The news here is that the ten Russian "spies" are being flown on a charter aircraft to Vienna, they all pleaded guilty in a New York City courthouse earlier today.
A 767-200 for ten people! Anyone think it is just a coincidence? What is "vision air?"
LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22024 posts, RR: 51 Reply 1, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 6453 times:
airbuseric From Netherlands, joined Jan 2005, 4015 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 6424 times:
Vision Air,... Google and you might find results about suspected CIA flights and Vision Air. Sights of their planes have been also in e.g. SNN, accompanied by arrivals of USAF aircrafts etc, as well in BTS
"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going"
BMI727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 14315 posts, RR: 26 Reply 3, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 6366 times:
Quoting airbuseric (Reply 2): Vision Air,... Google and you might find results about suspected CIA flights and Vision Air.
I believe those planes are based at IAD, and they are used for various government work.
Why do Aerospace Engineering students have to turn things in on time?
f16arm From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 89 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 6057 times:
Question, is that the longest flight from LGA ever?
One weekend a month and two (cough, cough 45, 90, 120 days) weeks a year supports my habbit
EMBQA From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 9286 posts, RR: 13 Reply 7, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 5973 times:
Quoting gkirk (Reply 5): Is it legal? I thought from LGA, you were only allowed to fly a certain distance?
On scheduled revenue flights yes...........charters no
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
JeffSFO From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 820 posts, RR: 5 Reply 9, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 5842 times:
Quoting BMI727 (Reply 3): Quoting airbuseric (Reply 2):
Vision Air,... Google and you might find results about suspected CIA flights and Vision Air.
I believe those planes are based at IAD, and they are used for various government work.
Interesting. I joked in this other active thread that N766VA (Vision Airlines 767-200) must like Russians because it landed at SFO just before Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived on 6/22 and took off soon after. N766VA is the same plane that took the Russian spies to VIE and is taking the Western spies from there.
Its presence at SFO is starting to make more sense. Perhaps it was carrying security, press, or diplomats for Medvedev's visit.
Canon 5D Mark II, 5D + EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS + EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II + Tamron AF28-75mm f/2.8
BMI727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 14315 posts, RR: 26 Reply 10, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 5807 times:
Perhaps this would be a good time for Vision to change branding or at least repaint the aircraft in question, since it has been all over the news this morning. I can't imagine the CIA would be too happy with that.
Why do Aerospace Engineering students have to turn things in on time?
skymiler From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 469 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 5800 times:
Quoting f16arm (Reply 4): Question, is that the longest flight from LGA ever?
What is the runway length required for a 767 on a profile such as LGA-VIE with flight deck crew, a few cabin crew, 10 or so 'passengers' and a few federal cops on board. Probably only hand luggage ..
Highflier92660 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 591 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 5323 times:
An eight hour transatlantic flight out of LGA on a Boeing 762 is really unique. One has to realize LaGuardia's runways are only 7,000 ft. with a twin-tandem weight bearing capacity of 360,000 lbs. due to the piers. It would be interesting to know what their gross take-off weight was.
wjcandee From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 4553 posts, RR: 17 Reply 13, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 5292 times:
What if any terminal did they leave from? General aviation?
Very tricky going to LGA. Nobody would have suspected it.
I don't think Vision needs to repaint its planes. They do government missions in plain sight, just like the EG&G aircraft and to some extent the military airlift contractors.
In the old days, Southern Air Transport was rumoured to do these kind of missions for the government.
LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22024 posts, RR: 51 Reply 14, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 5246 times:
Courtesy of the LA Times. Yak-42 and 767 making the transfer in Vienna
From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California
BlueFlyer From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 3119 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 5219 times:
Quoting BMI727 (Reply 10): I can't imagine the CIA would be too happy with that.
Don't worry for the CIA, they have far less photogenic aircraft where one is challenged to read even the registration unless one happens to be close by.
If anything, I would guess they picked Vision Air on purpose because it is already a well-known government missions aircraft and they knew press would be all over this, as opposed to picking another aircraft that is far more discrete but would have its cover blown (no pun intended) on such a high-profile mission.
