Aviation Megathread

These trace my journey from newbie ramp rat at Muse Air (MC), later renamed TranStar, then to American after TranStar closed. I worked at the HQs of AA and DL as well. Pics are mine, turned into cool custom pieces by Zero Eight Left:




It's really cool when things come full circle. I eventually ended up in metro Atlanta and was happy when I heard the fantastic Delta Flight Museum planned to display a retired DC-9. I was absolutely stoked to learn it was my old friend and colleague from TranStar, N675MC. Top pic is her taxiing out at MSY (New Orleans), taken by Marc Hasenbein; bottom is mine from the museum.

 

From the archives....Tomcat Sunset show..

 

Raptor

 

Been spending some time in this G1000 equipped T206. It's gonna take a bit to be able to blaze thru the chapters and pages with ease. But overall it's a nice flying bird. I need to figure out how much the King 140 auto pilot can do..for flying ILS and RNAV approaches. More reading to do....

 

.
Sub'd
.

 

Love those Tomcat shots, and they reminded me of a cool coincidence. I ran across a profile print of an F-14 online and thought it seemed familiar. Had to go waaay back in my pics to 2004 IIRC, which is when I took the Tomcat photo at NAS New Orleans in Belle Chasse, LA.



I also love the heritage flights. This break is the last of a flyby image burst at Wings Over Marietta (GA) in 2009. I liked it the best. Wish I had used a slower shutter speed to get the Mustang’s prop to blur but oh well.




And finally , in what was a true bucket list box checker, in 2015 I rode the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 1929 Ford Tri-Motor, AKA the Tin Goose.




My video, which also includes some of this aircraft type’s pivotal role in aviation history:

 

Fantastic shots. Love the Tomcat!

 

Muse Air, later renamed TranStar, was my first airline job. Before my time there, they briefly leased “Spike” - officially N502MD, a DC-9-30
- while awaiting new deliveries. The maintenance director nicknamed it after his dog, and that was no coincidence. The plane was safe, but well-worn shall we say from 15 years of tooling around Europe before being traded back to McDonnell Douglas.

Employees grew fond of Spike, perhaps because she represented a hectic but fun era of growth for the airline.

Spike got the last laugh on any detractors; long after most of Muse Air’s fleet had been scrapped, she was looking spiffy carrying cargo in Alaska as recently as a few years ago. (Evert reregistered the jet as N930CE.)

 

Thanks.
I am a Grummanite and the Cat is in my blood. Love that bird.

Here is Felix 100 returning "home" to Bethpage.
100 and 101 flew into KFRG. Bittersweet day.

 

Gunfighter 163...outstanding livery on that bird!
Airshows are just not the same without them.....
I used to head to Oceana every year. Went once after sunset and that was the last time.
A-6's...Gone
EA-6's...Gone
Tomcats....Gone
Nothing but Hornets now and the same three aerobatic performers flying all day.
Yup...I am old LOL.

 

The Tomcat is a magnificent airplane!

I read somewhere that the Soviets were terrified by that airplane.

 

Highly recommend the Sullenberger Flight Museum in Charlotte, which I visited a couple of months ago. Seeing the actual airplane that landed in the Hudson was pretty special.



They have one of the culprits strung up there too. Probably so people have an idea of how big those geese are.



Did someone say Tomcat?



And finally, they have one of the C-130s involved in the failed 1980 hostage rescue mission in Iran. The plane is cool; the message from the British commandos to their American counterparts is epic.

 

Good looking D model Cat!

 

Warthogs were doing some strafing runs today.
https://youtu.be/LxwcrlZZBHE?si=kucxFxDIJggkIpd_

 

T-33

 

I first saw the B-17 Liberty Belle at a 2009 air show. Took a tour and lots of pics. Fast-forward to Feb. 2011 when I happened to be passing Cherokee County (GA) Airport, which is 15 minutes from my house and there she was, parked there over the winter for maintenance. Sadly, Liberty Belle was lost in a fire following a forced landing in Illinois in June 2011. Thankfully though, all 7 people on board escaped without injury.

 

Hanging out in a BE-36 in some IMC today. Nice flying bird.