flightaware.com/live/flight/ADB1646
This flew over my house a few minutes ago. I was inside and could hear something different flying over. I normally don’t pay attention since it’s usually Southwest or RJ’s, but I jumped up and ran outside. Looked outside (in the dark) and could barely see it. I live ~15 miles NNE of KBNA. It came from Nottingham, UK. Anyone know why? Are they by chance getting Airbus wings from Vought Aircraft Industries that’s here?
A friend of mine that frequently flies out of BNA tells me that this craft is a somewhat frequent visitor to middle Tennessee and believes it transports parts for a nearby Nissan or Saturn production facility.
Wonder why Nissan or Saturn would be getting parts from the UK? And a quantity enough or something big enough to need to be on that size a plane, by themselves. Someone told me they thought it was for the Airbus wings. Vaught does make several Airbus wings
vought.com/newsFactGallery/f … vought.htm
We also get the almost daily China Airlines Cargo 747 from China via Anchorage, with supposedly mostly parts for Dell.
flightaware.com/live/flight/CAL5210
I found out this flight was bringing the Rolls Royce Trent 1000, that’s going to be used on the 787, here to be tested at Arnold’s wind tunnel (Tullahoma TN), since theirs is the only one big enough to hold it. Guess RR needs to build a bigger wind tunnel! I assume GE has one.
My father was watching the flat bed truck carry the engine away (covered up) from the airport.
Arnold:
www.arnold.af.mil
Interesting.
And thanks for the follow-up. I’ll be passing this info along to my friend in the Nashville area.
Arnold has a runway thats very seldom used its in such bad shape Most of the big cargo thats going goes into NAshville or Huntsville,Im 15 miles west of huntsville and southwest of Arnold,in the whole time ive been monitoring ive heard one NAVY aircraft fly into Arnold AFB,it was a King Air.
And the runway over at nearby Tullahoma is only 6000 feet, and the weight limit is less than the Antonov is empty.
I’m sure it’s cheaper for them to truck it from BNA or HSV than to keep their runway up.
I wish Tullahoma’s runway was longer. It limits their airshow offerings and one reason why they didnt have the Starfighters last year.
You guys are right on the mark about the Trent 1000 coming to Arnold AFB. It won’t be placed in our wind tunnel as previously stated in this blog, but instead will be tested in our Aeropropulsion Systems Test Facility (ASTF). We do a significant amount of work for RR.
The comments below are partially correct regarding the Arnold AFB runway. The limiting factors are length (roughly 6,000 feet) and weight-bearing capacity. As for the condition of the runway, that has nothing to do with capability. In fact we had a C-5 deliver a satellite just a few years back with no problems and the ANG uses it frequently for C-130 assault landing training.
Regarding the air show comments, the airfield is limited in our capability to put on a show. However, the length and condition of the runway here are not the issue. It is the ramp space and lack of a crowd area that limit us from hosting the show at the base. We’ve been very fortunate to use the Tullahoma Airport and it has turned out to be an excellent venue for the show. The decision not to have the Starfighters was not related to the airfield, but simply a financial decision made by the Air Force and our community partners who help put on the show.
If any of you live near Arnold AFB, we would love to have you come for a tour of our engine test cells, wind tunnels, space chambers, rocket cells, etc. Just call the Public Affairs office at 931-454-4204 or 931-454-5655 to make arrangements. Our web site can also give you a good idea of what we have here at the center. www.arnold.af.mil
I was just going by what Murray King (is that you?) told me as far as why the Starfighters weren’t invited (I still have the emails). And I did say one reason. 
Thanks for clearing up about the wind tunnel. Do you happen to know why that Antonov went to Philly after BNA? And if the RR engine was the only thing it brought?
Brian
I’ll have to get on Murray 
I’m not Murray, but I work with him frequently. We’ve n ow owrked three air shows together. My name is Tim White and I work in the Public Affairs office.
Not sure about why the Antonov went to Philly. The Trent 1000 was the only thing delivered here, but we haveno idea what else they may have been carrying. I wold have loved to be in Nashville to see it land.
Tim
Well what he meant was because the runway was too short for them, they would have to fly out of BNA or MQY, which was another reason why not to have them (and which I guess would have also added to the cost, so yet another reason related to runway length).
BTW, here’s the engine being delivered:
pbase.com/lexyky/anotonov_design_bureau
I think a few of the plane photographer/spotter guys got to go inside the plane.
Check the DOT website; if they moved any cargo domestically they’d have to file for a wavier, since they’re a foreign carrier.
I don’t have a clue how to find that.
He was going?
Already mentioned above, with pics.
S**T my comp is messed up and links are not showing up. My fault sorry about that. 