Interesting Aircraft

[viking9]

Landed at Mildenhall today.

AE08F9 c/s ARGUS03 RC-12K Huron 84-0173 US Army 13:52
AE08F4 c/s ARGUS03 RC-12K Huron 85-0149 US Army 14:36
AE08F6 c/s ARGUS11 RC-12K Huron 85-0152 US Army 14:50

Callsigns are according to AirNav. Ac reg may not match ModeS as these aircraft are known to frequently swap boxes/codes.

Tom

[JRS98]

Interesting flight level for an aircraft with a max altitude of 65,000 :-)

What type of aircraft?

Tom

Tom,

It's a Global Hawk.

[RodBearden]

Tom or JRS or anybody - call you please tell me the Mode S or Reg of the Global HawK?

Rod

[viking9]

Rod,

I don't have any ModeS codes but you will find registrations in this database:

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/

You need to scroll down the page to the serial lists. I think 1995 is the first serial year for Global Hawk.

Tom

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi  a bit late I know but it's been a hectic day!! Anyhow I have this one logged today. AE0941 61-2667 USAF Boeing WC-135W using COBRA 67. I went looking for details of the aircraft and found this.


The WC-135W is a modified C-135B . It is an extensively modified former EC-135C Looking Glass aircraft. The Constant Phoenix’s modifications are primarily related to the aircraft's on-board atmospheric collection suite, which allows the mission crew to detect radioactive debris "clouds" in real time. The aircraft is equipped with external flow-through devices to collect particulates on filter paper and a compressor system for whole air samples collected in high-pressure holding spheres.

The interior seats 33 people, including the cockpit crew, maintenance personnel, and special equipment operators from the Air Force Technical Applications Center. On operational sorties, the crew is minimized to just pilots, navigator, and special equipment operators, in order to reduce occupational radiation exposure to qualified mission essential personnel.

The Constant Phoenix WC-135 aircraft serves as an aerial collection platform for the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC), supporting the detection and identification of debris from nuclear weapons detonations. Two Constant Phoenix aircraft, WC-135W (serial number 61-2667) and WC-135C (serial number 62-3582) are currently assigned to the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, 55th Wing at Offutt AFB. This mission was previously conducted by WC-135W 61-2665, which was retired in September 1996. Previously, as many as ten WC-135B weather reconnaissance airplanes flew in support of weather analysis, nuclear detection, and other scientific research.

Does anyone know anything about it is this still it's role etc?

John

[Tramline]

Nice A/c there John!

[Blackthorn]

Does anyone know anything about it is this still it's role etc?

John

This was the last remaining WC-135B aircraft of the 55 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based at Offutt (The pole vaulters) they were used to monitor the ice cap.

Kevin

[viking9]

John,

Its callsign suggest it's working as a Cobra Ball but you never can be sure with these aircraft. They are often used to test surveillance and recconaisance equipment which will eventually be fitted to RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft. They, and the Rivet Joints and Cobra Balls are fairly frequent visitors to RAF Mildenhall.

Tom

[Canonjohns40D]

HI Tom/Kevin

Thanks for the information. Boy have I a lot to learn but that is what this hobby is about and why this forum is so good. I was well pleased though as it is a very unusal one for me.

John

[viking9]

John,

Watch out tomorrow, 1 March, for KC-135s using callsigns QUID**. They should be taking off from Mildenhall around 11:00 to refuel aircraft, possibly B-1B Lancers, over the Atlantic.

Tom

[Blackthorn]

Tom

I presume the Sunday morning curfew still exists at Mildenhall until 11am?

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Tom thanks for the heads up. On my box now is AE0233 USAF HOIST95 KC-10A Extender.

John

[besty]

Hi I've got Hoist 95 and ARGUS 68(AE03F9) DUKE 28(AE0401) and ARGUS 11(AE08F6) all in my area at the moment.

Stuart

[viking9]

Tom

I presume the Sunday morning curfew still exists at Mildenhall until 11am?

Hi Kevin,

Sorry for the late reply - shopping with the wife intervened! No, there hasn't been a curfew at Mildenhall for a long time. In fact Sunday mornings are often the busiest times.

61-2667  WC-135W is on the ground there now, so perhaps he'll be off tomorrow morning.

I'm off to watch the Rugby on TV.

Tom

[Blackthorn]

Tom

I presume the Sunday morning curfew still exists at Mildenhall until 11am?

Hi Kevin,

Sorry for the late reply - shopping with the wife intervened! No, there hasn't been a curfew at Mildenhall for a long time. In fact Sunday mornings are often the busiest times.

61-2667  WC-135W is on the ground there now, so perhaps he'll be off tomorrow morning.

I'm off to watch the Rugby on TV.

Tom

Cheers Tom

I remember waiting for the curfew to end on Sundays during the 1980's and watching an endless procession of aircraft taxiing out, sometimes I got lucky with the SR71 :-)

Kevin