C-FGWT / 499, McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk (CN 13499) of Top Aces Inc taxis out at Glasgow Prestwick Airport following a fuel stop en route to Keflavik from Cuxhaven Nordholz Airport and on home to Canada. Wise heads tell me that with the training of German pilots on the A-4 complete, this rare machine is no longer required in Europe and can return home.

Built in 1966 as a TA-4F for the US Navy as 152853, later upgraded to TA-4J standard in 1972. The machine spent most of its career with VX-4 and VX-5 on test work before storage at AMARC from 1993. Transferred to the Israeli Air Force in 1994 as 747, it was acquired by Advanced Training Systems International in 2001 as N250WL, that company later being acquired by Discovery Air Defence Services of Canada and rebranded Top Aces in 2021.

I'd never previously managed to see a Skyhawk, having narrowly missed them on a number of occasions, so to have this one turn up at short notice, while I was at Prestwick was a real treat. Following nine months of crap weather and no interesting planes to shoot, this week is turning out pretty good so far. Wonder what I'll get tomorrow?

Tags:   Glasgow Prestwick Airport Prestwick Airport PIK EGPK HMS Gannet aircraft aviation Scotland Alan Potts C-FGWT 499 McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk Top Aces 152853 747 N250WL Scooter Prestwick Ayrshire UK

© All Rights Reserved

Tucson, Pima County, Arizona

Tags:   Lucy's Warbler Oreothlypis luciae

© All Rights Reserved

Merlin

Tags:   birds avians merlin predators falcons animals nature wildlife aves

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

Tags:   Arizona Eric Gofreed Photography Lake Pleasant Long-billed curlew Numenius americanus Sony A1 Sony Fe 200-600 Sony ILCE-1 Yavapai County copyright all rights reserved

© All Rights Reserved