Some things in life you never think you’ll see again, or for that first time. I was 4 Years Old when the
#F117
was retired. With my 18th Birthday gleaming tomorrow, I can’t believe I actually saw this in person. ‘KNIGHT01’ returning to Point Mugu earlier today after its sortie
Unexpected guest,
@boomaero
’s test aircraft for their Supersonic jet system taxiing back to its parking following some engine run-ups at MHV yesterday
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🗒️- XB-1 |
#N990XB
| MHV | 2/9/24 |
#Aviation
#Supersonic
#Future
Scaled Composites Sierra 401 (S401) taxiing and taking off for a flight to the Central Coast and back at Mojave on Friday
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🗒️-
#N401XD
| Model 401 | 1 of 2 Ships |
@ScaledC
| 2/9/24 |
#Test
#Experimental
#Aviation
Hey
#Aviation
Twitter, what’s your rarest catch that you’ve gotten in action? I’ll start with mine being one of the 4 WB-57’s from NASA flying over LAX in December of last year!
A fan favorite plane, the Sierra 401 returning to Mojave after a flight above the airport for about an hour and a half yesterday
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📍- Mojave Air and Spaceport | 3/5/24 | Scaled Composites Sierra 401 (S401) |
#N401XD
|
#Aviation
#Experimental
To all my Aviation Followers, what’s the most interesting aircraft you think the Department of Defense is hiding? Mine is by far the RQ-180. Although I love the Groom Lake MiG/SU’s, the RQ-180 is interesting as there’s never been acknowledgment it’s even in service at all
An end to an era 🌅
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Today SOFIA took her final flight from her home at Palmdale to Davis-Monathan Air Force Base in Arizona. After A Little over s decade flying with
#NASA
, her journey finally comes to a close. I’m glad to have seen her at the least, farewell to you SOFIA 🤙
Aggressors in for a final on RWY21 yesterday at NAS Point Mugu. The first is the new F-35 Aggressor in the “Chinese Scheme” from Nellis and the only USAF F-35 taking part in the operation. The 2nd is a Tonopah Range based F-117 coming in as ‘KNIGHT02’
#f117
#f35
#usaf
VX-9 ‘Vampire’ F-35’s returning to Point Mugu after their time fighting their adversaries over the Pacific. Probably will remain the most interestingly painted F-35’s for a long time
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📍- NAS Point Mugu | 8/25/22 |
#F35
#GrayFlag
#Aviation
#Fighter
Out from finishing a sortie from out over the Mojave, one of the VX-9 ‘Vampires’ birds with a special digital camouflage scheme. This specific
#F35
I had actually seen yesterday but got a better shot today during a special birthday spotting session at Mugu 🤙
Last of an era, one of the few remaining Extenders stopping down at Palmdale for some pattern work this windy Valentine’s Day afternoon
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🗒️- 87-0119 | ZOLA30 | Travis-Palmdale |
#KC10
#USAF
#Palmdale
‘COSO61’ coming by Point Mugu for some low passes earlier today, one of the last AV-8’s remaining on the West Coast
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📍- NAS Point Mugu | 6/26/24 | 165002 |
#Harrier
#USMC
#Aviation
7 C-130’s, an E-3 and 1 B-1 (?) tracking south towards the coast of California. Lots of fighters just launched out of Nellis. UTAH52 seems to be refueling stuff that is heading west not out of Nellis and 1 Fairchild KC-135 will also be joining
Whilst spotting at LAX yesterday, we were treated to a surprise by one of the few remaining B-57 ‘Canberra’s’ in the world. This NASA WB-57 had came from Houston to Point Mugu. It was descending at -3K FPM and was at 40K feet at the time passing over LAX itself
Not everyday you can say you’ve seen a ‘Fishbed’ doing a casual fly through in the desert now is there?
