USA - Jet Trails Across America

Hello fellow aviation travel lovers! We have a new blog for you from our latest trip to the Land of the Free, or as most call it, the United States of America! Like most of our travels, we have a couple of boxes we want to tick off. First off, we want to fly the majestic Boeing 747-400 once again. Also, we want to take our first ride on the Flying Pencil, the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner, which would be a new airplane type as well as a new manufacturer for us. We will combine this trip with a visit to the Wings Over Houston Airshow, which we also visited in 2024.

We want to revisit some places we have been to before, visit some new places, and also include some nature as well. Our friend Wouter is joining us for a major part of the journey, so it will be great fun. Still, there is one thing that could ruin things for us, as the US Government has shut down.. Well, we will see what that means for us. For now, let’s start our trip report!

Friday, 17 October – Big Views of the Big Apple

Start spreadin' the news, we’re leavin' today! After a great night in our favorite local airport hotel, the CitizenM at Schiphol, we start our day bright and early for our flight to Frankfurt, Germany. We meet up with Wouter, who, after a clumsy hotel mix-up, has just arrived from downtown Hoofddorp instead of the airport hotel he thought he had booked. We check our bags and move to the gate.

Our first ride of the day will be D-AIBJ, a thirteen-year-old Lufthansa Airbus A320 wearing the Star Alliance livery. After a short hop, we arrive at Frankfurt am Main. Here, we need to clear European border control for our international flight. We have heard actual horror stories about this airport, but it takes us only ten minutes to clear all customs. We are baffled by the smoothness of the entire process here, and with great motivation, we head to our gate.

We stroll across the top deck of the international terminal. This means we get to look down on the most beautiful members of Lufthansa’s fleet: their Boeing 747s. Several 747-8s and 747-400s are lined up. These beautiful aircraft never fail to impress. We arrive at our gate and take our time to prepare for the flight. Our ride across the pond will be the twenty-three-year-old Boeing 747-400, D-ABTL.

Wouter and Lars want to talk to the flight crew before takeoff and hand over the cartoon print we made for them. We ask the gate agents if we could board the aircraft before all other passengers to avoid congestion, and the friendly and understanding staff approves. We scan our boarding passes and make our way down the empty jet bridge. It is always a special feeling to board a Boeing 747.

We are greeted by the purser, and we explain why we are so early. She calls the captain, and he would like to meet us, so we are sent upstairs to the flight deck. We walk through the aisle toward the cockpit. Here we meet our pilots for today. The experienced flight crew enthusiastically tells us all about their careers and how they ended up piloting the Queen of the Skies. What an amazing moment, and we would like to express our gratitude to these professional aviators for having us.

As time flies when you’re having fun, we soon need to part ways with the pilots as they start their preflight checks. We think everybody has already boarded, but that is not the case at all. Instead, boarding has just started, and the cabin is still more empty than filled as we walk all the way to the back.

Our seats for today are 55H and 55J, with Wouter in seat 54J. These seats are almost at the back of the cabin, where the fuselage is already tapering. This means there are just two seats near the window instead of three, and the space around the seats is massive. While boarding is still ongoing, we wander around and check out the other 747s through the open cabin door. Eventually, Marieke rejoins us, and with the LaMa crew complete again, we settle in for the journey. New York, here we come!

We push back, and as we are pulled forward to make way for another 747 being pushed back, the four General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan engines come to life. The flaps and slats are extended, the flight controls are checked, and with the all-clear signal from the ground crew, we are good to go. We taxi out toward runway 07C for departure. The engines start to roar, and the Jumbo Jet begins accelerating down the runway. Gently and gracefully, we lift off, like only the 747 can. We then make a left-hand turn to get us onto the airway for the transatlantic crossing.

The flight itself is uneventful, but we absolutely love it. We wander around to the passenger doors just behind the business class cabin to enjoy the great view of the engines. Unfortunately, it is cloudy below for almost the entire trip.

Eventually, we reach the American continent, and over Canada the clouds finally break open, revealing the countryside below. It does not take long before we start our descent into New York JFK Airport, and during the approach, we are treated to great views of Long Island. We make a few turns to line up for landing on runway 31R. It takes a bit of time before we can enter our stand, but that is two flights done. Still one to go!

Even though we disembark our Boeing 747 fairly quickly, it takes ages to clear immigration. The queue is humongous, and we wait for almost two hours. Eventually, we are finally in the States, and with our luggage in hand, it is time for the glamorous part of our day.

Once we grab our bags, we receive a text from our private driver, who is waiting for us in a massive and over-the-top luxurious Cadillac Escalade. This beast takes us to the Modern Aviation FBO (private terminal), where our bags are already being transferred to our hotel. We are then seated in the lounge, where we have to kill about fourty minutes before boarding our semi-private helicopter. That time is well spent getting refreshed from our long flight.

A royal blue Bell 407, registered as N69F and operated by Blade Helicopter, is running and waiting for us. An FBO hostess guides us toward the helicopter, and with everyone seated—us three and two other passengers. The pilot gives us a briefing, and we are good to go.

The helicopter lifts off and quickly turns around for a nice, low westbound departure. During the climb-out, we get some amazing views of the buffer stands, where some beautiful aircraft are parked. Of course, there is another Boeing 747-400, this time an Atlas Air freighter. Parked next to it is a brand-new Atlas Air Boeing 777F. Still, the highlight is the Saudi Royal Flight, with their Boeing 747-400 and Gulfstream IV. What an amazing surprise, and how cool is it to see such a rare and special aircraft from a freaking helicopter?! We are absolutely stoked and almost forget about the stunning skyline ahead of us.

Because there it is: big, tall skyscrapers, hundreds of them. The concrete jungle where dreams are made of. We quickly get closer to Manhattan as we approach from the southeast. We spot the famous bridges, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. Then we pass Lower Manhattan, with the Statue of Liberty on our left and all the buildings on our right. Towering above them all, One World Trade Center rises proudly over the other skyscrapers. What an incredible sight! The weather is perfect, and flying even lower than the rooftops of some of the skyscrapers is just insane.

We follow the Hudson River northbound toward the USS Intrepid. As the ramp is still occupied, we are forced to fly a short holding pattern before approaching the West 30th Street Heliport, also known as the West Side Heliport. We don’t mind at all, as every extra minute on this flight is pure added value. What amazing views!

We then approach the helipad and land, allowing everyone to quickly disembark and enter the Blade lounge. Here, we enjoy another drink and watch our Bell 407 take off again. With that, we are now ready for the next part of today’s adventure!

So, here we are again: New York. Our shoes are longing to stray right through the very heart of it, so we start walking. We enter the High Line, the old elevated metro line that has now been turned into a footpath. Wouter has never been to New York before, so he is already quite overwhelmed by all the hustle, the tall buildings, and the craziness that is NYC. Eventually, we reach one of the busiest and most chaotic places in the city: the infamous Times Square. As it is October, the sun is already starting to set, and with all these buildings casting shadows, it gets dark pretty quickly.

We visit a model train shop near Times Square, and after that, we grab our first American dinner of this trip at the local Chick-fil-A—yum! With our stomachs properly filled with Chick-fil-A, we make our way to Rockefeller Plaza to visit Top of the Rock. Since we need to kill some time before our time slot opens, we quickly visit the Fifth Avenue LEGO Store as well as the mall at Rockefeller Center before heading up to the top.

This is the same place we visited on our first USA trip back in 2018, when we were two students on a budget. Now, here we are again, seven years later, having arrived by private helicopter. The sun has completely set, and millions of lights glow from the surrounding buildings. It is humbling, quite frankly. “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” is what they say—but in the end, it is just a big city, each building with its own story.

We spot the famous Chrysler Building, the One World Trade Center glowing in the distance, and of course the magnificent Empire State Building dominating the view right in front of us. Another absolute icon quickly draws our attention as well: the MetLife Building, better known to aviation lovers as the former Pan Am Building. This skyscraper once had its own helipad, complete with a helicopter connection to JFK Airport, long before services like Blade ever existed. 

On the other side, we see the large black expanse that is Central Park. Looking closely, we can distinguish the famous bridges that are so often featured in movies. What a day. We take one final look at the sea of lights before heading back down to call an Uber to our hotel. What an incredible day. It’s up to you, New York, New York!

Saturday 18 October - Flight towards Houston

Today is a dedicated travel day, as we’re leaving the Big Apple behind for the Lone Star State. Houston, to be more specific, but assuming you read the title of this day, you probably guessed that already. Today we also tick off a new airport for us as we fly from the notorious LaGuardia Airport. Most stories about this place are nightmare material, so we’re curious to see what all the fuss is about.

We’re flying with Delta, so our shuttle driver drops us off at the correct terminal. The terminal turns out to be brand new, big, clean, and—most surprisingly—shockingly empty. Still, several flights are scheduled to depart, so the security line is somewhat busy, but nothing too dramatic. We pass through security quite quickly, and even though New Yorkers always seem a bit grumpy, everything goes smoothly.

Now that we’re airside, we’ve got two things to sort out that I haven’t mentioned yet. First, we need to find out why our seats are “assigned at the gate,” and whether this means we’re on standby. We approach the man at the Delta customer service desk, and he assures us we’re not on standby at all and the seats are just allocated later. Okay, one worry gone. Time to tackle the second item on our to-do list: breakfast.

The Delta terminal at LGA has a wide range of restaurants, cafés, and bars offering breakfast. We choose a place selling fresh buns filled with bacon, sausage, cheese, and eggs. With our hot breakfast in hand, we head to another brilliant feature of this terminal: the outdoor terrace. It offers plenty of seating, some fresh air (well… as far as the air is “fresh” on a New York airport), and great views of the small Delta aircraft parked at the gates. We’re actually pretty impressed with LaGuardia.

With our stomachs full of goodness, we head to our gate, where our aircraft is already waiting. Today we’re flying on a five-year-old Delta Airbus A220-300, N304DU. Our seat assignments appear on the displays at the gate, and luckily, we’re seated together.

We settle into our seats, and before long we’re pushed back. The pilots fire up the whale-noise generators they call engines. It’s pretty busy with outbound aircraft, and with only runway 4 in use, we end up in a long queue. We don’t mind at all as we’ve got a great view of the active runway with the Manhattan skyline behind it. Eventually it’s our turn, and we’re up and away. We make a wide left-hand turn over New York and begin our journey south.

The flight itself is uneventful and comfortable. The cabin crew offers plenty of drinks and snacks, and the modern aircraft has inflight entertainment, which is always welcome. We are lucky with the weather, as slightly north of us, in the Dallas region, there are severe thunderstorms. Even so, that DFW airport is closed for the time being! After a few hours in the air, we land on runway 26R at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Luckily for us, this approach gives us a nice, closer look at the stored USAF T-43, a Boeing 737-200. We taxi to our stand and disembark. A quick look at Flightradar shows there’s not much special traffic on the ground or arriving soon, so we decide to pick up our bags, grab our rental car, and head to our next stop.

And that next stop is a good one: a spectacular restaurant called Truth BBQ. This barbecue joint ranks among the top ten best barbecue spots in Texas. It’s famous for Central Texas–style smoked meats like brisket, ribs, and sausages, along with house-made sides and desserts—all cooked low and slow over wood. Led by pitmaster Leonard Botello IV, the restaurant has earned major accolades, including a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand, and consistently ranks highly on Texas Monthly’s best BBQ lists.

We join the queue outside, getting glimpses of the smokers and fire pits where tomorrow’s meats are already being prepared. The Texan sun is cooking us medium-rare as well, so we’re glad when we finally get inside to place our order. And my goodness… this food is absolutely incredible. I’m still drooling while typing this report, haha! The brisket, the pulled pork, the spareribs, the smoked corn pudding… it’s all to die for. Staff members walk around sharing information about the restaurant and the meats, making it an unexpectedly educational experience too. This place is truly worth the wait.

Completely stuffed, we roll back to our car. With the bottom now scraping the road we make our way to our hotel. We’re staying near Houston Hobby Airport again, just like last year, so of course we drive around the airport first to check for any hidden gems. Unfortunately, unlike last year, there isn’t much going on. The beautiful Boeing 737-200 VP-CAD has left, and the resident Gulfstream II has retired since our last visit.

With no catches today, we head to our hotel and spend the rest of the evening resting and preparing for tomorrow. Goodnight!

Sunday 19 October - Wings Over Houston

We rise and shine early this morning, as we have tickets for the sunrise tour at the Wings Over Houston Airshow at Ellington Field. Last year we were just in the photo pit, but this year we wanted to see what the sunrise tour was all about. The show features some great aircraft, even though the ongoing government shutdown means there’s no active military on display. Unfortunately, that also means the main stars of the show, the USAF Thunderbirds, have cancelled. Such a shame, but we’re still happy that the show is going on.

After a bit of hassle finding the right parking spot, we are escorted to the warbird ramp. This is the only area accessible for the sunrise tour. We had hoped to take some better shots of the various jets, such as the F-4 and the F-100 on static display, but those are still off-limits until the sun is already up. And with a blanket of clouds overhead, it won’t be much of a sunrise anyway. Oh well.

Still, we make the most of it and photograph the aircraft we can access. It’s way different from the sunrise static tour we did at the Aerospace Valley Airshow at Edwards AFB back in 2022, mostly because this tour starts at the very beginning of sunrise rather than in full darkness. Even so, we manage to shoot some great aircraft: plenty of warbirds, a TA-4 Skyhawk, a MiG-15, no fewer than three CH-46s, and, off in the distance, the two B-29 Superfortresses.

And despite the shutdown, NASA has somehow managed to bring a WB-57 and a T-38 for the static display. Awesome! We can’t wait to access the rest of the static area!

As we’re busy shooting the metal birds, our attention is suddenly drawn to some unexpected wildlife. Our guess is that this little visitor is a representative from Lockheed’s Skunk Works. The black-and-white fella decides to take a closer look at the aircraft parked on the static display and then proceeds to conduct a very thorough taxiway inspection.

With the taxiway apparently approved for service, and the surrounding bushes also checked, our furry inspector heads off in search of breakfast. He trots toward the food trucks and the public area, only to discover that a fence is blocking his path. But being the genius he clearly is, he still manages to squeeze his way through the fencing before disappearing between the hangars. Cute! 😊

With the skunk out of the way, we happily return to the planes. And wow—there are a lot of them! We still have some time to kill before the main area opens, so we wander over to the Beechcraft C-45/Model 18 Expeditor. The pilot is prepping the aircraft for its display later today, so we strike up a conversation. Before we know it, he invites us inside.

As we’re learning all about this charming Twin Beech, the aircraft suddenly needs to be pushed back to make room for another aircraft. And the best part? We’re allowed to stay seated inside while it happens. Not every day you get to ride a warbird… even if it’s being moved instead of moving itself! Pretty cool experience.

After saying goodbye to the Beech-captain, we head to the gates just as the rest of the static display opens. And what a sight awaits us. The Collings Foundation’s stunning F-4D Phantom II, the Vietnam War Flight Museum’s mighty F-100 Super Sabre, NASA showing off their WB-57. So many iconic machines lined up in perfect photographic harmony.

