Lufthansa 747-400 in Tulsa today

Ironically I was at KTUL picking up friends that have just come in from Germany, but not direct.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/GEC8630/history/20090402/0915Z/EDDP/KTUL

Why was it at Tulsa?

As you can see, GEC8630, is a Lufthansa Cargo Flight Number and by looking at the previous routings, it is anything but a normal flight. It could have been there for any of a number of things, especially when you’re talking about cargo.

On its way to Iceland now??? http://flightaware.com/live/flight/GEC8626/history/20090403/1510Z/KTUL/BIKF

No clue as to the cargo, my contact at the airport has been out sick this week.

On the top by the flight number it states Lufthansa Cargo:

GEC8626 (all flights)
Lufthansa Cargo Ag, “Lufthansa Cargo”

That’s also what the GEC stands for on his flight number coding. Very interesting find, that’s for sure!

Could have been a military charter. There are several guard and reserve bases in the Tulsa area. With Obama taking 500 to England with him, there is a sever shortage of military airlift currently available.

From the Washington Post - your C-17’s at work…

President Obama 's European visit this week has strained Air Force heavy-airlift capabilities and obliged the military to hire more foreign contractors to help resupply U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, according to military sources.

The large delegation traveling with the president in Europe required moving several transports, including jumbo C-5s and C-17s, from sorties ferrying supplies to Afghanistan to European bases for the presidential
visit.

The Air Mobility Command, part of the U.S. Transportation Command, was
ordered to provide airlift for the president’s entourage of nearly 500 people, including senior officials, staff, support personnel, news
reporters and some 200 Secret Service agents for the European visit,
which began Tuesday in London.

Airlift for the traveling entourage also was used to move the president’s new heavy-armored limousine and several presidential
helicopters used for short transits.

One official said the problem was not only the vehicles and helicopters
that were needed for presidential security, but also the unusually large
number of people traveling with the president. The official said U.S.
taxpayers are paying twice for airlift, once for Air Force jets that are
not available for a war zone and again for foreign contractor aircraft
that are.

(Sorry - don’t have the exact URL - this was sent to me by my brother)

It’s from the WA Times, not the Post.

Here’s the full version related to Obama’s trip. It wasn’t hard to find with google.

washingtontimes.com/news/20 … -89874599/

Military strained by Obama trip
Bill Gertz INSIDE THE RING (Contact)
Air Obama

President Obama’s European visit this week has strained Air Force heavy-airlift capabilities and obliged the military to hire more foreign contractors to help resupply U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, according to military sources.

The large delegation traveling with the president in Europe required moving several transports, including jumbo C-5s and C-17s, from sorties ferrying supplies to Afghanistan to European bases for the presidential visit, said two military officials familiar with the issue. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid any misunderstanding with White House officials.

The Air Mobility Command, part of the U.S. Transportation Command, was ordered to provide airlift for the president’s entourage of nearly 500 people, including senior officials, staff, support personnel, news reporters and some 200 Secret Service agents for the European visit, which began Tuesday in London.

Airlift for the traveling entourage also was used to move the president’s new heavy-armored limousine and several presidential helicopters used for short transits.

To make up for the shortfall, the Air Force had to increase the number of Eastern European air transport contractors hired to fly Il-76 and An-124 transport jets into Afghanistan loaded with troop supplies, the two officials said.

The airlift crunch comes at a particularly difficult time, as the military is stepping up deliveries of supplies in advance of a surge of 21,000 U.S. troops.

One official said the problem was not only the vehicles and helicopters that were needed for presidential security, but also the unusually large number of people traveling with the president. The official said U.S. taxpayers are paying twice for airlift, once for Air Force jets that are not available for a war zone and again for foreign contractor aircraft that are.

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to comment. Col. Gregory Julian, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, said he was unaware of a transport shortage but noted that it was not unusual for the military to hire air-transport contractors in such circumstances.

Presidential logistics for such trips involve a complicated military process that involves insuring smooth travel and having backup aircraft ready for use. Such large trips as the current European one generally cost millions of dollars.

