Antonov An-124s at Victorville, March 14, 2006 |
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.
McDonnell-Douglas C-17A Globemaster 3, 04-4138 Spirit of California of the 452nd AMW based at March ARB, call sign SLAM62, was shooting touch-and-go landings on Runway 17 as I approached the airport on el Mirage Avenue. It gave me a couple of opportunities to evaluate my shooting location and move to a better one.
Volga-Dnepr An-124 Ruslan, RA82045 Flight VDA3424 on approach to Runway 17 at Victorville.
Volga-Dnepr An-124 Ruslan, RA82045 prepares to unload its payload.
Volga-Dnepr An-124 Ruslan, RA82042 Flight VDA3400 on approach to Runway 17.
Volga-Dnepr An-124 Ruslan, RA82045 can be seen with its visor raised on the far side of the airport.
United Airlines 747-422, N175UA flight UAL9949 from San Francisco landed seven minutes after VDA4300.
Volga-Dnepr An-124 Ruslan, RA82042 pulls into postion near RA82045.
On Wednesday, March 15 Volga-Dnepr An-124 flight VDA4301 flew from Victorville to Wheeler Sack. Volga-Dnepr An-124 flight VDA4303 flew from Victorville to Gander. Volga-Dnepr An-124 flight VDA4302 flew from Wheeler Sack to Victorville. AMT 757-300 Flight AMT5261 also flew from Wheeler Sack to Victorville.
On Thursday, March 16, Volga-Dnepr An-124 flight VDA4304 flew from Wheeler Sack to Victorville. Volga-Dnepr An-124 flight VDA4303 flew from Gander to Diori Hamani, Africa.
The Southern California Air Logistics Center was formerly George Air Force Base. It is home to a Boeing test facility, Heavylift Helicopters, and a large number of retired airliners.
You can buy a 2006 calendar featuring my photographs of Special Purpose Airplanes in Southern California.
Photos of a dozen special purpose airplanes taken in southern California in 2005.
Airplanes pictured include:
Department of Homeland Security Lockheed P-3B Airborne Early Warning Orion, N144CS, March Air Reserve Base, March 23, 2005;
NASA Airbus Super Guppy 201, N941NA, Boron, California, April 14, 2005;
Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan, RA82704, Vandenberg Air Force Base, May 20, 2005;
McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10, N450AX, 10 Tanker Air Carrier, Victorville, June 17, 2005;
Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737-7ES Wedgetail, N378BC, Victorville, July 9, 2005;
Lockheed NP-3D Orion, BuNo 150522, VX-30 Bloodhounds, Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu, July 26, 2005;
Omega Tanker Boeing 707-321C, N707AR, Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu, July 27, 2005;
Scaled Composites Model 318 White Knight, N318SL, Mojave Airport, August 2. 2005;
Boeing 747-Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, N905NA, Space Shuttle Discovery, Edwards Air Force Base, August 19, 2005;
Dornier Do-24ATT, RP-C2403, Santa Barbara Airport, October 10, 2005;
McDonnell-Douglas NF-15B Eagle, NASA 837, Edwards Air Force Base, October 21, 2005;
Scaled Composites Model 281 Proteus, N281PR, Mojave Airport, December 10. 2005.
Put a copy of the Special Purpose Airplanes in Southern California: 2006 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $13.95.
Send a message to Brian.