NAS North Island (KNZY) 2023

[falcx]

On Thursday Febr. 9th, 4 MH-60(M)''s were seen operating from the far end of the MH-60S platform. Also a U-28 was noted on the main visitor platform.

Regards.

06-20021/10-20283/11-20342 and 12-20447

Thanks Warmovements

[foc1]

CMV-22Bs noted on 24 January were:

VRM-30
169445 DC/20 - special tail marks
169446 21
169452 22
169454 24
169437 30
169438 31
169439 32
>>>>>>>>>169441 (34) - read as code 34 yesterday
169442 35
169443 36
169444 37 - special tail marks
169450 70
169456 71
>>>>>>>>>169453 unmarked - read as code 23 yesterday

VRM-50
169457 40
169447 SB/50 - special tail marks
169448 51
169449 52
169451 53
169455 54
169458 55

[SBGrad]

16 March

Binocular/scanner spotting: at least half a dozen F-18Es have landed already this morning. At first all I could make out was tail code NE but with the last one I finally got the scanner out and heard the pilot check in as 'Stinger 23.' I was also able to confirm with that last jet he DID have the VFA-113 tail art. Kinda weird to have most/all of the squadron here with all the carriers still in port, but I guess maybe somebody is headed out soon.

[raameagle]

There is circa 15 NE coded Rhinos and Growlers there as well as four E-2Ds.
You’ll have some fun with that lot
Regards
Mark

16 March

Binocular/scanner spotting: at least half a dozen F-18Es have landed already this morning. At first all I could make out was tail code NE but with the last one I finally got the scanner out and heard the pilot check in as 'Stinger 23.' I was also able to confirm with that last jet he DID have the VFA-113 tail art. Kinda weird to have most/all of the squadron here with all the carriers still in port, but I guess maybe somebody is headed out soon.

[SBGrad]

16 March addendum

After another half dozen F-18s flew past my front door yesterday, I could no longer ignore what was going on.

What follows is from 3 hours at the beach, my typical 'All flying' log ("If it's not in the air, I don't care").

US Navy C-130T 'RU' under wings //flew directly overhead as I was walking on beach, so never saw any numbers

US Navy VAQ-136 Gauntlets Boeing EA-18G Growler
NE 506/166935 //new modex for this BUNO, ex-CAG
NE 504/168938

Lear 35 N16FN

N302PT DHC-4 Caribou //landed on 36, all I heard on scanner was 'Zero Two PT' flightware provided rest of reg, tail configuration made it immediately recognizable vis a vis Kahuna DHC-6s

US Navy VRM-30 Titans Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
36/169443
37/169444 //color tail

Rampart Aviation 'Kahuna'
DHC 6 Twin Otter
N715AL //Kahuna 15
N344CS //Kahuna 44
//One of the Kahuna pilots commented to tower that they'd be hitting the I-Bar* as soon as they returned; with most of the CVW-2 airwing on base, I am quite sure the I-Bar was jumping yesterday

165829 Boeing C-40 Clipper //Convoy 4441

US Navy VFA-192 World Famous Golden Dragons Boeing F-18E
NE 306/169745
NE 307/169746
// both birds had 5 drop tanks, including Cobham refueling stores on centerline

US Air Force 79 RQS Lockheed HC-130J
DM 12-5769

Departing on 29, no numbers, suspected visitors from KY
3xMH47G //avec refueling probes


Rumor Control says that VFA-2 and the E-2s are already on base. One airframe I have most definitely NOT seen (or heard) are the VFA-147 (err, VFA-97, forgot that 147 was sent to the East Coast) F-35s, so with any luck they arrive today. I'm off for Pt Mugu airshow Saturday, and from there straight to Vegas for Red Flag, so yesterday may have been my one and only shot at CVW-2. Depends on how long Vinson stays out. She still hasn't left, so maybe it will be a multi week exercise.


