DiamondFlyer From United States of America, joined Oct 2008, 1294 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (2 years 6 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 5498 times:
Quoting HaveBlue (Reply 1): It was a civilian plane supporting a Special Ops mission. I've read a news report that says it was said to be a twin engined Cessna.
Not that I want to speculate, but I've seen some C337's running around parts of Florida painted up military like, sporting a MQ-9 camera pod on the wing. Something about the 337 being cheaper to fly than an MQ-9, which I have no doubt being true. Perhaps it was one of those?
JBirdAV8r From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 4459 posts, RR: 22 Reply 3, posted (2 years 6 months 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 5324 times:
Quoting DiamondFlyer (Reply 2): t I've seen some C337's running around parts of Florida painted up military like,
Does the military still operate the O-2 (I think that's the military C337 variant) or would they really be civilian ones painted in military schemes?
DiamondFlyer From United States of America, joined Oct 2008, 1294 posts, RR: 3 Reply 5, posted (2 years 6 months 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 5310 times:
Quoting JBirdAV8r (Reply 3):
Does the military still operate the O-2 (I think that's the military C337 variant) or would they really be civilian ones painted in military schemes?
The ones I've seen are most defiantly civilian planes. They had a N number, and after talking to the pilots, can say they weren't current military. Perhaps prior, but they were just contractors. But when they pulled up next to me, they sure jumped out in a hurry to get their camera pod covered. I'm 90% sure it was the camera pod from a MQ-9.
But yes, the O-2 is a C337, and there seem to quite a few in civilian hands these days. Cheaper way into the warbird parking I suppose.
NASCARAirforce From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 3082 posts, RR: 5 Reply 6, posted (2 years 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 4891 times:
Quoting DiamondFlyer (Reply 2): Not that I want to speculate, but I've seen some C337's running around parts of Florida painted up military like, sporting a MQ-9 camera pod on the wing. Something about the 337 being cheaper to fly than an MQ-9, which I have no doubt being true. Perhaps it was one of those?
There are a ton of warbird ones based in Florida, you see 2-3 of the gray colored ones and also an all black painted one at Titusville Air Show every year. I've seen as many as 7 or 8 at the Sun N Fun Airshow, gray ones, the black one as well as a couple camo painted ones. The military has long since retired the O-2. The camera pods on these warbirds are fake as well as their little fake rocket pods I have seen some of them have.
I wasn't aware that Avon Park was still an active military location. I think it is just a small civilian strip now. I had heard that they wanted to make it into an airpark like Spruce Creek.
DiamondFlyer From United States of America, joined Oct 2008, 1294 posts, RR: 3 Reply 7, posted (2 years 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 4863 times:
Quoting NASCARAirforce (Reply 6): The military has long since retired the O-2. The camera pods on these warbirds are fake as well as their little fake rocket pods I have seen some of them have.
No, it was a real camera pod. I spoke to the pilot & operator, and while they couldn't tell me what it was, they also said that "I was on the right path" when I asked them if they were flying MQ-9 camera pods. Trust me, it wasn't a dummy pod, when as soon as they had the plane shut down, they were out and covering the thing up. It wasn't military, but a military contractor.
I've seen the old O-2's before, with the simulated pods and whatnot. This thing was not a replica pod. And speaking of Avon park, its not as much the airport, but the Avon Park MOA & restricted area. Take a look at a sectional, there is a ton of it for the military to play with.
NASCARAirforce From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 3082 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (2 years 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 4783 times:
Quoting DiamondFlyer (Reply 7): I've seen the old O-2's before, with the simulated pods and whatnot. This thing was not a replica pod. And speaking of Avon park, its not as much the airport, but the Avon Park MOA & restricted area. Take a look at a sectional, there is a ton of it for the military to play with.
I knew it was a bombing range, but I thought that closed back in the 1990s
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 30 posts, 
From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2738 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