Even the USAF managed to get an active F-16C onto the static, shutdown or not. So yes, we’re more than happy. We settle into the photo pit and get ready for the flying program. Let the day begin!

And it begins in style, because B-29 “Doc” is firing up for a sightseeing flight. The polished silver giant taxis out, and with a heavy, dignified rumble, the old bomber gracefully lifts into the sky. Once she’s airborne, we stroll back into the extensive static area. More CH-46s, L-39s, T-33s, and all kinds of other gems are waiting to be admired.

The clouds even decide to behave, slowly giving way to warm morning sunshine that lights up the aircraft beautifully. It’s already shaping up to be an incredible day. Eventually Doc returns to the field, and we head back to the photo pit for the official start of the show.

The national anthem plays. The crowd rises. Cameras click.
Showtime!

The flying program kicks off with a pair of L-39s taxiing out while several smaller prop-driven aircraft wrap up their routines. Three of them immediately catch our eye: Rutan designs with their quirky forward canards. They look a bit like aircraft drawn by someone who refused to follow the rules… which, honestly, makes them even cooler.

Then the L-39 Albatrosses roar into the sky. One still sports its Slovak Air Force markings, which is a fantastic sight. The duo puts on a crisp, elegant performance full of clean passes and excellent photo opportunities, exactly what we want. 

Next up is something even more nostalgic: the Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk. Compact, lightweight, and pushed along by a punchy J52-P8 turbojet, this little attack jet served all over the US Navy and Marine Corps, both as a nimble strike aircraft and a trusty trainer. Production may have ended in 1979, but the Scooter still tears up the skies in style, and even in active duty with some countries!

Today’s demo is wonderfully energetic. The Skyhawk darts around the airfield with that unmistakable whistling soundtrack only A-4s can produce. It’s a real treat, especially since last year the poor thing stayed grounded with technical issues. Great to see it healthy and flying again!

Following the TA-4, the show takes us further back in time. A pair of T-6 Texans and the very same Beech C-45 we sat in earlier thunder in front of us, their propellers slicing the air with that sharp, vintage growl.

With the Texans and the Expeditor safely back on the ground, the sirens suddenly start wailing. The enemy is coming. A wave of light attack aircraft sweeps in, flanked by three light bombers. This marks the beginning of the Tora! Tora! Tora! reenactment, a full-on tribute to the Pacific theater of World War II.

The Tora! Tora! Tora! demonstration team, part of the Commemorative Air Force, brings history roaring back to life with an intense recreation of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. They use actual vintage warbirds and cleverly modified trainers disguised as Japanese aircraft. Add to that a barrage of pyrotechnic explosions, columns of smoke, dramatic narration, and the constant rumble of engines, and the scene becomes incredibly immersive.

Bombs erupt across the airfield, aircraft sweep overhead from every direction, and the ground shakes beneath the thunder of the assault. Even though the routine is identical to last year (understandably so), it still packs a punch and leaves us thoroughly impressed.

Now comes the moment everyone has been waiting for: the one-of-a-kind formation flight of the world’s last two airworthy Boeing B-29 Superfortresses “Doc” and “Fifi.” Watching these giants come to life is almost spiritual. The pair thunder down the runway and climb gracefully into the Houston sky, circling around to set up for a series of individual bomb runs. The fiery orange glow from the pyrotechnics dances in the reflection under Fifi’s wing, while the dark, billowing smoke creates a dramatic backdrop for the polished silver skin of Doc. It’s breathtaking, absolutely electric.

Next up is the gleaming Douglas A-26 Invader, “Miss MillionAiress,” which launches into the air for a short but elegant routine. But soon the attention shifts back to Doc and Fifi, now returning in a historic close formation. As they roar overhead together, you can feel the significance of the moment. Two rare legends, side by side, alive and flying.

After the formation pass, they peel away for some final solo photo passes. And just when we think the show is over, Doc surprises everyone with a low, smooth, powerful pass right over the crowd. Goosebumps! What an aircraft! Majestic, muscular, and impossibly graceful all at once.

With the B-29s safely back at their stands, the next wave of aircraft takes to the skies. A group of naval bombers joins the circuit, including two Grumman TBF Avengers, an F4U Corsair, a Douglas SBD Dauntless, and two Bearcats. They’re joined by a sleek P-51D Mustang and the mighty A-1 Skyraider, all performing dynamic passes that showcase their power, precision, and sheer presence.

Next up is the second A-26 Invader, “Night Mission.” This gorgeous black bird, with its striking yellow accents on the engines, tail, and wingtips, commands attention as it slices through the sky. Absolutely stunning.

Rounding out this segment of the show are three Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights. These helicopters put on a tactical demonstration that’s nothing short of mesmerizing—hovering, flying sideways, even moving backward, all while maintaining perfect formation. A truly impressive display of skill and engineering!

As the show day slowly winds down, we still have some unique and fun performers to catch. First up is an aerobatic plane racing a red Tesla. Entertaining, sure, but not exactly thrilling for us. Then, the largest aircraft of the day takes the stage: a United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER. Flown by United’s own test pilots, the mighty airliner is pushed to the limits with steep dives, sharp recoveries, and surprisingly agile passes for a jet of that size. Absolutely impressive to see such a massive plane tearing through the skies like that.

The grand finale comes in the form of an aggressive display by a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15. While the little MiG hammers through its routine, we start packing up and preparing for the trek back to our car. The Texan sun is relentless, and the walk is therfore exhausting. Thankfully, our rental has excellent air conditioning, making the drive out of Ellington much more bearable.

That evening, we collapse into the hotel pool. Exhausted, a little overheated, but buzzing with memories of an incredible day. And of course, tomorrow promises more flying adventures!

Monday 20 October - H-Town To Big-D

Maybe we should have considered the intensity of yesterday’s airshow before booking a 6 a.m. flight… but here we are. Today we tick off yet another new airport as we fly from Houston Hobby to DFW. When we arrive at Hobby, the place is almost eerily quiet, practically deserted. Were we too early? Could we have squeezed in another hour of sleep? Very possible. Then again, finding the rental car return was already an adventure, especially with the massive sign somehow hiding in plain sight.

Eventually we clear security and make our way into the departure lounge. Here comes challenge number two: breakfast. There are plenty of restaurants, cafés, and bars, but they all share one unfortunate trait: they’re ridiculously expensive. So, like everyone else, we settle for the cheapest option and join the long line at a well-known donut shop. Armed with an unhealthy amount of sugar and a hint of dough, we head toward our gate. With Halloween approaching, some gates are decorated with spooky props, which adds a fun touch to the early morning haze.

We devour our donuts, croissants, and other sugary mistakes as the sun rises over Texas. With daylight finally streaming in through the windows, we also get our first clear look at the ramp outside. Soon enough, our little Embraer 170 arrives, operated by Envoy Air for American Airlines, built in 2006, and wearing registration N780AH. Boarding starts, and we take our seats. Wouter is all the way in the back as his seat on our row was broken, while we’re in 8A and 8B, which is the first row behind business class. Thanks to the interesting cabin layout, Marieke ends up with endless legroom!

It’s a short taxi to runway 13R, and after a lively takeoff roll, we climb out and turn left, giving us a great final view of Hobby Airport. As we continue northward, the Houston skyline slips beneath us, and we say goodbye to H-Town. The route to Dallas isn’t exactly interesting in terms of scenery, and the flight is over before we know it. Soon the massive metroplex appears on the horizon. We fly straight over Dallas with DFW airport off to our left, then continue north for a while before looping back for our approach. We land on runway 17C and begin what feels like one of the longest taxi journeys ever. Ages pass before we finally reach our stand at the B Concourse.

At last, we disembark and move on with our day!

At least, moving on was the plan. But first things first: a ride on the airport’s very own roller coaster, the SkyTrain. It gives incredible views of the ramp below, almost like you’re flying over the gates yourself. After snapping a few photos and confirming there isn’t much special parked today, we grab our luggage and pick up our rental car.

Next stop: Addison, where we hope to see the legendary Ameristar Jet Boeing 737-200 again, like we saw her in 2019. Good news: it’s here. Bad news: only the tail is visible, peeking over the office buildings like it’s taunting us. We try asking if we can take a photo, but the staff kindly (but firmly) says no. And so, empty-handed, we leave Addison once again.

We decide to head back to DFW, as a beautifully painted retro jet is scheduled to arrive: an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 in the stunning polished Astrojet livery. This aircraft has been professionally avoiding us since our very first trip to the U.S. in 2018. It always managed to be just gone when we reached the airport, or just starting flights there right after we left. Then it disappeared into maintenance for years and even lost its stabilizers for a while. When it finally returned to service earlier this year, it began flying out of Florida… two days after we left Florida. Because of course it did.

And to top it all off, this trip we flew out of LaGuardia—at the exact same moment Astrojet was sitting happily at JFK. You honestly couldn’t script it better.

But now? Now she is ours. The official spotting area at Founders Plaza is closed for maintenance, so we park along the road as the aircraft is already on final approach. Two A320s pass by first, building the suspense. And then… there she is. Shiny, elegant, and finally right in front of our lenses. Tick. We got her. After all these years—the most beautiful 737 in the American Airlines fleet, at long last. What a stunner!

With Astrojet disappearing back into the distance, we move on to our next stop: Ameriflight. Not much happening there either, though we do find a nice Beech 99 Airliner that, according to Flightradar, should be departing in about 30 minutes. Just one tiny issue: it still needs its engines reinstalled… Oh well. Still a fun sight.

Right, let’s move on, shall we?

We drive straight to our hotel for the night, conveniently located right next to Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW). Last year we had such a great time here. There’s always something happening, always some kind of surprise waiting for us. So, we check in, share a few laughs with one of the nicest hotel receptionists we’ve ever met, and even witness a deckchair that apparently got too hot and decided to take a spontaneous dip into the pool. Fun stuff, but let’s be honest: we want to see what’s going on at AFW.

Back into the car for the looong two-minute drive (oh yes, pure road-trip endurance) to the spotting area near the control tower.

From that vantage point, we quickly notice the interesting things are parked closer to the fire department, so we relocate. There we find today’s surprises, and they are some good ones. Instantly recognizable is a familiar face in the form of Fifi, the B-29 Superfortress we met just yesterday at the airshow! What a coincidence. On top of that, no fewer than four T-38 Talons and a T-6A Texan II are on the ramp. And, in classic AFW fashion, we’ve arrived just in time to witness the Talons departing, with one of them wearing a gorgeous silver retro scheme. Lovely stuff yet again.

We spend the rest of the afternoon at the local cultural institution known as Buc-Ee’s. You know, the gas station with the overly happy beaver. Here, we spend far too much money on merchandise and devour the best brisket buns known to mankind. By the time we’ve finished exploring (and snacking, and buying things we absolutely didn’t need), it’s already dark. Perfect timing to head back to AFW for some night shots.

With our stomachs filled to capacity and our brains reaching their limit from all the impressions of the past few days, we retreat to our hotel for some much-needed rest.

Good night!

Well rested, we wake up and grab a good breakfast. Over some waffles we sketch out today’s plans. First stop: AFW again, just in case Fifi has plans for departure or some new overnight surprise has appeared. Neither turns out to be the case. Fifi is sleeping, the ramp is quiet, and nothing new has joined the party. We wait a bit to see if anything might happen over at ATAC with their Mirage F1s, but the hangar doors stay stubbornly shut and it doesn’t look like anything is about to roll anytime soon. It’s still early, but we want moving planes, so we hop back in the car and head south to Joint Reserve Base / Naval Air Station Fort Worth.

We first try the golf course near the runway which, according to Spotterguide, is technically off-limits, but as we’re about to turn around, no fewer than five F-35A Lightning IIs blast off. One of them is factory-fresh with Polish markings and even some unpainted panels still visible. The other four belong to the local squadron. Great start to the day! With the jets gone, we move on to the Walmart parking lot, which becomes our base of operations: shade from the trees, a panoramic view of the air base and the Lockheed Martin factory right in front of us. Now we sit and wait for action. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait long: another wave of four local F-35As taxi past for departure.

It’s actually quite nice here, with a steady flow of activity. We take shifts guarding the spot and the car while others venture into Walmart for various missions—sanitary breaks, groceries, and even buying a taller step ladder so we can clear the fence with our lenses. That way, we can alert each other when something is about to happen. And we don't have to wait long again! 

The first wave returns, another Polish F-35 departs, a C-130 heads out, and even an ATAC Mirage F1 taxis for a high-power engine run. One of the highlights of the entire day is a stunning F-16F Desert Falcon of the UAE Air Force, still wearing its original markings but sporting fresh primer panels. The Viper departs, then later returns for several go-arounds and touch-and-goes.

Eventually, the sun starts shifting into a more and more unfavourable position across the runway, and after the third wave of four F-35s has roared off, we decide it’s time to move on. First order of business: return the step ladder to Walmart. Thanks for the “borrow,” guys! :)

We take the scenic route back to AFW, a new road for us, and apparently one we should’ve explored years ago. We had no idea there were such perfect elevated vantage points overlooking NAS-JRB! From up there we suddenly get a peek behind the curtain: multiple C-130 Herculi tucked away on the hidden apron, plus the fighter shelters we’d only ever seen on satellite images. Tempting as it is to linger, we don’t want to push our luck, so we move on.

On the road toward AFW we even overtake a truck hauling… two jet engines. And not just any engines, these look suspiciously like they’d slide neatly under the wings of a Mirage F.1. Very cool sight!

Arriving at AFW, we notice the crew bustling around Fifi, so naturally we assume we’ve timed it perfectly again and she’s about to depart. Also, the truck with the jets is seen driving airside towards the ATAC hangars.  But then an airside employee walks over and breaks the news: Fifi isn’t going anywhere for the next two days. “However,” he says with a grin, “if you come back tonight, a US Navy P-8 Poseidon is popping in for a quick stop-and-go.”

Well, hello interesting twist! He tells us the ideal time to be there, then adds a playful nudge and a whispered reminder that we “did not hear this intel from him.” Legend. He also mentions that tomorrow afternoon an entire squadron of around nine F/A-18 Hornets is expected. Shame we’ll already be gone by then…

With several hours to kill again, we decide to head north to the town of Gainesville. Small place, tiny airport, zero commercial traffic, but home to one extraordinary relic we absolutely cannot ignore: one of the last two surviving Aviation Trader Carvairs.

The ATL-98 Carvair is one of those wonderfully odd aviation creations of the 1960s: a converted Douglas DC-4 turned into a car-ferrying cargo machine, complete with a swollen, elongated nose and a raised cockpit so cars could literally be driven straight inside. It served airlines like British United Air Ferries before ending up scattered across the world.
The one in Gainesville is N89FA—“Miss 1944” or “Fat Annie”, originally built as a 1944 Douglas C-54 before being transformed into a Carvair in the ’60s. With the only other surviving example sitting all the way in South Africa, missing this one was not an option. And there she is, resting quietly under the Texan sun: strange, beautiful, and absolutely worth the detour.

