Editor’s note: Landing the spy plane at Beale also will benefit our county, where airmen go for “R&R,” including our historic downtowns.
“The MC-12W spy plane mission will be based at Beale Air Force Base, bringing hundreds of new airmen and greater economic impact to the surrounding region,’ according to the Marysville Appeal Democrat.
“‘This should be a shot in the arm for the Yuba-Sutter area economically,’ said U.S. Rep. Wally Herger, R-Chico, whose office announced the mission’s placement Friday. ‘We are so excited.’
“With the first plane arriving in May, by July the base will have up to seven of 37 total ‘Liberty’ planes, while the others are deployed elsewhere. The planes fly at low and medium altitudes for reconnaissance and spy missions and are piloted, unlike the Global Hawks also based at Beale.
“The mission will require 555 enlisted airmen, and Herger said he would expect it will require new civilian support staff as well.”
The rest of the article is here.
Filed under: Uncategorized
A twin engine turboprop spy plane? I wonder how they will get from Beale to Afghanistan? A looooong flight in that plane. They are probably shipped somehow.
Or…are they intended to spy on local Tea Party rallies?
Good point about the range Steve: 1,500 NM. Here’s some more background:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2010-06-01-Liberty_N.htm
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/executive-plane-becomes-flying-spy-in-afghanistan/
http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=15202
Once I joined in the delivery of a British Aerospace 146 jetliner for PSA Airlines in the ’80s: from England to California. We stopped in Greenland, Iceland and Green Bay, Wisc., before landing at LAX a few days later.
So its a modified King Air. Neat. Neat also your getting to participate in the delivery of an airliner, Jeff.
I too wonder what they are going to be spying on within 1500 NM of Beale AFB. Drug interdiction? 1500 NM won’t even get you from here to Green Bay and certainly won’t get you there with any reserve (well not unless you have a really great tail wind and then you are dangerously pushing it).
My understanding is half of these aircraft, crews and ground support personnel will be deployed to “theaters of war” on six month tours, while the other half remains at Beale for training and replacement deployment.
Nonetheless, this is a great opportunity for Beale and surrounding communities.
These are the same aircraft DOD has released videos of ground operations. Usually the audio portion of the tape has the MC-12 conversing with a strike pilot, while the video show a tank or other vehicle barreling down a dirt road. Suddenly, the vehicle blows up and the MC-12 and the strike pilot commend each other.