[T] 2016 - USA - WA / CA / HI / FL

Seattle. This years trip starts in Boeing city. The company is visible everywhere. Various airfields like Everett and Boeing Field around Seattle are used for producing and testing of the worldwide known airliners. Especially the museum of Flight and Boeing factory tour cannot be missed. I never before visited such a huge factory, really impressive. But of course, after a deep dive into Boeing history, Gulfstreams is what we are looking for. During 3 days all the local Seattle airports were visited with the following result:

23-10-2016 Seattle Boeing Field (WA)

G450 N142HQ (4288) G550 N79RP (5347) G650 N271DV (6133)

G650 N271DV is used by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

On the 24th I left Seattle for a day and visited Portland International Airport and the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum at McMinville Municipal Airport, about one hour from Portland. Outside the museum one of the STA Gulfstream II's is displayed, N947NA (c/n: 147).

24-10-2016 McMinville Municipal Airport (OR)

GII N947NA (147)

24-10-2016 - N947NA (GII, 147) - Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (OR), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

In the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum a very interesting other business jet can be seen. N50CR (287-1) is the only Sabreliner 50 ever built. Since the 70's it belonged to Rockwell Collins and was used for countless flight tests, including airborne weather radar tests. In January 2013 it was donated to the museum.

24-10-2016 - N50CR (Sabreliner 50, 287-1) - Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (OR), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

24-10-2016 Portland International Airport (OR)

GII N30HE (51) GV N6458 (574) G650 N1KE (6024), N6453 (6078)

Portland International Airport houses the corporate fleet of the well-known American sportswear company NIKE. I must say, I never saw such a beautiful hangar. Through a large street side window the complete NIKE Gulfstream inventory was displayed. Of course also the NIKE Gulfstreams itself have fantastic color schemes. Highlight for me was G650 N1KE.

24-10-2016 - NIKE Corporate Hangar, Portland (OR), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

Back in Seattle some more Gulfstreams were seen what ended my stay in this aviation minded city.

25-10-2016 - N678GA (G650, 6178) - Seattle Boeing Field (WA), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

25-10-2016 Seattle Boeing Field (WA)

GIV N492QS (1392) G350 N82CW (4019) G450 N175BL (4233) G650 N678GA (6178)

Some other bizjet highlights around Seattle worth to be mentioned? At Everett Paine Field there is a small building where, mainly by volunteers, work is done on aircraft to restore them to original condition for display in the Seattle Museum of Flight. This workshop can be visited and the most special aircraft on display was the prototype, and very first, Lockheed Jetstar!

25-10-2016 - N329J (Jetstar, 1001) - Everett Paine Field (WA), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

In the Seattle Museum of Flight one (N626BL) of only three existing Lear Fans can be seen, a turboprop business aircraft designed in the 1970's by Bill Lear.

23-10-2016 - N626BL (Lear Fan, E001) - Seattle Museum of Flight (WA), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

Next stop, California. Nothing more to say about this bizjet state. Just a list of my captures.

26-10-2016 Los Angeles International Airport (CA)

GIV N688LS (1280), N999AA (1286) GV C-GUGU (641), N136ZC (667) G450 N936MP (4173) G650 N678GA (6178)

26-10-2016 Long Beach Airport (CA)

GIV N96JA (1226) GV N25CP (527), N800PM (599) G450 M-MNVN (4283) G550 N234DB (5106), N721L (5140), N551GD (5551) G650 N516PL (6015), N666HD (6196), N616GA (6216)

26-10-2016 Santa Ana (CA)

GIII N234LR (300), N224KL (409) GIV N605RA (1028), N8MC (1129), N598GS (1258), C-GMRX (1382) GV N1AM (623), N846QM (626) G450 N1963N (4268) G650 N673HA (6018)

26-10-2016 Chino (CA)

GII N131JF (106), N218SE (116), N477GG (155) GIII N610AB (398) GIV N463MA (1108)

26-10-2016 Ontario (CA)