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📍- Mojave Air and Spaceport |
#N317DM
| MiG-21UM | Former Polish AF |
#Mojave
#Aviation
#MiG21
#FighterJet
Different Strike Eagles Off to the R-2508 yesterday at March with full cans lit 🤘
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🗒️- March ARB | 1/31/24 | Seymour Johnson F-15E(s) ‘Strike Eagle(s)’ |
#aviation
#USAF
#F15
#USA
Wanderer of the R-2508, 61-0320 flying into Palmdale as ‘GHOST55’ earlier after a short time above the Sierra and some touch and go’s at March
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📍- Palmdale Airport (KPMD) | 12/6/23 |
#USAF
#Edwards
#KC135
#Aviation
‘Spirit of Kitty Hawk’ from Whiteman AFB flying as ‘DEATH12’ flying over Pasadena on its way to the Rose Bowl. First time seeing the B-2 and my final aircraft that is “combat ready” that I needed to see in the USAF’s fleet 🤘
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#aviation
#b2
#stealthbomber
#usaf
#rosebowl
All this UFO talk has got me wanting to see the original UFO back in action. Another angle of the beloved F-117 “Nighthawk” As it approached RWY21 at NASPM during Grey Flag (8/25/22). Hopefully I’ll see her again soon, such a cool aircraft really
#F117
#PointMugu
#Aviation
My personal favorite variant of the 747, the Boeing 747SP and quite possibly the rarest variant in the Western Hemisphere coming into Palmdale earlier today. SOFIA is owned by NASA but is planned to be retired by the end of September, was a pleasure seeing her for the first time
POTUS and his entourage arriving and departing LAX yesterday ahead of the storm of the season
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🗒️- Los Angeles Int’l Airport | 2/2/24 |
#AirForceOne
#USAF
#aviation
‘EMPIRE15’ arriving at Mojave Air and SpacePort earlier today. Belonging to VX-9 ‘The Vampires’ our of NAS China Lake, It was a surprise but a welcome one to see an F-18. Still my favorite fighter, got lucky to see her extremely close on the ramp of the airport today 🤘
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#F18
53 Years ago today the F-14 took flight for the first time. Thought not one of my favorite fighters, one has to admit it’s one of the coolest planes of all time 🤙
Breaking over the flight line, an Edwards F-22 sounding out the end of the first demonstration at the
#AvAirshow
today. While there were other passes from other aircraft during that first demo, this one encapsulates what I see in the modern enguiniety of our great Air Force
Marine One and accompanying CH-53’s leaving Burbank today on a familiarization flight to LAX and SMO
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📍- Burbank Airport | CH-53 and VH-60N |
#USAF
#MarineOne
#CH53
#UH60
Today is an important day to me, 5 Years ago I wanted to get outside and enjoy what the world had for the joy of myself. 5 Years ago today I began my journey plane spotting. 5 Years later, through triumph and defeat I’m so happy I began this hobby. Here’s shots between 19-24’
A rarity around here in SoCal but a welcomed sight, (presumably) 60-0059 a Barksdale AFB B-52 ‘Stratofortress’ flying over at a low 3K Feet on its departure Northward to most likely refuel with a KC-135 (possibly out east with ‘UTAH52’). First time seeing the BUFF in person!
If Elon wants us gone with tracking flights, so be it. Here’s shots of the following;
#N32MJ
(Magic Johnson’s Private Gulfstream III)
#N444SC
(Jay-Z’s Private G550/Puma Jet)
#N950PB
(Playboy’s Private GLEX)
#N767CJ
(Drake’s Private 767-200)
An Old friend returns. Los Angeles County’s ‘Helitanker 55’ returned from the Sam Fire earlier today to its humble home here at Van Nuys Airport. It’s great to see this Coulson bird in action, it’s even better however to see her closeup like this. My favorite helicopter by far
86-0038
86-0031
87-0119
79-1948
These are the Final Four KC-10’s left in service, there’s only about 2 months left before the aircraft will see its unfortunate departure from service
Metrea KC-135 taking off from March this past Wednesday for head down south off the coast of Mexico
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🗒️- KC-135 |
#N571MA
| Metrea | CPS90 | March ARB |
#Aviation
#KC135
#BambooEagle
Earlier today I caught my first ever active 742. Ironically, it’s the most famous one active serving as Air Force 1. Following a stay in San Diego for a meeting with AUKUS Counterparts, President Joe Biden arrived at LAX during some nasty conditions earlier today!
