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

[mrhenniger]

I hit the road early on the Monday morning and crossed the mountains back into California at sunrise. Just before leaving the Tahoe National Forest got on route 20 west to Grass Valley, a very nice drive. I continued on route 20 west to the west side of Beale Air Force Base to find the Museum of Forgotten Warriors…
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Museum of Forgotten Warriors - H-23, UH-1
…This was one of the locations I failed to find last year as my GPS was confused and was directing me down roads that barely deserved to be called roads or it wanted to direct me across the Air Force Base, and that wasn’t happening! Thanks to Andy West he suggested I approach the site from Linda, just due west of the museum. I did this and this time had no problem finding the place! This museum has two helos on display.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - QUH-1M Iroquois [205], s/n 65-9472 US Army, c/n 1372




Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - OH-23G Raven, s/n 61-3163 USAF, c/r N64879



While I was there one of the museum members was mowing the grass. He stopped his task to take me around one of the buildings to show me a new display…

…This is a display of one set of blank dog tags for each service person who died in the line of duty in Iraq and Afganistan. It is quite a sobering display, and the place makes a tinkling sound something like a wind chime.

[mrhenniger]

When I left the Museum of Forgotten warriors I headed due west, passed though Linda, Marysville, crossed the river into Yuba City, south on route 99 for a short distance than west on Bogue Road. My next stop was a small airstrip which is home to Siller Brothers…
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Siller Brothers Inc. Airport, Oroville, California, United States - 20 airframes
…which rebuilds the Sikorsky S-64. It is a private facility, so I was limited to viewing only what I could from the road, but with a long lens and cropping the photos on the computer I was able to come up with a decent set of pics.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - CH-54A Tarhe [S-64], s/n 66-18411 US Army, c/n 64-013, c/r N2268L


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - CH-54A Tarhe [S-64], s/n 67-18429 US Army, c/n 64-031, c/r N429C


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - CH-54A Tarhe [S-64], s/n 67-18430 US Army, c/n 64-032, c/r N7095B


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - RH-3A Sea King, s/n 148038 USN, c/r N421S


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - CH-54A Tarhe [S-64E], s/n 68-18453 USAF, c/n 64-055, c/r N62352


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - H-54 Tarhe


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - JHH-3E Jolly Green Giant, s/n 66-13285 USAF, c/n 61-583, c/r N614DR

[mrhenniger]

From the Yuba City area I turned south along route 99 Sacramento then backtracked east back to Mc Clellan AFB…
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - McClellan AFB (formerly), Sacramento, California, United States - 10 airframes
…I really need to thank Roger Cain for suggesting I swing by here as he knew the Aero Union P-3s were parked on the ramp. Great tip!

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-2F3AT Turbo Tracker, s/n 1S0519 MASDC, c/n 277C, c/r N441DF {2}



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - MS-760B Paris, c/n 1028, c/r N760X


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P-3A-25-LO Orion, s/n P.3-05 Eda, c/n 185-5036, c/r N917AU



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P-3A-40-LO Orion, s/n 2P0011 MASDC, c/n 185-5074, c/r N925AU


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P-3A-40-LO Orion, s/n 2P0014 MASDC, c/n 185-5082, c/r N927AU



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P-3A-40-LO Orion, s/n 2P0022 AMARC, c/n 185-5085, c/r N923AU


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P-3A-45-LO Orion, s/n 151385 USN, c/n 185-5098, c/r N921AU



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P-3A-45-LO Orion, s/n 2P0017 MASDC, c/n 185-5100, c/r N922AU


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - P-3A-45-LO Orion, s/n 2P0027 AMARC, c/n 185-5104, c/r N900AU

[mrhenniger]