With nothing else happening at Gainesville, we swing back toward AFW, but not without a mandatory dinner stop at the beaver paradise itself. Those chopped-brisket buns… honestly, to die for, yummmm.

Back at AFW, though, we’re greeted by our Poseidon that had already arrived and is being readied for departure. We set up quickly for night shots, admiring the aircraft’s imposing presence and the long, mysterious antenna bar slung beneath its belly. Eventually the airstairs fold up, the engines spool, and with a loud growl the P-8 disappears into the dark Texas skies.

That’s our cue as well. Time for bed as tomorrow, we fly again.

Wednesday 22 October – Viva El Paso!

Back at DFW airport, we hop aboard an American Airlines Boeing 737-800. And no—before you ask—not the Astrojet. That shiny bastard has decided to play "Avoid-Us", and is scheduled to return to DFW a glorious 20 minutes after our departure. Like we’ve said before: you simply cannot make this stuff up.

So we settle in, accept our fate, and relax for a morning flight westbound. Two hours of flying… and still not leaving the state. Texas is ridiculous.

We depart to the south and, once we’ve clawed our way up into the morning sky, we swing west. Beneath us: a beautiful top-down view of NAS-JRB, familiar from yesterday yet suddenly smaller from this angle. Somehow, despite the excitement, I even manage to fall asleep for a good chunk of the ride.

By the time my brain boots back up, we’re nearly at our destination, and the scenery hits us like a revelation. There are no endless flat farmlands like on the HOU–DFW hop. Instead: ridges, desert plains, rugged slopes, rock formations, canyons carved by time. It’s impossible not to glue ourselves to the window as we close in on the Mexican border. Today’s destination: El Paso.

El Paso is a vibrant desert city of about 678,000 people, perched right on the Rio Grande with its sister city Ciudad Juárez sitting just across the river—together forming one of North America’s busiest, most culturally blended border regions. Founded along the old Spanish mission trail in the 1600s, its name literally means “the pass,” after the natural gap through the Franklin Mountains. The railroad boom in the 1880s kicked it into high gear, and today El Paso is this fascinating blend of Mexican, Native American, Spanish, and Western influences. Think historic missions, bold Tex-Mex, desert scenery, and a major role in international trade, tourism, and military operations, anchored by the massive presence of Fort Bliss.

As we line up for runway 22, the scale of Fort Bliss suddenly becomes… overwhelming. This is not just a base, it is a continent of military hardware and training grounds. Established in 1848 and named after Lt. Col. William W. S. Bliss, it’s one of the largest Army posts in the entire country, home to units like the 1st Armored Division and the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command. Massive maneuver and artillery ranges stretch for miles. It’s a whole ecosystem with thousands of soldiers, families, civilians as an economic powerhouse in its own right.

During final approach we get a nice glimpse: endless rows of military vehicles, convoys of armored trucks, and the airfield dotted with Apaches, Chinooks and Black Hawks. And then, near the airport perimeter, we spot a cute little jet parked all by itself. This one is on our must-get-closer list for later today.

For now, though: disembark, stretch the legs, and hunt down our luggage.

El Paso Airport greets us with a beautifully decorated terminal, full of Halloween flair. What a joy to stroll through! Today, we have a special appointment with the Public Relations team for an airport tour, and our meeting is set right here.

We arrive at the designated spot and meet Richie, the Lead Multimedia Coordinator. Instantly friendly, he offers to store our luggage while we explore. Once we’re ready, he whisks us away to his personal favorite vantage point: the terminal roof. Now, we had expected a nice airport tour, but climbing onto the roof? That was a delightful surprise.

From up here, the views are fantastic. We can take in the passenger terminal operations, the cargo ramps, and even the FBO in the distance. Then, something really catches our eye: the big fish of El Paso, the world’s last flying Aero-Spacelines 377SGT Super Guppy, owned and operated by NASA! Cameras out, shots captured, we then head back to the elevator.

But this is just the start of the tour. Richie leads us to his car for a little road trip around the field. Adventure, Texmex style!

First stop: the private hangars where some interesting aircraft are stored. The standout here is the white-and-yellow Grumman Albatros seaplane. Poor thing looks like it’s been sitting forgotten for decades, weathered and neglected, but still commanding attention. Surrounding the Albatros are several stored Learjets. Richie tells us he’s not allowed to discuss them, but the mysterious jets practically whisper their own stories. You don’t need much imagination to guess what their pasts, or presents, might hold.

In the distance, we spot the FBO with some private aircraft, a few Metroliners, and two white Boeing 737-800s. Best not to focus on those too much, as these are operated by border patrol and immigration services. Deportation flights. Dark subject, yet fascinating to observe from a distance.

As we head out, a border patrol helicopter lifts off overhead, slicing through the clear El Paso sky. The day just keeps giving.

Next stop: the Super Guppy. We’re buzzing with excitement as we drive toward the NASA gate. For years we’ve stared at this spot on Google Maps, imagining what it would be like to stand here in real life—and now we finally are. The buildings are here, the apron is here… but where on Earth is the Guppy?

Richie looks just as confused. She should be right here.
And honestly, how do you hide a Super Guppy?! The thought hits all of us at once: What if she took off? What if we missed her while we were casually strolling from the terminal to the parking lot?!

A frantic look at Flightradar confirms she hasn’t flown—yet. But that still leaves the question… Where is she? Thankfully, one of the crew members gives us the answer: she’s doing an engine run near the runway threshold. A wave of relief rolls through the car. She’s not leaving, but it also means we can’t get near her right now. So, we leave the NASA area behind and press on to the next target.

We continue around the entire airport perimeter to the western side of the field, and there it is again: that little jet. The McDonnell 220, a prototype private jet, the only one ever built. Richie’s plan is simple: drive through the gate and get close. But the gate is double-locked, and he doesn’t have the key… and of course, the jet is parked across a packed lot with cars everywhere. Not exactly photography-friendly.

So we turn around and try the inside-perimeter route instead, a bit of a hassle according to Richie, but our best shot. As we circle the runway, we spot the Super Guppy still sitting safely on the opposite side. Good, still at its spot.

At the main staff gate, we stop for security. A quick passport check turns slightly comical when the officer asks if we also have valid IDs “instead of these unknown passes.” Clearly he’s never encountered a European passport before. Richie chuckles, assuring us, “Don’t worry—most people here aren’t exactly familiar with the outside world.”
Eventually, we’re waved through.

Driving under the terminal toward the ramp, we spot our next surprise already rolling down the runway: a Convair CV-5800 operated by IFL Group, heading out on its daily El Paso–Chihuahua run. Perfect timing for our first ever flying Convair! Earlier this year in Florida we tried to catch them at Miami and Opa Locka with no luck. But here it is, roaring right over our heads. Absolutely fantastic.

The Guppy still hasn’t returned, so we finally head toward the McDonnell 220, again looping around the runway, but this time from inside the fence. And there she is: a quirky little four-engined jet with a sharp tail and a pointed nose, a relic of a time when McDonnell tried to break into the corporate and military jet scene. Unfortunately for them, customers chose the Lockheed JetStar and the Rockwell Sabreliner instead, leaving the 220 without a future.

Now it sits here at El Paso, quietly awaiting its fate. Honestly? It deserves better. This jet and the old hangar next to it would make a perfect museum set piece.

Richie, work your magic!! ;)

We leave the McDonnell behind and head back toward NASA. We hoped to catch the Guppy taxiing in, but she had just returned as we waited for the fence to open. Unfortunately, several trucks with oversized loads were also waiting to enter, and it looked like the security guards had decided to take a break. So instead of sitting there, Richie swings the car around and drives to the perimeter fence, giving us a fantastic view of the Guppy from outside the field.

With our tacos devoured, we climb back into the car and try once more to get close to the Super Guppy. Richie warns us beforehand. Usually it’s no problem, when the maintenance crew is around, they’re often happy to show guests the aircraft. But whenever pilots are present, the whole plane suddenly becomes secretive and off-limits. He doesn’t know why, but the odds of getting properly close today are slim.

We roll through the gate—guards now back from their break—and see that the Guppy has been pushed to a different parking spot next to the building. Richie looks around for some maintenance crew to ask for permission. His concerns turn out to be justified: right now the aircraft is strictly off-limits. Such a shame. But Richie isn’t one to give up easily, so he drives us around the Guppy to the very edge of NASA’s territory, right up to where the airport property begins. With a grin he tells us that from here, nobody can say a thing. This is his turf.

We take our final Guppy shots, along with a few of the other aircraft nearby, before heading back to the terminal. We drop off the car and head inside to Richie’s office. He returns our luggage and even hands us some merchandise. Thank you so much, Richie, for this incredible morning, we truly couldn’t have wished for more!

We say goodbye and head out toward our rental car. At least, that’s what we thought. Turns out we accidentally selected the wrong rental location. So… a quick two-minute Uber ride to the correct location it is. Whoops! As the Uber turns up, she did not expect three adults with two suitcases... The car is tiny and packed with personal stuff. Somehow we manage to squeeze it all in, and with the car bursting at the seams, we commence the short trip. 

Now, with our own set of wheels again, we set off for our own adventure. We follow the Rio Grande, with Mexico just off to our left. The city of El Paso is nothing like Laredo, the other border town we visited last year. This city looks so vibrant and clean! As if they want to give a signal to the Mexicans like: look at us, we have it all better here. The atmosphere is great actually. Still, seeing that brown fence across the border is just unreal.

Eventually the border curves westward, and we cross the Rio Grande ourselves (which is a lot less grande than we expected, honestly…) before heading just into the state of New Mexico. Our destination: the War Eagles Air Museum at Doña Ana County International Jetport.

Not far from the road we spot the famous wall—the border fence separating the United States from Mexico. Just across it floats a surveillance blimp, lazily tethered above the landscape. Richie had mentioned those earlier when we talked about Europe’s open borders within the Schengen Area, something most Americans apparently struggle to wrap their heads around. 

We start our museum tour outside on the ramp where two airworthy aircraft have opened their doors. The airshow they were about to attend cancelled just as they were already on their way, so they ended up at this airport hoping to entertain some museum visitors and treat them with flights. Well, flights tomorrow. Today they just have a rest day with the aircraft opened up for the public. We chat with the crew of the B25. 

Then we go back to the museum itself. There is a small but neat little outside section in front of the hangar with some jets, a Mi-2 helicopter and even a Soviet Tupolev Tu-2! Impressive! Now, let's head inside.

The museum’s indoor collection is great. Compact, but full of character, with several aircraft still airworthy. The standouts for us are the gleaming DC-3, an East German MiG-21, and a South African Air Force F-86 Sabre. Also the museum houses an extensive historic car collection. 

According to museum legend, there’s also a garden gnome hidden somewhere inside, and anyone who finds him earns a “special prize.” Naturally, we go on the hunt. We search high, low, behind wings, under ladders, between exhibits… nothing. The little guy is either a master of stealth or already halfway to Mexico. Eventually we admit defeat and decide it’s time to move on.

Before we leave, we take one last look at the airport ramp, where several aircraft sit quietly in varying states of decay. There’s something oddly beautiful about the scene: sun-bleached paint, missing parts and panels, and all.

Now it’s time to head back to El Paso Airport for the return of the Convair CV5800 we saw departing this morning. We cross the Rio Grande again and loop around the mountain range toward the field. The highway cuts straight through Fort Bliss, where endless rows of armored vehicles, missile systems, and heavy equipment stretch into the distance. The sheer scale of the place is absolutely mind-blowing.

Meanwhile, we keep an eye on the Convair, fully expecting it to land on runway 22. Everything points that way, so we set up right under the approach path. And we’re just in time as the Convair is seconds away from crossing back into U.S. airspace.

Then, unexpectedly, it banks right. It looks like it’s lining up for runway 26L instead. So we jump back in the car and race toward 26L, which is still a decent drive away. But just as we turn onto the road that leads there, we see the Convair overshoot the approach and swing back onto a ridiculously short final for runway 22. Cue the chaos.

We whip the car around, tires protesting an screaming, and sprint back to our original spot. The Convair is already on short final, we can already see it clearly. We swing right off the busy road onto the quiet street by our spot and, with the Convair barreling toward us, we stop in the middle of the road, jump out, and start shooting.

Mere seconds later, the Convair blasts overhead and touches down behind the wall.

Adrenaline still buzzing, we regroup. Marieke and Wouter caught the approach until it vanished over the car; Lars got it from directly underneath through touchdown. A bit chaotic, but still a win, and now, finally, we can breathe again.

Our next spotting target at El Paso Airport is a Kalitta Charters II Boeing 737-300F, still more than an hour out. With not much else scheduled to arrive in the meantime, we decide to head up to the famous Scenic Drive to watch the sun set over El Paso.

This classic winding roadway, carved into the southern slopes of the Franklin Mountains, offers some of the most breathtaking panoramic views in the region. From up here, the entire city unfolds beneath us: the airport in the distance, downtown shimmering in the warm evening light, and neighborhoods buzzing with life.

Cutting straight through the urban landscape is the Rio Grande, accompanied by the imposing border wall. Everything on the far side is Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, slightly more chaotic in layout, splashed with vibrant colors, full of its own character. So close, yet worlds apart.

We also spot the border crossings from up here: a constant stream of cars heading into Mexico… and almost none coming back. Fascinating. The crazy part? Right next to these peaceful vantage points sits the police academy. So while we’re admiring the stunning views, the hills echo with bursts of gunfire, rifles, pistols, the whole soundtrack. 'Murica, baby! 

With the sunlight almost gone, we head back down toward our trusty spot near runway 22, with the Kalitta still a few minutes out. As we approach, we spot the Convair being unloaded on the cargo ramp. Nice little full-circle moment. We park the car, way more relaxed than the last time we screeched into this street, and wait for the Boeing to arrive.

In the final rays of daylight, the Kalitta 737 glides right overhead, touching down as the last golden glow melts out of the Texan sky. Perfect timing.

We swing around the airfield one more time to grab some night shots of both the Super Guppy and the Kalitta. The combo of bright skies fading into darkness and those shadowy aircraft is tricky to work with, but we manage to squeeze out some satisfying results.

By now, hunger and exhaustion are kicking in hard, so we drive to the hotel, check in, drop our gear… and then immediately head for the nearest Panda Express.

What a day. Absolutely insane, yet completely amazing.

Thursday 23 October - Desert Vibes

After landing, we grab our bags and make our way to the SkyTrain. This elevated train links the terminals with the rental car center at the west end of the airport, gliding above the roads and taxiways like a mini monorail. From up here, we get great views over the airport, and even a peek at the Arizona Air National Guard ramp with its KC-135s lined up in the first morning light. All in all, a perfect start to what promises to be a great day.

We collect our rental car for the coming days and start driving just as the sun rises over the Arizona desert. And now… the prank begins. For weeks we told Wouter we’d spend the day checking out Phoenix’s airports—Goodyear, Buckeye, Luke AFB, Mesa Gateway. Totally normal plan. Nothing suspicious. So we set course for our “first stop.” Wouter has absolutely no clue what is about to go down.

