The Desert Odyssey in Photos – All Good Things...

[mrhenniger]

I couldn’t sleep in this day. I was on the road at the crack of down since it was going to take an hour to get to my first stop for the day... Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Gila Bend Municipal Airport, Gila Bend, Arizona, United States - F-101 x2
...The sun was still low by the time I got there, but I managed to get a few decent shots.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - RF-101C-75-MC Voodoo, s/n 56-0130 USAF, c/n 385


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - RF-101C-70-MC Voodoo, s/n 56-0112 USAF, c/n 352

[mrhenniger]

From Gila Bend I headed east to Eloy on the hunt for a Lodestar which I managed to find at the airport...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Eloy Municipal Airport, Eloy, Arizona, United States - 10 airframes
...but unfortunately I could only get one angle to shoot it.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - R5O-5 Lodestar, s/n 12474 USN, c/n 2404, c/r N631LS

[mrhenniger]

From Eloy I headed southeast along the I-10 to Marana. Marana is THE place for interesting A-4 Skyhawk stuff, starting with Fighting Classics...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Fighting Classics - 20 airframes

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4B Skyhawk, s/n 3A0104 MASDC, c/n 11766


[url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=54554]
Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4C Skyhawk, s/n 3A319 MASDC, c/n 12783[/url]


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4L Skyhawk, s/n 3A441 MASDC, c/n 12439


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4L Skyhawk, s/n 3A0412 MASDC, c/n 12827, c/r N219AT


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - CH-21B Work Horse [42], s/n 52-8693 USAF, c/n B.55


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - F-8D Crusader, s/n 147070 USN


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - F-8D Crusader, s/n 148689 USN


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4 Skyhawk
I AM LOOKING FOR ID INFO FOR THIS SKYHAWK. CAN YOU HELP?


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4 Skyhawk
I AM LOOKING FOR ID INFO FOR THIS SKYHAWK. CAN YOU HELP?


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4 Skyhawk
I AM LOOKING FOR ID INFO FOR THIS SKYHAWK. CAN YOU HELP?


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Photo - A-4 Skyhawk
I AM LOOKING FOR ID INFO FOR THIS SKYHAWK. CAN YOU HELP?

Last edited by mrhenniger on Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:29 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[mrhenniger]

The next stop was just north of Fighting Classics on the same side of the airport. I didn’t know there was a jump school there...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Jump School - An-2
...and I was surprised to see an An-2 parked on the ramp. I was trying to get a few shots through the fence when an attendant offered to let me on the ramp so I could get a better shot. I couldn’t say no!

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - An-2, c/n 1G22331, c/r N87AN

[mrhenniger]

The next stop was simply next-door. The gent from the jump school took me on a tour along the ramp to view a number of aircraft in storage. It is my understanding they are stored with an organization called Central Air Service...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Central Air Service - 8 airframes
...although I didn’t see an office or any hangars. This stop was one of the highlights of my trip as the aircraft parked there are very interesting and photographed very well. Think about it... How many places in the world can you see two Lockheed Connies parked together? Dayton maybe? Marana is one of them. It was suggested to me that these airframes may not be kept there much longer. Apparently there is pressure to clear out the “old planes”. I have a good idea what that means.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - VC-121A Super Constellation, s/n 48-0610 USAAF, c/n 749-2602, c/r N9463




Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-54Q Skymaster, s/n 56548 USN, c/n 22202, c/r N67034


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-54S Skymaster, s/n 56489 USN, c/n 10592, c/r N96451


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P2V-7S Neptune, s/n PA0016 MASDC, c/n 726-7198, c/r N80232


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-54R Skymaster, s/n 90412 USN, c/n 27368, c/r N96361


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-45H Expeditor [D18S], s/n 52-10850 USAF, c/n AF-780, c/r N9370Z


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - SNB-5P Expeditor, s/n 23793 USN, c/n 5887, c/r N5646


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-121G-LO Super Constellation, s/n 54-4062 USAF, c/n 1049B-4137, c/r N105CF


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - VC-54N Skymaster, s/n 90392 USN, c/n 27232, c/r N67040

[mrhenniger]

