LN-WND Daks taxiing out in the late afternoon for their display at Flying Legends 2011 Airshow. This C-53D Skytrooper was taken on strength by the USAAF as 42-68823. It was transferred to England and then went to France in 1944 as “Little Egypt,” serving as transport for Maj Gen Ralph Royce, CG of First TAF (Provisional). After the war the aircraft went to Finnair, being used by Finnish President Kekkonen. The Dak was sold by the Finnish Air force to Dakota Norway, which flew it to Sandefjord in May 1985. (mehr von LN-WND)
VH-PIV On display at the Flying Legends 2011 Airshow. This Warhawk powered by a Merlin engine was built in 1942. It was shipped to the Thirteenth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific, likely serving with the 347th Fighter Group in the Solomon Islands. The aircraft was abandoned on Espiritu Santo in Nov 1943. Recovered in the 1970s, the restoration was completed by 2011. The P-40F is painted as "Lee's Hope," flown by Lt Robert J Duffield of the 85th Fighter Squadron, 79th FG from Italy in 1944. (mehr von VH-PIV)
52-6526 On display in the Cold War Gallery at NMUSAF. The swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak was completely different to the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet. It was powered by a Wright J65-W-3 engine rather than the Thunderjet’s Allison J35. The Thunderstreak equipped USAFE squadrons and a large number were supplied to NATO countries under the Mutual Defence Assistance Program during the Cold War. It could deliver a nuclear bomb using LABS. This aircraft served in Europe and the Ohio ANG before being flown to the museum in 1970. (mehr von 52-6526)
F-GZNL On short final for Rwy 14 at Plaisance on a winter afternoon as AF470 from CDG. This aircraft was newly delivered to Air France on 02 Apr 2012. (mehr von F-GZNL)
3B-NBU Winter afternoon arrival of "Aapravasi Ghat" at SSRIA as MK219 from RUN. She carries the name of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Port Louis harbour, which is now a museum to commemorate the site where almost half a million Indian immigrants landed between 1849-1923. (mehr von 3B-NBU)
141735 On display at Yanks Air Museum. This is one of 199 F-11F-1 Tigers built, redesignated F-11A in 1962. Intended as an upgrade for the F9F Cougar, the Tiger bore little design resemblance. It first flew on 30 July 1954 and was ordered for its supersonic performance. The F-11 started carrier operations in 1956 and was withdrawn by 1961, serving with seven USN squadrons. Delivered in 1957, this F-11 served with VF-21 "Mach Busters" in CVG-8, then with VT-23 "Professionals" and VT-26 "Tigers" till 1967. (mehr von 141735)
C499 On display at IAF Museum Palam wearing the emblem of No. 8 Sqn "Eight Pursoots." Inducted into the IAF in April 1963, the MiG-21F-13 or Type 74 equipped No. 28 Sqn "First Supersonics" under Wg Cdr Dilbagh Singh. This was followed by the PF and finally the FL or Type 77, which was licence manufactured by HAL. The FL was used to good effect in the 1971 Indo-Pak War on both fronts. In the West, FLs from No. 47 Sqn "Black Archers" and No. 29 Sqn "Scorpions" shot down four PAF F-104s without loss, clearly besting the Starfighter. The last IAF FLs were decommissioned in Dec. 2013. (mehr von C499)
VT-YAR Akasa Air's striking colors stand out as QP1127 bound for DEL pushes back at CSMIA in the afternoon. This aircraft was newly delivered to the airline on 02 Feb 2023. (mehr von VT-YAR)
3B-NBN "Ile aux Aigrettes" on short final for Rwy 14 at SSRIA in the morning. The aircraft is named after the islet off the south-east coast of Mauritius which serves as a nature reserve containing rare plants and animals. (mehr von 3B-NBN)
N53612 On display at Planes of Fame Air Museum. This sailplane was built during World War II to train cargo glider pilots. It had a single wheel instead of a skid, and the fuselage had a steel-tube structure, weighing 475 lb empty. The USAAC placed an order for 75, followed by 75 more. These were given the designation TG-4A, but the flight characteristics were quite different to those of a cargo glider. After the war, these "L-K" gliders with a 23:1 glide ratio were used to promote civilian gliding, and some were modified to achieve higher airspeeds. (mehr von N53612)
ZD374 "Miss Behavin" on display in the Cold War Gallery at NMUSAF. A JP233 can be seen underneath. Built in 1982, this Tornado served with No. 17 Sqn. at RAF Bruggen, Germany. Deployed to Dhahran, the aircraft flew combat missions during Op Desert Storm. GR.1s commenced their attacks with Tallil airfield on 16/17 Jan 1991. Tasked with runway denial, GR.1s carried JP 233 bomblet dispensing pods, 495 gal drop tanks, a Sky Shadow jammer and a BOZ-107chaff/flare dispenser for a take-off weight of 30 tons. (mehr von ZD374)
ZS-SXF On short final for Rwy 14 at Plaisance on a cloudy afternoon as SA190 from JNB. This aircraft is the only -300 in commercial service with an African operator. (mehr von ZS-SXF)
39RED On display in the Cold War Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. This is the export version of the MiG-23 that was less capable than domestic Soviet versions. It was flown by the 4477th TES, nicknamed the "Red Eagles," which also evaluated the MiG-17 and MiG-21 under Project Constant Peg over the Tonopah Test Range. The Soviet aircraft were used to simulate realistic adversaries, helping American aircrews to gain skill and confidence to defeat these threats. Constant Peg ended in 1988. (mehr von 39RED)
3B-NBQ "Pieter Both" on short final for Rwy 14 at SSRIA on a winter morning as MK53 from LHR. The aircraft is named after the second highest mountain in Mauritius, which was named after the first Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. (mehr von 3B-NBQ)
With plenty of time to spare between flights, it was nice to roam around a fairly empty IGIA Terminal 3 at night. The Surya Namaskar statue sculpted by Nikhil Bhandari with 12 asanas of the Yogic exercise is a calming sight in the normally frenetic airport.
VT-EXO Departing CSMIA on a cloudy day as AI921 to Riyadh. This aircraft was newly delivered to Air India on 20 Nov 2018 and carries Star Alliance colors. (mehr von VT-EXO)