From Sacramento I continued south-west along the I-80 towards San Francisco. The plan was to try and find a UH-1 at an AMVETS post...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 26 -
…but not only was there no UH-1 there was no AMVETS. It was an empty lot! This is in a very nice neighborhood, and I suspect the entire block is up for redevelopment. I didn’t waste any time, and I punched in the street address for my next stop into the car’s GPS, but it took me to nowhere, i.e. in the middle of an empty block on a busy street. I stopped the car pulled out my personal GPS and entered the street address and it took me to a different place but equally inaccurate. Hmmmm… I then entered the lat and lon coordinates and finally it took me to the correct location…
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Monument Court Self Storage - Midget-Mustang MM-1
…now I had heard that a Mustang was displayed on top of a building. I had my doubts, so I suspected it was a replica. As it turned out it was a Mustang Aeronautics MM-1 Midget-Mustang. I was a little disappointed, but someone had gone through much effort to put together a nice display.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - MM-1 Midget-Mustang

[mrhenniger]

Continuing south-west I found may way to the Oakland Aviation Museum…
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Oakland Aviation Museum - 20 airframes
…which I knew was not open on Mondays, but I had time to kill so what the heck. I was able to get a picture of an A-4 which I did not get last year.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - NTA-4J Skyhawk, s/n 154332 USN, c/n 13720

[mrhenniger]

I originally didn’t think I had enough time to visit the Hornet, but with some extra time to spend on this last day of my trip I was able to visit the floating museum before they closed for the day…
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - USS Hornet Museum - 10 airframes
…the primary purpose of the trip was to view progress on the Wildcat restoration, but they had moved some of the planes around since I was last there so I managed to get some shots that I couldn’t last year.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - TA-4J Skyhawk, s/n 158137 USN, c/n 14174


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - FM-2 Wildcat, s/n 55052 USN




Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - TBM-3 Avenger, s/n 69375 USN, c/n 2114, c/r N3965A



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-2B Tracker, s/n 136691 USN, c/n G-89-600, c/r N36AM


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - F11F-1 Tiger, s/n 5F026 AMARC


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - F-14A-140-GR Tomcat, s/n 162689 USN, c/n 535



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - SH-2F Seasprite, s/n 149021 USN, c/n 25, c/r N8059T


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-3B Viking, s/n 160599 USN, c/n 394A-1179



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - T-28B Trojan, s/n 138349 USN, c/n 200-420, c/r N4614


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - FJ-2 Fury, s/n 132057 USN


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - HUP-1 Retriever, s/n 124915 USN


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - UH-34D Choctaw, s/n 3H0229 MASDC, c/n 58-1680, c/r N857BA


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - SH-3H Sea King, s/n 148999 USN, c/n 61-073


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - F-8A Crusader, s/n 143703 USN


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - F-8C Crusader, s/n 147034 USN

[mrhenniger]

This was the end of the day for me. I got to the airport and returned my rental car. I swear I saw the attendant look twice when he checked the odometer. I did my best to look innocent. I got my bags checked in, went through the security with many hours to go before my flight. I really like SFO. They provide free WIFI and benches where you can sit down with your laptop and plug in for power. I had plenty of room to get out my cameras and download the pics from the day and sort pictures from the trip. It was a nice way to end a long trip.

Let me know if any of you have any questions!

Mike

[cooper9411]

Once again, Thank you. Nice pictures, any more?

[mrhenniger]

Once again, Thank you.

You are welcome.

Nice pictures, any more?

You want more? Really?

Mike

[cooper9411]

Um, heck yeah!!!!!

[tailhook]

I really enjoyed your trip report Mike. It was just like being there, minus all the driving!

Cheers!
Craig

[tex-fan]

great trip, and great pics. thanks again for sharing. one question. how many miles did you log?

[mrhenniger]

I really enjoyed your trip report Mike. It was just like being there, minus all the driving!

You are welcome.

great trip, and great pics. thanks again for sharing. one question. how many miles did you log?

It was in the ball park of 3,700 miles.

Mike

[DaveG]

good stuff, Mike. Thanks again for sharing them all!

[Roger Cain]

Glad you could catch the ex-Aero Union P-3s when you did Mike, I understand they are all parked in a bunch now for the upcoming auction. We did a road trip the last few days which took us by many locations also, and found the T-29 Aerodogs (your 2010 CA road trip) Convair hotdog restaurant closed also on Wednesday. We tried their number and got a disconnected line, could be that they are now out of business?