What airplane did you see flying today?(airplane spotting)

[seaknight15]

Now Days it is a Rare time to just see a Ch-46 Flying.

[The Inspector]

Now Days it is a Rare time to just see a Ch-46 Flying.

Last Summer, during fire season East of the Cascades, I saw a COLUMBIA 107 and one with a chrome yellow window belt a few times.

[Rod Schneider]

Just watched P-40E N2416X, S/N 41-5709, depart from Cherokee County Airport (KCNI), headed to California and it's new owners!!

[JohnB]

A (Guard?) Blackhawk just flew over my house. Rare, never seen one around here. They used to have tem at GEG, but they're gone now...and I don't know where they went.

[The Inspector]

A (Guard?) Blackhawk just flew over my house. Rare, never seen one around here. They used to have tem at GEG, but they're gone now...and I don't know where they went.

Must have been out of JBLM, the only air guard units East of the rock pile are 135's @ Fairchild and Hawgs @ McGowan in BOI and Mountain Goat.

[eagle21]

First off, apologies for the poor quality, but I just barely had time to grab the camera from the car and get this shot as he was flying away.

About 5:30 this evening over Decatur, TX, probably 3000 feet or so.

I know what I [i]think[i] it is, based on my Janes and some internet research, but I will be interested in all of y'alls input. Definitely an unusual aircraft over Decatur!



JMC

[The Inspector]

First off, apologies for the poor quality, but I just barely had time to grab the camera from the car and get this shot as he was flying away.

About 5:30 this evening over Decatur, TX, probably 3000 feet or so.

I know what I [i]think[i] it is, based on my Janes and some internet research, but I will be interested in all of y'alls input. Definitely an unusual aircraft over Decatur!



JMC

SHORTS Bros./Bombardier 330. The single tailed 360/C-23 SHERPA was used by the U.S. Army who had several C-23's to hump stuff into the bush in Alaska, An advancement of a very odd airplane series the SKYVAN. The skyvan had more doors, opening windows, doors within doors and Dutch doors with opening windows within other doors than the joke wall on Laugh-In.

[eagle21]

[quote="The Inspector"]

SHORTS Bros./Bombardier 330. The single tailed 360/C-23 SHERPA was used by the U.S. Army who had several C-23's to hump stuff into the bush in Alaska, An advancement of a very odd airplane series the SKYVAN. The skyvan had more doors, opening windows, doors within doors and Dutch doors with opening windows within other doors than the joke wall on Laugh-In. [quote]

Mr. Inspector, I thought so too, at first, Shorts Skyvan. But take a closer look at the tail and aft fuselage. I am pretty sure it isn't a Sherpa or any Shorts aircraft.

JMC

[The Inspector]

SHORTS Bros./Bombardier 330. The single tailed 360/C-23 SHERPA was used by the U.S. Army who had several C-23's to hump stuff into the bush in Alaska, An advancement of a very odd airplane series the SKYVAN. The skyvan had more doors, opening windows, doors within doors and Dutch doors with opening windows within other doors than the joke wall on Laugh-In.

Mr. Inspector, I thought so too, at first, Shorts Skyvan. But take a closer look at the tail and aft fuselage. I am pretty sure it isn't a Sherpa or any Shorts aircraft.

JMC

The SKYVAN was the little footlocker look a like, the 330/360 were bigger, the 330 had the twin fins, the 360 went to a single semi swept vertical fin (but, WHY??). This one sure looks like a 330, fixed gear, strut supported high aspect ratio wing.
Can't think of anything else that looks like the box a steamer trunk was shipped in.

[eagle21]

[The SKYVAN was the little footlocker look a like, the 330/360 were bigger, the 330 had the twin fins, the 360 went to a single semi swept vertical fin (but, WHY??). This one sure looks like a 330, fixed gear, strut supported high aspect ratio wing.
Can't think of anything else that looks like the box a steamer trunk was shipped in.

I know that this may be disputed, but I looked in my Janes and the one plane that really looked like this one is the Antonov AN-38. Yes, I know, over Decatur, Texas? But if you really look closely at the tail area, it looks an awful lot like it. All of the Shorts airplanes are squared off, this one tapers to a point. Plus, on the Shorts the vertical stabilizers are rectangular, the ones on this plane are more rounded.

JMC

(edited to correct spelling errors!)

Last edited by eagle21 on Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Obergrafeter]

You didn't see that plane.................it doesn't exist. I didn't see it a few weeks ago in South Texas.

[CAPFlyer]

Yep, it's definitely an AN-38. The sponsons and wing brace connection can be confusing, but the round and pointed aft fuselage is a dead give-away that it's not a product of Belfast.

[eagle21]

You didn't see that plane.................it doesn't exist. I didn't see it a few weeks ago in South Texas.

OK, Obergrafeter, I'll bite. What in the world is an AN-38 doing in Texas?

Thought I was losing what little mind I have left!

JMC

[The Inspector]

You didn't see that plane.................it doesn't exist. I didn't see it a few weeks ago in South Texas.

OK, Obergrafeter, I'll bite. What in the world is an AN-38 doing in Texas?

Thought I was losing what little mind I have left!

JMC

To quote Sherff Bart 'well raise my rent'

[ZRX61]

Some sort of U2 variant doing circuits & bumps in Palmdale this morning