USA (2020)

USA 2020

What can we say about our first tour to the USA in 2020? Due to the COVID-19/Corona virus the events in the world changed very fast. Just days before the tour two of our Italian guests had to cancel because they could not leave their country. Despite an upcoming ban on flights from Europe to the US, the majority of the rest of the group wanted to go, so we decided to go ahead. As soon as they touched down in the USA the airshows scheduled at NAF El Centro, MCAS Yuma and Luke AFB were cancelled. The plans were altered and the group still had a great time until it was time to get them back home a couple of days earlier than originally planned.

Additional photos; Colin Boyd

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12 March 2020

On Thursday 12 March 12 2020, ten travellers arrived at Schiphol Airport, woken up with the news that US President Trump had decided to ban flights from Europe (except the United Kingdom, among others) from Friday night because of the Corona virus. After a short flight from Schiphol to London-Heathrow, three more British travellers joined. Not entirely confident about a good outcome, four participants decided to return home from Heathrow. Unfortunately, the two Italian participants had already dropped out earlier because of the situation in their own country.

For the rest of the group there was no doubt, after all the air shows were still planned and the Red Flag exercise was still going on. After a long smooth flight, the group arrived in San Diego and we met the last participant. The news that the shows of NAF El Centro and MCAS Yuma had already been cancelled was accepted and plans were quickly made to spend the weekend in a different way.

13 March 2020

After spending the night in El Centro and a quick peek at El Centro Imperial Airport and NAF El Centro (surrounded by heavy pools of water), it was decided to return to San Diego on Friday morning (13 March). The activity we witnessed the night before and the USS Midway were enough to make the group decide that this was an ideal destination. As we approached the coastal city the weather deteriorated and in a grey and measly San Diego we split the group while near the US Coast Guard. Car 1 headed to North Island, while Car 2 headed to the USS Midway. In the afternoon both groups met again on “Dog Beach” and we saw the arrival of, among others, an MH-60S Rescue and a C-2A Greyhound. An approaching downpour made us decide to leave for our sleeping place in Yuma.

14 March 2020

Saturday, 14 March. In a sun-drenched Yuma we headed for MCAS Yuma, where we found an almost completely empty platform and a Draken Skyhawk (still in the colours of the New Zealand Air Force). We saw two UC-12s take off while at the fairgrounds. Because it was terribly quiet we left for Mesa Williams Gateway, where unfortunately nothing was on the platform. Inquiry taught us that all planned aircraft were cancelled in the morning. A pilot from airline Allegiant informed us that there was speculation about closing the airspace on Tuesday morning. Something that got the group thinking.

15 March 2020

On Sunday 15 March we decided as a group that returning to Europe was the best choice. The main reasons were reports from the Netherlands, cancelled air shows until May and restrictions on British Airways flights. 4Aviation HQ had reached the same decision from the Netherlands at more or less the same time. Contact with BA was impossible, however, and even waiting until the evening flight did not bring the desired result. To pass the time, we visited the Commemorative Air Force museum at Falcon Field, visited the Army museum at Papago AAF and photographed the ANG KC-135s from the parking lot. Nice visitors were the two USMC KC-130Js. In the evening we headed for Tucson and decided to follow the itinerary again.

16 March 2020

Information from the Netherlands on Monday morning (16 March) brought relief to the group. An earlier return to Europe was arranged and we therefore had a day and a half to get the most out of it, so we did that.

Early in the morning, four participants flew over AMARG, while the rest of the group was in the approach of Davis-Monthan AFB. In total we saw about two dozen Warthogs land and an HH-60G Pavehawk decided to show its best side for the group. In the afternoon, course was set for Tucson Int. Airport where we were quickly surprised by a NASA Beech B200 that paid a short visit from Edwards AFB. Several Dutch and Arizona ANG F-16s provided the necessary entertainment in the afternoon. In the afternoon another roundtrip was made around the “boneyard” from where we saw a CH-53E from New River touch down at Tucson IAP. We were the to make the most of the day, so made sure we could capture it with the last light. On the way back we had dinner at Denny’s, after which we went to Phoenix, happy to find our bed for the night.

17/18 March 2020

Tuesday 17 March was already the last day of this remarkable tour. From 8 AM we were in the approach of Luke AFB and the local F-16s and F-35s were flying loads of sorties. In addition, the group was able to conform that the Dutch taxpayers money was well spent on the F-003, F-004 and F-005. We saw these in the approach, as well as several Taiwanese and Singaporean F-16s. Unfortunately, we could not see the Australian F-35s that took off after that because there was a long trip to Los Angeles for the return flight with a BA A380.

After a relaxed flight, the group landed again at Heathrow (on Wednesday 18 March) where three participants said goodbye. The seven remaining participants left Heathrow at the end of the afternoon with an A319 to an almost extinct Schiphol. After that, everyone finally came home safely at nightfall.

USA 2020

USA 2020

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USA (2020)

USA 2020

USA 2020

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