As the sun creeps over the mountain ridges, we leave Phoenix’s urban sprawl behind and slip into pure desert. Giant saguaro cacti begin to appear like silent guardians along the road, and the vastness of the landscape swallows us whole. The drive is stunning with warm, golden morning light, blue skies, open horizons. But we still have 45 minutes to go.

Eventually, the navigation app announces we’ll reach our destination in 15 minutes. Wouter looks around, confused. We are still in the middle of nowhere. Proper nowhere. That’s when he asks the legendary question:

“It says we’re there in 15 minutes. WHERE are we in 15 minutes?!?”

We burst into laughter. “You’ll see in 15 minutes,” we tell him, not even trying to hide the mischief in our voices. And then the desert gives away our secret: far in the distance, aircraft tails rise above the horizon like a skyline of metal fins.

Welcome to Pinal County, Marana. Our true destination this morning: Pinal Airpark.

Originally built in 1943 as Marana Army Air Field to train WWII pilots, Pinal Airpark is now one of the world’s largest aircraft storage, maintenance, and teardown facilities. A legendary airliner boneyard, where hundreds of jets sit parked in the dry desert air. Some resting, some retired, some slowly giving up their parts to keep others flying.

First, we pass a private property along the roadside with something extraordinary behind the fence: an old Sabena Boeing 747-300 fuselage. A surreal sight. Then, more giant saguaros and eventually the entrance to the airpark.

Here we’ll be meeting Jim Petty, county manager for Pinal Airpark. But since we’re early, we head up the road to photograph the storage yard belonging to Jet Yard. Here are several nice airframes such as a Boeing 737-200 in surprisingly good condition, various old CityJet/Aer Lingus Avro RJ-85s, a Lockheed L-100 Hercules and a Grumman Albatros. 

This Albatross, N112FB, began life in 1961 as a Grumman G-64 (HU-16) before joining the U.S. Navy and later the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. In the late 1970s it was converted for Chalk’s International, a legendary Miami–Bahamas seaplane airline founded in 1917. Only a few of these bigger G-111 conversions were ever completed. After Chalk’s shifted focus and eventually collapsed following the tragic 2005 Mallard crash, many of the G-111s were retired and stored here at Pinal. Most were eventually flown out by a mysterious new owner. But N112FB remained, resting here in the desert for decades.

We wander along the fence line, taking in the strangely serene atmosphere. Jets in various states of decay. Giants missing wings. Airframes stripped to ribs. And in the background, two Casa C-212 Aviocars buzz in and out performing military paratrooper training as tiny, noisy intruders in an otherwise quiet, almost sacred place.

We could stay here for hours. But, our next surprise for Wouter awaits. Let’s go.

We park our car near the Ascent training facility, where Mr. Petty arrives to pick us up in his vehicle. He greets us with a warm smile and immediately starts sharing little anecdotes as we drive toward his office. Once inside, he gives us a detailed rundown of Pinal Airpark’s history and its origins, its evolution, its deep ties to the military. He tells the story with so much pride and enthusiasm that it’s impossible not to get swept along. You can tell instantly: this place is his life.

Then it’s time for the real tour.

We hop back into his vehicle and he brings us to his spot, right between a couple of old Boeing 747s.  As we drive we see that the field around us is absolutely packed with remarkable airframes. Unfortunately, Mr. Petty has to enforce a strict no-photography policy for most areas due to client requests. A bit of a shame, because everywhere you look there’s something fascinating being stored, scrapped, or resurrected.

But once we reach his chosen spot, everything changes. Here we’re almost completely free to take photos of whatever we want. And with our long lenses, we can capture a surprising amount of the surrounding activity anyway. Meanwhile, the Casa C-212 Aviocars are still coming and going nonstop, and because we’re now quite close to the runway, we’re treated to some incredible shots of their operations.

One of the jumbos looming next to us is particularly special: an old Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-200 currently being transformed into the next Global Supertanker. This aircraft will become only the third 747 firebomber ever built. Even better: the spray system being installed in it is the exact same system that has now lived in three different 747s.

First, the installation flew on the original Evergreen International 747-100 firebomber. Then it was moved into the 747-400BCF that Global Supertanker operated for years, an aircraft that has since been converted back into a full freighter and now flies for National Airlines. And now, the system is being reused again, this time inside this resurrected Northwest Airlines 747-200.

Why go back to the older -200 model, you might ask? Apparently the 747-400 couldn’t slow down enough for proper retardant delivery. The -200, on the other hand, has a lower stall speed and far better handling characteristics in the slow-flight regime needed for accurate drops. So now, in true aviation-nerd poetry, an old Northwest -200 is about to get a second life as the next Global Supertanker. We absolutely cannot wait to see how this new Supertanker project unfolds.

We leave the spot and continue deeper into the airpark, weaving through nearly every corner of this vast desert graveyard where different companies have stashed, stripped, or saved their fleets. Everywhere we look, aviation legends rest under the Arizona sun: the Surinam Airways Boeing 747-300, a Luftwaffe A340-300, and countless other classics in various states of limbo. Even a Boeing 747-8i, a relatively young airframe, is already sitting on death row.

Then we pass one of the scrap yards. Sparks fly and metal clangs as workers are actively cutting apart what once was a Delta Airlines 747-400. A queen of the skies reduced to pieces. It’s surreal. Unsettling. Fascinating. All at once.

And the whole time… the no photography rule hangs over us like torture.
It’s like dangling a perfectly grilled steak in front of a starving man and telling him he can only look at it. Mr. Petty feels our pain, he really does, but he can’t break the rules.

However… he can get creative. With a grin, he tells us that once we’re outside the fence, landside, there’s nothing he or the authorities can do to stop us from taking pictures. So he drives us around and points out the best fence-side vantage points, including a perfect angle on the Rolls-Royce 747-200 engine testbed parked right in front of his office.

We’re not allowed to shoot it from his office. But the office building is part of the perimeter fence…

So Mr. Petty leads us through a back door into an area temporarily closed off by roadworks. On the other side of the fence now. In the clear. Totally legal. Ridiculous? Absolutely. Legendary? Absolutely. We take all the shots we need, hearts full, memory cards fuller.

Eventually, Mr. Petty drives us back to our car. Thank you so much, Jim! You are an incredible host, guide, and absolute aviation legend.

Back in our own wheels again, we head straight back to Jet Yard, where we can photograph the long rows of ex–American Eagle Embraer 145s lined up like dominoes in the desert sun. Two Max Air Boeing 747-400s sit nearby undergoing heavy overhaul, while a tired SAS Airbus A340 is now facing its final fate at the scrapper. The mix of life, retirement, and destruction here is unreal.

Just as we’re about to leave, a massive truck rumbles into the driveway leading toward airside. We stop immediately.
Because the load it’s carrying is insane: the entire fuselage of a Bombardier CRJ-1000, still painted in Garuda Indonesia colors strapped onto the trailer like a giant sausage.

We watch the convoy slowly crawl its way through the gates and disappear onto airside. It’s such a bizarre, unexpected sight that we’re still shaking our heads as we get back into the car. Time to continue our journey—our next stop awaits!

We continue our drive through the desert and patches of agricultural land toward our next stop: Marana Regional Airport. Back in 2018, we only passed by this place, spotting a few A-4 Skyhawks from the road and never taking the time to explore. This time, we’re doing it properly.

On the field, multiple A-4s are stored. It is said that these are bought in an auction one day, and now are stored here. Some awaiting future museum displays, others slowly donating parts to keep their siblings looking presentable. The whole place has that “open-air workshop” vibe: wing sections over here, engine cowlings over there, random aircraft bits scattered like oversized LEGO pieces. Next to the museum hangar, a stunning oldtimer is parked in the shade of a tree. The three of us are just admiring it when the owner returns and surprises us with a neat feature of his car: it has a whistle! What a cool vehicle.

Just like at Pinal, paratrooper training is in full swing here too. But they don’t fly the nimble little Casa C-212s. Oh no. These guys use the much larger Shorts C-23 Sherpa, a type none of us had ever seen before. A very welcome surprise!

Otherwise, the activity is minimal. A handful of stored airframes hide in the distance, and an old Dassault Falcon 10 sits gracefully on the active ramp, adding a touch of classic business-jet charm to the scene.

Not bad at all for a short stop.
With this “dinner” wrapped up… time for some dessert—uh, desert. Onwards!

And there it is: the desert. Saguaro National Park. This road flash floods us with memories from our first trip to the U.S. Back in 2018, we were exactly here: two students on a budget, in our  CruiseAmerica Ford F-150 truck camper. Our first American National Park. Our first taste of the Sonoran Desert. And now, seven years later, we’re back. Engaged and several USA-trips later. Life is beautiful.

Traffic is virtually non-existent, so we slow down to savor every view. Endless saguaros stretch across the horizon, towering and majestic. Eventually, we leave the main road for a gravel trail that leads to a shaded picnic area.

Here, we park the car and settle ourselves at a shaded bench. The desert silence is almost deafening. We unpack our groceries and enjoy a well-earned lunch. Simple buns with ham and cheese have never tasted so good as they do here, in the heart of the living desert.

Then, interrupting the serene quiet, a remarkable roar cuts through the sky. Could it be? No… really? We scan the bright blue above and spot the source of this unmistakable sound of freedom: two Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, flying low and straight overhead. It’s absolutely clear now: we’re officially in Warthog territory. Incredible!

The pair fades into the distance, and the desert returns to its peaceful calm. But our tranquility isn’t complete: another guest has arrived. A tiny Harris’s antelope squirrel cautiously approaches, seemingly curious about our lunch. Step by step, it draws closer, pausing like a seasoned photo model as we snap a few pictures. Entertained and smiling, we finish our meal in good company.

With our stomachs full, we continue along the winding desert road. Red mountains rise alongside the cacti, creating a surreal landscape. We stop at the visitor center, which, despite the government shutdown, remains open. This otherworldly place never fails to amaze. Saguaros of every shape and size dominate the scene, each one a living monument to the desert.

The mighty saguaro cactus grows only here in the Sonoran Desert. It can reach over 40 feet (12 meters) tall, weigh more than a ton, and hold up to 200 gallons of water. Saguaros grow excruciatingly slowly. Often just one inch in their first ten years, and they may not sprout their first “arms” until they are 50–100 years old. Each cactus produces exquisite white blossoms, Arizona’s state flower, which bloom only at night and last a single day.

Knowing this makes the landscape even more alive, a vibrant testament to centuries of desert life and history.

We then take the exit to the Desert Museum, a fascinating mix of zoo, eco-center, and geology museum all rolled into one. The exhibits explore the history and formation of the desert landscape, rock formations, caves, and canyons, while the zoo features most of the animals you might encounter in the wild here. The funniest part? Warning signs remind you that some of the “creepers” you see safely behind glass could still pop up anywhere in the park in the wild!

Some enclosures appear empty or eerily deserted (badum-tss) while others are more lively, welcoming some curious company. A mischievous roadrunner struts out to have a staredown with Wouter, striking several poses for our cameras. Marieke is especially thrilled as this little bird is sort of her spirit animal. Meep meep!

We pause to take in the panoramic views of the valley, and then… that familiar rumble reaches our ears. Instantly, we scan the skies, and sure enough: two more Warthogs roar overhead, blasting northbound. Absolutely thrilling!

Once the Thunderbolts disappear into the distance, we continue to the Cactus Garden, a botanical wonderland showcasing countless species of cacti. Most are breathtakingly beautiful, while a few are downright terrifying, definitely the stuff of nightmares!

Our final stop is a surprisingly large enclosure for a very tiny resident: the humble hummingbird. Inside the aviary, the search begins. Imagine trying to spot a beetle in a jungle—but now the beetle is a bird the size of an eeh, beetle, and the jungle is a dense garden, just like an eeh.. jungle. You get the point.

Just as we start to despair, a flash of bright orange darts before our eyes. One bird spotted! But it disappears before we can get a shot. Then we spot a green one perched delicately on a small twig. What a cutie! It sits perfectly still, posing for the camera, and finally allows us a proper shot. Eventually, we give up the hunt for more hummingbirds and make a ceremonial stop at the gift shop, which even sells the Arizona snowman. Satisfied and armed with souvenirs, we hop back in the car and continue our desert drive.

Bit by bit, the desert gives way to civilization, and before long we enter the sprawling city of Tucson. We make our way to Tucson International Airport to see how the airport has changed over the past seven years, and wow, it has changed a lot. The Dutch F-16s are gone, replaced by only U.S. Falcons in the distance. Even the college and storage areas now hold a mix of moved and different assets.

A funny twist: the storage area no longer has any MD-80s, but some familiar faces have appeared instead. The old Ivory Coast Government A319 TU-VAS, which we spotted at Le Bourget in 2015, now sits wrapped up here, alongside LAS Cargo Boeing 737-300 HK-5385, which we saw in the AerCaribe Cargo hangar at Bogotá in 2024. Crazy how these aircraft travel the world and somehow end up in the same place again!

As the sun dips lower and our energy levels start to fade, we make our way to the final stop of this intense but amazing day, ready to see what Tucson has left for us.

Wouter’s eyes grow bigger and bigger as we pass the Pima Air & Space Museum. “That’s a stop for tomorrow, my friend!” we remind him. Instead, we turn left toward a separate part of the legendary Davis Monthan boneyard, where a private company has several naval assets stored. Grumman S-2 Trackers, a few Lockheed P-3 Orions, Casa C-212s, and even jets like A-7 Corsair IIs and A-4 Skyhawks are lined up in the golden desert sunlight. They’re all so close to the fence that capturing the scale of the place becomes a real challenge. Absolutely impressive!

It’s a race against the sunset as well—we want to photograph as much as possible. Shoot quickly but thoroughly, then move on to the next section. There, two Convair Samaritans are parked among the Trackers, with a few Hawkeyes looming in the background.

Next, we make our way to the northern part of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the famous Boneyard/AMARG. In the final rays of sunlight, we snap some last breathtaking shots of the boneyard before heading to our hotel. By the time we check in and collapse into our rooms, energy levels are officially at zero. But sleep is brief, tonight there’s still some orange chicken to enjoy and a nighttime adventure at Saguaro West National Park. Tonight’s program: stargazing over the cacti!

Waking up is never easy when it’s still dark outside, but somehow we manage. After a hearty portion of Panda Express, we hit the road, winding through the mountains toward a spot near the Desert Museum. The skies are brilliantly clear, blanketed with stars, and the deep desert darkness creates the perfect backdrop for photography.

Saguaro National Park is a stargazer’s paradise. Its high elevation, minimal light pollution, and wide-open desert vistas make it one of the best places in Arizona to catch the Milky Way, shooting stars, and distant planets. Towering saguaros silhouette against the star-studded sky, crafting an almost magical desert-night scene that is both peaceful and awe-inspiring.

Friday 24 October - Pima Air & Space Museum

This morning, Wouter decides it's time to introduce us to a core pillar of American culture: a massive Denny’s breakfast. We’ve never tried it before and honestly, with portion sizes like that, we’re pretty sure we’ve eaten enough to survive the rest of the week without touching another meal haha! With our stomachs on the brink of explosion, we slowly waddle back to our car and make our way to the boneyard at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base.

