Lots of visitors to NASNI. Haven't seen a 53K yet, but have seen an USMC -53 and color bird for HM-15 (equipped with MH-53E Sea Dragons). At least some of the 53s are here for RIMPAC SOCAL (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7315583/ ... california). I think RIMPAC also explains the MH-60S I caught with the AN/ASQ-235 Airborne Mine Neutralization Systems (AMNS).
Nimitz is visiting so we've got F-35Cs from VFA-125
(NJ 435, 446 and a few others) AND from VFA-97 (NE 401 and at least one other), plus some Growlers were here last Friday, but I never caught them at the beach.
Sorry about my typically sloppy report from the beach, will try to get some actual numbers up here.
Tactical Air Support 'Villain'
Northrup F-5F
21/N699TA //white BORT, blue paint, 2 seater
US Navy
Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
BUNO 169450 //VRM 30 or 50 not sure which
US Navy VP-1 Screaming Eagles
Boeing P-8A Poseidon
YB 343/ BUNO 169343
US Army black helicopters (160th SOAR)???
These birds flew right over my head, no numbers that I could see from my vantage point, and I didn't catch them on the scanner, either. All had refueling probes, the 2xMH-60 had the newer upswept engine exhaust. 1xMH-47 also.
July 12-16 2022
US Navy VRM-30 Titans "Rudy"
Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
33/BUNO 169440
30/BUNO 169437
US Navy VM-15 Blackhawks
Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon
TB 15 /BUNO 162510 //color bird
TB 17 /BUNO 162504
USMC VMM-265
Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey
EP 14/BUNO 168237
US Navy VFA-125 Rough Raiders "Raider"
Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II
NJ 435/BUNO 169303
NJ 446/BUNO 169803
NJ 430/BUNO 169160
NJ 432/BUNO 169034
USMC VMM-362 Ugly Angels
YL-21/BUNO 163074 Sikorsky CH-53E
YL-12/BUNO 168668 Bell Boeing MV-22B
Fast Air Ltd "Faster"
Lear 35/36
N51FN
N26FN
US Navy HSC-3 Merlins "Landslide"
Sikorsky MH-60S
36/BUNO 166307 //carrying AMNS anti mine system on hardpoint
US Navy VRC-30 Providers "Password"
Grumman C-2A Greyhound
36/BUNO 162178
37/BUNO 162141
20/BUNO 162147
US Navy HSM-49 Scorpions
Sikorsky MH-60R
TX 48 / BUNO 167056 //color bird
US Navy (FRCSW)
McDD F-18C Hornet
BUNO 164946 //probably post maintenance check flight, no marking other than BUNO
McDD F-18E Super Hornet
115/166904 //MODEX but no sqn or tail markings
US Navy VFA-97 Warhawks
Lockheed Martin F-35C
NE 400 /BUNO 169799 //'CAG' on landing gear door, no color or special markings
NE 401 /BUNO 169800 //sqn CO bird on landing gear door, no other special markings/color
US Navy HM-14 Vanguard
Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon
BJ /BUNO 163054
Indian Navy
Sikorsky MH-60R
IN 752 //almost directly overhead, couldn't see BUNO
US Navy VFA-122 Flying Eagles
Boeing F-18F Super Hornet
133/BUNO 166463
Binocular spotting from the front door this morning...
21/BUNO 169446 CMV-22B
Kalitta N403KZ Boeing 747-400 //needed 3 passes before it could land on runway, short hop from LAX
Convoy 4734//BUNO 166696 Boeing C-40 Clipper
USAF Boeing C-17 (99-0062 according to adsb) has flown past the living room at least 3 times today. Looking at the flight path on adsb, looks like they are dropping parachutists in the south bay.
15 Sept
230p-520p The Growlers were flying 9a-9p on the 14th, and started taking off approx 9a today, but I usually go out when I hear them take off after lunch to get better lighting.
US Navy VRC-30 Providers
Grumman C-2 Greyhound
37/162141 //Password 37
US Navy VRM-30 Titans "Rudy"
Bell-Boeing CMV-22B
Rudy 20
//take off only, too far for photos. This bird has color paint on the tail, appears similar to VRC-30 yellow/blue sunburst
US Navy VAQ-129 Vikings
Boeing EA-18G Growler
NJ 560/169210
NJ 501/169212
NJ 503/169216
NJ 525/166895 //special tail-sword crossed w/lightning bolt on red background
Sun Country Airlines
Boeing 737-700
SCX8901/N713SY //charter direct from Andrews AFB
Still collecting photos, will post once Growlers go back to Whidbey
Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Doc"
OK, she didn't take off from or land at NASNI, she went in a straight line from Brown Field to Pt Loma, passing 1-2 miles off Dog Beach, but she DID call Island Tower. The conversation went something like this:
DOC: "Island Tower, Doc72, B-29, requesting clearance thru Class Bravo airspace"
Island Tower: "Uh, Doc 72? Say again type?"
DOC: "Island Tower. Boeing. B-29 Superfortress. WWII Heavy bomber." Very slowly and distinctly. Doc was headed to MCAS Miramar for this weekends air show.