So after photographing the old transports all I had to do was turn around a photograph a number of A-4s parked on the ATW Aviation ramp...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - ATW Aviation / Bill Muzsala - 10 airframes
...They were working on the ramp so I didn’t think it would be wise to walk around. I photographed what I could from where I could.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4C Skyhawk, s/n 3A323 AMARC, c/n 12310, c/r N128AT


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4L Skyhawk, s/n 3A460 AMARC, c/n 12433, c/r N135AT


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4L Skyhawk, s/n 3A474 AMARC, c/n 12435, c/r N142AT


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4L Skyhawk, s/n 3A456 MASDC, c/n 12880, c/r N225AT


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4C Skyhawk, s/n 3A395 AMARC, c/n 12695, c/r N203AT


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4C Skyhawk, s/n 3A332 AMARC, c/n 12766, c/r N205AT



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4L Skyhawk, s/n 3A464 MASDC, c/n 12825, c/r N218AT


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - HU-16E Albatross [G-111], s/n 10019 TBP, c/n G-092/40B, c/r N10019


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - T-28B Trojan, s/n 138213 USN, c/n 200-284, c/r N312AS

[mrhenniger]

The next step was to visit the sites around Tucson. First stop was a legion post in Corona de Tucson...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - American Legion Post 109 - F-4
...where they have Phantom displayed.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - NF-4E Phantom II, s/n 66-0294 RCAF, c/n 2389

[mrhenniger]

The next stop was Ryan Field near Valencia West...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - ARDCO - C-54
...where a C-54 has been parked for a while.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-54D-15-DC Skymaster, s/n 43-17228 USAAF, c/n 22178, c/r N9015Q


This C-54 has been recently reregistered in Florida, so I expect it will be moving soon. If anyone hears of this one heading out please let me know.

[mrhenniger]

The last Tucson periphery stop was the VFW in Three Points...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10254 - AH-1
...where an AH-1 is displayed. Unfortunately the gate at the road was closed, and I really didn’t feel like trespassing so I got what shots I could from the road.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - AH-1F Cobra [209], s/n 68-17104 US Army

[mrhenniger]

I had been looking forward to touring the scrap yards at DM for years. My first stop was ARM...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Aircraft Restoration and Marketing - 90 airframes
...I didn’t have permission to tour the facility, so I just photographed what I could through the fence and open gate.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - KC-97L Stratotanker, s/n CH610 AMARC, c/n 16635, c/r N97GX


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - KC-97L Stratotanker, s/n 53-3816 USAF, c/n 17149


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-47B-45-DK [DC-3], s/n CB398 AMARC, c/n 16897, c/r N374AS


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-117D [DC-3], s/n 17194 USN, c/n 13005, c/r N107BF


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-117A Skytrooper [DC-3]
IF ANYONE HAS ANY ID INFORMATION FOR THIS C-117 PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I HAVE GOOGLED EVERYTHING I CAN BUT HAVE COME UP WITH NOTHING.


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-123K Provider, s/n MC0002 AMARC, c/n 20108, c/r N123KJ


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-130A Hercules, s/n 56-0523 USAF, c/n 182-3131, c/r NR125TG


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-130E Hercules, s/n 62-1821 USAF, c/n 382-3784


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - EC-130Q Hercules, s/n 2G009 AMARC, c/n 382-4277


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Photo - P-3B Orion, s/n 152728 USN, c/n 185-5168


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P-3 Orion
IF ANYONE HAS ANY ID INFORMATION FOR THIS ORION PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I HAVE NO IDEA WHICH P-3 THIS IS.

[mrhenniger]

You may remember from another thread back in August the H-34s at Jack’s Government Surplus...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Jacks Government Surplus Storage Site
...were being scrapped. The remaining debris was shipped off to Taiwan for recycling. I missed viewing the collection of a hundred plus H-34s by a few weeks. Only four were held back from scrapping and I was able to photograph two of them from outside the fence.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - H-34 Choctaw


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - H-34 Choctaw


IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION FOR THE REMAINING FOUR H-34s PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Last edited by mrhenniger on Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

The next yard I visited was National...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - National / Southwest Alloys - 40 airframes
...I have been told this scrap yard is in the process of closing. There isn’t much left there, at least nothing of interest to warbird enthusiasts. It was nearly impossible to get any pictures of the C-119s. I had to use my point and shoot to get a shot from a distance. The results are not good, but at least they are something.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-119F Flying Boxcar, s/n 4C015 AMARC, c/n 10900


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-119G Flying Boxcar, s/n 53-8071 USAF, c/n 174



While leaving the place I noticed two F-86 fuselage sections. It was not convenient to turn around at the time, so I returned first thing the next morning. There was someone at the gate this time, and they allowed me into get up close to the Sabre remains...

