Mesa Gateway airport in Arizona does get some airline visitors. Allegiant was bringing some jets in while we were visiting early last year. GlobalX also had some coming in. Judging by how many of their jets I saw off to one side not looking too active, I assume they undertake some maintenance work there too. Not a ton of variety with these two but here are some shots of their planes. Makes a change to not show a GlobalX jet at Boeing Field!
The museum at Pima is well stocked with interesting aircraft. However, the backyard beyond the fence for the museum area also provides some interesting stuff. Some of these things are going to be museum exhibits before too long but I am not sure all of them are. During my last visit, there were a few things of note when peering over the fence.
Probably the one that will get most attention is an F-117 Nighthawk. It was sitting alongside a SEPECAT Jaguar (big fave of mine) and an F/A-18C Hornet. There was a Royal Norwegian Air Force P-3 Orion and I think that was in for some work rather than ready to be displayed. Another P-3 was there in AWACS configuration as previously used by the Coast Guard. The fuselage of a Tunnan was close to the fence while a pair of Dash 7s were sitting without engines. An old United 727 was further off as well. What an amazing collection of stuff to get as a bonus during a visit.
This Grumman Albatross is now an exhibit at the Pima museum in Tucson AZ. An Albatross is a cool plane anyway so might be worthy of a post but what I really liked about this one was the joined-up thinking for using it. An amphibious plane is clearly going to be used to “land” on water a lot of the time. When on water, you would really want to have your jetskis to hand. Putting them in the hull and trying to launch them seems like a lot of hassle. Instead, why not mount them directly to the wing and lower them from there directly to the water. Far more efficient.
One of the tricky decisions you have to make when photographing planes in the Tucson area is which airfield to focus on. The international airport can have some interesting traffic but it isn’t far to Davis Monthan AFB. It can similarly have some stuff to photograph. However, both can have quiet periods. Where to be? Some Canadian Hornets were deployed to DM during our visit, and we were hoping to get some shots of them – putting aside the irony of a Canadian travelling to Arizona to photograph Canadian jets.
We were down at the International Airport when we saw in the distance that the Hornets were up. A rapid relocation ensued. It isn’t a long trip between the two but when planes are in motion, you don’t have much time to play with. Fortunately, Mark was the designated driver on this trip. As we pulled up to the right area, we got to a red light. The jets were turning on approach so I jumped out of the car and started getting shots. Mark had to find somewhere to safely pull off. I recall he still got some shots but I had it easier as a result of my rapid vehicle exit!
A bit of a step back for today’s post. This one goes back to early ’24 when Mark and I were in Arizona. We had done a night shoot at the Pima museum the evening before courtesy of our friend Joe. We decided to head back during the following day to see everything in daylight. Despite being early in the year, the temperatures were pretty high and there was a limit to how much I could handle outside. I did get a few different subjects but then it was time to retreat to the hangars to get out of the sun.
The museum was more extensive than I recall from my original visit years ago. I don’t know whether the hangars had all been added since I last visited or I had just not realised what I was missing. Whatever the reason, there was plenty to see. The variety of exhibits is just amazing. Whether it is vintage fighters, old civil aircraft or widebody jets, there is something there for any speciality. The strength of the collection makes it possible for them to get all sorts of exhibits, and their space means that can be of any size. Recently, they have taken delivery of a Martin Mars flying boat, for example. No small task when you aren’t too close to any water!
Early in 2024, Mark and I were down in Arizona photographing aviation in all its forms. We did spend a little time in Glendale at Luke AFB and seeing a wide variety of F-35As (if you count variety as meaning very slightly different low visibility markings). One of the jets that came overhead on approach, and it had a pair of open doors on the underside. Initially I thought that this was the Integrated Power Pack outlet but then I saw that was next to the doors. It is actually the flare dispenser and I guess the doors must be stuck open after something from the mission.
During the Arizona trip, Mark and I swung by Pinal Airpark in Marana to see what was stored on the airfield. There are aircraft that are operational here and some come in for maintenance but there are also a lot that are stored, either indefinitely or until the demand for them returns. Lots of the older types are ones that you know will not be going anywhere again. The 777s and A330s do have a good chance of finding another use. There were a ton of American Eagle EMB145s lined up near the fence. Not sure what will happen to them. The smaller regional jets are not so popular at this point, but they could find a role at some point.
All planes cease to be of use at some point. It is a bit sad to see them when that time comes but they may well contribute parts to those that remain so that is a plus. Additionally, it is interesting to see such a wide variety of different operators represented in the collection of planes stored. Some of them have replaced the jets with something newer and better while others failed as airlines and the planes became surplus. It is a change from seeing the same operators all the time.
Early 2024, during the trip to Arizona with Mark, we saw plenty of planes moving but also a few that won’t be flying again. Mark knew of a bunch of planes on display in the area and we were able to swing by a few of them during our trip. Some were in odd locations – a school would not be a place I expected an A-26 for example. A Veterans center was a more logical one. Old airframes show up in the oddest places. Here are some from our explorations.
During the visit Mark and I made to Mesa Gateway Airport, we got a couple of rotary visitors to the field as the day was winding down. The first to show up was a Bell 412. The Huey is a very different beast when it is equipped with the modern rotor and this one also sported a nice paint scheme. It looked pretty slick. A bunch of guys were dropped off and then the 412 was back on its way. No idea what they were doing and probably shouldn’t know either.
A short while later, it was an Astar that came in. Maybe not as impressive a livery (although it did look nice) but the evening light was getting better and better, so it did make for a nice image. Looking through the images, one of the passengers seems to be super excited. If I was running around in an Astar all the time, I guess I would be pretty pleased too. A nice way to wrap up a fun day.
For the longest time, there have been efforts by the USAF to drawn down the A-10 force. Various things have held them back from doing this but now there is a pretty concerted effort to retire them. Units are closing down, and it does seem that the aircraft might no longer have a role in the order of battle. There are many fans of the A-10 including me and some will never accept it can be replaced while others will think its time has come. They were produced from the late 70s to the early 80s, so they are definitely old, even if parts of them are a lot newer like the wings.
What we like or think doesn’t matter. They seem to be going away. Consequently, when we were at Davis-Monthan during the Arizona trip, I was pleased to get to shoot a few of the jets working around the pattern there. I know my Harrier experiences this year have shown how wrong you can be about when you will ever see things again, but I figure the number of encounters I shall have with these jets will be limited. Even so, they are continuing to make new developments as Mark found on a follow up visit when he saw a new store mounted on one of the evaluation jets. The A-10 was a favorite of mine in my teens, and it will be a shame when they are all gone.
