Drones of note...
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:21 pm
This will be one of the upcoming additions to the site, but for now...
There are now over 300 drones that fly on the network 24/7. Some of them are just downright fun to watch or fly alongside:
Civilian:
KAVX - 4 tour helicopters depart NW, SW, and SE/NE every 6 mins. The SE/NE flies down to the water and creeps upwards through a narrow valley leading back to the airport, great fun to follow. Lots of GA planes out of AVX, too, and one that does air work (stalls, steep turns, etc) out over the SE shore.
KGCN - 2 tour helicopters depart every 5 mins into the Canyon, along the river. They shutdown (as evidenced by the lights going out), have a quick picnic, and then depart back to GCN, but not before a bone shattering set of fast passes by some of the military drones that operate down on the Canyon floor
CPM - Compton is a drone hub with pattern work, VFR XC flights, VFR air work, sightseeing over Long Beach, and even a Lear departure.
Military: (oh mama...lots of these)
VBG - jet departures every 6 mins or so
RIV - jet departures every 6 mins or so
NID - virtually non-stop F18 departures and arrivals
NTD - scheduling was complex for this, intense departure and arrival phase once every 30 mins or so
NKX - departures and arrivals every 10 mins.
NLC - departures every 5 mins from 32R and occasionally from 32L
Tuba City (T03) - F15, 2 T38's, then 4 F18's depart every 5 mins
Grand Canyon West - F15, 2 T38's and 2 F18's arrive every 5 mins or so (the ones from Tuba City, minus 2 F18's that are...well, let's move on)
This is all going on 24/7 (you can find/follow airborne flights on the PE live map page).
I'll have detailed descriptions of the more interesting military drones with enroute speeds (for planning purposes).
There are now over 300 drones that fly on the network 24/7. Some of them are just downright fun to watch or fly alongside:
Civilian:
KAVX - 4 tour helicopters depart NW, SW, and SE/NE every 6 mins. The SE/NE flies down to the water and creeps upwards through a narrow valley leading back to the airport, great fun to follow. Lots of GA planes out of AVX, too, and one that does air work (stalls, steep turns, etc) out over the SE shore.
KGCN - 2 tour helicopters depart every 5 mins into the Canyon, along the river. They shutdown (as evidenced by the lights going out), have a quick picnic, and then depart back to GCN, but not before a bone shattering set of fast passes by some of the military drones that operate down on the Canyon floor
CPM - Compton is a drone hub with pattern work, VFR XC flights, VFR air work, sightseeing over Long Beach, and even a Lear departure.
Military: (oh mama...lots of these)
VBG - jet departures every 6 mins or so
RIV - jet departures every 6 mins or so
NID - virtually non-stop F18 departures and arrivals
NTD - scheduling was complex for this, intense departure and arrival phase once every 30 mins or so
NKX - departures and arrivals every 10 mins.
NLC - departures every 5 mins from 32R and occasionally from 32L
Tuba City (T03) - F15, 2 T38's, then 4 F18's depart every 5 mins
Grand Canyon West - F15, 2 T38's and 2 F18's arrive every 5 mins or so (the ones from Tuba City, minus 2 F18's that are...well, let's move on)
This is all going on 24/7 (you can find/follow airborne flights on the PE live map page).
I'll have detailed descriptions of the more interesting military drones with enroute speeds (for planning purposes).