*The I-Bar is in the BOQ, just a short walk from base ops and is one of the bars the Hard Deck from Topgun Maverick is based on. ...yes, you WILL buy the house a round if you leave your cell phone on the bar. If you walk in wearing a cover. If your spouse calls the house phone. If you touch any of the model planes hanging over the bar. We were there last month, and ended up getting 3 free rounds.
https://www.military.com/off-duty/movie ... ed-it.html

[The DJ]

CVN-70 is going out for TSTA & FEP at this moment.

[Key]

*The I-Bar is in the BOQ, just a short walk from base ops and is one of the bars the Hard Deck from Topgun Maverick is based on. ...yes, you WILL buy the house a round if you leave your cell phone on the bar. If you walk in wearing a cover. If your spouse calls the house phone. If you touch any of the model planes hanging over the bar. We were there last month, and ended up getting 3 free rounds.

Great piece of trivia, liked that!

Cheers,
Erik

[SBGrad]

17 March St Patrick's Day (as Island Tower reminded just about every pilot)

N302PT DHC-4 Caribou //this plane lands so slowly it looked almost like it was going backwards

US Navy VRM-30 Titans Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
21/169446

US Navy unknown squadron Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey
nn/169459 //didn't catch it on scanner, no modex on tail

US Navy VAW-113 Black Eagles 'Eagle' CVW-2 USS Carl Vinson
Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
NE 601/169864 //Eagle 21
NE 602/169865 //Eagle 32

Rampart Aviation 'Kahuna'
DHC 6 Twin Otter
N715AL //Kahuna 15
N344CS //Kahuna 44

Indian Navy
Sikorsky MH-60R
IN 751

Dept of Homeland Security 'Troy'
Beech Super King Air
N103KA //Troy 273

165836 Boeing C-40 Clipper //Convoy 4440 from Lemoore

US Air Force 79 RQS Lockheed HC-130J
DM 13-5782 //REACH 5782

Seen from a distance and heard on scanner
MH-60S HSC-4 Black Knights 'Knight 21 and Knight 22' CVW-2 USS Carl Vinson
As soon as Vinson cleared the shipping channel, these 2 birds commenced VERTREP shuttle runs out to the carrier, carrying sling loads.

Besides the Vinson, the Navy also sent out 2xBurke DDGs, 2xIndpendence class LCSs, 1xCG and USS Missouri, a Virginia class SSN that served as the backdrop for the AUKUS talks at the sub base.

[raameagle]

Great logs as always. The three departing MH-47Gs were:

03781
03786
03789

There was one more on the ground.

Regards

Mark

[SBGrad]

*The I-Bar is in the BOQ, just a short walk from base ops and is one of the bars the Hard Deck from Topgun Maverick is based on. ...yes, you WILL buy the house a round if you leave your cell phone on the bar. If you walk in wearing a cover. If your spouse calls the house phone. If you touch any of the model planes hanging over the bar. We were there last month, and ended up getting 3 free rounds.

Great piece of trivia, liked that!

Cheers,
Erik

Happy to share some stories. As they say, the Hollywood version (of whatever) is always tarted up vis a vis its real world counterpart. In the I-Bar just about every military patron is wearing a flight suit, you don't see many khakis. There is no jukebox, nor is there a pool table, and not even a piano in the I-Bar-- not enough space. The cozy confines of the bar is one reason they couldn't use the I-Bar itself for filming. However, there IS a ship's bell which is rung whenever some unfortunate soul breaks a rule to alert the customers that a free drink will be coming their way. Immediately after the bell is rung, the bartender walks up to every patron and hands them a poker chip sized IOU drink token. When you're ready for the free drink, you trade in your token.

