NAS North Island (KNZY) 2023

[SBGrad]

Ha ha, serves me right for doing a bad cut and paste job from airhistory.net.

...another fabulous afternoon at the beach. Yesterday, the Aggressors were separated by type, Supers together, and F-16s together. Today they flew in 4 sections of 1 Super in the lead and an F-16 as wing. All NAWDC and F-16 aircraft used STRIKE callsign.

Best radio conversation today:

Kahuna 44-- Island Tower, Kahuna 44 approaching Shark for the overhead

Island Tower -- break approved....pause...
We'll be watching this one

Kahuna 44-- ( audible chuckling) Don't get your hopes up, this won't be an air show or anything

...and so we had a Twin Otter do an overhead break

[The DJ]

There are any number of planes that have come in this week that I have no pix of: several F-35s (might have been fleet or NAWDC), a P-8, KC-135, and 3 AG tail code Supers* that just came screaming in as I type this, they were so loud my wife even commented, 'sounds like somebody got too close'

*probably VFA-136, one bird was a CAG with red and white horizontal stripes on the rudder

I've seen some photo's of them, VFA-136 is correct, although tail code is AB now. Believe they were in for a CoC.

All the AZ Vipers belong to NAWDC/VFC-13.

[SBGrad]

There are any number of planes that have come in this week that I have no pix of: several F-35s (might have been fleet or NAWDC), a P-8, KC-135, and 3 AG tail code Supers* that just came screaming in as I type this, they were so loud my wife even commented, 'sounds like somebody got too close'

*probably VFA-136, one bird was a CAG with red and white horizontal stripes on the rudder

I've seen some photo's of them, VFA-136 is correct, although tail code is AB now. Believe they were in for a CoC.

All the AZ Vipers belong to NAWDC/VFC-13.

Yesterday when -136 came in I was using 10x50s at a quarter mile or so, but I don't often mistake B and G. I've seen a photo of the CAG bird at El Centro from 2 months ago and it clearly reads AG, YMMV.

[CVW19752015]

VFA-136 are in transition painting their tailcodes from 'AG' to 'AB', as VFA-143 are currently moving from CVW-7 to CVW-1 (to the AB-2xx slot, from AG-1xx) and VFA-81 are in the AB-3xx slot having moved from AB-4xx. An internet photo of GUNSTAR 400 (VFA-136's CAG bird BuNo 166817) has emerged.

Mike
www.carrierairwings.com

[SBGrad]

25 September

All flying log

Arriving RWY 36

USAF 143ARS/186 ARW
Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker
HH/1455 59-1455 //EVAC 455

Departing 18

US Navy

VFA-147 Argonauts 'Jason'
Lockheed Martin F-35C
2xNJ tail code //Jason 11, no call sign for Dash 2

VRM-50 Sun Hawks 'Scorch'
Bell Boeing CMV-22B CODsprey
54/BUNO 169455 //Scorch 54




Soaring by the Sea Foundation
Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina
N9767
//Quick visit from Miramar Air Show for Committal ceremony for WWII vet. She came in last night during perfect golden hour light, but Island Tower cleared her in on 36, and it wasn't any good for photos

[gachipchase1@gmail.com]

Can anyone help me please - was staying at Del Coronado 17-20th September and read following MH60 codes but not idea which squadron/Bu No:
702, 704, 40, 47, 48

Thank you

[gachipchase1@gmail.com]

Also a dark green Caribou….

[AndyMarden]

Can anyone help me please - was staying at Del Coronado 17-20th September and read following MH60 codes but not idea which squadron/Bu No:
702, 704, 40, 47, 48

Thank you

You're going to struggle with these.
702 and 704 could be from HSM-78/NE, HSM-71/NG, HSM-75/NH, HSM-73/NA, all of which are currently "at home".
As for the others, were they MH-60R or MH-60S?
If MH-60R, from HSM-35/HSM-49
If MH-60S, they are likely from HSC-23/WC

[raameagle]

and can you post what you did log please?

[SBGrad]

Also a dark green Caribou….

There have been 2 Caribou flying out of NASNI the past couple years. Per Flightaware, N302PT has been in Arizona most/all of September, so I'd say you saw N238PT.

[gachipchase1@gmail.com]

Great thanks re Caribou

The MH60’s were R’s

I logged the following:

MH60R’s 166587, 166561/400, 169887, 169888, 169889
MH60S 168397
CMV22B’s 169438, 441, 442/35, 443, 446, 447, 450/70, 453, 455
C40A 169793
P8A 169346/RC-346
C2A 162178
F/A18E AB-403….Bu no not read and not sure if 166783 VFA81 or VFA136 given current transition
Also Customs UH60A 79-23321

Thanks for everyone’s help

[raameagle]

Thanks. What codes did the MH60R and MH60S wear please?

Great thanks re Caribou

The MH60’s were R’s

I logged the following:

MH60R’s 166587, 166561/400, 169887, 169888, 169889
MH60S 168397
CMV22B’s 169438, 441, 442/35, 443, 446, 447, 450/70, 453, 455
C40A 169793
P8A 169346/RC-346
C2A 162178
F/A18E AB-403….Bu no not read and not sure if 166783 VFA81 or VFA136 given current transition
Also Customs UH60A 79-23321

Thanks for everyone’s help

[gachipchase1@gmail.com]

Sorry no codes as was focussing on Bu no as they came in over my head….

[raameagle]

Does anybody have codes and Sqn details for MH-60Rs 169887, 169888 and 169889 please?
Regards
Mark

[SBGrad]

October 5th

US Navy VRM-30 Titans 'Rudy'
Bell Boeing CMV-22B CODsprey
71/BUNO 169456 //Rudy 71 special paint

This is one of the CODspreys that will be forward deployed in Japan.