The last time we were here, the Pima Air & Space Museum still offered bus tours through the boneyard, officially known as the Air Power Reservoir, as the USAF likes to call it. But thanks to new laws and regulations, those tours were permanently cancelled a few years back. So now, all we can do is admire everything from behind the fence. Luckily for us, that still leaves a lot to be seen.

We take our time photographing the airframes scattered across the northern part of the yard. To our surprise, we even spot some wildlife: an actual coyote casually strolling between the parked aircraft. Every now and then it pauses, stares at us with that “you’re on my turf” look, and then calmly moves on. The scene would’ve been perfect if a roadrunner had dashed by "meep meep!", but no such luck this time haha.

Eventually, the static display turns into actual action when a C-130 Hercules starts doing pattern work overhead. The temperatures are still low enough to avoid heavy heat haze, which is a blessing for the photos.

We move on to the side where we can shoot the iconic Celebrity Row. This lineup showcases an impressive variety of rare and historically significant aircraft. It’s a shame we can’t get close to them anymore, but hey, at least we can get a decent glimpse. We finish our boneyard session by capturing the KC-135 and 707 section, where a few KC-10 Extenders still sit patiently, waiting for whatever fate the future holds.

Wouter cannot be more excited, as this was the big surprise on our itinerary. The holy grail of aviation museums. The aeronautical Mekka. Pima Air & Space Museum. One of the largest aviation museums in the world, home to a mind-blowing collection of aircraft spanning nearly every corner of aviation history. And thanks to its proximity to Davis–Monthan AFB and Tucson International Airport, visitors are often treated to live flyovers from operational aircraft. DM still sends up the good old A-10 Warthog, and Tucson’s F-16s regularly carve the sky overhead.

Tickets in hand and temperatures still mild, we begin with the massive outdoor collection. We visited Pima once before in 2018, but the lineup has grown dramatically since then. A whole fleet of new old aircraft has found its eternal home here.

One of the most exciting newcomers is the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier, the youngest member of the world’s largest and most complete Harrier collection. There’s also a Kaman K-Max, the world’s oldest surviving B-52, and a series of big commercial jet arrivals that weren’t here during our last visit. Cathay Pacific donated the world’s first Boeing 777, General Electric sent over their old Boeing 747-100 engine testbed, and in 2023, NASA retired and delivered the legendary 747SP SOFIA to Pima.

We were lucky enough to witness SOFIA’s final public performance during the 2022 Aerospace Valley Airshow at Edwards AFB, a once-in-a-lifetime sight. Seeing her again here, retired but still majestic, feels strangely emotional.

Another spectacular addition is the gigantic flying boat Martin JRM Mars “Philippine Mars.” Last used by Coulson Aviation as a firefighting aircraft, she made her last flight to nearby Lake Pleasant in 2023 before being transported here. Standing next to her, you can’t help but feel tiny, this thing is monumental.

But perhaps our favorite addition is a familiar face from home: the Fokker F27 Troopship, formerly flown by the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team. Both of their F27s retired in 2019. One now lives in Lelystad with the VNCE, and its sister proudly resides here at Pima. Seeing a Dutch aviation icon displayed among Boeings, McDonnell Douglasses, Convairs, and Lockheeds fills our Dutch hearts with pride!

As we roam the grounds, the sky keeps delivering bonus treats: A-10s rumble overhead, a brand-new Gulfstream EA-37B Compass Call sweeps by, and the distant F-16s from Tucson leave thin, high arcs across the blue. It’s a perfect mix of past and present: historic aircraft at our feet, active military jets roaring above.

Pima is so vast, so ever-expanding, that truly exploring every aircraft in a single day is basically impossible. But that’s the time we have, and with a long drive still ahead, we eventually call it a day. Our cameras are full, our feet are tired, and our aviation-loving hearts are very, very happy.

We’re running on the last fumes of energy as we begin our drive northbound back toward Phoenix. Even in our tired state, the scenery refuses to disappoint: towering saguaros flank the road like silent guardians of the desert. Somewhere along the way we spot a familiar sign, one that instantly brings us back to our roadtrip just a few days earlier. It cheerfully informs us that if we turn around right now, it’s only 979 miles to the next Buc-ee’s!

We briefly (and very unseriously) consider it. We run the numbers. We evaluate the options. And with a dramatic sigh, we conclude that, although we could use some great brisket bun, there’s simply not enough time for such a “small” detour. So we press on.

Our navigation is set to Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport. Much like Fort Worth Alliance, Mesa Gateway often hosts transient military visitors: fighters, trainers, and transport aircraft that can be photographed easily, if they happen to be there. Back in 2018 we made a stop here on a Saturday and found only a lone Beech T-34 Turbo Mentor and a C-17. The local spotters told us that Fridays are usually the jackpot: lines of F-5s, AV-8B Harriers, and other interesting guests staying overnight before heading home.

And now it is Friday. So naturally, our hopes are sky-high.

But as soon as we arrive, those hopes are swiftly and mercilessly crushed. The ramp is empty. Absolutely nothing of interest. Not even an F-35-shaped shadow. We do spot a Sun Country 737 lifting off in gorgeous golden-hour light, but that hardly soothes the disappointment.

Hunger starts kicking in. Grumpiness follows right behind. And the longer we think about it, the more it hits us that this extra detour to Mesa Gateway cost us time and could have been skipped entirely. The mood in the car is… let’s call it “crispy.” To be fair, the entire trip has been incredibly intense so far. We’re running on adrenaline, caffeine, orange chicken, and the occasional hour of sleep.

We stop at Walmart/Subway for dinner, recharge a bit, and then make our final miles back to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. We check into the hotel, and Wouter immediately crashes into the bed to rest while Marieke and I return the rental car. Thankfully, the SkyTrain runs seamlessly from the rental center through the airport and directly to our hotel on the northern side of Sky Harbor.

And finally, finally, we can switch off. After days packed with aircraft, deserts, jet noise, wildlife, stargazing, and endless miles of open road, we sink into our beds with full hearts and empty batteries.

What. A. Day.

Let's do it all again tomorrow! xD

Saturday 25 October - Flying the Pencil

After a good and well-deserved night of sleep, we wake up ready for the next adventure of this trip. Today we’re flying another new aircraft type for us, and another rare bird still soldiering on in passenger service. This time it’s the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner. The Fairchild Swearingen SA226/SA227 Metroliner is a sleek, fast, and famously narrow-bodied twin-turboprop airliner that became a regional workhorse from the 1970s onward. Designed by aviation innovator Ed Swearingen, the Metroliner is known for its long pencil-thin fuselage, efficient Garrett turboprops, and surprisingly quick performance, often cruising faster than some early regional jets. With space for around 19 passengers, it fit neatly into lighter commuter-airline regulations, making it a favorite on short routes across North America and beyond. Its ruggedness also inspired a range of other roles such as cargo hauler, air ambulance, even military surveillance,  and many still fly today.

In passenger service, though, the Metroliner has largely been replaced by newer aircraft like the Dash-8 and Embraer 135/145 jets. One of the few remaining airlines still using the Metroliner for scheduled passenger flights is Key Lime Air, operating for Denver Air Connection, an essential-air-service carrier based in Denver, Colorado.

With that bit of aviation geekery out of the way, back to the story. While Marieke and Wouter take their time waking up, I hop on the AirTrain to the terminal for some early-morning spotting. There are a few special liveries due out, and I’m determined to catch them. Within an hour, I’ve already got some great airframes in front of my lens , including a UPS MD-11, not knowing at the time that it would be the last active UPS MD-11 I’d ever see.

Then the specials start rolling in: Alaska’s "UNCF - Education can change the World" livery, Southwest’s Lone Star One, and American’s gorgeous AirCal heritage jet. Not a bad haul at all! I head back to the hotel to collect Wouter and Marieke, and together we return to the terminal’s train station to catch two more Southwest beauties: their gold retro livery and the spectacular, patriotic Freedom One. In between, we enjoy an overpriced airport breakfast. With the specials safely captured on the SD card, we make our way down to check-in, ready for our date with the “Pencil.”

With our bags—and ourselves—checked in, we head back upstairs to security. Everything is surprisingly quick and painless, and before we know it, we’re airside again. From here, it’s a long walk to the far end of the terminal, where our gate is located. But the timing is perfect: just as we arrive, our Metroliner touches down and taxis in quickly after.

Today’s routing is Phoenix → Cortez → Denver, all on the same aircraft. Our ride is N885DC, a 1993 Fairchild Swearingen SA-227DC Metro 23. She looks really good for her age! 

The total passenger load for today is just five people in total, which makes the experience feel even more exclusive.

Boarding is done the proper way by walking across the ramp. There’s something magical about stepping into the open air before climbing into your aircraft; it feels far more personal and nostalgic than any jet bridge could ever offer. We stroll past two handsome King Air 350s before approaching our Metroliner, where the pilots themselves greet us at the door. The aircraft is small enough so there is no cabin crew needed, if there was room for that at all. 

Inside, the cabin feels actually pretty spacious. Half the seats have been removed, so only nine remain, arranged in alternating rows, giving us almost endless legroom. At first we settle a few rows back on our allocated seats, but after completing their weight-and-balance calculations, the pilots call us forward and invite us to take the very first seats. That means an excellent view of the polished nacelles, and an even better view straight into the cockpit. Everything a proper AvGeek could wish for.

Once everyone is strapped in, the door closes with a very reassuring clunk. The pilots begin the engine start sequence, and soon the two Honeywell/Garrett TPE331-12UHR turboprops roar to life. The whole aircraft vibrates with that wonderfully mechanical buzz you only get from classic turboprops.

Time to get this little pocket rocket into the sky.

It’s only a short taxi to runway 7L. The propeller pitch adjusts, the throttles slide forward, the parking brake releases and the Metroliner surges ahead. Acceleration is immediate, this thing leaps down the runway.

We’re airborne within seconds, climbing gradually and giving us an excellent sweeping view over Phoenix Sky Harbor. Then comes a sharp left turn and the entire Phoenix metro sprawls beneath us: grid-like neighbourhoods, highways carving through the desert, skyscrapers glinting in the sun.

But the city quickly melts behind us as we climb out, and what replaces it is something from another world.

Below us unfolds a landscape that belongs on the cover of a geology textbook or a sci-fi film. Vast desert basins. Towering mesas. Layered cliffs. Deep canyons twisting like veins carved in stone. Whole mountain ranges that seem to rise straight out of the earth’s crust. Even in the distance we see an actual meteor crater, perfectly circular, like a punch mark from the cosmos. Somehow this meteorite ended up júst clear of the neighboring visitor center! How lucky were those people! 

It’s Monument Valley–style scenery, yet we’re still wholly within Arizona. Trying to capture it through the window is hard. You can try, of course we do, but nothing does justice to the raw immensity of what we’re crossing. Honestly: this flight alone is worth the trip.

Eventually, we cross into Colorado. As we approach Cortez, the terrain grows even more dramatic. Snow-dusted peaks loom in the distance, while rugged ridges and valleys whip past on either side as we weave between the mountains.

The descent feels like a low-level scenic tour engineered just for us. And then Cortez appears. What an extraordinary flight. The scenery is beyond stunning… downright intoxicating for anyone who loves geography, landscapes, or simply the feeling of being humbled by the Earth.

We land on runway 3 at Cortez Municipal Airport. There are some charming little propeller aircraft parked along the ramp, including a Grumman Ag Cat that looks like it has many stories to tell. However, the most interesting sight here is a Kaman K-Max helicopter. The strange-looking chopper stands out immediately with its bright grey livery accented by striking orange and yellow. What an unexpected and awesome find.

After stepping inside the small terminal building, we start thinking about how to kill the time before our next flight. Since we had to purchase two completely separate tickets, we also need to recheck ourselves in. Denver Air Connection, ironically, does not offer this route as a connection. Once that is done, we ask the station manager whether there is somewhere nearby to get lunch. He shakes his head and explains that, unfortunately, there isn’t.

He suggests ordering DoorDash instead. We admit that we’re not really familiar with it, and propose Uber Eats instead, but he laughs and tells us that the only Uber driver in Cortez disappeared without a trace about a year ago. So, without hesitation, he offers to place a DoorDash order for us himself. How nice is that? He recommends a local drive-in diner called Sonic, which upon reviewing the menu sounds good enough to us.

While we wait for our food to arrive, we wander around the airfield. The terminal is so small it could honestly be compared to an extended bus stop. To the right, the old hangars create a scene that could fit perfectly into a classic movie set—sun-faded, slightly crooked structures that have clearly seen decades of aviation drift in and out of their doors.

When the food finally arrives, we sit down and enjoy our burgers, grateful for something warm and satisfying. We do have to hurry a little, though, because the full security staff, a staggering five officers, have just opened the brand-new checkpoint for our flight. Five security officers for four passengers, us included. Three of those passengers (also us included) are trying to cram the last possible bites of burger into their mouths in the shortest amount of time imaginable. It must have been quite the funny sight from the officers’ perspective.

With our lunch mostly swallowed, we proceed through security and head back to the aircraft. Since there is now one fewer passenger, we’re moved all the way to the back for weight-and-balance reasons. We don’t mind at all; if anything, it gives us yet another new perspective on this quirky little airplane.

The door closes, the engines spool up once more, and just like that, we’re ready to go again.

The engines spool up again and soon the Metroliner is thundering down the runway. In no time we’re airborne, this time climbing out to the south. Since Denver lies to the northeast, we first have to clear the surrounding terrain before making a nice 180-degree left-hand turn. Once we roll out on course, the rocky portion of the flight begins, both literally and figuratively.

As we cross the snow-covered peaks of the Rockies, the air becomes noticeably livelier. The ride turns choppy as the winds tumble over the mountains, but none of us mind. In fact, the bumps just add to the thrill: a lively rollercoaster ride in an old, loud turboprop soaring above one of the most dramatic landscapes in the United States. Once again, it’s an absolutely stunning flight.

Approaching Denver, the rugged terrain gradually gives way to the flat plains surrounding the city. The vast metro area comes into view as we arc around it, setting up for an approach into Denver International from the north. One final right-hand turn lines us up perfectly with runway 16R. The approach remains bumpy all the way down, and the pilots plant the Metroliner firmly onto the runway. This leg may have been shorter than Phoenix–Cortez, but the scenery was every bit as spectacular.

Denver Airport, of course, is enormous, so we taxi for quite a while before reaching our parking position at the far eastern end of the C-concourse, the home base for Denver Air Connection. Once parked, we thank our pilots and make our way into the terminal. On the ramp we spot several other DAC aircraft, including the distinctive Dornier 328Jet. We’ve flown on one before with SunAir of Scandinavia, but it would be fantastic to log another flight in that quirky little jet someday.

For now, though, we head inside the terminal, only to go back outside again one level higher. Denver Airport has multiple outdoor viewing terraces, one of which conveniently overlooks the DAC ramp. It offers a perfect panoramic view with brilliant photo opportunities of our aircraft and the other DAC machines basking in the Colorado sun.

