Back in the late 1960s my dad worked for National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder Colorado. He traveled a lot and one time he came home with a Blue Angels poster about 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall. It was made out of of heavy paper, almost card stock. It had a picture of their planes flying in a group, I think one of them was inverted. It was signed down one side by all of the pilots and commanding officers with a personal message to me and my brother. We moved to Texas in the early 70s and I remember having the poster until the late 70s but it was just disintegrating. I'm sure it just got tossed because it was turning into dust but i wish I had it back.

I grew up in Amarillo and visited for work in April. Saw come cool/unique airframes then as well!


Nice paint job on this one.


Tanker was doing touch and goes. Was not on Skycards so that was a bummer.


Several fire fighting planes were parked by the rental car return area.

I saw a news thing one time that said that the Air Force academy (this was in the 90s) put the pilots what weren't as good as the fighter jocks in the A-10.

I think the GWOT changed that image becuse every dude I've ever talked to that was in the sandbox LOVES that plane. It takes sack to go low and slow over the enemy.

TX_COWDOC said:

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Built a rifle for an A-10 driver. In return, I got a piece of the barrel from the GAU-8 Avenger, a massive, 30 mm, 7-barrel Gatling-style autocannon. Barrels are 7.5' long and this thing fires at a rate of 3900 rounds per minute.

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I expect to hear of zero problems from neighbors from you!

Is the Cheyenne being built in Amarillo for the Army? I'd like to see one of those up close.

Yup. Fuselage in Wichita, KS, wings in Fort Worth (I think), and assembly happening in Amarillo.

O.G. said:

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I saw a news thing one time that said that the Air Force academy (this was in the 90s) put the pilots what weren't as good as the fighter jocks in the A-10.

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Pilots are rated and graded all the way through flight school.

Some were sent to flight training by the Guard unit they joined, and will fly whatever plane that unit flies.

The rest get a wish list where they rank their preferred aircraft, in order.

Instructors and commanders then look at the list of available airframes for that class, and put pilots in planes based on their ranking and the planes that they have.

If you're a hot pilot, and #2 in your class, but they only have one fighter slot available at that time, you're SOL, unless the number one grad always wanted to fly C-130s.

Quote:

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AMA (Rick Husband Int. Airport) Plane Watching

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Amarillo is very active for plane spotting. The facebook group there is the Amarillo Aviation Photographers & Fried Foods Appreciation Society, as there is a greasy spoon restaurant right next to the FBO.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/128291860579641

AMA is a former SAC base, so it has a 12,000 foot plus long runway, with thick concrete at the set down area. It is on the edge of town, so the approaches are mostly over open country. It is also about halfway between San Diego and Pensacola, which means they get a crap ton of Navy traffic.

It's also close to UPT bases in Wichita Falls, Enid, and Del Rio. And the transport training base at Altus. B-1s from Dyess. The repair facility at Tinker (OKC) The Special Ops base at Clovis. Sandia at ABQ. etc. etc.etc

I'll try to find a few of the photos that I and others have taken there.

swampstander said:

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Back in the late 1960s my dad worked for National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder Colorado. He traveled a lot and one time he came home with a Blue Angels poster about 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall. It was made out of of heavy paper, almost card stock. It had a picture of their planes flying in a group, I think one of them was inverted. It was signed down one side by all of the pilots and commanding officers with a personal message to me and my brother. We moved to Texas in the early 70s and I remember having the poster until the late 70s but it was just disintegrating. I'm sure it just got tossed because it was turning into dust but i wish I had it back.

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I played pool with a few Blue Angels aviators when I was a kid at the BOQ rec room at CCAD. I didn't know it until dad came to get me. I got to watch them practice the next day.

For reference:

- 4-engine tanker = KC-135 (based on Boeing 707)

- 3-engine tanker = KC-110 (based on DC-10)

- 2-engine tanker = KC-46 (based on Boeing 767)

My BIL flew KC-135s. He might not have been the hottest pilot in his training class, but he retired with 3 stars.

I've been waiting for you to reply. Is that your daughter?

wareagle044 said:

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Is the Cheyenne being built in Amarillo for the Army? I'd like to see one of those up close.

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Yes. Shouldn't be too much longer now!

The Army wants to accelerate their aircraft timeline.

https://verticalmag.com/news/u-s-army-doubling-down-on-mv-75-program-acceleration/

That sounds expensive.

https://avweb.com/aviation-news/bell-textron-layoffs-285-employees-mv75/

Oh that doesn't sound good. 285 people laid off and 1200 furloughed due to funding issues?

Smeghead4761 said:

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For reference:

- 4-engine tanker = KC-135 (based on Boeing 707)

- 3-engine tanker = KC-110 (based on DC-10)

- 2-engine tanker = KC-46 (based on Boeing 767)

My BIL flew KC-135s. He might not have been the hottest pilot in his training class, but he retired with 3 stars.

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I believe that the 135 is now officially the last of the 707 variants flying anywhere in the world. All of the cargos have been retired and Saha Airlines in Iran retired their 707s a few years ago. John Travolta had an airworthy 707 but I think he donated it to a museum. If there is another one flying anywhere I don't know where that is.

The DC-8s are next. Down to just a handful. The 727s will be all gone in a few years as well.

I'm a quiet plane nerd.

TX_COWDOC said:

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I've been waiting for you to reply. Is that your daughter?

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One more, giving the gang sign of the 55th