Beertrucker From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 398 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 5806 times:
I saw a plane today at Patrick AFB near Cocoa Beach FL. The best way to describe it is. It looked like a bigger DC-9 With a bigger T-tail. But the biggest thing that might help say what it was. It had 4 jet engines on the back of the plane. Where you would find a DC-9's engines. I know I have seen a pic of something like this before. Just never in person. I thought it was a Russian plane. I could be wrong though. I did look Through the data base for a pic. No luck there. If you can help let me know. And yes if there is any spotters in this area. It is still there as of 2am. If you want to come steal a pic. It is in Military Grey. But could not see a country flag. Well hope someone can help me out with this.
Legacy135 From Switzerland, joined May 2005, 1052 posts, RR: 29 Reply 2, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 5784 times:
You lucky guy you! What you spotted was probably a RAF (Royal Air Force) VC-10, one on Great Britain's real classy airliners. Look up in the photo search engine for VC-10 pictures and you may recognize it again.
The Russian counterpart is the IL62 which is still widely used in former Russia, but hardly to be found on a US AFB.
Beertrucker From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 398 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 5784 times:
I think that might be it. Hard to tell from that angle. I saw it from across the base.
Beertrucker From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 398 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 5704 times:
Quoting LTU932 (Reply 5): Though judging from your description, it's what Legacy135 described, an RAF VC-10.
Thanks guys. Yes I think it is the VC-10. It is very cool to see in person. If it is still there when I go to the bank, I will try to get a pic.
PM From India, joined Feb 2005, 6715 posts, RR: 66 Reply 7, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 5676 times:
Some of you guys make me feel old. Thirty-five years ago I could be found shivering on the top floors of various LHR multi-story car parks taking very bad shots of BOAC VC-10s (and sundry other planes that are now only found in museums).
Jpdflymhtmlb From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 75 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 5491 times:
I have been through Patrick many times when I have gone on base to go get different odds and ends, and I have actually driven past it many times, most recently about a month ago, so I'm pretty sure it is there regularly. I'm probably going to go back here shortly, so I'll keep an eye out for it when I go.
Lemmy From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 256 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 5470 times:
I saw a gray VC-10 at ABQ about a year ago. Definitely a cool sight. I saw it from a distance and, like you, I wasn't sure what I was seeing.
TristarSteve From Sweden, joined Nov 2005, 3687 posts, RR: 34 Reply 11, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 5437 times:
Quoting PM (Reply 7): Some of you guys make me feel old.
I remember flying on the VC10 from LHR to BAH and back many times 1976-8. You may think the bleedless engine on the B787 is new, but the VC10 had Rootes blowers to power the air consitioning system. Electric motors running superchargers. The problem was descending into the Gulf with 95% humidity, they couldn't extract all the water from the air. You soon learned not to sit in the back three rows if you didn't want a shower on approach.
The same VC10s were converted to todays tankers, so I may have flown on your VC10 30 years ago.
CBPhoto From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1506 posts, RR: 6 Reply 13, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 4957 times:
Saw a VC-10 depart MSP last summer. At first it sounded like something heavy, like a 747, but then it got more and more high pitch, and low and behold a VC-10 screamed off of 30L. It made my summer, as that was the first VC-10 I had ever seen in action. I would give anything to see another one!! Does anyone know what there life expectancy is? I can imagine there days are numbered?
Bond007 From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 5098 posts, RR: 9 Reply 14, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 4948 times:
Saw one at STL a few years ago. I remember seeing them all the time in the UK many many years ago, but I had no clue what it was until I got close up
Didn't see it fly unfortunately.
Jimbo
I'd rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air, than in the air wishing I was on the ground!
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29349 posts, RR: 62 Reply 15, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 4905 times:
What happened to the old "hemp" VC-10 scheme.
And where did that lightening flash on the RAF bird come from?
Looks positively RCAF!
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
Gr8Circle From Canada, joined Dec 2005, 2985 posts, RR: 5 Reply 16, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 4816 times:
I remember the VC-10 from way back in the 70's when I was a kid in Mumbai...we used to have BOAC (later BA) and East African Airways and I vaguely think Saudia...all used to fly the VC-10 to BOM......they used to pass overhead with a deafening roar which would go on and on.....the windows would rattle like mad....what I recall is that they used to be quite a bit higher up than most other aircrafts so soon after T/O (I used to live near BOM airport)....
Beertrucker From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 398 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 4814 times:
Quoting Jpdflymhtmlb (Reply 9): I have been through Patrick many times when I have gone on base to go get different odds and ends, and I have actually driven past it many times, most recently about a month ago, so I'm pretty sure it is there regularly. I'm probably going to go back here shortly, so I'll keep an eye out for it when I go.
FLY I have lived next to the base now for 2 years. That is the first time I have ever seen it here. The most common aircraft I see there. That is not based there. Has got to be ATI's little DC-8. Other then that I have never seen one of them. But I did get a good look at that NASA plane that looks wired as can be. Take off from there back when they were doing the launch of the rocket last month. Other then that just the common things from here and there.
