I have gone through everything I could find about the C-32B’s on several forums, checked 200 pics and very helpful: I checked the last year of ModeS/ADS-B-flight history of all frames involved ( flight-data.adsbexchange.com ). Summarizing :
00-9001 and 02-4452, the ones with just a flag and a serial, operate out of mcGuire, and regulary fly together at the same time.
I suspect these two are the "real" FEST frames. Makes sense with one aircraft known to be paid for in the FY 2000 budget, and one in 2002. Most sources assume 00-9001 is c/n 25494 and 02-4452 is c/n 25493.
Just looking at the top of the fusulage they must be two different frames as the others, and they cannot be the same frame.
Some antennas were added during the life of these aircraft. They don't disappear again over time, and there are several pics of one aircraft with a new antenna where the other one is seen still without it:
00-9001 got antenna #2 between 05/2006 and 11/2007, #1 early 2012, #3 late 2014, and #4 early 2017.
02-4452 got antenna #2 between 11/2005 and 06/2006, #1 and #3 mid 2013, and #4 between mid 2015 and early 2016.
The other 757/C-32B's lack #1, #2 and #4.
On 02-4452 the flag moved one window forward in 2013 (when it got antenna #1 and #3?), but it has moved back to its old position in 2015/2016.
The other three military aircraft, 02-5001, 98-6006 and 99-6143, carry a roundel and US AIR FORCE titles, operate out of Eglin, FL and.... so do the Comco aircraft N226G and N610G, both officially registered to L-3. As suggested by others, I am convinced the Comco aircraft are highly involved as also being these three C-32's, but who knows if another frame is also part of the story...
The flight history at adsbexchange looks pretty complete; a few flights may be missing but the flights almost always start and end around Eglin. The history of the last 12 months of the three Eglin-based C-32B's and both Comco aircraft can be flown with two airframes. However, this would involve regular changing between serials and sometimes liveries, varying from about once, to up to 5 changes in a month’s time. The required changes do fit in the schedule during a stop at Eglin.
For over a dozen flights where ADS-B data could be checked against a photo, ADS-B regs as known by adsbexchange (and Live Mil Mode-S) were correct for all frames (e.g. PlaneFinder follows only AE0442(00-9001) and AE0438, but has that hexcode listed as 98-6006 instead of 02-4452).
Now this is suspicious: On two occasions last year the hexcode changed in-flight from a Comco aircraft to a C32-serial and back!
This together with a change in FlightID and squawk so ATC must have noticed/been aware. Position, altitude and time are too close for another explanation:
On the 9th of November 2016, the hexcode temporarily swapped from N226G to 02-5001:
And on the 8th of March 2017, the hexcode swapped between N226G and 99-6143:
(the red dots start at 00:00 utc, the aircraft came from Opa Locka)
The two Comco aircraft differ externally by window count: like the two McGuire-frames, N226G always has 13 windows forward both sides, and 17 windows in the middle on the LH-side. N610G has 12 windows here (the 13th plugged), and 19 windows in the middle LH-side. Also, N610G has a fourth probe on the RH side of the nose, apparently an ice detector.
99-6143 with 17/13 windows, no ice-detector(like N226G):
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/7068734
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/8133460
..and with 19/12 windows and the ice detector(like N610G):
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/7612531
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/7477513
Some pics of 02-5001 with 17/13 windows, no ice-detector(like N226G):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/planephot ... Cj7-5hBaa7
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fisherbra ... Cj7-5hBaa7
..and with 19/12 windows and the ice detector(like N610G):
http://paineairport.com/images/kpae11206.png
http://paineairport.com/kpae11205.htm
The 17/13 and 19/12-configurations have changed back and forth several times with these serials.
98-6006 has only started showing up again from 2013, and I could only find pics with 19/12 windows and the ice detector, like N610G:
I could not find any pics of 98-6006 before 2013, and of 02-5001 before 2007, although both regs have been reported seen as early as 2000. Difficult to say if these were the same aircraft as today, or that the McGuire-frames were involved back then.
With increased contrast it becomes visible that the roundel is something like a square sticker below the 6,7 and 8th window counting back.
Around 2015/2016 the Comco aircraft got a new colourscheme but previously you could just see a lighter area on the same spot as the sticker, covering the flag.
The flag itself is at the exact same spot as the two McGuire-aircraft, making me wonder if that was a deliberate attempt to cause confusion with those aircraft, or if they might have been changed around in earlier times.
And with this tail in high contrast, is that COMCO wiped out?
I could not recreate this with other pictures though.
We know C-32B’s can refuel in-flight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0XVjOG7Ebg
This C-32B crew training document mentions training for air-to-air refuelling:
http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/produ ... c-3bv2.pdf
For most regs/serials, except 98-6006 and 02-5001 (just no good close-ups) but including the Comco's (civilian!?), I have found pics where the aerial refueling point seems visible. It is easier to spot on older pics.
00-9001:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/ ... ing-c-32b/
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6623542
02-4452:
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/5619622
http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Air- ... A/861099/L
http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Air- ... /2641651/L
99-6143:
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/8355009 (17/13w)
N226G:
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6396567
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6498732
N610G:
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/371489
My conclusion is that when 02-5001, 98-6006 or 99-6143 have 19/12 windows and the ice probe, it is probably N610G, and with 17/13 windows it is likely to be N226G in disguise.
It would be interesting to know more about N144DC though, also a RR-powered B757, ex NASA and now registered with L-3, like the two Comco-aircraft. No recent flight history or pics found...
N903TB is a different B757 registered with L-3, but that one has winglets and P&W engines instead of RR .
L.
/emirates.gif)
Fortunately it was there only for two hours.. From there it actually passed just north of the Netherlands this morning, after a stop in Prestwick. It landed in Constanta, Romania. I will continue checking pics and the flight history to see if I can find out more.
