P3 Orion AWACs doing T&Gs

[Jay Honeck]

One of the advantages of living on the coast is lots of aviation activity to see. We've got a major helicopter repair station and a Naval Air Station within 20 miles of us, so we get to see lots of cool stuff in the air.

Yesterday evening, however, we saw the rarest of rare sights: a four-engined propeller plane -- the venerable P3 Orion -- doing touch & goes at the naval air station.

These old birds have been converted to AWACs planes for surveillance of our border with Mexico. Nothing sounds like 4 huge propellers, beating the air into submission -- so when one flies over I instantly know what it is. To see one doing bumps and circuits was pretty darned cool.

Here's what the plane looks like: http://www.aviacionargentina.net/foros/picture.php?albumid=80&pictureid=3792

 

[cessna182b]

One of the advantages of living on the coast is lots of aviation activity to see. We've got a major helicopter repair station and a Naval Air Station within 20 miles of us, so we get to see lots of cool stuff in the air.

Yesterday evening, however, we saw the rarest of rare sights: a four-engined propeller plane -- the venerable P3 Orion -- doing touch & goes at the naval air station.

These old birds have been converted to AWACs planes for surveillance of our border with Mexico. Nothing sounds like 4 huge propellers, beating the air into submission -- so when one flies over I instantly know what it is. To see one doing bumps and circuits was pretty darned cool.

Here's what the plane looks like: http://www.aviacionargentina.net/foros/picture.php?albumid=80&pictureid=3792[/QUOTE

For a number of years until recently my office was at the Asheville, NC airport. P3s were frequent visitors - sometimes doing T&Gs and sometimes low approaches. Same for C-130s. In fact, AVL seems to be a magnet for military aviation, be it the big iron, helicopters or trainers. There is no military airfield anywhere near that I am aware of - but AVL is in the middle of the east side of the U.S.

Dave

 

[Ghery]

One of the advantages of living on the coast is lots of aviation activity to see. We've got a major helicopter repair station and a Naval Air Station within 20 miles of us, so we get to see lots of cool stuff in the air.

Yesterday evening, however, we saw the rarest of rare sights: a four-engined propeller plane -- the venerable P3 Orion -- doing touch & goes at the naval air station.

These old birds have been converted to AWACs planes for surveillance of our border with Mexico. Nothing sounds like 4 huge propellers, beating the air into submission -- so when one flies over I instantly know what it is. To see one doing bumps and circuits was pretty darned cool.

Here's what the plane looks like: http://www.aviacionargentina.net/foros/picture.php?albumid=80&pictureid=3792

I watched one make a number of trips around the pattern (large pattern) at LIH last summer. Great show.

 

[silver-eagle]

I grew up 5 miles from NAS So. Weymouth. The squadron of P3s used to practice all the time. When the BRAC Commission recommended NAS So Weymouth closed in 1995, the Minutemen (VP92) moved to Brunswick.
It was nice listening to those 4 engine piston planes. Much better than the fighters. Something more elegant about a piston engine. There were also times when the T&Gs were with an engine feathered.

 

[Doggtyred]

Come hang out at EFD and watch the Super Guppy make circuits.. you wont see that anywhere else

 

[KSCessnaDriver]

Come hang out at EFD and watch the Super Guppy make circuits.. you wont see that anywhere else

Or the Canberra make circuits.