Still buzzing from the excitement of our Metroliner adventure, we’re also relieved that the next steps are simple: pick up our luggage, get yet another rental car, and finally make our way to the hotel for the night. As mentioned before, Denver International is absolutely gigantic, so reaching baggage claim requires a train ride to the main terminal. On the station level above the C-gates, we pass a full Gates Learjet suspended inside the terminal! The ride itself is quick, and before long we’re standing by the carousel waiting for our bags to appear.

Next up: finding the shuttle to the rental car facility. That journey alone feels like it takes half the day. Eventually we arrive, and despite literally hundreds of cars sitting ready on the lot, we somehow end up assigned a vehicle that isn’t ready yet. So we wait—twenty grumpy minutes—before finally receiving our wheels for the next two days: a magnificent American Buick. Insert sarcasm here. Still, driving a locally built machine might be fun… right?

Once we finally locate the exit of the rental labyrinth, we merge back onto the road. That road. That bumpy, hopelessly uneven road. If only one could quietly enjoy a sip of cola, right Wouter? 😉

We decide to make one stop on our way toward the hotel: the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a vast stretch of land where semi-wild bison roam semi-free. Normally you can drive the full safari loop, but due to the government shutdown the road is closed. Fortunately, the herd is visible grazing in the distance. Mission wildlife: accomplished!

From there, we head west toward Golden, where our hotel for the night is located. After checking in, we walk over to the sprawling Colorado Mills mall to stretch our legs and grab some dinner. It’s a bittersweet moment: this will be Wouter’s last dinner in the U.S. on this trip, as he flies home tomorrow afternoon. A pity, but we’ll make sure his final day is a memorable one.

For now, we call it a night. Tomorrow’s schedule is packed once again, and it’s going to be a good one!

Sunday 26 October - Mountains, Trains, Planes

This morning starts with a small adventure: we actually have to go outside for breakfast, because the hotel lobby is in a separate building. After so many days of desert heat and Texas sunshine, stepping into the chilly Denver morning is quite the wake-up call.

Once breakfast is devoured and warmth slowly returns to our fingertips, it’s time to begin our Denver road trip. Since we’re staying in Golden, just west of Denver, it takes only a few minutes of driving before we’re already climbing into the first line of the Rocky Mountains. Our goal this morning: a scenic cruise along Lookout Mountain Road, with a few stops to take in the views.

We wind our way up the slopes, passing Buffalo Bill’s grave before reaching Windy Saddle Park. Here we park the Buick and decide to stretch our legs. What we didn’t consider was the altitude we were already at. That realization hits hard the moment we start climbing stairs toward the top of Mount Zion. Every step steals a bit more air from our lungs. By the time we reach the top, we’re huffing, puffing, and questioning our life choices, but the views make it all worth it.

To the east, the vast flatlands stretch out with the enormous city of Denver glimmering in the sun. To the west, the Rockies rise up in layers of rugged peaks. And in the distance, a few hot air balloons float silently through the morning sky. Stunning.

Once our breathing stabilizes to something resembling normal human function, we take our photos and soak in the panorama a bit longer before heading back down. Fortunately gravity does the hard work for us on the descent… though at this altitude, even downhill walking turns into a mild cardio session.

Back in the car, we continue our route toward the city. Our next quick stop is the Colorado Railroad Museum. We don’t have time for a full visit, but we swing by to see what’s on display from the outside. As we re-enter the urban area, we pass between two stone pillars marking the start (or end) of Lookout Mountain Road. A fitting gateway to what turned out to be an amazing drive and a perfect start to the day.

For those who have followed us for a while, it probably comes as no surprise that we have a soft spot for trains as well. So naturally, our next stop today is the Colorado Railroad Museum. On our way there we even encounter two BNSF locomotives rolling along the tracks, which is always a treat. American locomotives are so dramatically different from the ones back home in Europe, and seeing them thunder by is just… fun.

As mentioned earlier, we’re not doing a full museum visit this time. It’s more of a quick stop to grab a few photos from the parking lot before continuing our busy schedule. Even so, there’s plenty to admire: a freshly repainted F-unit gleaming in the morning sun, and several classic Rio Grande diesel locomotives scattered across the yard. We’re not experts on these machines by any stretch, but we know one thing for certain—they’re gorgeous.

Behind it all rises North Table Mountain, draped in brilliant fall colors that make the whole scene look like a living postcard. It’s mesmerizing, and honestly a bit hard to tear ourselves away from. But the clock is ticking, and we have places to be, so back on the road we go!

Our next stop is the Forney Museum of Transportation. The museum began in the late 1950s as the private collection of inventor and industrialist J.D. Forney and gradually expanded into the wonderfully eclectic place it is today: more than 800 artifacts covering everything from cars, carriages, bicycles and snowcats to locomotives and, yes, even a few aircraft. It’s the kind of museum where you never quite know what you’ll find around the next corner, and that chaotic charm is exactly what makes it so enjoyable.

Among the aviation pieces on display is a Forney F-1A Aircoupe, a Colorado-built variant of the famous ERCO Ercoupe, an aircraft designed before WWII to be as safe, stable, and easy to fly as possible, ideal for the “everyday pilot” America imagined might emerge in the postwar era. There’s also a Brantly 305, a petite, early-generation civilian helicopter whose quirky design represents the experimental spirit of rotary aviation in the 1960s. And then, one of the strangest birds of all: the prototype Martin AirCar MI-C85, N7602B. Part car, part boat, part airplane, and not particularly good at any of those roles. It stands as a charming reminder of the era when engineers truly believed the future would include flying family cars. It never got beyond the prototype stage, but its presence fits perfectly in the Forney’s gallery of oddities.

Still, as fun as all these quirky vehicles are, they’re overshadowed by one of the true giants of railroading: the Union Pacific Big Boy. For me (Lars), this locomotive isn’t just a museum piece, it’s a link to my grandfather. He used to tell me stories about the Big Boy, describing its sheer power and size with childlike excitement. It was his favourite steam locomotive, even though he never got to see one in person. So now, standing here beside this enormous machine, walking along its eight massive driving axles, a wave of mixed emotions hits me. Awe, joy, nostalgia, but also a bit of sadness. He would have absolutely loved this moment. I take a quiet moment to breathe, to let it all sink in, and to honour that shared fascination. Somehow, being here feels like closing the circle we started together many years ago.

We then leave the Forney Museum behind and head to our second stop of the day: the legendary Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. As we park, we are immediately greeted by a massive Boeing B-52B Stratofortress towering above the entrance, a perfect preview of the treasures inside. Once through the doors, we enter a vast hangar filled with an even more impressive collection of aircraft, each with its own story.

Among the stars of the show are the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II, the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier, and the Grumman E/A-6B Prowler. A special swing-wing trio draws our attention as well: the Grumman F-14A Tomcat, the General Dynamics FB-111A Aardvark, and the Rockwell B-1A Lancer. Other highlights include a Bulgarian MiG-23MLD, the F-100 Super Sabre, and the F-101 Voodoo, all machines that defined eras of aviation history.

Some rarities in the collection are not household names, but they carry fascinating stories. Take the Douglas B-18A Bolo, for example. This aircraft is one of the five preserved in the world. The B-18 was developed after a 1934 Army request for a bomber capable of doubling the payload and range of the B-10. Boeing’s competing prototype crashed during testing, inadvertently inspiring the cockpit checklist, a safety feature now standard in all aircraft. The B-18 itself was based on the DC-2 airliner, modified with a deeper fuselage for bombs, extended wings, and defensive guns. Though largely obsolete by the time the U.S. entered WWII, it trained bombardiers, navigators, and pilots, and later flew anti-submarine patrols, cargo missions, and aerial surveys. The B-18 on display had a particularly colorful past: after WWII it served as a cargo hauler, aerial sprayer, and survey aircraft before being seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in 1959 for running guns to Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution.

The museum also has a second floor that offers an elevated perspective over the hangar. From here, we are at eye level with several suspended airframes, including the extraordinary Ball-Bartoe JetWing. Built in the mid-1970s by Pete Bartoe, this one-of-a-kind, single-seat research aircraft explored the effects of blowing jet exhaust over a wing to dramatically increase lift at low speeds. First flown in 1977 and retired by 1978, it briefly returned to the air in the early 1980s before arriving at Wings Over the Rockies in 2007. While traditional airplanes rely on airflow over the wings to stay aloft, the JetWing channeled all of its turbofan output over the upper surface, producing a stall speed of just 40 mph and a top speed near 400 mph—ten times faster. Even today, most jets take off and land between 150 and 200 mph, making this aircraft’s performance absolutely extraordinary.

In the background, the restoration area hums with activity. One familiar nose catches my eye: a USMC McDonnell Douglas C-9B Skytrain II (DC-9). I first saw this aircraft in active service at Rotterdam The Hague Airport in 2015. Funny how aviation storylines sometimes cross continents and years apart.

All in all, there is far too much to see in one visit, but what we appreciate most is that nearly every airframe is accompanied by detailed signage outlining its history. That extra context transforms these machines from impressive objects into living pieces of history, making Wings Over the Rockies a truly immersive experience for aviation enthusiasts and casual visitors alike.

After leaving Wings Over the Rockies, we get back on the road for a quick bite. Time is ticking, as we only have a few hours before Wouter needs to catch his flight back home from Denver International. A fast lunch at Subway fuels us for one final stop of the day: Denver Centennial Airport. Today, there’s no museum visit planned as time just doesn’t allow it, but the goal here is clear: we want to see a few more of those iconic green Key Lime Air Metroliners.

As we drive around the sprawling airport, we make the occasional stop whenever something catches our eye. One standout is a striking black Rockwell Sabreliner. Funny enough, we saw this very same aircraft earlier this year at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in Miami! It’s always a thrill to spot a familiar face in a completely different corner of the country.

Then, finally, Key Lime Air comes into view. Three green “pencils” sit on the ramp, along with a Dornier 328. They look like they could use a bit of TLC, but that’s part of their charm. Goal achieved! We take a slow drive around the airfield to see what else is hiding there, and we aren’t disappointed. A colorful Metroliner sits without engines, a handful of smaller props pepper the tarmac, and tucked away is a secretive Dash-8 from Berry Aviation.

All in all, it’s a satisfying haul for this airport, and with our photographic objectives checked off, we start the final stretch back to Denver International. Wouter’s journey home awaits, but for us, the day is a perfect blend of aviation, exploration, and the quiet thrill of discovery.

As we fight our way through the inevitable Denver International traffic, it’s time to say goodbye to Wouter. Thanks for coming along for the ride! This trip wouldn’t have been the same without you, and we’re genuinely glad you joined us for the madness, the laughs, and of course, the gezelligheid.

On the way back, we make a brief stop as we see two more green Metroliners, but as we get closer, only the tails are visible. With daylight slipping away fast, we head back to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, hoping the bison might have wandered closer. Luck is on our side: at least one of the massive beasts is within reach. That’s enough for us! Even some small cacti poke up from the grass. Tiny compared to a saguaro, but still a welcome little slice of desert in the Colorado plains.

Next up: our hotel for the night. This one is closer to Denver International so we can be ready for an early flight tomorrow. Dinner? Fast food, of course! The Golden Arches are the choice for tonight, but boy, what a disaster. Over an hour for delivery, and the taste… well, let’s just say it didn’t redeem the wait. Lesson learned.

Finally, it’s time to part ways with the Buick. But now comes shuttle-hopping: first the car rental shuttle to the airport, then tracking down the hotel shuttle. And remember, Denver Airport is massive. This little comedy of travel takes over an hour to complete.

At last, we arrive at our hotel. Just the two of us again, ready to finally crash. And dear reader, as your scroll bar hints, the adventure is far from over. Sleep tight, because tomorrow promises another full day of exploration. Good night!

Monday 27 October - Wake Me Up In DenvranCisco

It is so early… ugh. But another exciting day awaits! We grab the first shuttle of the morning back to DEN and check in. The security line is horrendous, but eventually we make it through. Straight to the gate, we grab some breakfast from our leftover groceries and, of course, pick up a magnet for the fridge. At this rate, we might need a bigger fridge just to hold all of them as our magnet collection is quickly turning into a logistical challenge!

Meanwhile, our aircraft for today is being fueled and loaded. Two days ago, we arrived in Denver on the oldest plane of this trip (1993), and now we are flying out on the youngest: a 2024-built Boeing 737 MAX 8, N47332. The contrast is remarkable. As we wait, the crew arrives and starts preparing the cabin, and eventually boarding begins. We take our seats on row 35, and immediately fall for the sleek, modern interior. The inflight entertainment system is impressive, especially the feature that mimics Flightradar while still on the ground! Honestly, we wish that was standard for every airline; following your plane even before takeoff is just too cool.

The takeoff comes quickly from runway 17R. Still dark outside, we can’t see much beneath our wings, so we dive into the IFE, watch a few movies, try to catch some sleep, and do what all early-morning passengers do.

Eventually, over the Sierra Nevada, the sun begins to peek through, casting a faint glow on the wing and the clouds below. Small gaps in the cloud cover reveal glimpses of the valleys, but the mountains remain stubbornly hidden. Approaching the Bay Area, the clouds return in full force, masking the view once again. The parallel landing we hoped for at SFO doesn’t materialize, and the sky remains a persistent grey with fog hugging the runway. Bummer.

We finally taxi in, collect our luggage, and board the train to the rental center. Despite the early start and foggy skies, the day is just beginning and we’re ready to dive into it. Let’s get this adventure started!

We pick up our rental car for the next couple of days. Unlike Denver, where we stood waiting forever for a car to be ready, here we’re greeted by an entire row of options. Pure luxury. We end up choosing a bright red Kia, strap ourselves in, adjust the seats, and just like that, our San Francisco road trip begins.

It’s still early as we make our way toward downtown. We’ve heard so many stories about this city: its charm, its chaos, its atmosphere, and now we finally get to experience it firsthand. We drive straight through the heart of San Francisco, up and down the famously steep hills and past the crooked crossings. It feels absolutely insane at times, like driving through a movie set, but we enjoy every second of it.

We eventually park near the wharves. From there, it’s only a short walk to the iconic San Francisco cable car. With its historic wooden cars rattling up the hills, it feels like stepping into another era. In the distance, we catch our first glimpse of the majestic Golden Gate Bridge. And lucky us, it isn’t shrouded in fog. Even better, the weather actually seems to be improving! Considering San Francisco’s notorious reputation for grey skies and disappearing visibility, this might just turn into our lucky day.

Time to go full tourist mode. We buy our one-way tickets and hop onto the cable car. We’d done our homework beforehand and read that the Powell & Hyde line is supposed to be the most scenic, so we’re curious to see if it lives up to the hype. And honestly, it does. The route glides past several classic San Francisco highlights, climbing and dipping over those dramatic hills while offering amazing views of the city. These cars are so wonderfully old-school that you can almost hear the history squeaking through every bolt and wooden panel.

