Phoenix and Tucson area trip Feb 24 and request PHX 18.02.24

[Ferrari]

Hi all,
Just returned from a trip taking in the following places:

Phoenix
Gila River Memorial (west of Chandler)
Casa Grande
Eloy
Marana Pinal Air Park
Marana Avra Valley
Davis Monthan including overflight with Double Eagle Aviation
AMARG
Pima
Ryan Field
Tucson IAP
Coolidge
Mesa Falcon Field
Glendale
Luke AFB
Goodyear

Feel free to get in touch with any questions about spotting, access and what can be seen. Some of what's on usdemobbed.org is a bit out of date.

Be careful at AMARG. They don't like you hanging by the fence. I lasted an hour before security took my details and told me to go away. I didn't go down Kolb Road.

Request:
PHX Sun 18.02.24 parked in SW corner with the bizjets:
2 x T-6 Texan coded XL
yellow possibly 982 and black/red possibly 537

Cheers,
Ferrari

[robw210]

Hello Ferrari

I have done pretty much the same trip , but added on LAX an.d Vegas for the Superbowl ...

I do have some serial related questions, regarding What I saw at Luke and Tucson .

Regards
Rob

[tommc]

Hi all,
Just returned from a trip taking in the following places:

Feel free to get in touch with any questions about spotting, access and what can be seen. Some of what's on usdemobbed.org is a bit out of date.

Request:
PHX Sun 18.02.24 parked in SW corner with the bizjets:
2 x T-6 Texan coded XL
yellow possibly 982 and black/red possibly 537

Cheers,
Ferrari

Perhaps if you make a LOG available then maybe usdemobbed.org.uk and other resources could get updated?

[Ferrari]

Yes, you're absolutely right but I won't have the time for a while which is why I invited people to get in touch if they had specific requests.

Rob - will post soon.

Cheers,
Ferrari

[Ferrari]

Luke Fri 23.02.24 0800-10.55

There were about 70 F-35s on the ground. Some of the flying USAF ones I just couldn't read off with enough confidence to post here.

Danish F-35s
L-003
L-004
L-006
Dutch F-35s
F-001
F-006
F-004
F-007
Norwegian F-35s
5145
5087
5088
Italian F-35s
32-13
32-07
32-04
32-08
USAF F-35s all LF
5044
5193
5198
5210
5049
5127
5079
5163
5035
5084
USAF F-16s
80-134/LF
498/IN
143/HO
166/HO
419/HO
725/HO
753/H0
172/HO
087/HO
433?/HO
501/HO
112/LF (no fiscal year on that one)
97-120/LF
97-113/LF
96-036/LF
01-021/LF
01-016/LF
94-273/LF
01-024/LF
Top Aces F-16s
N861TA/219
N858TA/260
N862TA
N856TA
ATAC Mirage F1s
N624AX
N615AX
N622AX
N639AX
?N645AX? plus 2 others so 7 in total.

Tucson Wed 21.02.24 in about 90 minutes in the afternoon
89-091/AZ
86-046/AZ
532/AZ
509/AZ
86-302/-
85-741/FM
86-306/AZ
one with playing cards on the tail
86-240/AT
367/AT
88-530/AT
93-813/AZ
221/AZ
86-211/AZ
258/AT
86-241/AT
165094/500/BH C-20 overshoot

HTH
Ferrari

[robw210]

Thanks for posting those serials , that should help .

Cheers

Rob

[Ferrari]

You’re welcome

[Evergreen 44]

Hello Ferarri,
Sounds like a great trip
How was the overflight at Davis-Monthan please ?
Earlier reports mention sometimes having difficulties with obtaining permission from the base to overfly and raising overflights to 5,000'
Any other advice or recommendations for Davis-Monthan ?
Thanks in advance,
Paul

[Phil]

Overflights are now at 5,000' and dependent upon clearance from DM ATC. Security situation seems to have tightened up and they will move you on from the perimeter so don't hang around too long.

[Fives]

Don't forget that the airfield elevation of DM is 2,500ft, ie 2,500ft above sea-level.

In simple terms (without getting into QFE versus QNH) The aircraft height readout will show 5,000ft (approx) as it is taking sea-level in to account.

So, you will be approximately 2,500ft above the ground for the Davis-Monthan overflight.

