Hawaii has always been a focal point of the U.S. Military. A strategic point in the Pacific. We are a critical link in the defense of the U.S. As some may or may not know, HNL is a joint civilian/military airfield. On any given day you can see a variety of military aircraft coming or going from here.
Here's a look of some of the aircraft that I have seen from my office window.
The U.S. Marine Corps VIP C-20, also known as the "Grey Ghost
A USAF C-40B Executive transport aircraft
A USAF C-130 Hercules aircraft arriving and taxing to Joint Base Pearl Harbor/Hickam, Hawaii
A Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 departing via RWY 22L in HNL
A Navy F-18 Super Hornet after departing 08L in HNL
Followed by a USAF KC-10 airborne refueler
Another refueler, the old but venerable KC-135 departing RWY 22L on a rainy day
A US Navy P-3 Orion turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft. As Ryan, a visitor to my blog pointed out, that Navy P-3 was recently painted in that old seaplane paint scheme in honor of the Centennial of Naval Aviation.
Thanks Ryan!
A USAF C17 based out of Elmendorf AFB in Alaska takes the high speed
after landing on 04R in HNL
Thanks Ryan!
after landing on 04R in HNL
And a pair of UH-60 of the U.S. Army practicing the ILS on RWY 08 at HNL
And probably the most recognized aircraft in the world...
Air Force One lands at Hickam Air Force (AFB) with US President George W. Bush on board for his first visit to Hawaii while holding office. On the ground, the second Boeing VC-25A.
(I've seen Air Force One twice, but never had a camera with me, so I got this photo from Wikipedia. Photo credit: CPL Roman Gray, USMC)
Hawaii is proud of it's service to our country and also of it's military personnel. These island will remain an integral part of the U.S. Military and the U.S.A. to ensure that all people and countries of the Pacific region remain a safe place
A bit of trivia... that Navy P-3 was recently painted in that old seaplane paint scheme in honor of the Centennial of Naval Aviation. Most P-3s are just plain gray. Thanks for the pics!
ReplyDeleteThanks! glad you enjoyed the pics.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of the repaint since we don't see the P3's at HNL. Since the closure of Babers Point NAS, they are now based at Kaneohe Marine Base Hawaii. But because of runway closures there (maintenance) they are all parked/operating at HIK for a couple of months.
Most have no idea that Hawai'i is so important *S*..thanks for pointing it out
ReplyDelete