Airport beacon used to mark Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV/KRHV)
San Jose, California
Aerodrome Beacon (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerodrome_beacon
Reid-Hillview Airport (airport web site):
countyairports.sccgov.org/airports/reid-hillview-airport
Reid Hillview Airport (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid–Hillview_Airport
Tags: Reid Hillview Airport RHV KRHV San Jose California general aviation beacon light tower
1962 Piper PA-28-150 Cherokee N5551W, MSN 28-642
Photographed at Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV / KRHV)
San Jose, California
Piper PA-28 Cherokee (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_PA-28_Cherokee
Reid-Hillview Airport (airport web site):
countyairports.sccgov.org/airports/reid-hillview-airport
Reid Hillview Airport (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid–Hillview_Airport
Tags: Piper PA-28-150 PA-28 Cherokee 150 N5551W 28-642 Reid Hillview Airport RHV KRHV San Jose general aviation weathered deteriorating aircraft airplane
1974 Beechcraft Musketeer B19 N1967W, MSN MB-656
Note the marine layer carrying fog over and around Mount Umunhum in the distance. The radar tower that was once part of Almaden Air Force Station is clearly visible.
Photographed at Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV / KRHV)
San Jose, California
Beechcraft Musketeer (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Musketeer
Reid-Hillview Airport (airport web site):
countyairports.sccgov.org/airports/reid-hillview-airport
Reid Hillview Airport (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid–Hillview_Airport
Tags: Beechcraft Beech B19 Musketeer N1967W MB-656 Reid Hillview Airport RHV KRHV San Jose general aviation aircraft airplane Santa Clara Valley Mount Mt Umunhum fog marine layer
Billings Flying Service Boeing Vertol CH-47D N404AJ
Photographed just after reloading with retardant to fight the SCU Lightning Complex fires east of San Jose, California.
This reloading station was located at Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in San Jose.
According to online sources,* this Chinook wasn't delivered to its original purchaser, and it went on to have two "lives" with the U.S. Army under two different serial numbers, all before it began fighting wildfires!
N404AJ was originally built as a CH-47C, c/n P-079, by Elicotteri Meridionali in Italy under contract for the Imperial Iranian Air Force. Never delivered, it was impounded after the Iranian revolution, and it was eventually acquired by the U.S. government.
Assigned a Boeing c/n of B-744 and a U.S. Army serial of 85-24744, it was assigned to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Some years later, it was remanufactured by Boeing Vertol to the CH-47D standard, and assigned both a new c/n, M3438, and a new U.S. Army serial, 92-0297. It was assigned to the Texas Army National Guard in 1993, and sold as surplus in 2015.
Its history immediately after the surplus sale is difficult to determine, but it was eventually acquired by Billings Flying Service, Inc. and modified for wildland fire fighting. US FAA records indicate that it was granted an airworthiness certificate in 2018.
That's quite a story for any aircraft, and this Chinook is playing a vital role in its third "life" fighting fires!
Billings Flying Service, Inc. (company web site):
billingsflyingservice.com
CH-47 Chinook (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_CH-47_Chinook
*References:
www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1985.html
www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1992.html
www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=66726
Tags: Elicotteri Meridionali CH-47C CH-47 Chinook P-079 Boeing Vertol B-744 85-24744 Pennsylvania Army National Guard remanufactured CH-47D M3438 92-0297 Texas Billings Flying Service Montana N404AJ aerial firefighting air tanker snorkel reloading retardant Phos-Chek Reid-Hillview airport San Jose KRHV RHV Cold War helicopter
Billings Flying Service Boeing Vertol CH-47D N404AJ
Photographed while reloading with retardant to fight the SCU Lightning Complex fires east of San Jose, California.
This reloading station was located at Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in San Jose.
According to online sources,* this Chinook wasn't delivered to its original purchaser, and it went on to have two "lives" with the U.S. Army under two different serial numbers, all before it began fighting wildfires!
N404AJ was originally built as a CH-47C, c/n P-079, by Elicotteri Meridionali in Italy under contract for the Imperial Iranian Air Force. Never delivered, it was impounded after the Iranian revolution, and it was eventually acquired by the U.S. government.
Assigned a Boeing c/n of B-744 and a U.S. Army serial of 85-24744, it was assigned to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Some years later, it was remanufactured by Boeing Vertol to the CH-47D standard, and assigned both a new c/n, M3438, and a new U.S. Army serial, 92-0297. It was assigned to the Texas Army National Guard in 1993, and sold as surplus in 2015.
Its history immediately after the surplus sale is difficult to determine, but it was eventually acquired by Billings Flying Service, Inc. and modified for wildland fire fighting. US FAA records indicate that it was granted an airworthiness certificate in 2018.
That's quite a story for any aircraft, and this Chinook is playing a vital role in its third "life" fighting fires!
Billings Flying Service, Inc. (company web site):
billingsflyingservice.com
CH-47 Chinook (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_CH-47_Chinook
*References:
www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1985.html
www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1992.html
www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=66726
Tags: Elicotteri Meridionali CH-47C CH-47 Chinook P-079 Boeing Vertol B-744 85-24744 Pennsylvania Army National Guard remanufactured CH-47D M3438 92-0297 Texas Billings Flying Service Montana N404AJ aerial firefighting air tanker snorkel reloading retardant Phos-Chek Reid-Hillview airport San Jose KRHV RHV Cold War helicopter