ScottB From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 6358 posts, RR: 34 Reply 16, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 5212 times:
Quoting Highflier92660 (Reply 12): An eight hour transatlantic flight out of LGA on a Boeing 762 is really unique. One has to realize LaGuardia's runways are only 7,000 ft. with a twin-tandem weight bearing capacity of 360,000 lbs. due to the piers. It would be interesting to know what their gross take-off weight was.
It's not that surprising, though. The MTOW of the 767-200ER is only 395,000 lbs., the aircraft was certainly far from full, and NYC-VIE is well under the max range of the 762ER.
aussieindc From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 437 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 5036 times:
What's interesting is that it's returning into IAD after a stop in RAF Brize Norton. I would have thought that they'd bring them back into Andrews AFB or something given that they are deemed to be spy's.
BlueFlyer From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 3119 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 4951 times:
United_fan From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 7157 posts, RR: 8 Reply 19, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 4929 times:
Quoting f16arm (Reply 4): Question, is that the longest flight from LGA ever?
Mr Trump has flown to Scotland from LGA with his 727-100 on occasion.
'Empathy was yesterday...Today, you're wasting my Mother-F'ing time' - Heat.
aussieindc From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 437 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day ago) and read 4848 times:
Quoting BlueFlyer (Reply 18): They're being settled in England, not the US.
Then why would it be stopping in IAD before then continuing back down to MIA? Don't get me wrong, flightaware has been wrong before.... I know, shocking, but still....
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 21, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day ago) and read 4835 times:
Quoting aussieindc (Reply 20): Quoting BlueFlyer (Reply 18):
They're being settled in England, not the US.
Then why would it be stopping in IAD before then continuing back down to MIA? Don't get me wrong, flightaware has been wrong before.... I know, shocking, but still....
According to the Washington Post, 2 of the 4 Russians deplaned during the UK stop and 2 continued to the US.
WROORD From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 810 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 4271 times:
Quoting KITH (Thread starter): A 767-200 for ten people! Anyone think it is just a coincidence? What is "vision air?"
This caught my attention as well. Not to get into politics, since this is an aviation forum, but this seems to be a huge waste of money the round trip for 767 must be about 200K .
They could have used a military exec jet.
On the other hand I did not know that LGA runway was long enough to handle 767, when I go there on MD80 or A320 it always seems that we are going to overrun the runway...
7673mech From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 632 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 4072 times:
Quoting WROORD (Reply 22): They could have used a military exec jet.
Because millitary jets are free?
L1011's used to fly LGA to Florida all the time - so I am not sure why a 67-200 is so shocking.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 24, posted (2 years 10 months 2 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 3189 times:
Quoting 7673mech (Reply 23): L1011's used to fly LGA to Florida all the time - so I am not sure why a 67-200 is so shocking.
DC-10s were also common at LGA in the 1970s and 80s. Both the DC-10-10 and L-1011-1 were designed to be able to use LGA. UA, AA and National used the DC-10 at LGA and Eastern, TWA and DL used the L-1011. Eastern and Pan Am also used the A300. 767s were also once common at LGA. I think my first flight on a 767 was on a UA 762 LGA-ORD in 1982, soon after they went into service. In July 1983 schedules there were 11 daily 762s on UA and AA combined LGA-ORD, also one AA DC-10.
25 jfk777: WE all know those DELTA, Eastern, AA and TWA DC-10's and L-1011's took off for Miami, Florida, DFW and ORD. That is not ALL the way to Vienna though.
26 B707forever: Yep, I've flown AA DC-10 and 767, DL L-1011 and 767 from LGA back in the day. No big deal at all for the "Vision Air" 767-200 to do it, especially wit
27 spacecadet: I used to watch 767-400's take off from LGA all the time...
28 WROORD: Because it would cost less than 767 round trip.
29 BoeingVista: Two of the 4 spys held in Russia were MI6 subbies allegedly. it looks like a job lot of spys exchanged to get rid of all sides embarrassments
30 thegman: The wikipedia article on the exchange says a fuel stop was made at BGR.
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