Navy Capt. Kevin Aandahl, a spokesman with U.S. Transportation Command, said there was no link between increased contractor airlift in Afghanistan and the aircraft used for presidential travel this week.

“Contractual airlift [IL-76 and AN-124] used to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan is not in any way connected to presidential movement requirements,” he said.

Transportation command “routinely” contracts with U.S. air freight lines that subcontract with companies flying Il-76s and An-124s to move large military vehicles.

“This is simply a ‘best business practice’ that allows us to meet the needs of our warfighters at the best cost for the taxpayer,” he said.

The spokesman also said budgets for Afghanistan and presidential travel come from different accounts. “The taxpayer does indeed pay for strategic lift for our warfighters in Afghanistan, but they also pay for presidential support,” he said. “These missions are distinctly separate and are therefore funded separately.”

Mr. Obama and his group, which includes medical personnel and food specialists, will spend eight days in Europe visiting five nations for the G-20, NATO and European Union summits and side visits to the Czech Republic and Turkey. After the first three days in Britain, the party will travel to Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, for NATO’s 60th anniversary summit before traveling to Prague on April 5 and then to Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey on April 6.

Capt. Aandahl would not say how many transports were used to move the presidential group, nor provide costs.

Ok first of all lets look at the source of this info. the Washington Times the conservative branch of news from our nations capitol. Now in the short time I’ve been in these forums I have NEVER seen anyone talk about how much presidential airlifting “Spread” our air force or anything regarding cost. Lets see we have a 2 front war that started when? As for LH being used to haul anything for our military I’d be VERY shocked considering we don’t allow foreign carriers to fly domestic within our boarders. F this clown and his article. This paper is disgusting…but on the flip side the Provda (Post) ain’t much different. If you need to know about a story read both and figure out what parts seem to fit the issue and draw your own conclusion. There that is why LH was in KTUL, aren’t you glad you asked!!! :smiling_imp:

The Lufthansa Cargo flight was flying an international route, not a domestic route.

Foreign airlines are allowed to fly domestically on exemption from the Department of Transportation. Volga and Antonov do it quite often when their is a need to airlift cargo of a size that cannot fit into an aircraft smaller than the AN-124. One flight that sticks out is a flight from Guam to Honolulu to Yuma MCAS carrying military cargo (Guam is a domestic point). There’s also been lots of flights carrying spacecraft and 777 engines.

I agree. The thing smelled fishy when I read it. Too much speculation with nobody actually on the record.

I was especially amused by how they selected ony certain paragraphs from the original story.

Ok I stand corrected, I forgot that in fact this bird came in from Eurpoe. Yes Volga…do fly AN-124’s within the US (I’ve worked a few), BUT do you not agree that is is highly unlikely that LH would fly troops? That would not go over well with our domestic carriers.

They wouldn’t fly in a cargo aircraft. Again, the airline in question is NOT Lufthansa but Lufthansa CARGO. Big difference.

Ok Dami helpm me here again, what do you mean? I understand troops wouldn’t fly in a cargo aircraft, forgive me it is only 0400 here right now and I’m getting ready to start my shift. :wink:

I just mean that there is a possibility that the GEC (Lufthansa Cargo) flight was used to carry military goods from the Tulsa area to overseas.

Ok now I got ya.

Most likely out of Tulsa it was an oilfield equipment charter. Our f-16 squadron isn’t deployed right now and we don’t have any other military.

I completely forgot about how big the oil industry is in Tulsa. That is was an oil industry related charter sounds more logical than a military charter.

Thanks, kneafseym!

Data point:

When I was in the USAF way back during the Reagan Administration I was involved in several movements of “military material” from CONUS to Germany, using mostly C-5’s and -141’s but when they were full we contracted with, you guessed it, Lufthansa Cargo for the remainder.

Like I said, just a data point.

Joe

Lufthansa Cargo does not have any 747Fs of their own. According to ACARS it was N740WA on lease from World.