Lex Anteinternet: Mid Week At Work. World Pilot Day

Lex Anteinternet: Mid Week At Work. World Pilot Day: 

Mid Week At Work. World Pilot Day

Today is World Pilot Day.

Pilot and observer at the start of the Transcontinental Reliability and Endurance Test, October 8, 1919.

SkyStar Kitfox III

This Skystar Kitfox III was spotted with its wings folded back, and on a flatbed trailer in Mills, Wyoming.

 

Bell UH-1 with Nose Mount

This is a UH-1, a "Huey", in Casper, Wyoming painted in old Vietnam War era camouflage.  It's fitted with a nose mount, which can house cameras and electronic devices.  Nose mounts were fitted to UH-1s during the Vietnam War, and they continue to be offered for commercial UH-1s.

The odd thing about this helicopter is that even though it retains the USAF or US Army Vietnam era camouflage scheme, it lacks national markings, which most surplus aircraft which retain military paint schemes do.  Additionally, I could not see a registration number on it anywhere.  That may be because I took this photograph from a distance, with an iPhone, and it could be painted in black on the dark green aft of the helicopter.  It obviously should have this painted on it.

When I happened to arrive at the airport on the day this photo was taken, a crew was standing by it as the refueling truck was getting ready, and they were having their photograph taken.  I thought they were a military crew, but I wasn't paying much attention.  UH-1s are no longer in common US use, but the UH-1N is still used by the USAF in connection with nuclear missiles and missile silos, and that variant does in fact often have the nose mount fitting, although it should have USAF markings and this old camouflage scheme would be a surprise.

Practice Fire Suppression Airplane Mock Aircraft.

Some time ago we took some photos of this when it was still in construction:

The Aerodrome: Practice Fire Suppression Airplane Mock Up, Casper...: These are all photographs of a very realistic looking mock up of a mid sized passenger jet being built out of steel at Pepper Tank in Casper...

And here it is now that it has been placed in use.