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Been and Gone

by | Sep 28, 2024 | Airport History, Aviation History, Aviation News, Spotting

Last KC10 Extender

It would seem that the last KC10 Extender has been and gone at Prestwick, or anywhere for that matter. I was a spotter before they were a thing, I’m still a spotter after they have gone. It seems odd to know that there will never be another one as a Prestwick Visitor. There was something quite majestic about them, now the feeling will be nostalgia.

Only photographs and log books will record that they were ever at Prestwick, survivors are now relegated to museums. I’ll no doubt feel the same when the Galaxy and the Stratotanker goes, but there’s progress for you.

Enthusiats would have felt the same when any number of aircraft were retired from service. At least now there is more focus on preserving some examples, I doubt that we’ll see one flying though. There are examples of large aircraft being kept flying, but I’m confident when I say you won’t see a Red Bull Extender.

Still that’s progress for you!

 

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But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are as dated in the bar graph on the down load page – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows.

Please note these files are provided for personal use, if you want to use them for any other purpose or if you want to make them available through your own site – get in touch first.

 

 

Prestwick Brabazon Visit

by | Aug 30, 2024 | Airport History, Spotting, Spotting News, Wrecks and Relics

The good old days.

Seventy three years ago this week, there was a real feeling of optimism in the aviation industry – which was at its zenith. The British aviation industry employed more people than the NHS does today, there were new aircraft at all stages of the development cycle. One of those was the Bristol Brabazon, considered in some respects to be the first “wide body” airliner, to give some context the Brabazon fuselage had a diameter which was nearly six feet more than that of a Boeing 747 and was over a foot wider than that of an Airbus A380.

Big as it was, the Brabazon was planned to carry no more than 100 passengers – with the flagship companies of the day in some cases planning a layout accommodating less than 40 people. This would give each passenger the equivalent of a small room of space, using modern spacing methods – it would have carried around 300 passengers, at the time it was to have become the new queen of the skies – replacing the Imperial flying boats.

On August the 28th 1951 the Brabazon arrived at Prestwick, it was to have made a number of flights – but due to adverse weather made only one on Wednesday the 29th carrying The Seretary of State for Scotland.

At that same time the British aviation industry was engaged in the production or development of over 60 different types of civilian, military and research fixed wing airfrom the Auster to the Wyvern.

But there are spotters who are regulars at Prestwick who were there on the day the Brabazon was there, still talking about it – ah nostalgia for the good old days.

 

Support this site.

It does take some time and effort to create these downloads, also there are a number of costs associated with running the site. So if you can consider supporting this site with a donation it would be helpful, if you find the site useful then why not treat me to a doughnut – or even a doughnut and a coffee if you’re feeling really flush.

But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are as dated in the bar graph on the down load page – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows.

Please note these files are provided for personal use, if you want to use them for any other purpose or if you want to make them available through your own site – get in touch first.

 

 

AMC Removing Markings

by | Aug 12, 2024 | Airport History, Aviation News, Database, Online Logging, Spotting, Spotting News

Serial Removal

Whats the problem with a visible serial number or registration, there are none if you are a plane spotter – actually they are quite covenient. But from an operational security perspective, they allow a specific asset to be identified. So Air Mobility Command has decided to remove the visible serial number, along with the data block normally carried on the port side of the aircraft – which also gave the aircraft serial.

AMC Announces

Air Mobility Command has directed its refueling and cargo planes to obscure the majority of identifying information painted on the aircraft, citing national security concerns — an unusual move that is alarming to government watchdogs. (Published by Military,com 01/03/2023)

In truth, the visible serial number on any United States Air Force aircraft is probably under threat – not just the Air Mobility Command sircraft. As technology has made the requirement for a displayed serial number redundant. The USAF approved the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) back in 2009, so the visible serial number has probably been on the way out since then – although it seems that the decision for AMC was early 2023.

