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino, Wayne Getchell's Hawker Sea Fury, and the sole airworthy Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, as well as several aerobatic performers.

The 2006 Van Nuys Rockin' Air Fest marked the end of a forty-six year tradition at the Van Nuys Airport. New hangars will be constructed on the area where the airshows have been held. Several of the aircraft that appeared at the Air Fest departed or were towed to their usual parking places on Monday, June 12.

A Minuteman III missile was launched on a suborbital trajectory toward Kwajalein Atoll from LF-04 at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:22 A.M. on Wednesday, June 14. A nearly full moon illuminated the landscape during this 3-minute 10-second exposure.

The Bell P-59 Airacomet was the first jet fighter to be put into production in the United States. Sixty-six were built. Six Airacomets survive. I have pictures of four of them. YP-59A 42-108777 is being restored to airworthy condition at Chino.

Here's a look back seven years at the Chino warbird show of 1999.

On Wednesday May 31, the Evergreen International 747-273C Supertanker flew from Boise, Idaho to the San Bernardino Airport with a load of 20,000 gallons of water that it dropped in a demonstration of its potential as a firefighter. This was the final demonstration in a tour that took the Supertanker to Sacramento California, the Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland, Scott Air Force Base Illinois, Tallahassee Florida, and Boise.

The 2006 Chino warbird airshow really stood out for the number of long unseen participants that pushed even the Northrop N9M flying wing off the schedule. It featured flights by the Planes of Fame Boeing P-26 Peashooter, Seversky AT-12 trainer version of the P-35, and Bob Odegaard's Goodyear F2G Corsair with an R-4360 twenty-eight cylinder radial engine. Sunday was overcast and much cooler than last year. The cloud deck descended in the afternoon, so that the Air Force General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon frequently disappeared into the clouds during its aerobatic display.

Static Displays

Flying displays page 1: National Anthem Formation, World War I Dog Fight, Goodyear F2G Corsair Aerobatics, and Silver Wings Stearman Biplane Wing Walker.

Flying displays page 2: Pacific Theater Navy Flight

Flying displays page 3: Korean Air War, U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet Tactical Demonstration, and European Theater Flight

Flying displays page 4: Air Power Formation Flight, U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Jet Tactical Demonstration, and Heritage Flight

Stealth Bombers have been regular participants at the Edwards Air Force Base Open House and other airshows since 1992. They are sometimes seen in the pattern at Air Force Plant 42 and other remote locations in the Mojave Desert.

B-2A Spirit photos from 1992 to 1997.

B-2A Spirit photos from 1998 to the present.

Most of the pre-production Lockheed-Martin F-22 Engineering, Manufacture, and Development Raptors have appeared at the Edwards Air Force Base Open House. Production Representative Test Vehicle F/A-22A Raptors and early production F/A-22A Raptors were first assigned to Nellis Air Force Base in 2003.

The Cloudsat and CALIPSO satellites were launched into orbit by a Delta-II rocket at 3:02:16 AM PDT Friday April 28.

The launch of the Cloudsat and CALIPSO satellites was scrubbed again on Tuesday at 2:57 AM PDT due to excessive high-altitude winds. The constellation of Scorpio rose above the Santa Barbara Channel in a sky not split by the fire of the ascending Delta-II rocket.

On Saturday, April 16, I visited Falcon Field near Mesa. It is home to the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. North American B-25H Mitchell Barbie III and Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Liberty Belle are visiting Falcon Field.

On Thursday, April 13, I parked on the south bank of the Salt River at the end of 40th Street to photograph the departures from Runway 07L at Sky Harbor International Airport.

On Wednesday, April 12, I visited Luke Air Force Base, Goodyear Airport, and Sky Harbor International Airport. Luke Air Force Base is home to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 56th Fighter Wing and the 499th Fighter Wing. Many retired airliners are stored at the Goodyear Airport.

On Tuesday, April 11, I checked out several photography locations at Sky Harbor International Airport.

On Tuesday, April 11, after I checked out Sky Harbor International Airport, I drove east to the Williams-Gateway Airport.

On Friday, April 7, I spent some time on the south bank of the Salt River at the end of 40th Street taking pictures of the airplanes at Sky Harbor International Airport.

Delta II Launch Scrubbed, April 21, 2006

Due to a failure of the CALIPSO Satellite to communicate with its ground support network in France, a Delta II rocket did not powerfully launch it and the Cloudsat into orbit on Friday, April 21 at 3:02 AM PDT. Residents of the Santa Ynez Valley, obscured by clouds, were not roused from their beds by the roar of the mighty rocket. On Saturday evening, the launch was postponed due to the unavailability of a KC-135 tanker to refuel the NKC-135B Big Crow telemetry relay airplane that will be flying over the Pacific Ocean several hundred miles south of Vandenberg Air Force Base during the launch.

