Maestra80 From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 86 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 4134 times:
I was planespotting at O'Hare on July 30th around 1:30p.m., and happened to catch this plane coming through...
The tail number is N973AS, and a search on the internet revealed that it is an Alaska Airlines MD-83, built in 1994. FlightAware did not have this arrival listed, so I couldn't find out who was operating that flight and where it came from.
So, what I'm wondering is, why is the plane painted all white with no titles? It's pictured on a.net fully painted in the AS scheme in previous years. Does anyone have any information on the aircraft, or the flight it was operating? I'm very curious
IAHFLYR From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 4722 posts, RR: 25 Reply 1, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 4007 times:
Since Alaska is removing the 80's from their fleet the aircraft may very well be in the process of or already changed owners and the "N" number yet to be changed, if at all.
Any views shared are strictly my own and do not a represent those of any former employer.
United_fan From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 7159 posts, RR: 8 Reply 2, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 4005 times:
Yesterday,I saw an AS MD80 do VCV-VQQ with an AS flight #....wonder who for?
'Empathy was yesterday...Today, you're wasting my Mother-F'ing time' - Heat.
HikesWithEyes From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 816 posts, RR: 8 Reply 3, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 3865 times:
Quoting United_fan (Reply 2): Yesterday,I saw an AS MD80 do VCV-VQQ with an AS flight #....wonder who for?
The MDs go to VCV for decomissioning, then most have flown off to Florida to their
new owner.
United_fan From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 7159 posts, RR: 8 Reply 4, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 3783 times:
I also saw a ex-AQ 732 ferry off to the Canry Islands from VCV today!
'Empathy was yesterday...Today, you're wasting my Mother-F'ing time' - Heat.
Phxpilot From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 78 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 3621 times:
DOJ operates MD-80's from IWA. They are all-white and some still sport the Alaska N-number. That would also explain why you would not see it on FlightAware.
Rscaife1682 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 319 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 3504 times:
This is a DOJ plane with a blocked ID you will not find it on any flight tracking website
I can find it my flight tracker though but i cannot tell you where it can from or where it is going for obvious reasons
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26719 posts, RR: 83 Reply 7, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 3493 times:
IAHFLYR From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 4722 posts, RR: 25 Reply 8, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 3388 times:
Quoting Rscaife1682 (Reply 6): This is a DOJ plane with a blocked ID you will not find it on any flight tracking website
And you know this how? Talk to me!
Any views shared are strictly my own and do not a represent those of any former employer.
TOLtommy From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 3220 posts, RR: 4 Reply 9, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 3374 times:
Same plane that come to TOL once a week. Loads up with illegals with criminal records, and flies off to points unknown....
FalconBird From United States of America, joined May 2007, 1262 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 3355 times:
They've been to KLEX several times in the past with different type birds, all white.
Maestra80 From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 86 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 3151 times:
Thanks for all of your responses!
So, I take it DOJ stands for Department of Justice (that's who it belongs to?), and that the plane was carrying jailbirds? That's funny, I didn't know they do that. Is this common?
Why would they need to fly these criminals around? Is it for transporting them between jails, or taking them to court in different cities?
DesertFlyer From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 474 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 3143 times:
DUALRATED From United States of America, joined May 2008, 1001 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 3111 times:
Quoting Maestra80 (Reply 11): So, I take it DOJ stands for Department of Justice (that's who it belongs to?), and that the plane was carrying jailbirds? That's funny, I didn't know they do that. Is this common?
Let's go one step further ever see jetways connected to a prison?
Maestra80 From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 86 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 3022 times:
Quoting DUALRATED (Reply 13): Let's go one step further ever see jetways connected to a prison?
Wow, I didn't know that kind of thing existed out there!
I just wonder what they were doing with the prisoners they were bringing into O'Hare? Like, what is the purpose for that flying them around on planes? I thought they transferred prisoners on buses.
MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, RR: 51 Reply 15, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 3006 times:
There used to be an all-white 737-400 operating DOJ flights as well. I used to see him in MSY all the time. Armed guards on all corners of the plane prevented good ramp shots.
