Curacao, Dutch Caribbean pics

[Key]

You did it again, my friend. That's what I call making the best of what is offered

Erik

[Boudewijn van Oirschot]

Beautiful pictures you made Antilliaan! Really enjoyable these pictures but you make me jealous as well!

[Antilliaan]

To give you all a feeling what X-mas in the Caribbean can look like, these pictures were made recently...

One of my favourite aircraft: the RC-135




C-17


Pennsylvania brothers


Coast Guard


and to give an idea what the US FOL can handle

[Tigerspoon]

very very nice shots. thx for sharing

[amarx]

Nice flightline and photo's

[Flanker27]

Nice to see a C-17 taking off in a different kind of weather.

[Antilliaan]

Hola friends,

time for a few more pictures from the sunny Caribbean. Most of these were made over the past year or so, showing some of the variety we have here in both aircraft and spots around the airfield. I hope you enjoy!

First, various Herkybirds on the go:






We don't see Orions too often anymore, but special they are:




tanker galore:




mighty Galaxies:

[CoHaBa]

The C-5 take-off pic is impressive!

[TAZZ]

Nice pics!!
The Herk coded PR seems to be a rare EC-130 "Senior Hunter"

[nhoogenboom]

Nice pics!!
The Herk coded PR seems to be a rare EC-130 "Senior Hunter"

It's just a regular E-model of the Puerto Rico ANG.

Gr.Niels

[SquAdmin]

Great shots, love the US Customs P-3!

[Polecat]

Nice pics!!
The Herk coded PR seems to be a rare EC-130 "Senior Hunter"

It's just a regular E-model of the Puerto Rico ANG.

Gr.Niels

I'm no expert on this matter, but with all these antennae below the fuselage and on the MLG-doors I'd doubt it is a regular E-model.....


great pictures by the way!

[Antilliaan]

thanks guys!

at least the disguise of the Herk seems to work

The Herk is a standard C-130E, modified for counterdrugs missions, hence the extensive antenna suite (Senior Hunter or Senior Scout). It seems to take only a few days to modify the aircraft and turn it back to a normal cargo hauler. It is a modular capsulized radio signal monitoring sensor package that attaches antennaes to easily-removed panels such as landing gear doors and aft crew doors. It collects SIGINT, ELINT and COMINT. Each system carries four to twelve operators to monitor the different frequencies.... ANG units take turns in providing aircraft to be operated in this role. Delaware, Idaho and Dyess Herks have been seen over the past few years with the Senior Hunter suite.

[wamovements]

In fact it only costs a couple of hours. I was at Curacao in 2001 when PA ANG C-130E 63-7815 (which arrived a couple of weeks before) and Dyess AFB C-130H 74-1671 were on the platform (arrived that day). The were swapping the panels form the C-130E and C-130H and a +/- 8 ft red container was also moved from the C-130E into the C-130H. When they discovered me (with probably too large bino) they stopped the work for that day (they all watched me and pointing their finger towards me and suddenly stopped working covering the gear of both aircraft with orange plastic) When I arrived the next morning early the transformation was complete and 63-7815 left as a normal E the carribean, while C-130H had "new" wheel bay doors, and antenna doors in the back!!!

[Antilliaan]

Some more pictures taken at Hato, Curacao, Dutch Caribbean. These were taken over the last half year or so and give an impression of the variety of military visitors you can find here. Most pics were taken from outside the fence, illustrating the photo opportunities we have here. I hope you like them!

Peruvian Fokker 60 delivery (inside)


Boys from Illinois


Grissom tanker


SAC found the island too


Regular visitors are USAF C-17s (inside)


Almost every USAF E-3 has been seen here now


Hawkeyes are seen here at times


love those huge props


very unusual visitor: AdlA Puma from ETOM 00.058 Martinique (inside)


Also from ETOM 00.058 Martinique, a CN-235 (inside)