Sports charters

There seems to be significant interest in these, so I thought I’d start a new thread.

Possible Jacksonville Jaguars?
flightaware.com/live/flight/WOA3102

Washington Redskins
flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL9887

Thought for a moment this was USC Basketball but from the activity log, clearly it is not. What is it? Repositioning?
flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA9058

Houston Rockets:
flightaware.com/live/flight/N104HR

Utah Jazz
flightaware.com/live/flight/PCE1234
flightaware.com/live/flight/PCE1235
(Stopped off at home between playing road games in LA and Memphis)

Providence Univ. Basketball, I think (KPVD-KIAD, KBWI-KPVD):
flightaware.com/live/flight/JUS195

Princeton Basketball, I think (KHOU-KEWR):
flightaware.com/live/flight/COA9971

Just might be Michigan State. When you are Big Ten you can afford to fly (Jan 5):
flightaware.com/live/flight/CHQ9

Detroit Red Wings? (Jan. 5 KDTW-KBNA)
flightaware.com/live/flight/N682RW

Probably the Montreal Canadians (Jan. 5 KEWR-CYUL):
flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA7042

Definitely Vancouver Canucks (Jan 5 KMDW-CYVR):
flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA7037
Which brings up a point as I see this flight went KPHX-KDEN some time earlier. I thought forgein carriers were not allowed to provide transportation within the US under any circumstances. Charters are excepted? Or could it have been a repositioning flight?

Probably the Colorado Avalanche (Jan 5 KMSP-KDEN):
flightaware.com/live/flight/PCE2336

Phoenix Coyotes (Jan 5 KLAX-KPHX):
flightaware.com/live/flight/PCE2140

Columbus Blue Jackets (Jan 5 KSJC-KDEN):
flightaware.com/live/flight/N697BJ

can’t wait for baseball season…be interesting if someone here can figure out those charters…I know the Yankees use COA…and the first definite team trip will be from an exhibition in PHX to the opener in Oakland (SFO?) on 4/1…also from TPA-PHX on 3/30

I was thinking the same thing. I should be able to figure most of them out. Kind of fun.

It is possible for a foreign carrier to get an exemption to fly domestic USA flights. An example is the AN-225 operated by Antonov. Because there are no domestic airlines that have an aircraft the size of the AN-225, they routinely get an exemption to fly between USA airports transporting such items as a 777 engine or space craft.

In the the case of the Air Canada flight, it could be that because the aircraft is operated as a private charter it is authorized to fly between domestic airports.

I thought it would be cool to see the Golden Knights Flight path. As they are the U.S. Army Parachute Team that performs at during pre-game at sporting events. I am assuming we cannot follow the flight path since it is military.

The victorious Redskins will be departing TPA @ 2100 ET

flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL9887

or were SUPPOSED to at least… :open_mouth:

I have been trying to find some of these for a while. Here is what I have for NFL teams:

USA9095 Carolina Panthers (inbound)
USA9094 Carolina Panthers (outbound)
UAL9900 Chicago Bears
UAL9902 Denver Broncos
NWA9966 Indianapolis Colts (inbound)
NWA9966 Indianapolis Colts (outbound)
NWA9969 Minnesota Vikings (inbound)
NWA9968 Minnesota Vikings (outbound)
UAL9905 NY Giants
DAL9820 San Diego Chargers
NWA9964 Arizona Cardinals (outbound)
NWA9965 Arizona Cardinals (inbound)
DAL9827 Houston Texans
AAL9433 St. Louis Rams
WOA3102 Jacksonville Jaguars (only 3 flights in 05-06, so not the only one)
USA9098 Pittsburgh Steelers (outbound)
USA9099 Pittsburgh Steelers (inbound)

Boston Bruins:
flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL9817

Buffalo Sabres:
flightaware.com/live/flight/N737Q

As a media relations employee for a Division I athletic department, I have been tracking sports charters for a long time… including those I have flown on.

Sports charters are easy to do as you long as you have the schedules. Most teams head out immediately after the game, so on any given night, you can track from game site to home or game site to game site.

I find it best to track the city routes as opposed to flight numbers because they often change. Some charter companies alone (Champion, Miami Air) use a 9XXX number for deadheads and the XXX portion for the passenger part. Also, PACE/Hooters Air runs a lot of team charters as does Falcon (FAO) and Pan Am. I am a subscriber of AirNAV, so I can select all the planes from a certain company.

Basketball teams usually charter a couple of small planes (King Airs are popular). Check other smaller airports.

A few of the ones I choose:
The Los Angeles Kings use a PACE/Hooters Air plane.
Louisiana-Monroe football uses Champion; Troy and Florida International use Falcon.
Most SEC schools use Delta.
LCK (Rickenbacker in Columbus) handles Ohio University football and many Ohio State opponents. Check UNI (Athens, Ohio) for longer basketball trips, TOI (Troy, Alabama) on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 (Jonesboro, Ark.)

Let me know if you need any other help.

another thing to check is see who is the ‘airline sponsor’ for your favorite teams broadcasts…especially baseball and football…99% of the time that will be the airline your team uses for most of their trips…The Yankees and COA as an example…

Looks like the Redskins were upgraded to a B744 (from the usual 757 or 767) for their flight to Seattle today: UAL9887

The Golden Knights, I believe, use a UC-31 (F-27) that has a military registration.

There are some Army aircraft with civilian registrations that are in the FlightAware database:

N765MG RC-7
N34HG RC-7
N177RA RC-7
(one flight each shown for the above aircraft)

N8VQ Gulfstream V (shown in FlightAware as unknown owner but listed in FAA registry as US Army. 4 flights shown)

You can locate other Army aircraft with civilian registrations by going to the FAA registry at registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/

If I am not mistaken the Golden Knights aircraft would be based at KSWF,as that is only about 10 miles from USMA. ( I live about 15 miles from KSWF in the other direction. We get to see (and HEAR many many C-5 's from the ANG base there also)

New England Patriots:
flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL9801 (Jan 13 KPVD-KDEN)

UNLV, I think (at least it’s not a scheduled flight):
flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA8509 (Jan 13 KLAS-KSAN)

University of Iowa:
flightaware.com/live/flight/JUS231 (Jan 13 KCID-KUNV)

Thanks for all the replies.

The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team uses Air Canada flight #7045 and #7046, Equipment is presently an A320.

Ron, up here in Canada eh ?