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - F-86H-1-NA Sabre [NA-187], s/n 52-2017 USAF, c/n 187-43




Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - F-86H-10-NH Sabre [NA-203], s/n 53-1512 USAF, c/n 203-284

[mrhenniger]

While planning this trip I was told there was nothing stored at K-Tech...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - K-Tech Aviation (formerly) - H-34
...but while passing by I spotted this H-34.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - UH-34D Choctaw, s/n 3H0215 MASDC, c/n 58-1401

[mrhenniger]

Continuing down South Wilmot road from K-Tech is the next contractor yard, Western International...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Western International - 50 airframes
...where I was able to get a number of photos from outside the fence.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-27A Spartan [G-222], s/n AACC0008 AMARC, c/n 4102


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - T-43A [737-253], s/n TH0001 AMARC, c/n 20688, c/r N146JS

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-131D-CO Samaritan, s/n CS085 AMARC, c/n 226, c/r N1037S


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - DHC-4A Caribou, c/n 217, c/r N91NC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-118B Liftmaster [DC-6], s/n 8C034 AMARC, c/n 43693, c/r N851CE


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - C-118B Liftmaster [DC-6], s/n CG103 AMARC, c/n 43704, c/r N651CE



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - EC-118A Liftmaster [DC-6], s/n 53-3245 USAF, c/n 44616, c/r N9059J


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - HU-16E Albatross [G-111], s/n 42030 MASDC, c/n G-323/43C, c/r N330LL



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - HU-16 Albatross [G-111]
I HAVE NO ID INFO FOR THIS ALBATROSS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHICH HU-16 THIS ONE IS!


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - HU-16 Albatross [G-111]
I HAVE NO ID INFO FOR THIS ALBATROSS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHICH HU-16 THIS ONE IS!


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - TS-2A Tracker, s/n 1S714 AMARC, c/n G-89-635, c/r N428DF {1}


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - EC-130Q Hercules, s/n 161496 USN, c/n 382-4904


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - SP-2H Neptune, s/n 1P273 AMARC, c/n 726-7039, c/r N9AU


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - SP-2H Neptune, s/n 147959 USN, c/n 726-7209, c/r N717AU


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - SP-2H Neptune, s/n PA0012 AMARC, c/n 726-7284, c/r N719AU


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - U-8D Seminole
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHICH U-8 THIS ONE IS?

[mrhenniger]

Further up the road is United...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - United Aeronautical Corporation - 140 airframes
...This is a large yard with many airframes. I photographed what I could, but most had to be taken with my point-and-shoot. I will only post a selection here, but if you would like to see them all you can view the slideshow here...
Aerial Visuals - Airframe Gallery

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - E-1B Tracer, s/n 1E0030 MASDC, c/n G-117-87


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 1S0415 MASDC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 1S389 AMARC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 1S0381 MASDC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 1S0646 AMARC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 1S0372 MASDC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 147891 USN


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 1S0651 MASDC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - DC-130A Hercules, s/n 2G0003 AMARC, c/n 182-3048


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Photo - S-2G Tracker, s/n 1S567 AMARC, c/n 279C


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - TF-1 Trader [G-96], s/n 7C0004 MASDC, c/n G-96-16, c/r N61932


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 1S648 AMARC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 148727 USN


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - US-2D Tracker, s/n 1S418 MASDC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-2A Tracker, s/n 1S455 AMARC, c/n G-89-448


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - TS-2A Tracker, s/n 1S538 AMARC, c/n G-89-172


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - E-2B Hawkeye, s/n 2E016 AMARC, c/n 49


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - E-1B Tracer, s/n 1E0026 MASDC, c/n G-117-50