[skippyscage]

Don't forget that the airfield elevation of DM is 2,500ft, ie 2,500ft above sea-level.

In simple terms (without getting into QFE versus QNH) The aircraft height readout will show 5,000ft (approx) as it is taking sea-level in to account.

So, you will be approximately 2,500ft above the ground for the Davis-Monthan overflight.

and as the US doesn't use QFE, that doesn't need to be taken into account - every altitude is ASL at the local pressure setting

[Evergreen 44]

Thanks Chaps,
Grateful for your advice and refresher on the benefits of QNH
Will be getting some practice in with that height in mind
Best regards,
Paul

[RACER51]

Noted phoenix on Monday am 19th Feb 00-597/XLred Red Devils and 03-682XL yellow Tigers in SW corner.

[Bierset1989]

Paul and all
I had my overflight on Sat Dec 9th with Double Eagle. I had a pair of 10x50 Binoculars with me for the smaller helicopters I never asked what height he was at but the larger aircraft and even F-15’s were easily recognisable. They pass over the active airfield on way in, nice view of HH-60 ramp and then over the areas you can’t really see well from outside, he then done around 7 circuits to the North of Area 21 and east of Area 5. I got lots of great pics and identified what I thought would be difficult with binoculars all From studying the brilliant AMARC website. Good luck

Iain

[Bierset1989]

Forgot to add I walked Kolb road full lengths both sides, it took me about 4 hours and I wasn’t troubled at any point by security but it was a Saturday. I seen the 5 Afghan MD530’s still present and read off around 20 F-16’s of which around a dozen were down as having departed AMARC with most for the QF-16 programme. I also seen under sun shelters and into hangars from fence line as well as from overflight in the arrivals/maintainance areas

Iain

[Ferrari]

RACER51 - many thanks for the T-6 serials.

My viewing experience at AMARG:

As mentioned above I got chased off be a very courteous but thorough security guy after my first hour at the corner on Escalante Rd where you can look over the Celebrity Row and so devoted the day to Pima, knowing I was doing a flyover the next day.

On my next visits I stayed by the car at the corner of Irvington and Kolb where the B-57s are and then drove east along the track by Irvington from where many KC-135s can be read. I didn't like the idea of being away from the car - I was on my own and was a bit spooked by what happened on Day 1 and noticed big dogs in some of the adjacent houses.

On my last day, I parked on the opposite side to the B-57s and then walked north up Kolb reading off the C-130s, staying on the east side of the road and out of sight. Finally I drove into each of the pull-ins on Escalante Rd to read off the C-130s and P-3s. As mentioned before I didn't go south down Kolb. I'll have to go back on a Saturday!

Pima - what can I say except it felt like I was briefly in my idea of the afterlife. Some surprises were 3299 a Norwegian P-3 and N145CS a P-3 with a radome. I bought a 2-day ticket so that I could go in the SOFIA when it was open for tours later in the week.

Double Eagle - I went up with a young guy called Shaun. He was great - "If you open the window, you'll get better pictures". We had the QNH/QFE chat and he didn't know about that. The altimeter said 6,000ft, but looking at the photos taken with a 200mm lens, lower might make sense from having been up mountains in the UK. Ryan Field had a Hispano 200 that's not on usdemobbed: N390WW/BA (AE.10B-47).

Scrapyards - contrasting experiences. At the one full of S-2s I was chased off by a guy who said it's a restricted area and they are government property (which they aren't). At the one on East Nebraska St, a nice guy called Neal said "Ah, you're from from England. I'll open the gates for you." No-one objected to me poking around the fuselage of their C-97, trying to find the construction number.
There were 2 T-37s not on usdemobbed: 67-14761/AATE0454 and 61-2504/AATE0328
Then I went back to the S-2s at about 5.30pm and the place was dead so no problem getting photos.

E-4 31677 landed at Davis Monthan on 20.02.24

Marana Pinal Air Park. I went twice - first on the Sunday when no mil helos were flying and then late afternoon on the Wed when I saw the following flying:
20-21139 UH-60
87-24633 UH-60
89-26171 UH-60
593 UH-60
87-24632 UH-60
87-24647 UH-60
92352 AH-64
Some were on adsb and the serials matched what I read off.

