The Airplane Thread

[vreihen16]

I hope that nobody's flight plans involved El Paso International Airport for the next 10 days, as the airport and surrounding airspace were just closed until 2/21 for some undisclosed security matter.

I did search the NOTAMs, and the only other abnormal-looking post to my un-trained eye was for an unmanned rocket launch up to 10K feet in the general area on 2/14.....

[Llarry]

A new supersonic anti-ship missile has been observed being carried by Chinese PLA Navy J-15T carrier-based Flanker fighters. While performance specs are only estimated, the ramjet-powered weapon looks to be a formidable threat to any adversary. Japanese sources estimate the speed to be Mach 5+ and the range to be 1,200-1,800 km. The designation is YJ-15 and the missile has been observed being carried by a J-15T Flanker heavy carrier fighter.

[Llarry]

The Marine Corps Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, also used by the Navy in smaller numbers for carrier onboard delivery support to aircraft carriers at sea, continues to be plagued by accidents and low availability of mission-capable aircraft. Mission-capable availability is currently running about 50% for Marine units and just 40% for the Navy. Troubles center on the gearbox, with upgrades coming soon to hopefully improve reliability.

The V-22 is also used by the USAF for special operations and by Japan. The Marines are buying 360 Ospreys for their tilt-rotor squadrons.

[Llarry]

Taiwan (the Republic of China Air Force) is seeking to buy 10 new C-130J-30 Super Hercules transports under the U.S. Foreign Miliary Sales program. These will ultimately replace 21 old C-130H models that have been operated for almost 40 years.

I can't help but think that some of these military upgrades by Taiwan may be too little too late. China has been talking very tough on the desire to bring "renegade province" Taiwan into the country soon.

The photo is of an ROCAF C-130H.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

I hope that nobody's flight plans involved El Paso International Airport for the next 10 days, as the airport and surrounding airspace were just closed until 2/21 for some undisclosed security matter.

I did search the NOTAMs, and the only other abnormal-looking post to my un-trained eye was for an unmanned rocket launch up to 10K feet in the general area on 2/14.....

Ground stop lifted a few hours later. Apparently, there was a cartel drone incursion near ELP.

[freakystyly]

NYT says party balloon... Paywall article but it's in the blurb.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...questions.html

[Llarry]

The last U.S. Marine Corps Harrier squadron will cease flying their AV-8Bs in June of this year in preparation for transition to the F-35B and redesignation from attack squadron (VMA) to fighter attack squadron (VMFA).

VMA-223 "Bulldogs" is based at MCAS Cherry Point, NC, and will have a short nonflying period before the first of their new jets arrive.

There are still 2-3 VMFAs flying F-18C/D Hornets and projected to transition to the F-35B within the next couple of years.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Llarry

The last U.S. Marine Corps Harrier squadron will cease flying their AV-8Bs in June of this year in preparation for transition to the F-35B and redesignation from attack squadron (VMA) to fighter attack squadron (VMFA).

Two other nations still operate AV-8B Harriers. Both Italy and Spain have Harriers that operate from small aircraft carriers. While the Italian Navy retired the air carrier Giuseppi Garibaldi in 2024 and is retiring its AV-8Bs in favor of F-35Bs, Indonesia has expressed an interest in both the ship and the aircraft. Spain continues to operate its AV-8Bs and plans to do so until 2030.

The photo is of a radar-equipped Italian AV-8B.

[Llarry]

We have a new candidate for ugliest aircraft. The Japanese Air Self Defense Force is testing an electronic warfare version of its C-2 transport. If the pattern of the past is followed, there won't be many of these -- perhaps just one or two.

Sorry for the low-res photo.

[Llarry]

There's a new entrant in the maritime patrol category -- Saudi Arabia is buying four C-27J transports to be used by the Saudi navy as patrol aircraft.

[M-technik-3]

We have done the XB-70 but not the Russkie SU-T4 Clone of the XB-70 Russia's Hummint spy network was working overtime till mid 2000's seems everything we did they came out with clone just like the Chinese are doing these days.

[M-technik-3]

I know the A-12/SR71 has been covered but I don't remember seeing this PDF about the program here.

https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/st...e-Aircraft.pdf

[Llarry]

Tomcat Thursday on a Monday!

The first operational (deployable) F-14A Tomcat fighter squadrons were VF-1 and VF-2. They were established in 1972 and were in training for a couple of years before deploying on the U.S. Navy's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65). By 1975 they were fully up to speed on the F-14A and deployed to the Western Pacific.