From a support perspective, the tech’s that have to do work on a specific aircraft – just need a simple RFID reader to confirm that it is the correct aircraft. The technology is well proven, think about tapping your bank card to pay at a checkout.

What does it mean for a spotter?

As spotters, we all like to know that what we see is what we think it is. This change means that you have to place trust in the technology, even the Mk 1 eyeball is of no use whatsoever in the case of an aircraft with no markings to identify it. At the moment I’ve managed to identify (possibly) four aircraft reported as having the serials removed, but that could be just three as two of them are reported as KC-135’s – there’s also a C-32 and a C-130 that I’m aware of.

So when it comes to exact ID of the aircraft, it’s down to what you can get from FR24 or ADSB Global – how much you want to trust that is down to you. In the main it is probably pretty accurate, but it is possible to transmit any code or none.

I’m currently trying to put together a composite list of units and aircraft, I will post these (currently speculative) lists when I get a chance.

 

Support this site.

It does take some time and effort to create these downloads, also there are a number of costs associated with running the site. So if you can consider supporting this site with a donation it would be helpful, if you find the site useful then why not treat me to a doughnut – or even a doughnut and a coffee if you’re feeling really flush.

But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are as dated in the bar graph on the down load page – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows.

Please note these files are provided for personal use, if you want to use them for any other purpose or if you want to make them available through your own site – get in touch first.

 

 

On this Day – Prestwick 17/07/1962

by | Jul 17, 2024 | Airport History, Spotting, Wrecks and Relics

Prestwick 17th July 1962

I’m in possesion of some old logs from Prestwick, these date back some 60 plus years – so i thought that I’d share a log that matches the day and the month. It’s great fun looking back over these logs, there was a bit more variety and traffic at Prestwick then.

Below is the log for the day, it probably doesn’t cover the time before the first train and possibly after the last train – spotters used to be dependent on such things. But all in all I’m sure that you’ll agree that it was a not bad day, I’d certainly have liked to be there – it was a further four years before I managed a days spotting at Prestwick.

G-GBIE Beech Travelair Travelair Gmbh. (Ferry)
G-ARUO Comanche 250 Henry & Fawcett.
CCCP-75789 Il-18 Aeroflot.
G-ARHV Tri-Pacer Duncan Logan (Contrs.) Ltd.
PH-DSM DC-7C KLM
PH-DCA DC-8 KLM
G-AOVT Brittania 312 BOAC
CF-CZW Brittania 314 Canadian Pacific A/L
18360 CF-100 RCAF
12437 R4D8 USN
17166 R4D8 USN
00377 C-135A USAF
20940 C-124C USAF
30049 C-124C USAF
21014 C-124C USAF
0-50940 C-47 USAF
0-17428 T-33A USAF

All in all, that would have been considered a not bad day for a spotter at Prestwick. If it was a first visit there would have been the CF-100’s and the Sabres all over the back at the Monkton side, there were too many to list here in the short time that I have.

Support this site.

It does take some time and effort to create these downloads, also there are a number of costs associated with running the site. So if you can consider supporting this site with a donation it would be helpful, if you find the site useful then why not treat me to a doughnut – or even a doughnut and a coffee if you’re feeling really flush.

But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are all from the 24th of June 2024 – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows.

 

 

MH370 – Will it be found?

by | Mar 16, 2023 | Airport History, Airport News, Aviation News, Book Reviews, Spotting, Spotting News, Wrecks and Relics

On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER remains one of the most puzzling aviation mysteries of all time. Despite extensive search efforts, the wreckage of the plane has never been found, and the fate of the 239 people on board remains unknown.

The initial search for the plane focused on the South China Sea, where it was believed to have crashed. However, subsequent investigations suggested that the plane had flown off course and may have ended up in the southern Indian Ocean. This led to a massive search effort involving more than two dozen countries, but no trace of the plane was found.

The disappearance of MH370 raised many questions about the safety of air travel and the ability of modern technology to track planes. The plane’s communication systems were deliberately turned off, suggesting that someone on board had hijacked the aircraft. This has led to theories that the plane was intentionally diverted and may have been flown to a remote location.