Thanks to the government shutdown and the early hour, the crowds haven’t descended yet, so our cable car is pleasantly quiet. We get to enjoy the ride without being packed like sardines. Eventually we reach the end of the line, hop off, and watch the crew manually rotate the cable car on the big wooden turntable. It’s stereotypically touristy, sure, but also genuinely fun and great to finally tick off this classic San Francisco must-do.

With the cable car crossed off our list, it’s time for the other historic ride: the F-Market & Wharves line with its wonderfully nostalgic PCC streetcars. Buying tickets, however, turns out to be a bit of a mission. They don’t sell them onboard, nor at the stops, so we find ourselves fumbling through the online system for what ultimately amounts to three dollars’ worth of travel. A lot of effort for a short ride, but hey, at least we’re on the streetcar now!

The tram rattles its way along the waterfront, following the coastal route past the piers and through the central business district. It’s a charming ride, full of that vintage vibe that makes San Francisco’s transit feel like a moving museum. Soon enough we hop off again at yet another iconic stop: the ever-touristy, ever-lively Pier 39.

So, Pier 39. This place is absolutely packed with souvenir shops, restaurants, tourist traps of every flavor—but the real stars, of course, are the sea lions. Dozens of them, sprawled on the floating docks, honking, growling, flopping over each other with peak sass levels. Meanwhile, the last of the clouds have melted away, leaving us with brilliant sunshine over the bay.

From the pier, the whole scene feels almost unreal: the Golden Gate Bridge glowing in the distance, and nearby the famous prison island Alcatraz rising out of the water like something straight out of a movie. After hearing about these places for so long, finally seeing them with our own eyes is genuinely surreal. What a morning!

Eventually our stomachs let us know it’s lunchtime, so we opt for a classic fish & chips on the pier. With our baskets in hand, we wander off to find a quieter corner where we can enjoy our meal while watching the sea lions’ soap-opera-level drama unfold below us. Life is good.

Once we’re full and satisfied, we start making our way back to the car, strolling past the cable car terminus one more time. Then we hop in, buckle up, and point our bright red Kia out of the city. Time to leave San Francisco again, sadly. But the day is far from over.

We drive out of the city, dodging a chaotic mix of Waymos, cable cars, and the occasional Cybertruck that seems to appear from absolutely nowhere. Our next goal is a museum on the other side of the bay, in Oakland. The logical route would’ve been the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, but logic isn’t the point here. We want to cross the Golden Gate, so the northern route it is.

As we approach the bridge, we pull into the official viewing area for a quick photo stop. The timing is perfect: clear skies, the bridge glowing in the sunlight, and us standing there like two very excited tourists. Then comes the moment: crossing the Golden Gate Bridge itself. It’s huge, iconic, and honestly kind of surreal to finally drive across it. Cool :) 

We continue north and loop back around, eventually crossing another bridge. This one partly double-decked, which is pretty bizarre. After weaving our way through the suburbs, we finally roll into Oakland and enter the grounds of a former naval base. Only one massive ship remains here, but wow, what a ship: the USS Hornet, a preserved aircraft carrier turned museum. Standing there in the distance, it already looks impressive. Time to see it up close.

After a bit of searching we finally find the correct entrance to the ship. The USS Hornet Museum, housed aboard the legendary aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-12), immediately impresses with its sheer size and its history: fierce Pacific battles during World War II and, decades later, the recovery of both Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 astronauts after splashdown. Not many ships can claim such a résumé.

We enter the hangar deck and are greeted by several really enthusiastic volunteers. They clearly love this place, and within seconds they’re already explaining details about the ship, the aircraft, and the museum’s mission. After a short briefing, we’re free to explore the carrier on our own.

First stop: the flight deck. Up here, several aircraft are on display, including an F-14 Tomcat, a TA-4 Skyhawk, and an S-3 Viking, all looking great on this historic deck. The island and its control tower look tempting, but unfortunately aren’t accessible, so we head back down inside.

Below the hangar deck, we discover the true scale of this floating city. Narrow stairways lead us into a maze of compartments: crew berthing areas, briefing rooms, kitchens, storerooms, even the ship’s medical facilities and churches. Many rooms feature exhibits about naval aviation, space exploration, and daily life aboard a carrier. One of the most charming highlights is the restored Combat Information Center, where visitors can sit at the original radar consoles and get a feel for the tension and teamwork that once filled this room.

Back on the hangar deck, we take our time exploring the aircraft parked inside. An F/A-18C Hornet, an F-8 Crusader, and a Grumman Tracker are among the stars here, alongside several helicopters and, most famously, the Apollo quarantine trailer: the very one that housed Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 crew after their return from the Moon. Really cool to see it in person. Also, the Sea King helicopter is painted to represent the very helicopter that lifted the three astronauts from the water. 

At the far end of the hangar deck is the museum’s restoration area. Here, a beautiful F-4J Phantom II is currently being brought back for display. Access is limited, but even from a distance it’s a treat to see this legendary jet up close. A shame we couldn’t explore it further, but at least we caught a glimpse. Good stuff indeed.

With almost everything explored aboard the USS Hornet, we move on toward Oakland International Airport. On the northern side of the field sits another museum with the wonderfully straightforward name: the Oakland Aviation Museum. We already knew it would be closed today, but luckily a good portion of the collection is visible through the fence. Their main attraction, a majestic BOAC Short Sunderland flying boat, immediately stands out. Even from outside the gates it looks enormous. Nearby, their NASA Harrier adds another splash of aviation history to the lineup, a great catch despite the limited access.

We then cross to the other side of the street to peek between the hangars. Hidden between the buildings are two sharp-looking KaiserAir Boeing 737s, sitting quietly in the California sun. A few hangars further and we stumble upon something truly special: a pristine 1977 Lockheed 1329-25 Jetstar II, registered N311RS. What an absolute gem! The light is terrible, straight into the sun, of course, but even with the unfavorable conditions we’re thrilled to photograph such a rare classic in such good shape.

After wrapping up our  fence-spotting session, we begin the longer drive inland. Unfortunately, traffic is dreadful. Stop-and-go, endless brake lights, the works. It takes ages before we escape the Bay Area chaos. Eventually, hunger wins and we bail out of the interstate for dinner at Chick-fil-A. With full stomachs and slightly restored morale, we continue the drive all the way to Merced, our stop for the night.

By the time we arrive, it is already fully dark. And to be honest, we’re shattered. A very early morning, lots of walking, lots of driving, a mild new jet lag creeping in… our energy is gone. We drop our bags, collapse onto the bed, and are asleep almost instantly.

Good night!

Tuesday 28 October - Bear With Us to Yosemite

As Castle Air Museum lies right next to an active airfield, we do what we always do when an airport is involved: explore! Our first mission is to locate the museum’s restoration hangar in the hopes of catching even a distant glimpse of the elusive “Black Bunny” Phantom. Unfortunately, we can’t get anywhere near the building, so that plan ends quickly. Still, two aircraft are parked outside the hangar: a freshly painted Douglas C-54 Skymaster and a de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou. Nice, at least we don’t drive away empty-handed.

We continue on to Tulare Aircraft Service, where several old Lockheed C-130 Hercules airframes are being worked on. One even sports the distinctive long nose, which is a great find. In the distance, an aging all white Boeing 727 sits parked, another nice bonus.

All in all, a very productive aviation-filled morning!
Now it’s time to hit the road again. The rest of the day will be a mountain of nature, so bear with us.

Even though Merced is listed as one of the gateways to Yosemite National Park, it’s still a fairly long two and a half hour drive. As we get closer to the Sierra Nevada, the landscape changes dramatically. The rolling hills turn into rugged slopes, the colors deepen, and the warm autumn hues set the entire region aglow. With every mile, the scenery becomes more spectacular. The peaks climb higher and higher as we wind deeper into the mountains. Luckily, traffic is lighter than expected, which makes the drive even more enjoyable.

Eventually, we reach the main entrance of Yosemite National Park.
Because of the ongoing government shutdown, the gates are unstaffed and the park is currently free to enter. No fees, no lines, just drive straight in. A nice surprise! Not even two minutes past the entrance, the road narrows as we pass beneath two massive boulders leaning toward each other. Already the cliffs rise sharply on both sides, dramatic and imposing. And we’ve barely begun.

Then suddenly there is movement on the road ahead.
Marieke spots an animal crossing right in front of us. Dog? Deer? No… it’s a black bear. A black bear, right in front of our car!

We slam on the brakes. Cameras out in an instant. The bear strolls casually along the roadside, completely unfazed by our presence, walking straight toward us. I lower the window for a shot, but as it gets closer, maybe a bit too close, I instinctively inch the window back up. The bear ambles behind the car and disappears silently into the forest as if nothing unusual just happened.

Our hearts are pounding. We’ve already seen plenty of wildlife on this trip—a skunk, a coyote, bison, sea lions—but this moment? This tops everything by a mile.

Still buzzing with adrenaline, we continue into the valley. The fall colors are breathtaking. As we enter Yosemite Valley, we catch our first views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, which, to our delight, still have water flowing. We park the car, stretch our legs, and just absorb it all: the sheer cliffs, the crisp air, the warm glow of autumn light.

Despite the shutdown, the visitor center and store remain open, so we pop in for a quick look, and naturally leave with a new fridge magnet. Back on the road, we continue exploring the valley. Every bend reveals another picture-perfect scene, the kind you’d expect to see printed on a giant jigsaw puzzle box. Vibrant colors. Towering granite walls. Waterfalls catching the sunlight.

Eventually we stop near the river, drawn by the mirror-like reflection of mountains and falls shimmering on the water’s surface. It looks unreal, like nature showing off. This entire place feels like magic.

What an incredible experience.

We then take the south loop up toward higher elevation. Our next stop is Tunnel View, right at the entrance of the Wawona Tunnel. And that view… absolutely insane. Half Dome rises proudly in the distance, while El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall fill the foreground like a perfectly composed painting. Truly stunning.

We continue driving and pass through the long, dim tunnel. Our route now winds higher into the mountains. The next viewpoint, Washburn Point, is almost at the same elevation as today’s final destination, but we make a stop here first. The vista is jaw-dropping. With the crisp mountain air around us, we sit down for lunch on the stone walls of the viewpoint. Sandwiches at altitude, overlooking one of the most extraordinary landscapes we’ve ever seen. Honestly, could life get any better?

But the day isn’t over yet. We still have one last must-see: Glacier Point.
Perched at 7,214 feet (2,199 meters), this overlook provides a breathtaking panorama of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and countless rugged granite peaks. The mountains look like enormous stone citadels rising from the earth. It is truly dramatic, humbling, and utterly awe-inspiring. It’s the kind of view that makes you feel both small and incredibly alive.

However, the sun is already dipping lower, and the tall cliffs are beginning to cast long shadows across Yosemite Valley. With a long drive ahead to reach our hotel, we reluctantly head back to the car. As we begin the descent, we can’t help but hope that we might spot another bear along the way…

As you might have already seen on our photos, no bears have crossed our path on our way out. It’s fully dark by the time we arrive at our hotel in Fresno, near Fresno Yosemite International Airport. Sure, it’s one of the closest airports to Yosemite, but still, it took us almost three hours to get here, and that’s without any traffic! We check in, drop our stuff, and then, because this is an airport, you get one guess what we do before hunting down the nearest Panda Express. Correct: see what’s here.

Fresno Yosemite International Airport is more than just a regular commercial airport. It also hosts an airtanker base with fire bombers and a California Air National Guard unit operating F-15 Eagles. Plenty of aviation goodness to explore. When we first arrived at the hotel, we already heard a few F-15s taking off. It still feels bizarre, how in Europe everything must be silent at night, while here, they just keep training. The sound of freedom, right?

As we drive around the field, we spot several F-15s parked in their shelters. At the airtanker base, even in the dark, we can distinguish a BAe 146 and a C-130 Hercules on the ramp. By the crash gate, under bright lights, sits a gorgeous OV-10 Bronco. And then, the F-15s return from their night mission!

Of course, this is exactly the moment we regret the decision to leave our tripod and video gear back in the hotel, because we "only meant to scout and not do any serious photography tonight"… And now we have four F-15C Eagles taxiing right toward us, and no proper equipment to shoot them.
Lesson learned. Sigh.

With the Eagles back in their nests, we continue to the well-deserved dinner we’ve been craving: orange chicken and the rest of the Panda Express classics. What a day. Tomorrow we’ll be off to see some big ass trees. For now, it’s time to inspect the inside of our eyelids on this big ass hotel bed.

Good night!

Wednesday 29 October - Big Trees and Big Rocks

Getting out of bed is hard, especially when the bed is that good. But breakfast calls, and after that, the road does too. With our stomachs happily filled, we check out and make one more daylight loop around Fresno Yosemite International Airport, hoping to catch some F-15 action or maybe a bit of airtanker movement.

On our way to the airtanker base, a Bell UH-1 Iroquois lifts of. It is always a treat to see an old Huey still at work. At the base itself we find the expected two large airtankers: a BAe 146 from Neptune Aviation and a C-130 Hercules operated by CAL FIRE. An AVG UH-60 Blackhawk sits nearby too, wearing a sharp grey-and-green livery. Lovely bonus!

From there, we walk toward the runway to check for F-15 Eagle activity. One Eagle is clearly being worked on, but beyond that… nothing. No jet blast, no diesel thunder, no signs of an imminent departure. The airtankers aren’t prepping for action either.

And with another long drive ahead of us, we eventually make the tough decision: time to leave the airport behind.

Next stop: nature!

We have another long drive ahead of us—this time through a landscape filled with rocks, winding roads, and endless forests. Even though we’re returning to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, this side feels completely different from what we saw yesterday. Here the forests are denser, the trees taller, and the bare granite cliffs far less common. Bit by bit we gain altitude as the road coils its way upward toward Sequoia National Park. Thanks to the ongoing shutdown, there are no entrance fees here either, so we glide into the park without any hassle.

It takes a while before we meet the first star of the day, but when we do, it leaves us speechless. A giant sequoia stands beside the road, calmly dwarfing everything around it. We knew they were big. We thought we were prepared. But seeing one in real life is something else entirely. These trees are MASSIVE! Towering, ancient, and glowing with that rich red-brown color that somehow looks soo beautiful!

As we drive deeper into the park, more and more of these giants appear between the already-huge pines and firs, trees that on any normal day would look impressive but here feel almost comically small. This is definitely not the Hoge Veluwe back home, haha.

The road climbs higher, coiling around the mountain tops, and soon we begin passing through burned-out areas. At first glance the slopes look dusted with snow, but we quickly realize it’s ash. The blackened trunks stand like charred toothpicks on the mountainside, with pale ghostly branches giving an eerie winter-like shimmer. Later we learn that many of these fires are controlled burns, necessary to clear dense undergrowth and help the giant sequoias thrive. Without them, fires would build too much fuel and become so hot that even the giants themselves could be lost.

Every now and then we pull over to wander among these ancient trees. Standing at their feet, looking straight up into their crowns disappearing somewhere far above, you can’t help but feel tiny—humbled, almost fairy-tale small. It’s like stepping into another world.