I've never figured out why the squadron designations for these two units were single digit. The normal pattern was two or three digits, like VF-11 or VF-211. Maybe the F-14 was so revolutionary that someone figured they needed distinctive designations.

VF-1 got caught up in the post-Cold War reductions and was disestablished in 1993. VF-2 was luckier and continued to fly the F-14 until 2003, when they transitioned to the F-18F and became VFA-2.

Here are the early photos with colorful markings in 1975, when these were the only deploying Tomcat squadrons in the Navy.

[Llarry]

Training aircrews in air-to-air combat is vital. Using a variety of aggressor or adversary aircraft is important as each type has its own strengths and weaknesses. While the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy all have dedicated units for this purpose, civilian companies also provide such training. The number one source for the civilian aggressors is the Israeli Air Force, which has supplied A-4s, F-16s and Mirages to several companies.

While they operate in a number of different countries, these contract "bad guys" can often be seen in the desert Southwest of the USA.

Here are some examples...

-- An ex-Israeli Mirage F1R

-- An ex-Israeli F-16

-- A Navy A-4E (older photo)

[Llarry]

Here's a seldom-seen USAF aircraft: A CASA CN-235 of the 427th Special Operations Squadron. The 427th is based at Pope Army Airfield in North Carolina close to the Army's Delta Force -- it specializes in infiltration and exfiltration of special operations forces.

To my knowledge this secretive aircraft has no official military designation.

[Llarry]

Speaking of the US. Air Force's special operations aircraft, while the service uses a variety of aircraft of different types the most important USAF specops aircraft is the C-130 Hercules. Improved recent-production J models have replaced earlier Hercules in recent years. There are multiple versions in use:
-- MC-130J Commando II. The last of these was delivered in early 2025 and they serve at multiple locations, including at the training unit in New Mexico and overseas at RAF Mildenhall, UK, and at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The MC-130J is the "Swiss army knife" of USAF SOC, performing clandestine infiltration and exfiltration, aerial resupply, aerial refueling of rotary-wing and tiltrotor aircraft and leaflet drops -- all over unfriendly territory. 57 are in service. A recent addition is a new (Silent Knight) radar just under the windscreen, enhancing low-level operations at night and in bad weather.
-- HC-130J Combat King II. the HC-130J is the Air Force's long-range combat search and rescue support aircraft. It can refuel HH-60s and CV-22s which recover survivors. 39 are in service.
-- AC-130J Ghostrider. The AC-130J gunship is one of the most fearsome weapons in the USAF inventory, specializing in attack -- particularly at night. It is armed with 30mm and 105mm (!) cannon, as well as a variety of missiles and bombs. The AC-130 has a long history dating back to the Vietnam War. 30 are in service.
-- EC-130J Commando Solo. This Hercules variant is the special operations psychological warfare broadcast studio in the sky, capable of broadcasting TV or commercial radio broadcast frequencies. This is the least numerous variant with just 7 in the inventory.

These special operations -130s are the shorter version, while the vast majority of the Air Force's airlift Hercules are the stretched version. Also of note, both the USAF and the Coast Guard have HC-130Js; although the designations are the same, the missions and configurations vary. The USCG HC-130J specialize in long-range open-ocean search and rescue.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Speaking of the US. Air Force's special operations aircraft, while the service uses a variety of aircraft of different types the most important USAF specops aircraft is the C-130 Hercules. Improved recent-production J models have replaced earlier Hercules in recent years. There are multiple versions in use:
-- MC-130J Commando II. The last of these was delivered in early 2025 and they serve at multiple locations, including at the training unit in New Mexico and overseas at RAF Mildenhall, UK, and at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The MC-130J is the "Swiss army knife" of USAF SOC, performing clandestine infiltration and exfiltration, aerial resupply, aerial refueling of rotary-wing and tiltrotor aircraft and leaflet drops -- all over unfriendly territory. 57 are in service. A recent addition is a new (Silent Knight) radar just under the windscreen, enhancing low-level operations at night and in bad weather.
-- HC-130J Combat King II. the HC-130J is the Air Force's long-range combat search and rescue support aircraft. It can refuel HH-60s and CV-22s which recover survivors. 39 are in service.
-- AC-130J Ghostrider. The AC-130J gunship is one of the most fearsome weapons in the USAF inventory, specializing in attack -- particularly at night. It is armed with 30mm and 105mm (!) cannon, as well as a variety of missiles and bombs. The AC-130 has a long history dating back to the Vietnam War. 30 are in service.
-- EC-130J Commando Solo. This Hercules variant is the special operations psychological warfare broadcast studio in the sky, capable of broadcasting TV or commercial radio broadcast frequencies. This is the least numerous variant with just 7 in the inventory.

