F-5 just flew past the living room window. Checking ADSB-Exchange showed Villain 11, N617TA. Where there is one Villain there are always more. Lincoln left port last week and is offshore, so I am sure that's why the F-5s are down from Reno.
More numbers as I catch them.
Tactical Air Support 'Villain'
Northrup F-5AT
N617TA
N926TA
N697TA
16 Nov
Tactical Air Support 'Villain'
Northrup F-5AT
02/N617TA
08/N926TA
17 Nov
Tactical Air Support 'Villain'
Northrup F-5AT
02/N617TA
08/N926TA
14/N697TA
US Navy VRM-30 Titans 'Rudy'
Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
36/BUNO 169443
37/BUNO 169444
US Navy (VRM-50 Sunhawks)
Bell-Boeing CMV-22B
BUNO 169447 call sign 'Scorch 50' //therefore assuming this is VRM-50 bird
18 Nov
Tactical Air Support 'Villain'
Northrup F-5AT
15/N696TA
14/N697TA
US Navy VRM-30 Titans 'Rudy'
Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
36/BUNO 169443
37/BUNO 169444
VRC-30 Providers 'Password'
Grumman C-2 Greyhound
32/BUNO 162152
36/BUNO 162178
25/BUNO 162145 //after they hit the break Island Tower's shift supervisor came on the radio and told them that they should not be breaking over their hangar, they should break over the runway OVER THE NUMBERS!
US NAVY (R) VFA-204 River Rattlers 'River'
AF 4xx Legacy Hornet all 'C' except as noted
400/BUNO 164264 //flight of 2, 400, 401
401/BUNO 164640
410/BUNO 164655
415/BUNO 164046 //D model
405/BUNO 164201
407/BUNO 164647
//410 led 415, 405 and 407 in a rough diamond from offshore, crossed the Strand, overflew Coronado-SD Bay Bridge at 1000' continued up San Diego Bay, crossed NASNI over RWY 18, and once feet wet initiated left break to downwind and recovery on RWY 29--the only time I've ever seen this in the bay was when the Thunderbirds did a flyover of the Major League Baseball All Star Game
406/BUNO 164217
USMC VMFA-323 Death Rattlers 'Snake'
McDonnell-Douglas F-18C
NA 407/BUNO 165207
I'm pretty sure the first day the Villain jets showed up was November 10th. VFA-204 flew in around the 13-14th. I spent a week on the beach chasing them, and then left town for a week, assuming everybody would be gone by the time I got back.
I was wrong. The Lincoln is still at sea, Tactical Air is still here, so is VFA-204.
29 Nov
Fast Air Limited 'Faster'
Lear 35/36
N84FN
N53FN
VRM-30 Titans
Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
20/169455 //callsign Rudy 30, before landing she was dropping jumpers over the SEALs training complex
4 VFA-204 jets landed as I was walking out to the beach, no numbers, but it turned out it didn't matter, because they flew a 2nd hop in the afternoon. I DID catch the 2 latecomers for the morning flight
USNR VFA-204 River Rattlers 'River'
McDonnell-Douglas F-18C/D
AF 4xx, all C model except as noted
407/BUNO 164647 //standard Navy grey paint
410/BUNO 164655 //dark grey over light grey quasi-Shark camo (USAF and VFC-12 used dark grey over blue for shark)
Morning departure of KC-135 off RWY 18, no numbers
Crown 48, legacy F-18 declared emergency and made straight in approach with hook down to RWY 36. Safely taxied back to ramp.
USAF 'Vegas' //based on serials, and callsign, pretty sure 66 RQS out of Nellis
Sikorsky HH-60G Pavehawk
92-2646x //Vegas 91-- I usually ignore approaching H-60s, but when I caught the refueling probe I leaped for the camera
90-26310 //Vegas 92
Tactical Air Support Inc 'Villain'
Northrop F-5AT
14/N697TA //brown camo
15/N696TA //white grey camo
08/N926TA //brown camo
//these 3 copied VFA-204 and flew a less common approach-- from out at sea, they crossed the Strand south of the Amphib base, flew over the San Diego Coronado Bridge, past downtown and the carrier piers at 1000' (typically the Bay Approach is reserved for the H-60s and sight seeing civilians), made a sharp left and flew down the length of RWY 18. From there they went back out to sea and came back via Shark Initial Point to overhead break and recovery on RWY 29.
VFA-204 afternoon hops
415/BUNO 164046 //dark over light, F-18D
400/BUNO 164264 //dark over light
407/BUNO 164647 //standard Navy grey paint
410/BUNO 164655 //dark grey over light grey
416/BUNO 164053 //River 61 dark over light, F-18D, Strand Transition, passed over the bridge at 1000' past the carrier pier and downtown, did a touch and go on RWY 18, and from the go broke downwind to standard RWY 29 recovery--most of the River birds made this approach, but only River 61 added in the touch n go
