Amelia Island Flyovers & Sightings

A summer family vacation to Amelia Island, Florida offered up several opportunities to see a variety of aircraft and locations that I don’t often see. Flyovers while at the beach, drive-by sightings and a couple of rocket launches highlighted the week’s stay.

31Jul22 - 06Aug22

A USAF McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle from the 159th Fighter Squadron, a unit of the Florida Air National Guard's 125th Fighter Wing located in Jacksonville, FL, loudly passing over the Amelia Island beaches at is returns home after a training flight out over the Atlantic Ocean. 01Aug22

The 159th Fighter Squadron is currently equipped with the F-15C and F-15D Eagles. You could hear them going out to sea and coming back home every day. However, they were exceedingly hard to catch sight of in time to get any kind of reasonably good photograph of them. 01Aug22

Another daily visitor over Amelia Island were the US Coast Guard Eurocopter MH-65D Dolphin helicopters. They made regular trips up and down the beach each day and afforded me several opportunities to grab photographs of them.
01Aug22 — Another daily visitor over Amelia Island were the US Coast Guard Eurocopter MH-65D Dolphin helicopters. They made regular trips up and down the beach each day and afforded me several opportunities to grab photographs of them. 01Aug22

Another pass of the US Coast Guard's Eurocopter MH-65D Dolphin over the Amelia Island beach.
01Aug22 — Another pass of the US Coast Guard's Eurocopter MH-65D Dolphin over the Amelia Island beach. 01Aug22

Blackhawk helicopters were also frequent visitors over the Amelia Island beaches. Here is one a couple of miles off shore heading South.
02Aug22 — Blackhawk helicopters were also frequent visitors over the Amelia Island beaches. Here is one a couple of miles off shore heading South. 02Aug22

A 1964 Nanchang CJ-6A (N61CJ) flying by in the late afternoon.
01Aug22 — A 1964 Nanchang CJ-6A (N61CJ) flying by in the late afternoon. 01Aug22

This 1964 Nanchang CJ-6A (N61CJ) is based at the local Fernandina Beach Airport (KFHB) located on Amelia Island.
01Aug22 — This 1964 Nanchang CJ-6A (N61CJ) is based at the local Fernandina Beach Airport (KFHB) located on Amelia Island. 01Aug22

Air Force 2 overhead at 35,000ft heading North. This Boeing VC-32A (AF2, 98-0002) was transporting Vice President Kamala Harris back to Washington, DC after she made an appearance in Miami, FL.
01Aug22 — Air Force 2 overhead at 35,000ft heading North. This Boeing VC-32A (AF2, 98-0002) was transporting Vice President Kamala Harris back to Washington, DC after she made an appearance in Miami, FL. 01Aug22

Another pass of the US Coast Guard's Eurocopter MH-65D Dolphin over the Amelia Island beach.
02Aug22 — Another pass of the US Coast Guard's Eurocopter MH-65D Dolphin over the Amelia Island beach. 02Aug22

Rocket Launch!
First of two rockets to launch on August 4th from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

This is the 6:30am liftoff of United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. This flight is launching the sixth and last Space Based Infrared System Geosynchr — Rocket Launch! First of two rockets to launch on August 4th from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This is the 6:30am liftoff of United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. This flight is launching the sixth and last Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite (Called the SBIRS GEO 6 for short) for the U.S. Space Force. 04Aug22

All that remains of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket launch is this colorful cloud in the sky.
04Aug22 — All that remains of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket launch is this colorful cloud in the sky. 04Aug22

A Blackhawk helicopter with the numbers 17-27440 stenciled on the unfinished section of the tail boom passes overhead.
04Aug22 — A Blackhawk helicopter with the numbers 17-27440 stenciled on the unfinished section of the tail boom passes overhead. 04Aug22

Driving down to Jacksonville from Amelia Island, I passed the BAE Systems Maritime Ship Repair facility on the St. Johns River.

This is the USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer named for Medal of Honor recipient — Driving down to Jacksonville from Amelia Island, I passed the BAE Systems Maritime Ship Repair facility on the St. Johns River. This is the USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer named for Medal of Honor recipient Donald Cook, a Colonel in the United States Marine Corps, undergoing repairs. 04Aug22

HMS Medway (P223) in a dry dock undergoing repairs at the BAE Systems Maritime repair facility.
04Aug22 — HMS Medway (P223) in a dry dock undergoing repairs at the BAE Systems Maritime repair facility. 04Aug22

A Freedom-class littoral combat ship docked at the BAE Systems Maritime repair facility.
04Aug22 — A Freedom-class littoral combat ship docked at the BAE Systems Maritime repair facility. 04Aug22

Crossing the Dames Point Bridge, I couid see the SUNSHINE ACE (a Vehicles Carrier that was built in 2009 and is sailing under the flag of Bahamas) docked at the Amports Motor Vehicle Dealer facility on Alligator Island.
04Aug22 — Crossing the Dames Point Bridge, I couid see the SUNSHINE ACE (a Vehicles Carrier that was built in 2009 and is sailing under the flag of Bahamas) docked at the Amports Motor Vehicle Dealer facility on Alligator Island. 04Aug22

Made a drive by of Naval Air Station Jacksonville where the number of US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft parked on the ramp was visually impressive.
04Aug22 — Made a drive by of Naval Air Station Jacksonville where the number of US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft parked on the ramp was visually impressive. 04Aug22