The search for MH370 was one of the most expensive and extensive in aviation history, costing an estimated $150 million. The search involved advanced underwater search technology, including autonomous underwater vehicles and towed sonar systems. Despite these efforts, the wreckage of the plane has never been found, leading some to speculate that the search was not thorough enough or that the plane may have been deliberately hidden.

The disappearance of MH370 has had a profound impact on the aviation industry. It has led to increased scrutiny of airline safety procedures, including the use of satellite tracking systems and cockpit security measures. It has also raised concerns about the need for improved communication and coordination between airlines and aviation authorities.

In addition to the technical and operational questions raised by the disappearance of MH370, there have also been emotional and psychological impacts on the families of the passengers and crew. For many, the lack of closure and the uncertainty surrounding the fate of their loved ones has been devastating.

In conclusion, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 remains one of the most baffling aviation mysteries of all time. The extensive search efforts have failed to locate the wreckage of the plane, leaving many questions unanswered. The incident has had far-reaching implications for the aviation industry and has led to increased scrutiny of safety procedures and technology. Despite the passage of time, the search for answers continues, and the families of the passengers and crew remain in search of closure.

Prestwick and Lend Lease

by | Jul 14, 2022 | Airport History, Spotting

Prestwick was the northerly most UK airfield on the Crimson Route, the northerly, shorter and mainly summer trans atlantic route for lend lease aircraft with the range and equipment to make the trip.

There were four UK airfields that were arrival points for lend lease air traffic, these were RAF St Mawgan, RAF Valley, RAF Nutts Corner and Prestwick. The most used was RAF Valley, due to it’s proximity to the USAAF Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in East Anglia – recieving some 60 – 70 aircraft each day.

Prestwick Airport did manage some 37,000 landings of mainly Lend Lease aircraft, being located closest to RAF Reykjavik in Iceland and RAF Vágar in the Faroe Islands. It was the initial ATC recieving base in United Kingdom for ferried aircraft from the United States. 1403d AAFBU. Began operations in July 1941 as the Eastern Terminus, Atlantic Division, Ferrying Command. In Jan 1943 it became the Head Quarters of Air Transport Command, Eastern European Wing. Prestwick remained as the main terminus of the North Atlantic route throughout the war.

With the begining of the Lend Lease traffic and the later entry of the United States into the war, Prestwick was assigned the station ID of AAF 500 with nearby RAF Ayr being assigned AAF 570 – these were used to obfuscate the actual location of the airfields.

Below is a citation from “Army Air Force Stations – by Captain Barry Anderson USAF’

United States military units assigned in the United Kingdom (UK)during World War II had to avoid any direct connection with specific geographic locations for security reasons. Most United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) units therefore identified their location with a “station number.” Although each USAAF installation in the UK was named–generally after the nearest railway station–official correspondence and unit histories most often employed the station number.

The serious use of Prestwick began in September 1941 when the airfield became part of No 44 Group. Many familiar aircraft types such as Boeing B-17, Consolidated B-24 heavy bombers and Canadian-built de Havilland Mosquitoes all passed through on  the transatlantic ferry route operated by the Atlantic Ferry Organisation (ATFERO). Shortly after that No 1425 (Communication) Flight used Consolidated B-24’s and Vickers Wellingtons for the development of a ferry route to the Middle East before being assigned to Lyneham in early 1942. The Air Transport Auxiliary also operated at Prestwick through No 4 Ferry Pilots Pool between 1940 and 1945. All this made the site a very busy airfield with as already stated above some 37,000 aircraft passing through Prestwick by the end of the war.

As mentioned in a previous post, the use of Prestwick Airport for this purpose was promoted by Captain Duncan Macintosh – the relatively fog free local environment was a major plus. But more on that in a future post, as the end of the second world was not as we know the end for Prestwick – unlike so many other USAAF and RAF bases.