New Orleans trip - lots of rare sights!

[Logan Hartke]

So, I recently took a little trip to New Orleans and I managed to spot a good deal while I was there.  This was my first trip there and I saw a LOT of neat equipment from the moment I left to the moment I got back.  I only have a Blackberry to take pictures with, so all of the good photos are going to be from the web, only the bad ones are mine.

The day I left was a typical day in Jacksonville, FL (where I live).  I saw LTAS FMTV 4x4 and 6x6 trucks moving down the interstate on civilian flatbed trailers on my way to work (almost daily occurrence anymore).



Other than that it was a regular day with the local P-3Cs and SH/MH-60s from NAS Jax and NAS Mayport flying all around the city all day long plus a C-130 that was in the area.



We got out of Jacksonville early on the 24th and the weather was nasty that whole day, so we didn't see much except the USS Alabama while on the highway.  Here's my shot at 70 mph in the rain...from a camera phone.



Here's a better shot from someone else's vacation.



Since the weather was nasty in New Orleans, we went to the WWII Museum that day, and I have to say that the Museum was a lot better than I expected.  The photos of the Museum below are mine, they are just the main exhibits in the main hall.  There's a lot more throughout the museum, but mainly smaller items.  They have a good variety of small arms there including some rare Japanese weapons and a Johnson M1941 rifle!



























After that, we did a lot of things around the city, but it was driving through Slidell that I saw things you all might be interested in.  When I went through Slidell, I got a shock.  I saw the Cadillac-Gage/Textron T-55 Jaguar upgrade.



It wasn't in that condition.

It was sitting next to a LONG line of M1117 ASVs, some with turrets, some without.  One was green, all the rest were tan.  There was a civilian vehicle being repaired in the shop, it looked like a Cadillac-Gage (now Textron) Commando.



I didn't take any pictures, but it's okay because Google captured the exact same scene.

Google Maps Streetview - Textron Factory in Slidell, LA


It was on the way home that I really started getting points in spotter's Bingo.  The first rare aircraft I saw was (unsurprisingly) driving by Hurlburt Field.  In addition to the C-130 tail and other display aircraft you can see from the gate at Hurlburt, I saw a rare U-28A flying around.  He flew over the road half a dozen times it seemed like.  Here's a nice Milavia shot.



We got past Hurlburt and started coming up on Destin, FL when a couple of USAF T-38s (likely) or Navy F-5s (possible, but less likely) flew parallel to the road a couple miles ahead of us before going out of sight.  Before they got out of sight, however, a helicopter flying over Destin came into sight.  I thought I recognized it, but I dared not say it until I was sure.  As we got closer and it flew overhead I realized that my eyes hadn't been tricking me--it was an Mi-17!!!

I'll defer to Milavia again, because this is EXACTLY what happened:

Imagine what it's like to sit on a white, sandy, endless beach in Florida, on the Gulf coast, with the sun out and weather fine – when you suddenly see a white Mi-17 transport helicopter fly by, unmistakably a Russian design, the least thing any aviation enthusiast expects to be in American airspace.

Here's Milavia's shot of the bird at Hurlburt.



...and their full (and excellent) article on the very interesting field.

Among the pole birds or display birds that I saw in the Panama City area were an F-101B...



...and an F-86L, F-106A, an F-4 Phantom, and an F-15 Eagle.

Why they put an F-15 on display I don't know, because you literally turn your head in the opposite direction and see dozens of them...from the road.



I think I caught some glimpses of F-22s, but it was mainly F-15s out in the sun that day.  I also saw a couple of Dash-8s that they use at Tyndall as E-9s.



The F-15Cs were tearing up the skies that day.  I saw at least two on the way in to Tyndall, in formation, flying over the bay.  Another one was on final approach as we drove by the airfield.  Right after I saw the F-15 coming in low over the trees for a landing, I saw a VERY big, gray, twin engined transport aircraft coming in for a landing.  The thing was moving so slow it could have been sitting still.  When we finally got close to it (I think we were approaching it faster that it was us), it became clear that the aircraft had a third engine...it was just hiding.



After that things started tapering off.  We got buzzed by a couple more F-15Cs out of Tyndall while we stopped for ice cream at Port St Joe.  After that the only neat thing for military equipment that I saw was an OLD landing craft modified to some sort of utility vessel along the Gulf new Apalachicola.

So, needless to say, I saw a lot of rare equipment mostly by accident in only a few days.


If you want to spot some rare stuff, move to Florida.

Cheers,

Logan

[Fulcrum]

Lots of nice pictures!!!

I am very surprised that a U.S. company is upgrading a t-55, considering that the design is old. Hmmm... maybe to be sold to Iraqi & Afghani Armies!!!

[Logan Hartke]

Lots of nice pictures!!!

I am very surprised that a U.S. company is upgrading a t-55, considering that the design is old. Hmmm... maybe to be sold to Iraqi & Afghani Armies!!!

Thanks, Fulcrum, but I can't take credit for anything but the blurry Alabama photo and the WWII Museum shots.  As I said earlier, "all of the good photos are going to be from the web, only the bad ones are mine."

As for the Textron Jaguar, I doubt anyone at the company has done anything but glanced at it over the past 10 years.  It looked derelict and I'm sure the program notes have been collecting dust for a while.  This is true of many high-tech T-55 upgrades.  Who wants to pay half a million dollars for an upgrade of a vehicle they got for free in the first place?  Will a next generation MBT still kill the tank before it can fire?  Yes.  Will it be any better at putting down riots or battling insurgents?  No.  End of issue.

Cheers,

Logan

[Captain Canada]

Wow....sounds like you had a great trip ! Lotsa cool stuff there indeed. Love the E-9, and it's neat to see those old army trucks....funny how today's pick up trucks are bigger than yesterday's heavies !