Victorville, CA - July 2006

The desert.  The blistering sun.  The rattlesnakes.  The retired airplanes.  My kind of place!!

VCV is a pretty sleepy airport.  Aside from the traffic to and from (mostly to..) the maintanance businesses on the field, the only traffic is the occational Military or cargo charter flight.

Most aircraft I saw were in better condidtion than this. 

I'm going to split this report into two sections - the 'inactive' and 'active' aircraft.  First - the inactive.  Unfortunatly I wasn't allowed to visit the actual boneyard, but there were also a few aircraft parked around the terminal where I was residing for the week.

 

This L10 had decals appliec the week before I was there.  It's supposedly going to a carrier that will operate between JFK and West Africa.  Yes, really!  We'll see ....  

Tristar behind bars.

Firebomber DC-10! 

Sky|One B727-2J4  N211DB was originally delivered to Sterling Airways.

Under tow to its final resting place. N754DL.

A little collection ...  

B767-222 N608UA has been parked since 2003, but was being towed over to the maintenence area.  Getting another chance?

Every day I was there, around 9.45am, a Delta 732 arrived never to depart again .. 

Ship 325 - built in 1984.

306 - slightly older.

Cluttered ramp .. 

B767-232 N113DA - delivered 8 days prior to previous aircraft.

Ready for storage .. 

Someone seen my engine??

VarigLog MD11F PR-LGE .. Not sure of the status for this one.

 

And then over to the 'active' aircraft:

 

Focus Air B747-236BF N361FC - Operating for LH Cargo, transporting 2008-models BMW's for desert testing.

The Russians are coming!  Oddly enough - flying for US Army!

- How many of you fit in my tummy?

Ex BA B737-436 operating for US Marshals Service. 

This Eurocopter has a distinct Aeroflot'ish paintjob .. 

Champions Air B727-270 N697CA - another former Sterling bird! (OY-SBI)

A rare sight - Sierra Pacific 737-2Y5.  N712S. 

Ryan International B757-200.  Another military charter.

 

Miami Air brought in three different aircraft while I was there - 734,739 and 740 .

 

Don't see the VCV ramp this busy very often.

 

A very busy week for ATA.

Half of ATA's 757-300 fleet - 552 and 560.

 

An ATA 757-300 climbing into the sunset....

©Andreas Mowinckel, 2009-
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