US Navy VRM-30 Titans "Rudy"
Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
36/BUNO 169443 //marked "VRM 30 Det 2 USS Abraham Lincoln" on fuselage under wing
nn/BUNO 169452 //Rudy 22 on radio
US Navy VT-7 Training Wing 1
McDonnell Douglas T-45C Goshawk
A162/BUNO 165604 //another T-45C landed early in the morning, nn observed
US Navy VAW-117 Wallbangers
Grumman E-2D Hawkeye
604/BUNO 167930 //Banger 72--asked for touch and go, had to settle for low approach
US Navy Fleet Logistics Office "Convoy"
Boeing C-40A Clipper
BUNO 165832
BUNO 168981
BUNO 165833
US Navy VR-64 Condors
Lockheed C-130T
BD 161/BUNO 165161
US Navy VR-62 Nomads
Lockheed C-130T
JW 641/BUNO 166641
The Ones That Got Away-- following all departed off runway 18, no numbers observed
4xSuper Hornet
3xF-35
CMV-22B--Rudy 20 //this bird is taunting me, came home long after sunset
USS Lincoln departed this afternoon, presumably for CQ duty
USS Nimitz in port, but leaving soon, newspaper says she is here to do her COMPTUEX prior to deploying in the near future
US Navy VX-9 Vampires "Vandy"
Boeing F-18F Super Hornet
XE 444 //These kids made one of the best overhead breaks I've heard in years-- they came in very fast and were so loud at first I thought it was an F-35
US Navy VRM-30 Titans "Rudy"
Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
36/BUNO 169443 //marked "VRM 30 Det 2 USS Abraham Lincoln" on fuselage under wing
nn/BUNO 169452 //Rudy 22 on radio
US Navy Fleet Logistics Office "Convoy"
Boeing C-40A Clipper
BUNO 165831
Fast Air Ltd "Faster"
Lear 35/35
N16FN
N18FN
US Navy VAQ-139 Cougars NA-50x
Boeing EA-18G Growler
501/168372
502/169134
500/168256 //color bird
506/169209
505/168904
503/168896
504/168206 //carrying Harm
Landing on 36 (ie backlit and a mile away) we had
Boeing 747-400 Camber 501 N729CA //from Ft Campbell, KY, flight and tail numbers from online source(s) and radio
Probably my sloppiest report yet. Sitting in my living room and hear prop engines that made me think a warbird came down from the Miramar airshow. Definitely NOT a C-2, C-130, King Air or anything that normally flies out of North Island, sounds more like 70-80 year old non turbo prop engines. Look at one of the real time tracking sites and we have not one, but -2- DC-3s flying over the National Cemetery, right down the centerline of runway 11/29 at North Island, and then dropping multiple parachutists on the Hotel Del. I don't know if this is some sort of San Diego Market Garden memorial, or if they are dropping WWII vets tandem on the beach (they've done this more than once in the past).
Douglas DC-3
N8336C
N45366 //both birds flying out of KSDM Brown Field.
While I was looking at the window at the parachutes descending, we also had 2 T-45Cs landing at North Island (and in the time its taken to write all this, 2 more Goshawks have come in). The sun is not great for photos right now, but I'll go out later this afternoon and try to get some shots/numbers.
EDIT:the rest of the story
When the sun started coming back down it was time to head to the beach. Most of the Goshawks were done flying but I did catch a few. It was the strangest flying I'd even seen at North Island. Solo pilot, no instructor. A Goshawk would take off, raise the gear, make a 90 degree left turn to fly down the channel, and then immediately break downwind for landing. Total time in the air, maybe 3 minutes. Never got above 1500 feet.
all planes landing on 29 except as noted
US Navy Training Wing 2
McDonnell Douglas T-45C Goshawk
B216/BUNO 167084
B213/BUNO 163613
B245/BUNO 167090
US Army Lakota UH-72A
'Army 037' on scanner, too far for visual number observation //came up and asked Island Tower to fly over the Bridge, up the channel, out to Pt Loma, and then once it was a mile offshore went south towards OLF and a Strand Transition back towards Brown Field.
US Navy VRM-30 Titans "Rudy"
Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
37/BUNO 169444 //marked VRM-30 Det 2
US Navy VAQ-129 Vikings NJ-5xx
Boeing EA-18G Growler
NJ-543/BUNO 166930
Seen departing off Runway 18 C-17 no numbers
Landing on 36
Reach 849 C-17 from March Field no numbers observed
Last edited by SBGrad on 25 Sep 2022, 16:59, edited 2 times in total.
Noted at sunset on 24Sep from the Cabrillo Monument area were the following of interest:
165830 Boeing C-40A United States Navy VR-59 -/830
165835 Boeing C-40A United States Navy VR-57 -/835
169437 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-30 30
169438 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-30 (31)
169439 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-30 32
169440 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-30 33
169443 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-30 36
169444 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-30 37
169445 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-30 20
169447 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-50 50
169449 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-50 52
169450 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-30? uncoded
169451 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-50 53
169452 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-50 uncoded
169454 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-50 uncoded
169455 CMV-22B Osprey United States Navy VRM-50 uncoded
91714 MV-22B Osprey Japan Ground Self-Defense Force JG-1714
91715 MV-22B Osprey Japan Ground Self-Defense Force JG-1715
IN752 Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk Indian Navy parked with the HSM-41 Seahawks
N368SS DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 Rampart Aviation
N403ML DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 Rampart Aviation
N218Q King Air 350CER United States Department of Homeland Security
N917A King Air 350CER United States Department of Homeland Security
plus 2 other King Air 350CER unidentified.
As mentioned, there has been a large influx of TAW-1/TAW-2 T45As with no less than 39 on the back ramp at sunset. Angles, fading light and obstructions meant that only a dozen codes were identified:
