(Air) Sometimes You Get The Bear...

I was working at Ryan Aeronautical when the America's Cup was held in San Diego. A lot of the boats were flown in on AN-124s. I watched them take off at Lindbergh Field and they used every inch of the 9400 ft runway to get off the ground.

The last eurocopter shot is AWESOME. Actualy they're all pretty awesome, but that's my favorite. You're posts are always awesome.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #11650189
We had a unique visitor at the Phoenix-Gateway Airport. More on that in a moment but first...
Semper Fi

We no longer have any of these ... crazy

Excellent pictures as ever ....

Hmm, I flew through Phoenix yesterday on one of the bright yellow Southwest planes around 4-5. I was hoping to see it haha.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #11650303
1/30 on the departing Helo. Not bad with a 300mm lens (if I do say so myself!)

Absolutely! Beats what my pair of shaking clubs can do these days! Awesom as usual, Jay.

Jay,
Great series as usual. East Meets West deserves to be on a wall somewhere. Also the last Native Air heli shot is just fantastic.

Very nice set and as Neil says our flight was a 16 Harriers group that flew in mid December, I was at RAF Cottesmore (with a few hundred other hardy souls on the fenceline) to see them for the last time ~ damned cutbacks to blame. There has been no official comment as to whether even one will be kept airworthy for doing airshows and displays only that after that last flight they were going straight to the hanger with no post flight servicing Completely and utterly bonkers IMO.

Are "yours" still being made there under license indeed are they still 'frontline' or 'air reserve' aircraft???

Box Brownie wrote in post #11654444
Are "yours" still being made there under license indeed are they still 'frontline' or 'air reserve' aircraft???

IIRC only the Marine Corps uses them, and they will be phased out soon to make way for the F-35B(if there is actually a budget to spend when it comes time for full scale production). There are still 7 active duty MC squadrons that fly the AV-8B, so they could be considered "frontline".

JHutch wrote in post #11654583
IIRC only the Marine Corps uses them, and they will be phased out soon to make way for the F-35B(if there is actually a budget to use when it comes time for full scale production).

Ah! but perhaps they will go reservist??? Unlike ours that are to be scrapped

As for the F-35B I think is the one 'we' are contracted to have but many years off, I think 2018, after we have our 2(???) new aircraft carriers i.e. the UK will have no fast jet off of carrier capability for many years to come

Box Brownie wrote in post #11654614
As for the F-35B I think is the one 'we' are contracted to have but many years off, I think 2018, after we have our 2(???) new aircraft carriers i.e. the UK will have no fast jet off of carrier capability for many years to come

For some reason I remember reading that you guys opted to buy a bunch of super hornets and dropped the F-35 program all together. That is most likely wrong though because I can't remember where I read it, and BAE is heavily involved with the VTOL version of the F-35(F-35B).

. . . excellent series Jay, how did you get those Harriers to form up for the AN-124 departure

Simply superb .. Great light and a camera in your hands is something awesome.. Great shots !

Very nice shots as always Jay. I've actually flown in an AN-124, looks just as big from the inside

Chris

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #11650331
Cheers Peter! (Hope you're keeping dry...)
He was an impressive sight for sure! Should be back sooner rather than later. I believe the Saudis are getting a total of 24 Apaches.

Thanks Jay. No flooding in my part of Aus but many will suffer for a while yet. Typical insurance companies are now refusing to pay up..

That chopper is great too.

These are beautiful. I really like the "East Meets West" one. Composition is great.