[SBGrad]

24 March
1330-1630

All flying log, everything landing on 29

US Marine Corps VMFA-323 Death Rattlers 'Snake'
McDD F-18C Hornet
WS 400
WS 406
WS 408

Lear 36 N18FN

Rampart Aviation 'Kahuna'
DHC-6 Twin Otter
N344CS //44 Charlie Sierra on scanner, they do this when it is not a contracted run out to San Clemente

US Navy VRM-30 Titans 'Rudy'
Bell Boeing CMV-22B CODsprey
70/169450 //Rudy 70
37/169444 //Rudy 37 color tail

Next we have the best catch of the day. I saw the huge square tail 5 miles out at sea and knew I'd be getting another shot at a DHC-4 Caribou. However, I got a shock when I found out this was the -2nd- Caribou to visit NASNI in a week.

Nordluft LLC
DHC-4T Caribou
N238PT //238 Papa Tango on scanner. Very interesting airframe. It spent some time in Afghanistan, and Nordluft has blocked tracking of the flight history for this bird. It also has slightly different paint than any of the photos I can find of it online.

US Navy VFA-113 Stingers
Boeing F-18E Super Hornet
NE 200 / 169951 //CAG colors 'Stingtown' on fuselage

US Marine Corps VMM-163 Ridge Runners 'Evil'
Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey
YP 07/168331

Pix to be posted eventually, still have to sort thru Pt Mugu and RF 23-2

[747woody]

NAS North Island 30/6/23.

Gleaned from a harbour tour last Friday evening, Can anyone fill the blanks?

MH-60S

HSC-3
SA01/
SA02/16629(0)
SA03/168552
SA04/
(SA)07/168555
(SA)08/167861
SA12/166335
SA13/168562
SA15/168539
SA17/
SA18/16 - - -1
SA19/166353
SA20/166339
SA21/
SA23/
SA24/166370
SA25/165776
SA28/166341
SA32/166298
SA36/166307
SA42/166302

HSC-23
(WC)40/168397
WC42/166366 CAG
WC44/166362
WC45/
WC50/167845
(WC)51/167819
(WC)53/
WC54/166364
(WC)55/166305

HSC-21
(VR)61/166332
(VR)63/
(VR)66/166356
(VR)67/
(VR)71/166348
(VR)72/166321
(VR)73/
(VR)74/

HSC-6
(NA)610/
NA612/
(NA)613/1685**
(NA)614/167823

HSC-4
NE613/
NE614/168535
NE617/168537

HSC-14
NG611/168567
(NG)613/167891
NG614/168553

Not noted
+ 610/ in red markings
613/167883

MH-60R flying

HSM-35
TG32/167052
TG34/167071

17/(appeared to have an Australian roundel, so N48-017 RAN???)

All the others on the ramp unidentifiable due to heat haze.

CMV-22B

VRM-50
51/169448
52/169449
53/169451
54/169455
55/169458

+14 on the VRM-30 ramp

FRCSW
store/reclamation?
105/? F/A-18 NAWDC
DT0*/? F/A-18
XE572/? EA-18G VX-9
05/RG60?/? F/A-18
?/? F/A-18
100/? F/A-18
413/? F/A-18
E505?/? E-2

Airworthy?
168216/YR14 MV-22B VMM-161
?/? E-2
-/1624** CH-53E

Five EA-18Gs (VAQ-129?) arrived early afternoon.

Coastal area near Camp Pendleton:

YP12/166481 MV-22B VMM-163
SM40/169272 AH-1Z HMLA-469

[AndyMarden]

Chris,
Thanks for providing another invaluable log.
Andy

[The DJ]

17/(appeared to have an Australian roundel, so N48-017 RAN???)

N48-017 was noted at Fallon early June.
A Insta clip showed an Aussie C17 arriving at NI couple days ago. Most likely to bring this home.

[747woody]

17/(appeared to have an Australian roundel, so N48-017 RAN???)

N48-017 was noted at Fallon early June.
A Insta clip showed an Aussie C17 arriving at NI couple days ago. Most likely to bring this home.

Thanks. The three MH-60Rs appeared to do a flypast of some sort, with the Aussie one in the middle, so guess something was coming to an end.