While driving through the Giant Forest, we follow the signs toward one of the world’s most famous natural landmarks: the General Sherman Tree. This colossal giant sequoia is the largest tree on Earth by volume: an awe-inspiring titan rising over 275 feet (84 meters) tall and more than 36 feet (11 meters) wide at its base.

We park the car at the designated lot, which is located roughly at the height of Sherman’s crown. From there, the trail winds downhill toward the base of the tree. Along the route we pass several other enormous sequoias, and interpretive signs explain the tree’s history, biology, and unbelievable scale. About halfway down, a full 1:1 footprint of Sherman’s base is painted on the ground. Standing inside it really puts things into perspective: this thing is absolutely humongous.

It’s also pretty amusing to watch people on the trail huffing and puffing dramatically. Americans aren’t exactly known for walking anywhere if they don’t have to, haha! We are feeling great walking here luckily! 

Standing in front of the General Sherman Tree itself feels almost otherworldly. It’s like a living monument: ancient, stoic, and utterly dominant, right in the heart of the Sierra Nevada. It may have stopped growing taller, but every year it still grows wider, slowly adding to its already unbelievable volume. Truly impressive.

We wander around the grove a bit more, admiring the other towering sequoias. Unfortunately, part of the area is taken over by what seems to be a film crew with a cluster of children, so access to a few beautiful twin trees is blocked off. It gives the place a slightly unwelcoming vibe, so we decide it’s time to head back to the car.

And remember how we just made fun of all those panting Americans for struggling with the walk? Well… karma hits fast. We conveniently forgot that we’re still above 2,100 meters elevation, where the air is noticeably thinner. Since the parking lot is higher than the tree itself, the ascent back means climbing nearly 100 meters of elevation: enough to make our untrained European bodies beg for mercy. With each step, the air feels like it contains less oxygen, and before long we are the ones panting, huffing, and puffing, dragging ourselves uphill like sloths on a pilgrimage.

To top it all off, we hear F-15s roaring somewhere above the treetops. Of course, just when we left the big lens in the car. You bastards!! Ughh..

When we finally reach the car, we genuinely need a moment to catch our breath. That hike was tough, but absolutely worth every step. What an unforgettable experience.

We then drive onwards through the Giant Forest toward another major highlight (tourist trap): the Tunnel Log. Along the way, we pass several more jaw-droppingly huge sequoias, so of course we stop every now and then just to gawk at them again. It’s still hilarious to see our bright red SUV parked next to these natural skyscrapers: like a toy car someone dropped in the woods. Many of the giants are split open at the base, allowing you to actually stand inside them. Even seeing it with our own eyes, we still can’t fully wrap our heads around their size (mainly because they’re too big to wrap…).

A short detour brings us to the Tunnel Log itself. This quirky landmark was created in 1937 when a giant sequoia fell across the road; instead of removing it, the park simply carved a tunnel straight through the trunk. It instantly became a visitor favorite, and honestly, we now understand why. Usually, because the road is narrow, traffic is one-way and people often just walk through the hollowed trunk. But today due to the shutdown and the political tensions, the park is quiet. No crowds, barely any cars, that means we get to drive through the tunnel in both directions. Absolute madness, but incredibly fun!

On our way here, we passed a sign pointing to Moro Rock. People are quite enthusiastic about this place, so naturally we grow curious. What’s the big deal? Is it just a large boulder? Some ancient glacial leftover? A memorial of some sort? How interesting can a simple rock really be? Well… we’re about to find out!

So, Moro Rock. We drive for a bit more until the road ends at a small parking area tucked against the mountainside. At first, we expect Moro Rock to be some kind of dramatic cliff overhang or a boulder teetering above the abyss. But no..

Moro Rock is a colossal granite dome that thrusts itself straight up from the edge of the Giant Forest, formed over millions of years by uplift and slow, steady erosion. Because of its perfect vantage point over the Kaweah River canyon, the rock served early surveyors and explorers as a literal high point for mapping this rugged corner of the Sierra Nevada. In the 1930s, the National Park Service decided to fully embrace its scenic potential and constructed the now-iconic stone stairway—nearly 400 carved steps snaking up the rock’s spine. It’s like climbing a natural cathedral made of solid granite, guided by railings, narrow ledges, and switchbacks that make you very aware of the void on either side.

It is a textbook exfoliation dome: layers of granite peeling away like the skin of an onion. And the wild part is that the trail to the summit winds through those very layers. Walking between the slabs, knowing that nature occasionally sheds them like giant stone shingles, sends a shiver down the spine. Beautiful? Yes. Interesting? Absolutely. Comforting? Not really haha!

For the second time on this trip, we find ourselves on the Top of the Rock! The panoramic view is extraordinary: to the east rises the jagged Great Western Divide; to the west, the soft rolling foothills descend toward the Central Valley. Moro Rock may sit at “just” 6,725 feet (2,050 meters), but its exposed perch makes it feel far taller, almost cinematic in how it rises above the landscape. It’s instantly clear why generations of visitors have fallen in love with this place.

We eventually return down the stairway and back to the car, legs slightly wobbly but our spirits sky-high. It’s getting later in the afternoon, so we decide to head toward the visitor center in hopes of scoring our magnet. Along the drive we pass even more enormous sequoias, each one still leaving us in awe despite everything we’ve already seen.

We park near the visitor center, right beside another named giant, the Sentinel Tree. But unlike in Saguaro and Yosemite, every visitor center here is closed due to the shutdown. No sequoia magnet for us.. :( 

With daylight fading fast and still more than an hour of driving ahead, we call it a day and start the journey toward our hotel. Tomorrow awaits, but for now, it’s time to chase the last light out of the mountains.

As we swirl down the hairpin roads into the valley, we get some fantastic views of the massive Moro Rock in front of us. Unreal to think that just moments ago, we were standing at the very top of that granite giant! Feeling both dizzy from the descent and exhilarated from the experience, we make a stop at what used to be a classic man-made tourist attraction: Tunnel Rock.

With the sun rapidly approaching the horizon, we pull into the parking lot of Porterville Air Attack Base. On the ramp, two Grumman S-2 Turbo Tracker Firecat aircraft and an OV-10 Bronco are lined up, while several helicopters rest in the distance on the other side of the field. The sky glows a warm golden as we quickly snap some backlit shots, but then a man approaches and invites us over the fence for a closer look. How could we refuse?

It turns out he is the base manager, finishing his closing rounds for the day, yet he gladly makes time for us. We start with the Bronco. Usually employed as a scout and guiding aircraft for the larger retardant bombers, this old warbird is still in excellent condition, wearing its white-and-red firefighting livery with pride.

Next, we move to the Tracker. Another former military warbird now tasked with dropping water and fire retardant, it is incredible to see it here in active service. Just a month ago, we watched an old French Conair Firecat perform a thrilling water drop display at the Sanicole Airshow, and now we are standing next to an operational one! Our guide even opens the flight deck door for us to step inside. Definitely not something we expected today.

He then invites us to follow him over to the helicopters. Three CH-47 Chinooks and a UH-60 Blackhawk are resting for the night. Seeing these former military helicopters in their striking civil firefighting liveries is a real treat. The sun dips below the horizon as we take it all in.

Returning to the Trackers and the main building, the manager gives us a tour of the operational control center, the base’s cantine, and the living areas. Even in low season, he lives on base in case of emergencies. Before we leave, he hands us some patches and a t-shirt as souvenirs, and shares a deeply moving story about colleagues who tragically lost their lives fighting fires. It’s humbling to see how the base honors their sacrifice with commemorative patches.

With that powerful message, we say goodbye. The manager closes the fence behind us, officially ending the day at the air attack base. Just minutes away is our hotel. Thrilled, exhausted, and hungry, we drop our bags and cross the street for a well-deserved Panda Express. Nothing fancy, just a solid plate of food before bed.

Now comes the planning for tomorrow. We have to end the day at Los Angeles International Airport, that much is certain. Initially, we considered spending the day at NAS Point Mugu, but the lure of San Bernardino Air Tanker Base was tempting as well. The route to San Bernardino passes through other very tempting grounds: Tehachapi, Mojave, and Palmdale or Victorville. So many good memories of those places.

However, the Porterville base manager informed us that all aircraft just left San Bernardino today. So, what now? We settle on a hybrid plan: start at Mojave, pass through Lancaster/Palmdale to Van Nuys, spend the afternoon at Point Mugu, and finish the day along the Pacific Coastal Highway to LAX. Sounds perfect. With that, we call it a night, excited for another adventure-filled day ahead.

Thursday 30 October - Mission Failed Successfully

We want to get a proper second breakfast at the Voyager Restaurant, famous for its hot chocolate and homemade pancakes. But first, of course, we check the flightline to see what’s out there. We also make a quick hit-and-run visit to the Stratolaunch hangar. Last time we were here, we only saw their Boeing 747 parked outside. Today, the massive ROC is out as well, unfortunately facing the other way. Still, nice to see it again!

Once we get settled at the Voyager Restaurant with great views on the flightline we place our order. While we wait for it to be served, we go outside on the terrace for a bit. This place is great for spotting. Almost unobstructed views of the aircraft on the ramp and the storage area in the distance. While checking out what is here to see, our adrenaline suddenly spikes. We spot the highly secretive McDonnell Douglas NC-9D, Raytheon’s modified DC-9-31! Back in 2022, when we drove past it, photos weren’t allowed. Now, here it is, right in front of us. The doors are open and people seem to be preparing it for departure. Fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, a beautiful T-38 Talon flies overhead, doing a few touch-and-goes before making a full stop landing. It taxis back to the NTPS, out of sight, adding a perfect little bonus to our breakfast show.

We also check out the storage area. The former KLM Boeing 747s are now being cut up by Aviationtag, turning fuselage skins into travel accessories. The private 727 where we took our group picture last time has also been moved to the boneyard. Sad to see it there, but still nice to see how the yard evolves.

As we enjoy our hot chocolate and pancakes, we notice a man walking outside who seems to be staring a bit too long in the direction of the DC-9. I head out to see what’s going on and quickly see that the engines are already running! I call Marieke to come outside. We set up our cameras and within moments, the taxi lights switch on and the old Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B engines start screaming. The DC-9 taxis out, turns around, and suddenly its full character is revealed: a huge array of antennas, no civil registration, and a mysterious aura.

Planespotters.net confirms it’s an experimental aircraft, not listed in FAA records, yet it flies with the callsign and Mode-S N879AD. There’s no official registration visible anywhere, but if you look closely, “168277” is painted just below the rudder, indicating it’s officially still a U.S. Navy aircraft.

It doesn’t all matter. The fact that we are here, witnessing the departure of the world’s most mysterious DC-9 within an hour, is just mind-blowing. The jet taxis toward runway 30, turns right, and disappears behind the buildings. Now we just have to wait for the takeoff.

It takes a bit of time, but then we hear the familiar rumble and soon after, the old jet reappears, gracefully rotating over the Mojave Desert. The landing gear retracts, and the Diesel 9 climbs steadily against the mountainous backdrop. We can’t believe what just happened. This was incredible! The original plan for our California extension was to see the Skydive Perris DC-9 fly, a flight that was canceled months before our trip. But here we are, seeing another DC-9 flying right in front of us. Mission failed successfully!

Back inside, we finish our breakfast while a Scaled Composites experimental aircraft is being towed across the flightline. Meanwhile, the NC-9D starts its flight routine. It seems to follow the same pattern as a few days earlier, and if we’re lucky, it should pass right overhead near Palmdale. Sure enough, as it heads south, we catch it passing overhead, and we jump back in the car. Next stop: Palmdale’s BJ’s Corner. Fingers crossed for another close pass of the DC-9!

It still is quite the drive towards Palmdale. Even though we’ve been here several times and have driven this road already a few times, it never fails to impress just how big and extensive the Mojave Desert is. Above all, it is absolutely beautiful and a joy to drive through.

As we get closer to Lancaster, we spot the DC-9 doing pattern work at Palmdale Regional Airport. As the aircraft pulls back up and banks away for another approach, Marieke somehow manages to grab a shot of it, from our moving car! Legendary stuff.

We then arrive at BJ’s Corner, the famous little spot right at the end of runway 7. Now we wait. We can see the DC-9 lining up in the distance… but then it breaks off. Noooo! It’s no longer coming in for runway 25 but now aims for runway 22 instead. Disaster!

We watch it touch down and take off again far, far away from us, with a mountain of heat haze between the jet and our lenses. It climbs out, makes another right-hand turn, and circles widely around us. Then it gains altitude and heads off to the east. Based on its pattern from earlier in the week, this means only one thing: it’s leaving the area before setting up for a straight-in approach back into Mojave Air and Space Port. In other words… it is not coming back.

So, we fire up our Kia again and point the nose towards our next stop: Van Nuys.

The road to Van Nuys is pretty busy, with traffic slowing us down several times, but eventually we make it to the Van Nuys Airport Observation Area. The Californian sun is brutally hot now, so we move quickly to capture some shots of what’s parked here. Two Canadian Canadair CL‑415 scoopers, a Coulson CH‑47D Chinook, and in the distance even a private McDonnell Douglas MD‑87!

Nothing too crazy, but still a nice haul. Now, time for Mugu!

After a busy drive toward the Pacific coast, we arrive at Point Mugu Missile Park. Last time, back in 2022, we spent the morning here under a blanket of grey overcast. Today couldn’t be more different: clear blue skies, bright sun, and perfect coastal air. We park our car, ready for some relaxed spotting… but that plan lasts about three seconds. Other spotters already have their cameras up, so we instantly rush to grab our gear and frantically scan the skies.

And there they are: two Grumman E-2D Hawkeye in close formation, executing a tactical break right in front of us. They sweep low across the dramatic backdrop of Point Mugu State Park and set up for runway 21. We’ve been here for less than five minutes and already score an incredible catch. Bring it on, Mugu!

Point Mugu Missile Park itself is a small, open-air display area with several missiles and aircraft on show. We already knew the McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II and Grumman F-14D Tomcat, but since our last visit, a beautifully preserved Grumman EA-6B Prowler has joined the lineup. It is displayed in full landing configuration with flaps, slats, airbrakes, and even the tailhook deployed. Stunning!

Meanwhile, traffic keeps flowing: an ex-SprintAir Saab 340B drops in, followed by a Boeing P-8 Poseidon. Nice additions to the logbook.

We settle in to wait. A few Hawker Hunter jets depart, along with some Dassault Mirage F1s and another E-2D. Sadly, the heat haze and backlight are brutal, but at least they’ll make it into the video. Eventually the E-2D returns, this time flying a right-hand pattern and lining up straight toward us. Excellent pass!

On ADS-B Exchange we notice the Mirages heading home, so I hurry to the other side of the runway to catch them overhead. And as a bonus surprise, way in the distance I spot an active Lockheed NP-3D Orion: an Orion with that iconic billboard tail! Shame we didn’t see it fly, but you can’t win them all.

Then an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia arrives on the “wrong” runway, and we take that as the sign to wrap things up. We’ve been at the Pacific coast countless times, but somehow we’ve never actually touched the water of the Pacific Ocean. Time to change that. Let’s find a beach.