First post from this aviation geek. I like to keep tabs on the NASA WB-57 (926NA, 928NA) and ER-1 (806NA, 809NA) flights, mostly because they’re so unusual - FL500 is not uncommon. On 27 FEB 08, NASA 928 was a WB-57F out of Ellington field on a routine training hop. Today, it’s a Bomby GlobEx headed to Coronel Enrique Soto Cano AB (MHSC) in Honduras.
A quick check of the FAA database returns empty for 928NA, but 926NA shows up as the “other” WB-57F. NASA has a bucketful of G’s: 2NA and 944NA through 950NA.
What gives?
(Edited to correct the A/C make/model. I was hung up on the fact that it wasn’t the Canberra I was looking for!)
Gulfstream, and Learjet, are the two that I know of that use call signs for test and training flights where the number is actually assigned to a person by the company. Flight safety instructors included too. That is why the type changes from one flight to the next. At least that was true when I did my type rating training for the Lear 60 back in the dark days before they had the simulator up and running.
I notice that the leading scientific journals - National Enquirer, Weekly World News, Globe - report a majority of “weather balloon / swamp gas” sightings in Central America. I’m certain that the flight crew of this particular GlobEx wore black suits and Ray-bans, and politely asked the residents of a number of small Honduran villages to look at the flashy thing.
Just a second … receptionist just called to tell me that there are a couple of “gentlemen” here to see me. brb
Well, boys and girls, NASA 928 made it back to Ellington Field (KEFD) on Monday. The flight from SKBO (Eldorado Int’l) to KNQX (Key West Arpt) on 17 MAR 08 doesn’t show up in the history log, though.
So, apparently, it went to Central America as a Global Express, and came back as a WB-57F. I think the Global Express tag was incorrect. As I said in a previous post, I’ve yet to see a NASA flight number that didn’t correspond to the A/C registration number.
U-2 and RB-57 sircraft have been assigned to the CIA, USAF, Office of Naval Research (Carrier flying), NACA, NASA, just about everything except the US Army. Most of it is smoke and mirrors. They all belong to the US government; tail numbers and paint schemes are changed overnight. Vinyl peels off easily.Deceptive flight plans or VFR on top (above 60,000 - no route specified) are the norm. One of the biggest customers is a little know USAF organization know as th Air Force Technical Applications Center. (AFTAC). Interesting reading at:
I think the Global Express tag was incorrect. As I said in a previous post, I’ve yet to see a NASA flight number that didn’t correspond to the A/C registration number.