The US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft at NAS JAX are regular visitors to my home airport, Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), in Blountville, TN.
04Aug22 — The US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft at NAS JAX are regular visitors to my home airport, Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), in Blountville, TN. 04Aug22

If you look closely, there a couple of (Soon to be retired) US Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft parked on the ramp as well.
04Aug22 — If you look closely, there a couple of (Soon to be retired) US Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft parked on the ramp as well. 04Aug22

The lineup of Poseidon tails is very impressive to see.
04Aug22 — The lineup of Poseidon tails is very impressive to see. 04Aug22

Gate guard to Naval Air Station Jacksonville is this US Navy Boeing F/A-18 Hornet (BuNo 161941). NAS JAX is the birthplace of and first home to the US Navy Blue Angels in 1946.
04Aug22 — Gate guard to Naval Air Station Jacksonville is this US Navy Boeing F/A-18 Hornet (BuNo 161941). NAS JAX is the birthplace of and first home to the US Navy Blue Angels in 1946. 04Aug22

The day ended with a 7:00 pm SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch carrying the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter mission into space for South Korea.
04Aug22 — The day ended with a 7:00 pm SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch carrying the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter mission into space for South Korea. 04Aug22

A trio of Blackhawk helicopters passing over Amelia Island.
05Aug22 — A trio of Blackhawk helicopters passing over Amelia Island. 05Aug22

A pair of Blackhawk helicopters passing over my condo.
06Aug22 — A pair of Blackhawk helicopters passing over my condo. 06Aug22

Lots of birds in this one. Shot from my third floor balcony looking East.
06Aug22 — Lots of birds in this one. Shot from my third floor balcony looking East. 06Aug22

Amelia Island, Florida Beach Flyovers

A vacation trip to Amelia Island, Florida meant lots of time spent on the beach. And with and iPhone at the ready, I was able to catch a few beach flyovers that are featured in the video below. First up is a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin making its daily pass down the beach. Next up are a couple of Blackhawk helicopter flybys. And to finish things up, a pair of para-gliders skimming along the beach.

01-06Aug22

Back-to-Back Rocket Launches

For the first time in 2022, back-to back launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station bookended the day with a morning launch of the ULA Atlas 5 rocket at 6:29 a.m. and an evening launch of a SpaceX Flacon 9 rocket at 7:08 p.m. I got up early for the ULA Atlas 5 rocket morning launch at our vacation condo on Amelia Island, Florida. Then later in the day, I traveled down the coastline past St. Augustine to Matanzas Inlet to view the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch.

04Aug22

Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, Georgia (BQK)

The trip home from Amelia Island, FL, offered up the opportunity to stop by the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, Georgia (BQK) to see John Travolta’s Boeing 707-138 in Qantas livery parked at Stambaugh Aviation. Travolta’s 707 was parked amid a group of other world weary Boeing 707 and 727 jets awaiting their fate.

06Sep22

A ramp full of vintage jets parked outside Stambaugh Aviation at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. Included in the group is John Travolta’s Quantas 1964 707-138B (N707JT), Aircraft Endeavors LLC 1968 707-338C (N624BH), Omega Air 1974 707-3L6B (N707BN), Jeffery Epstein’s 1969 727-031 (N908JE), Omega Air 1968 707-338C (N623RH), and Peter Nygard’s 1982 727-200 Super 27 (N908JE). 06Aug22

A ramp full of vintage jets parked outside Stambaugh Aviation at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. Included in the group is John Travolta’s Qantas 1964 707-138B (N707JT), Aircraft Endeavors LLC 1968 707-338C (N624BH), Omega Air 1974 707-3L6B (N707BN), Jeffery Epstein’s 1969 727-031 (N908JE), Omega Air 1968 707-338C (N623RH), and Peter Nygard’s 1982 727-200 Super 27 (N908JE). 06Aug22

As I was driving into the airport looking for the entrance to Stambaugh Aviation, I ran across this F-104 Starfighter gate guard at the Brunswick Air Guard Station.
06Aug22 — As I was driving into the airport looking for the entrance to Stambaugh Aviation, I ran across this F-104 Starfighter gate guard at the Brunswick Air Guard Station. 06Aug22

Aircraft Endeavors LLC 1968 707-338C (N624BH) and Omega Air 1974 707-3L6B (N707BN) tail in the background.
06Aug22 — Aircraft Endeavors LLC 1968 707-338C (N624BH) and Omega Air 1974 707-3L6B (N707BN) tail in the background. 06Aug22

John Travolta’s Qantas 1964 707-138B (N707JT)
06Aug22 — John Travolta’s Qantas 1964 707-138B (N707JT) 06Aug22

Omega Air 1968 707-338C (N623RH) with its tail towards the camera and Jeffery Epstein’s 1969 727-031 (N908JE) in the background.
06Aug22 — Omega Air 1968 707-338C (N623RH) with its tail towards the camera and Jeffery Epstein’s 1969 727-031 (N908JE) in the background. 06Aug22

Peter Nygard’s 1982 727-200 Super 27 (N908JE)
06Aug22 — Peter Nygard’s 1982 727-200 Super 27 (N908JE) 06Aug22

Coca-Cola Beech 18 On A Pole

Traveling through Hephzibah, GA, I came across this Coca-Cola themed Beech 18 on a pole next to Taylor Brothers X-Press convenience store on US Highway 25. The bright red Beech was festooned with other local sponsorship logos to complete the advertising look.

06Sep22