#AirForceOne
A US Army C-12 ‘Huron’ returning back to NAS North Island following some circuits at NOLF San Clemente. She was operating as ‘RONIN08’ and was one of the only planes I caught that was intriguing that day. May not be exciting but was still a cool catch and my first Army aircraft
‘RUDY31’ (169438) returning to NAS North Island after a Flight East in 2021. This was the second CMV-22 ever delivered to the USN (VRM-30)
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📍- NAS North Island | 2021 | VRM-30 |
#Aviation
#V22
#Osprey
#Navy
There’s always eyes in the sky, sometimes not even on the radar.
#N726GM
sporting the callsign ‘KONA287’ taking off from NAS Point Mugu. This Aircraft is utilized by the federal government (if I’m not mistaken this is an FBI Cessna?)
Not everyday you get to see a pair of CL-415’s. I’m lucky enough to be one of the only spotters at our hidden gem here in SoCal. ‘Quebec 1’ and ‘Quebec 2’ returning from the
#OakwildeFire
up in ANF earlier today. Some of the loudest aircraft I think I’ve ever heard personally
4 Years ago today one of the greatest spotting days I ever had. 119° and windy, the El Dorado and Bobcat burning and tankers turning back and forth every few minutes. Take me back to those spotting days 🙁
By far my favorite singular aircraft out there, I’m probably the biggest fan out there
#N43CU
or Los Angeles County’s HT55. I’ve seen this helicopter more times then I can remember and even in the dead of winter she’s a bundle of joy to catch. Thanks for the wave from the crew!
45 Years ago today, America’s premier naval multi role first took flight. The F-18A/B/C/D/F/E or just “The Hornet” is a great reminder that strength in a plane isn’t just in Air to Air but as an amazing strike platform as well
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📍- Huntington, Mugu, Mojave, Long Beach |
#F18
Sometimes the little things are all you need to be happy. This little L-39 belongs to the National Test Pilots School sporting the registration
#N139WS
. It had done a run north towards California City before returning to Mojave for a few touch-and-go’s and a full stop yesterday
One of the wonderful ‘ATAC’ birds returning from a sortie off the coast on my birthday last year. The cumulonimbus structures behind the aircraft made for some great shots when it was possible for the days I went especially with the F-117. Gotta love the
#KFIR
here
A VFA-97 F-35C sitting atop the deck of the USS Carl Vinson at Fleet Week, giant plane when you get closeup with it 🤙
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📍- 5/27/24 | USS Carl Vinson | F-35C (170083) |
#Navy
#FleetWeek
#F35
#Aviation
@Doha104p3
Mfs will be like “The F-14 would win” and forget that the F-35 has BVR greater than anything the Iranians have. Deadass could be outside of Iranian waters and still hit something 😭
A Boeing C-32 flying over at 6.8K Feet not to Long ago into NASPM As
#SAM46
. This is the “Decoy” 757 used in conjunction with President Joe Biden’s arrival to LA on another C-32. Said C-32 sported the iconic “Air Force 1” callsign
Refueling the future, today with something of the past. 62-3553 demonstrating its capabilities by showing refueling possibilities America’s Next-Generation of Fighters being the F-22 and F-35. Awesome stuff to see at the
@AVAirShow
, can’t wait to go back hopefully next year 🤞
Edwards AFB based F-16 cleared to land RWY25 last week. This was my first time ever getting a shot of an active F-16 narrowing it down to only 2 active USAF Fighters I’ve yet to see (the F-15 and F-22 🤙)
#edwards
#palmdale
#f16
My 4 Favorite shots of 2023 to round out what was a good then mid year. Setting forth for new horizons in 2024, Happy New Year everyone 🥳
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📍- Huntington Beach, Mojave, Nellis and Van Nuys | Sep., Feb., July & Sep. |
#Aviation
#NewYear
#Compilation