These special operations -130s are the shorter version, while the vast majority of the Air Force's airlift Hercules are the stretched version. Also of note, both the USAF and the Coast Guard have HC-130Js; although the designations are the same, the missions and configurations vary. The USCG HC-130J specialize in long-range open-ocean search and rescue.

Ah yes, the Herc.

One of the few aircraft in the inventory that can actually take a birdstrike from the rear!

R.

[Llarry]

In March of 1953, a Grumman F9F-4 Panther of VMF-223 had a Very Bad Day when landing aboard the newly recommissioned USS Bennington (CVA 20). The F9F's tailhook broke and the aircraft somehow made it over or through the barrier designed to avoid a landing aircraft from continuing forward.

The Bennington's forward elevator was in the lowered position at the time and the Marine F9F continued forward and fell into the elevator's deck opening with its engine running. There was great danger as there were fuel piping systems in the area, but greater disaster was averted and the Panther's engine was shut off without causing a major fire.

The first photo shows the deck layout of the Essex class carriers such as the Bennington before the angled deck was introduced; note the outline of the forward elevator. The second shows the F9F plunging into the forward elevator opening. The last shows the result -- two damaged Marine F9Fs. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. One sailor on the hangar deck was seriously injured and ended up being medically retired from the Navy; others suffered less serious injury.

[SpeedBuggy]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Speaking of the US. Air Force's special operations aircraft, while the service uses a variety of aircraft of different types the most important USAF specops aircraft is the C-130 Hercules. Improved recent-production J models have replaced earlier Hercules in recent years. There are multiple versions in use:
— MC-130J Commando II. The last of these was delivered in early 2025 and they serve at multiple locations, including at the training unit in New Mexico and overseas at RAF Mildenhall, UK, and at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The MC-130J is the "Swiss army knife" of USAF SOC, performing clandestine infiltration and exfiltration, aerial resupply, aerial refueling of rotary-wing and tiltrotor aircraft and leaflet drops — all over unfriendly territory. 57 are in service. A recent addition is a new (Silent Knight) radar just under the windscreen, enhancing low-level operations at night and in bad weather.
— HC-130J Combat King II. the HC-130J is the Air Force's long-range combat search and rescue support aircraft. It can refuel HH-60s and CV-22s which recover survivors. 39 are in service.
— AC-130J Ghostrider. The AC-130J gunship is one of the most fearsome weapons in the USAF inventory, specializing in attack — particularly at night. It is armed with 30mm and 105mm (!) cannon, as well as a variety of missiles and bombs. The AC-130 has a long history dating back to the Vietnam War. 30 are in service.
— EC-130J Commando Solo. This Hercules variant is the special operations psychological warfare broadcast studio in the sky, capable of broadcasting TV or [...]

Speaking of C130J-30, we have the Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS) facility co-located with the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport a couple of miles away by the way crow flies.

Serves as the home of the 910th Airlift Wing (910 AW). Air Force Reserve Command unit flies C-130 Hercules aircraft for airlift and a unique aerial spray mission.

YARS is currently replacing its aging fleet of eight C-130H Hercules aircraft with new C-130J-30 Super Hercules planes in a three-year, one-for-one conversion process. The 910th Airlift Wing received its first C-130J-30 in July 2024, with the full transition expected to be completed by mid-2026.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by SpeedBuggy

Speaking of C130J-30, we have the Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS) facility co-located with the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport a couple of miles away by the way crow flies.

Serves as the home of the 910th Airlift Wing (910 AW). Air Force Reserve Command unit flies C-130 Hercules aircraft for airlift and a unique aerial spray mission.

Do you know what the aerial spray mission is? Is it for firefighting?

[SpeedBuggy]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Do you know what the aerial spray mission is? Is it for firefighting?

Controling disease-carrying insects, pests, and vegetation, dispersing oil spills and creating wildfire firebreaks.

They are actively working on upgrading the Modular Aerial Spraying System (MASS) including developing nighttime aerial spray

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Do you know what the aerial spray mission is? Is it for firefighting?

Chemtrails!