Thurs 22.02.24

Coolidge - brilliant - they were happy to let me wander around the Hercs and there was a Wildcat N5833/86819 which had just flown in. There were 8 C-23s, 3 Skyvans and a Twin Otter.

Mesa Falcon Field
Not as many wrecks and relics as US demobbed. This what I got and I think it was everything (not including the museum):
S-2s N613MA/180, N746MA/55, 136737
HU-16s N115FB, 7227 bare metal, N211MC white/orange.
N366RA Chinook

Fri 23.02.24
Glendale, easily visible
HU-16s 7226, 141276
514 Lim 6
6507 Mig21

Goodyear had a UH-60 20819

When I drove from Goodyear to the car hire drop-off, I noticed the Mirage F1 653 in a scrapyard on Buckeye Road.

PHX early afternoon
23508, 10284, 91460, 23516, 23550, 10317 KC-135s
70044 C-17
167924/QB, 170277 KC-130Js

HTH

At this stage, I know I have the following questions.

The AMARG Experience website lists 4 C-20s in AREA 20 but there were 5. Any ideas?

There are 4 WB-57s listed but only three visible which I read off: 13302, 13291, 13301. Where's the other one?

The ARM/DMI scrapyard had 7 EC-130s but there are only 6 on usdemobbed.
Also there's a sectioned Utah Air Guard C-97. It's not XA-PII or 52-2604.

Cheers and MTIA.
Ferrari

[Bierset1989]

Hi Ferrari
The other C-20 is 60202, it never left when the AMARC experience said. 3299 P-3 and the 2 F-16’s listed as departing AMARC on Dec 23 are all in Pima storage area.

Iain

[tommc]

Luke, 11th March 2024

N613AX Mirage F1CR ATAC Ex AdlA 606
N615AX Mirage F1CR ATAC Ex AdlA 611
N622AX Mirage F1CT ATAC Ex AdlA 242
N623AX Mirage F1CR ATAC Ex AdlA 632
N624AX Mirage F1CT ATAC Ex AdlA 243
01-(6)016 LF r/bk F-16D 56th FW
01-(6)020 LF r/bk F-16D 56th FW
01-(6)021 LF r/bk F-16D 56th FW
01-(6)024 LF F-16D 56th FW Red fin, special Peace Carvin II marks
(01-6029) LF F-16D 56th FW Orange/black fin, special marks
96-(5)036 LF r/bk F-16D 56th FW
97-0112 LF r/bk F-16C 56th FW
97-0113 LF r/bk F-16C 56th FW
88-(0)430 IN F-16C
88-(0)498 IN F-16C
89-2134 LF bl/wt F-16C 56th FW
88-(0)170 HO y F-16D
88-(0)454 HO F-16C Black fin, special Black Sheep marks
89-(2)172 HO y F-16D
90-(0)796 HO y F-16D
MM7337 32-13 F-35A Italian Air Force, special fin marks
5087 F-35A Norwegian Air Force
5088 F-35A Norwegian Air Force
5110 F-35A Norwegian Air Force
5145 F-35A Norwegian Air Force
10-5009 LF F-35A 56th FW
11-5031 LF F-35A 56th FW
11-5035 LF F-35A 56th FW
11-5040 LF F-35A 56th FW
12-5044 LF F-35A 56th FW 944 FW
12-5048 LF F-35A 56th FW
12-5056 LF F-35A 56th FW 56 FW
12-5058 LF F-35A 56th FW
12-5059 LF F-35A 56th FW
13-5065 LF F-35A 56th FW
13-5070 LF F-35A 56th FW
13-5071 LF F-35A 56th FW
13-5072 LF F-35A 56th FW
13-5076 LF F-35A 56th FW
13-5083 LF F-35A 56th FW
14-5091 LF F-35A 56th FW
14-5093 LF F-35A 56th FW
14-5094 LF F-35A 56th FW
14-5095 LF F-35A 56th FW
14-5096 LF F-35A 56th FW
14-5103 LF F-35A 56th FW 56 OG
15-5125 LF F-35A 56th FW 52 FS
15-5127 LF F-35A 56th FW
15-5136 LF F-35A 56th FW
15-5139 LF F-35A 56th FW
15-5162 LF F-35A 56th FW 62 FS
15-5163 LF F-35A 56th FW 63 FS
15-5169 LF F-35A 56th FW
15-5173 LF F-35A 56th FW
15-5195 LF F-35A 56th FW
15-5198 LF F-35A 56th FW