The Experimental Aircraft Association's Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast arrived at the Santa Barbara Airport on Monday, April 17, 2006. On Tuesday and Wednesday Aluminum Overcast carried aviation enthusiasts aloft on nostalgia flights. On Thursday it departed for Riverside.

McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10, N450AX 10 Tanker Air Carrier was sighted flying westbound over Goleta at an altitude of 12,000 feet at 7:56 A.M. on Thursday, March 30.

On Friday, March 24 an Antonov Design Bureau An-124 Ruslan flew from Keflavik, Iceland to NAS Pt. Mugu, California. Flight ADB7836 arrived at 12:51 PM PST.

Three Space Technology 5 satellites were placed in orbit by an Orbital Sciences Pegasus-XL booster launched from Orbital's Lockheed L-1011, N140SC Stargazer at 6:03 A.M. PST on March 22, 2006.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2006 the 737-800 Short Field Prototype paid a short visit to the Santa Barbara Airport. Flight BOE271 departed from Edwards Air Force Base at 11:04 AM PST and arrived at Santa Barbara at 1:21 PM PST.

The failure of a fin securing pin to retract resulted in an abort of the attempt to launch NASA's Space Technology 5 satellite. The next launch attempt will occur no earlier than Wednesday, March 22. Orbital Science's L-1011, N140SC Stargazer is seen returning to Runway 12 at Vandenberg Air Force Base with the Pegasus-XL booster.

On Tuesday, March 14 a pair of Volga-Dnepr An-124 Ruslans flew from Wheeler Sack AAF, New York to the Southern California Air Logistics Center at Victorville, California. Flight VDA3424 arrived at 12:35 PM PST and flight VDA3400 arrived at 2:20 PM.

Here's a display of Boeing jetliner prototypes and testbeds. Several Boeing jetliners have been converted to test engines and to carry radar and infra-red sensors.

On Thursday, March 2, I spent a few hours on the hill above Imperial Highway photographing the traffic on the south runways at LAX.

Air Traffic Page 1

Page 1 of the Air Traffic at Los Angeles International Airport, March 2, 2006 display

Air Traffic Page 2

Page 2 of the Air Traffic at Los Angeles International Airport, March 2, 2006 display

Delta Airlines 767-232, N102DA Spirit of Delta

Delta Airlines 767-232, N102DA Spirit of Delta was the first 767-200 operated by Delta and will be the last to be retired. It made a last tour of the United States before its retirement to a Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. In preparation for its retirement, it has been painted in the livery it wore in 1982. It arrived at Los Angeles International Airport for the last time on February 27 in a major rain storm.

On the morning of February 28 the storm abated. I drove to LAX to photograph Spirit of Delta. N102DA made a local flight around Santa Catalina Island with a load of lucky passengers. It then departed for Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington.

While I was at LAX, I photographed dozens of airliners.

Air Traffic Page 1

Page 1 of the Air Traffic at Los Angeles International Airport, February 28, 2006 display

Air Traffic Page 2

Page 2 of the Air Traffic at Los Angeles International Airport, February 28, 2006 display

It's the time of year when the Anna's Hummingbirds return to Goleta. An assertive male is establishing his territory in the back yard.

A Minuteman III missile was launched on a suborbital trajectory toward Kwajalein Atoll from LF-10 at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 12:01 A.M. on Thursday, February 16. The ascent of the missile was monitored by a crew aboard HALO II, a modified Gulfstream IIB with a large infra-red telescope.

Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale is home to two collections of vintage airplanes, Blackbird Airpark and the Palmdale Plant 42 Heritage Airpark. Both airparks are located on Avenue P, adjacent to 25th Street East. Blackbird Airpark is the only place where you can see an SR-71A, an A-12, and a D-21 drone together. There will eventually be over 40 airplanes on display at Palmdale Plant 42 Heritage Airpark.

Boeing's Canadair T-33, N416X and the first Boeing 757-200, N757A which now serves as the F-22 Avionics testbed, arrived at Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale on the morning of February 13.

Polikarpov I-16 Type 24, N30425 is visiting the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21 "Zero", N58245, which has been undergoing long-term restoration at the SoCal Wing, has been sold to the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It will be disassembled and shipped to Hawaii in the near future.

Short Brothers and Harland Limited introduced the Skyvan Turboprop STOL light transport in 1963. Short Brothers PLC stretched the Skyvan by 12 feet 5 inches to create the Model 330 in 1974. The cabin of the 330 was stretched an additional seven feet to create the Model 360 in 1981. The 360 is easily distinguished by its single vertical stabilizer.

Proteus, N281PR stayed overnight at the Santa Barbara Airport on January 11, 2006. It departed at 6:40 A.M. on January 12, about 25 minutes before sunrise. It flew to Kwajalein Atoll by way of Honolulu.

New Display Archives:

2007 New Displays

2005 New Displays

2004 New Displays

2003 New Displays

2002 New Displays

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