If it’s Wednesday noon, there’s a Saudi 747 flying out of and back to IAD for an hour over the Virginia/West Virginia countryside. Weekly, it seems, at least this December. 747-400, 747-300, 747-200, 747SP.
Just nosy, I am, but what is this plane doing? Training? Checking on some horse country properties? Flying Saudi locals in some type of charitable endeavor? Smoozing some American politicians? Or worse?
This is a wild guess, but with the Hajj flights going all month they can’t do training here at Jeddah so it could be a training flight. Kind of a stretch, but possible. Let’s see if they continue for the next couple of weeks, until the Hajj flights are finished. This flight is operating hours before the weekly arrival from Jeddah so it’s an airplane that is already at IAD.
Or, Arabian 1 (a,b,c etc.) are Royal flights, any idea if they are using Saudia or Arabian on the radio? The royal fleet has an SP but they often use an airline aircraft when needed. Kind of a left hand/right hand deal.
John in Saudi
Saudi moved up the weekly, hour-long, IAD-IAD training(?) flight by a day. Today Tuesday, rather than the usual Wednesday, but departed just about right on schedule…noon, as usual. B747-200.
Weather not good–rain, freezing rain, sleet–but all’s well that ends well!
Could be an airplane assigned to the US ambassador.
Not unheard of them to drive a 747 around the pattern here in Jeddah either.
There was an SP in town 2 Sunday’s back…as porterjet said more then likely VIP…the other jets…I’d agree training. The the 743, and 744 used to service the flights here weekly. The area which they are flying to is “Practice airspace” I believe. I think that porterjet would agree with this, but when ever the Royal family wants a plane for ANYTHING they take it even if it means canceling a scheduled flight…I’ve seen it done.
yup.
Seems like whoever is filing the flight plans may not know one model from the next. I’m not sure if they have any 200’s left.