FLY maybe I will see you at the beach parking lot some time.
N808NWatMSP From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 170 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 4757 times:
Did you see it in June of 2005? Because if so, I saw the same VC-10 takeoff. It was the loudest thing I had ever heard takeoff from MSP - louder than the DC-9s! It was quite the sight too.
Antskip From Australia, joined Jan 2006, 883 posts, RR: 6 Reply 20, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 4703 times:
Quoting L-188 (Reply 15): where did that lightening flash on the RAF bird come from?
This VC10 forum might help you with that: http://www.vc10.net/VC10forum.html.
The same web site provides some great pics: http://www.vc10.net/Photos/raf_tanker_force.html.
On the same site is an interesting outline of its RAF career (including why its still being used): http://www.vc10.net/History/RAFVC10s.html.
My feeling, without hard evidence, is that the lightning flash livery on the RAF VC10 is related to the motto Mens agitat molem "mind over matter" or "the spirit moves the subject" of RAF 101 squadron, whose livery it displays. in.http://www.raf.mod.uk/squadrons/h101.html
Milesrich From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1855 posts, RR: 7 Reply 21, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 4645 times:
They are definitely loud, I remember walking out of the United Terminal at ORD one day back in the late 60's when a BOAC VC-10 heading for LHR headed down 32R on takeoff. What a sound! But the KC-135 water wagons were much louder, and the loudest of all was the B-52 with the J-57 water wagon.
CBPhoto From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1506 posts, RR: 6 Reply 22, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 4445 times:
Quoting N808NWatMSP (Reply 19): Did you see it in June of 2005? Because if so, I saw the same VC-10 takeoff. It was the loudest thing I had ever heard takeoff from MSP - louder than the DC-9s! It was quite the sight too.
That is correct, it was in June, I remember! I was working at the tower last summer, and was standing in the Parking lot adjecent to the tower. Thats why I could not't see what it was at first. The RAF sends in C-130s all the time into MSP, but this was the first VC-10 I had seen, and what a sight it was!
Max Q From United States of America, joined May 2001, 3288 posts, RR: 19 Reply 23, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 3571 times:
I used to make the long trek between LHR and HKG Kai Tak during the seventies mostly on BOAC (new) classic 747's but, occasionally it was a VC10, what a treat.
An amazing beautiful , classic aircraft, loved by passengers and pilots alike.
You are right, a bit noisy though!
The best contribution to safety is a competent Pilot.
Freedomtofly From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 750 posts, RR: 6 Reply 24, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 3472 times:
Quoting Lemmy (Reply 10): I saw a gray VC-10 at ABQ about a year ago. Definitely a cool sight. I saw it from a distance and, like you, I wasn't sure what I was seeing.
Haha I saw the very same thing when I flew into ABQ about a year ago. I was so surprised to see one that I never took a picture of it. Actually I ended up taking a picture of the UEX E170 parked next to us because at the time I didn't even know UEX was using E170's.
Aaron
You are now free to move about the world.
25 LPLAspotter: Those RAF VC-10s are really letting themselves be known. We've had at least 12 (some could be the same aircraft) pass through LPLA within the past wee
26 Gr8Circle: Back in the 70's, when I was a kid, I used to live close to BOM airport....BOAC, East African Airways and I think, Suadi Arabian, used to operate the
27 Tristarsteve: The VC10s at BOM were Gulf Air. I flew on them many times.
28 STEELHEAD: Spotted my last VC-10 at LAS feb. 5th. this year -also RAF (what else !). Any idea, what the RAF is doing in "SIN CITY" ? May be they try to win money
29 Gr8Circle: Oh yes!! Thanks, it was GF, not Saudi.....but BOAC and East African used to visit BOM too....
30 Bennett123: The LAS VC10 was probably linked to Nellis. They can sometimes be seen at Filton as well.
31 Gr8Circle: How are VC-10's still allowed to fly at all? Don't they exceed the noise restriction limits of almost all countries in the world???
32 DeltaGator: Beertrucker, what planes are based at Patrick these days? When I lived in Titusville (15 years ago now) they had some A-6 Intruders and I think some F
33 MHG: These restrictions do NOT apply to military aircraft!!! All VC-10 that are still flying are registered with british military markings (e.g.: XV 105)
34 Beertrucker: All i see at Patricks is C-130s and some choppers. oh and one of Nasa's g-3s i think hard to tell when it in the hanger the whole time. and a lot of
35 Visityyj: All RAF Transport Command aircraft always had the lightning flash. Originally it was a blue cheatline between the white top and bare (or grey) unders
36 DeltaGator: Interesting. I now live by Dobbins ARB in Marietta so we see tons of C-130s. We also get a constant stream of C-5, C-17, AN-224 (maybe? I know they a
37 Posti: While I was working at IAD in the summer of '04 we used to have RAF VC10s in every once in a while. We could always tell when the RAF had been through
38 N600RR: Saw one parked at the GA ramp at ORF about a year or so ago -- can't be sure. Odd that it would be at ORF instead of NGU, LFI or NTU. Anyone have any
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