Lexy From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 2362 posts, RR: 9 Reply 16, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 2989 times:
Quoting Maestra80 (Reply 14): I just wonder what they were doing with the prisoners they were bringing into O'Hare? Like, what is the purpose for that flying them around on planes? I thought they transferred prisoners on buses.
Travaz From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 130 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 2965 times:
Dont know how up to date this information isbut they state that JPATS flew 250,000 pax a year. Wonder how thier service is ?
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21488 posts, RR: 24 Reply 18, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 2944 times:
Quoting Lexy (Reply 16): Quoting Maestra80 (Reply 14):
I just wonder what they were doing with the prisoners they were bringing into O'Hare? Like, what is the purpose for that flying them around on planes? I thought they transferred prisoners on buses.
Tomascubero From Costa Rica, joined Jul 2005, 521 posts, RR: 10 Reply 19, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 2887 times:
You can freely track most DOJ flights as long as they are not flying with DOJ "Justice" callsign as these are considered government flights which for obvious reasons are untrackable but if you search the registration you will find them, they usually are flying from KIWA or somewhere around Texas, they mostly do ALIEN transport down to central america with the deported people.
RJFlyer0891 From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 86 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 2814 times:
But I am still curious if anyone out there knows JPATS' current fleet....Obviously they are operating MD-80's still, but are they still operating 727's and B737's?
Deltabobo From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 200 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 2753 times:
Yes, I dispatched this flight along with several others the other day. These flights are JPATS, and they are based of OKC, AEX, and AZA. They go to TUL and VQQ for mx all the time. Since the flight operate under Part 91, we don't provide full releases, but rather generate flight plans. These flights are filed under their registration numbers.
The following are JPATS aircraft. RD owns all these aircraft, but they are not on our ops specs.
JetJeanes From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 1415 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 2623 times:
Not all of these planes will fly prisoners, they will fly high profile informants into a city that has gone into the witness protection plan being brought back to a court appearance if they cannot make commercial service in a timely matter or some circumstances requires them to go get them,
.
These planes also are not just for illegals, but lets say someone has committed a crime say in new york or Washington and they are captured in California or Arizona, these planes run
on a semi schedule dropping in scooping up prisoners and dropping them off at other cities.
.
Yes some travel by bus but primarily on short routes. and there was an instance here where they were moving 4 prisoners in cargo vans, They are handcuffed to the floor in a small caged area of a van and the engine conked out and the engine caught on fire with only the
jail driver and guard escaping.
.
The doj has had 727,s and 737,s even the cia has a 737 closely resembling Air con.
As a norm most of these aircraft fly at night out of the traveling public's eye. Hollywood has made the layouts on these planes like a flying prison. The doj does have many of these planes that are just in commercial config for flying agents etc around the country. There was a time where prisoners were flown commercial airlines usually pre boarded from the ramp and onboard when pax came on board but i have not seen any since 911 but that doesnt mean they still do not do it. I have heard of one branch of government has a couple of planes that are in a current airlines livery and mechanics have spotted the plane and the
N reg number but the ship is registed to them but never in their fleet.?. They call them Ghost ships as they have no record of them and they have never seen or heard of one in for repair, which leads me to wonder if there are more of these ghost shops out there with other airlines.
Maestra80 From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 86 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2372 times:
I totally forgot about searching on FlightAware by tail number. Good idea! Although this particular flight I saw was unlisted.
Quoting Deltabobo (Reply 21): The following are JPATS aircraft. RD owns all these aircraft, but they are not on our ops specs.
So does that mean that Ryan International pilots fly these planes for JPATS, or does JPATS have their own pilots?
Quoting JetJeanes (Reply 22): There was a time where prisoners were flown commercial airlines usually pre boarded from the ramp and onboard when pax came on board but i have not seen any since 911 but that doesnt mean they still do not do it.
Yikes, I wouldn't want to ride on a plane with a prisoner! But I guess I would rather fly on a plane with one prisoner, than a plane full of prisoners.
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From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 86 posts, 
Is this common? 
From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21488 posts, 
From Costa Rica, joined Jul 2005, 521 posts, 
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