Airplane Markings USA

[AquaMan]

I was over by the airport last week and noticed a gray passenger jet with a scoop on its topside doing touch and go's. It would start to land and then power up, circle the airport and start to land again. The thing that caught my eye, besides the air scoop on its top, was that it had "United States of America" painted on its side in large letters next to a huge American flag.

Is this something ordinary or do we have high ranking officials visiting?

[Ed W]

It could be an Air Force pilot undergoing training for that aircraft.  Given the gray paint, that would seem likely.  The FAA tests the ILS system using an all white corporate jet, and they do the same touch-and-go routine.

[Hoss]

I was over by the airport last week and noticed a gray passenger jet with a scoop on its topside doing touch and go's. It would start to land and then power up, circle the airport and start to land again. The thing that caught my eye, besides the air scoop on its top, was that it had "United States of America" painted on its side in large letters next to a huge American flag.

Is this something ordinary or do we have high ranking officials visiting?

Are you talking about the hump on it's top?  That was a Boeing 747, which are rare in these parts.

Was this it?

http://www.newson6.com/story/15696376/air-force-nightwatch-plane-visits-tulsa-again

[AquaMan]

It didn't look large enough to be a 747. More the size of a 737 with a protruding hood scoop on its top rather than a hump. Dove gray color. Sounds like testing.

[Conan71]

Possibly an E6.  It's a twin engine communications support bird built on a 707 airframe, if memory serves me correct.  Small hump amidships.  Air Force version is grey, Navy is white, I believe.  They fly those and E-3 AWACS (707 with a big round disc on top) out of Tinker.

Was this it?

[heironymouspasparagus]

Possibly an E6.  It's a twin engine communications support bird built on a 707 airframe, if memory serves me correct.  Small hump amidships.  Air Force version is grey, Navy is white, I believe.  They fly those and E-3 AWACS (707 with a big round disc on top) out of Tinker.

Tinker has some smaller ones, too.  Look like they might be 737 size (2 engines).

[Conan71]

Tinker has some smaller ones, too.  Look like they might be 737 size (2 engines).

They fly a large twin out of Tinker, those actually might be on a 767 airframe though.  

[dbacks fan]

Is this it?

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/ic/aewc/index.html

737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) -- The 737 AEW&C is a state-of-the-art system providing powerful airborne surveillance, communications and battle management. It can track airborne and maritime targets simultaneously and includes a self-defense capability, an advanced open system architecture and an identification friend or foe system

[Conan71]

Is this it?

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/ic/aewc/index.html

Whoah!  Duuuuude!  Check out that giant surf board on top!

[Hoss]

Whoah!  Duuuuude!  Check out that giant surf board on top!

guh-narly doood!

[dbacks fan]

I was curious about how the air coming off of that affected the tail, as well as thinking it looked like a giant surfboard.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Is this it?

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/ic/aewc/index.html

Haven't seen the surfboard version yet.  Just a smaller round dome one.  Could be the 767.  All twin engines look the same to me...

[dbacks fan]

Haven't seen the surfboard version yet.  Just a smaller round dome one.  Could be the 767.  All twin engines look the same to me...

http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/E-767_AWACS

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/e-767-pics.htm

[heironymouspasparagus]

http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/E-767_AWACS

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/e-767-pics.htm

All that fancy animation and they didn't rotate the radome!! 

[dbacks fan]

All that fancy animation and they didn't rotate the radome!! 

Yeah, I noticed that as well. You would think that the programming for that was small compared to the whole thing, but it almost looks like two seperate animations. Stills of the plane superimposed over the backgound, wonder if it's a generic background that the use for diffent planes.