[tommc]

MCAS Yuma, 12th March 2024

9444 MiG-21 Dumped
9545 MiG-21 Dumped
C-130 fuselage Dumped 143 TAW
(165395) AH-1 Gate guard
163553 UC-12 Yuma
163559 UC-12 Yuma
(97-26)739 UH-60L
(98-26)819 UH-60L
170002 CJ CH-53K HMH-461
170003 CJ-013 CH-53K HMH-461
170006 CJ-016 CH-53K HMH-461
161991 YJ-991 CH-53
162010 CH-53
162481 EN-12 CH-53 HMH-464
162487 EN-28 CH-53 HMH-464
164359 33? CH-53 HMH-466
164360 YN-360 CH-53
164361 YJ CH-53 HMH-WEST
164784 YN-784 CH-53 HMH-WEST
(168607) MV-03 MV-22 VMX-1
168291 MV-01 MV-22 VMX-1 Special marks
(16)8351 MV-04 MV-22 VMX-1
(16)6722 YT-01 MV-22 VMM-164
(16)8613 YT-04 MV-22 VMM-164
(16)8627 YT-00 MV-22 VMM-164
(169)275 MV AH-1 VMX-1
(1667)61 MV AH-1 VMX-1
(168)516 MV AH-1 VMX-1
10284 KC-135 AZ ANG Overshoots
168073 QB-073 KC-130J VMGR-352
170278 QB-278 KC-130J VMGR-352
169536 QB-536 KC-130J VMGR-352
168065 QD-065 KC-130J VMGR-152
167983 QD-983 KC-130J VMGR-152
166512 QH-512 KC-130J VMGR-234
166764 QH-764 KC-130J VMGR-234
167925 QH-925 KC-130J VMGR-234
761527 LS-02 F-5N VMFT-401
(761556) LS-05 F-5N VMFT-401
761559 LS-06 F-5N VMFT-401
761572 LS-07 F-5N VMFT-401
761576 LS-08 F-5N VMFT-401
761579 LS-09 F-5N VMFT-401
169921 CE-03 F-35B VMFA-225
170049 CE-10 F-35B VMFA-225
169922 CE-15 F-35B VMFA-225
169620 CF-00 F-35B VMFA-211
169621 CF-01 F-35B VMFA-211 CAG Marks
169607 CF-06 F-35B VMFA-211
169608 CF-07 F-35B VMFA-211
(169927) CF-10 F-35B VMFA-211 WTI ramp
169794 DC-07 F-35B VMFA-122
169795 DC-08 F-35B VMFA-122
169796 DC-09 F-35B VMFA-122
(169797) DC-10 F-35B VMFA-122 Flightline
169611 DC-122 F-35B VMFA-122 Special marks
(169615) MV-52 F-35B VMX-1 Hangared
(169912) (MV-)53 F-35B VMX-1 Flightline
169592 VM-67 F-35B VMFAT-501
169595 VM-70 F-35B VMFAT-501
170051 WE-00 F-35B VMFA-214 WTI ramp
170053 WE-01 F-35B VMFA-214 Special marks
170054 WE-02 F-35B VMFA-214
170058 WE-06 F-35B VMFA-214 WTI ramp
170059 WE-07 F-35B VMFA-214
170062 WE-08 F-35B VMFA-214
170063 WE-09 F-35B VMFA-214 WTI ramp
(169025) (WF-)540 F-35B VMFAT-502 WTI ramp

[tommc]

Marana Silverbell, 10th March 2024

54+13 A.400
N600NC DHC-7
N467CS C.212
N434CA C.212
N497CA C.212
N426CA C.212
N411LC L.100
N112FB HU-16
92051 AH-64
92054 AH-64
72298 UH-72
(23)973 UH-60
26040 UH-60
24633 UH-60
26171 UH-60
24604 UH-60
24517 UH-60
24649 UH-60
24647 UH-60
24407 UH-60
23886 UH-60
21110 UH-60
21117 UH-60
(24)632 UH-60
21051 UH-60
21113 UH-60
21055 UH-60
21100 UH-60
21141 UH-60
23900 UH-60
24431 UH-60
26761 UH-60
24609 UH-60