Large Four Engine Plane in Champaign-Urbana! Please help.

FlightAware General
1

Hi,
About 6 months ago in Champaign, IL (CMI), I saw a white four engined plane fly low over my house. I went to the airport to check it out, but nothing was there. Yesterday, July 9th I was out of town, but someone informed that they saw a white four engined plane fly low over my house. Does anyone know what type of plane it was? Why was it here? Does it have anything to do with the troops pullout? I couldn’t find it on Flightaware or Flytecomm. I’ve seen military flights on flightaware at air force bases. Can someone please help me? Thanks. :astonished:

2

We’re pulling our troops out of Champaign-Urbana?

3

Need more data.
Jet or prop?
High wing or low?
Solid white or touches of other colors?

4

Ok, I’ll be serious…

I’m going with P-3…

globalsecurity.org/military/ … allery.htm

5

It had four jets, was solid white, and had a white wingspan and was long. I wish it was on flightaware, but there was nothing there when I looked.

6

I’m over in SPI, we get a fair share of KC-135’s shooting approaches, is it possible it was grey as opposed to white?

Also, until recently, UPS flew DC-8s, (on very rare occasion you’d see one in DEC), possibly a diversion from DEC or possibly IND. Sometimes diversions don’t show up in the system correctly.

7

It looked like a DC-8 but was painted solid white. Any guesses for the carrier? Thanks again.

8

1049×1024 165 KB

Does the University of Illinois have anything going on with NASA atmospheric research?

9

I think that was it, thanks for your help. I’m surprised they got a NASA plane for their testing though, even if they are a highly ranked engineering/science university.

10

NASA actually offers the DC-8 for quite a few academic missions. It was even up here at PSM a few years back working with UNH. I guess they were counting the cows or analyzing their farts or whatever…

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-050-DFRC.html

11

Is it really necessary to block it on Flightaware though? It isn’t exactly a top secret mission. Thanks

12

It may not have been blocked (most, if not all, NASA flights are not blocked). Its flight plan may have never entered the national system and therefore wouldn’t be tracked.

flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA817

This does indicate the last trackable flight for NASA817 was 5 May out of the west coast so it may have been a different aircraft at CMI.

13

Hmmmm… That is weird. All I could find was:

flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA817

I’m sure they’re not blocked but maybe they use a different callsign now?

Edit- Sorry, I agree with Dami.

14

Alright, i’ll try to investigate it. Thanks for your help.