GII N750RA (117), N868DS (123), N2JR (131) GIII N124DT (390), N888WE (394), N124EP (440)

27-10-2016 Burbank (CA)

GIII N523AM (372) GV N767FL (503) G450 N175BL (4233) G550 N335CL (5107), N1759C (5128)

27-10-2016 Van Nuys (CA)

GII N264CL (227) GIII N175BG (396) GIV N770KS (1093), N101CV (1230), N999NB (1234), N267LG (1266), N15Y (1318), N116WJ (1320), N616RR (1368), N472QS (1372), N606PS (1477), N757MC (1498) GV N383LS (544), N940AJ (565), N776RB (585), N626JE (642) G550 N35GR (5183), N336EB (5525)

27-10-2016 Long Beach (CA)

GIV N886LS (1341) G450 N202VZ (4158) G550 N107VS (5043), N721L (5140) G650 VP-CVA (6223)

27-10-2016 Los Angeles International Airport (CA)

GIV XA-AVZ (1010) G450 XA-XTR (4008), N445QS (4037) G550 B-8123 (5274)

26-10-2016 - N616GA (G650, 6216) - Long Beach (CA), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

From Los Angeles I flew to Honolulu, Hawaii. Having a hotel close to the airport I did some spotting of course but the main reasons for my detour to this remote US state were Pearl Harbor and the Volcano National Park.

28-10-2016 Honolulu International Airport (HI)

GIV N820MS (1147) GV N543H (688)

After this great experience at Hawaii it was on to Florida. Of course for the yearly NBAA show at Orlando but also to visit some of the many Florida airports. Main goal? Okeechobee!

01-11-2016 Orlando International Airport (FL)

GIV N102AK (1188), N974JD (1301) G450 N56EL (4230) G550 N253DV (5257)

01-11-2016 Orlando Executive Airport (FL)

GIV N254CA (1054), N710LX (1297), N489VR (1389) GV N50JE (567), N17FJ (607) G450 M-SWAN (4181) G500 N505GD (72005) G550 N345KC (5036), N3PG (5091), N7325 (5176), N247ER (5265), PR-FGA (5280), N550GA (5526) G650 N829JV (6044), N650JK (6046), N605GD (6149), N650ER (6210)

02-11-2016 Orlando Executive Airport (FL)

GIV N44BB (1024), N88ES (1120), N710LX (1297) GV N50JE (567) G450 N88WR (4085), M-SWAN (4181), N154FV (4318) G500 N505GD (72005) G550 N565ST (5015), N345KC (5036), N897AT (5063), N3PG (5091), N7325 (5176), N247EM (5265), PR-FGA (5280), N550GA (5526) G650 N288WR (6007), N829JV (6044), N650ER (6210)

02-11-2016 Orlando International Airport (FL)

GIV N974JD (1301) G450 N56EL (4230) G550 N253DV (5257), P4-BFX (5418)

Late in the evening the Yahoo Bizjet Group gave some unexpected but very welcome news. The very rare NOAA GIV N49RF Hurricane Hunter was present at Fort Myers Page Field (FL), a 3-hour drive from Orlando. I took the chance and drove on early in the morning hoping to catch it. After a flat tire, and a quick change of wheel, I finally arrived at Fort Myers. Luckily the bird was still present. For many reasons the best day of the trip!

03-11-2016 Fort Myers Page Field (FL)

GIV N49RF (1246), N465QS (1463)

03-11-2016 Naples (FL)

G450 N415QS (4014) G550 N464GC (5482)

04-11-2016 Miami International Airport (FL)

GIV N898AW (1283) GV N50JE (567) G550 N33LR (5031) G650 N13MS (6036)

04-11-2016 Opa Locka (FL)

GII N888YZ (92), YV5691 (151) GIII N420JC (326), N734TJ (392) GIV XA-PTR (1467) GV N59JE (559)

04-11-2016 Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood

GIII N218EE (489) GIV XA-JJS (1113), N1904W (1237), N776MA (1257) GV XA-AHM (548) G450 N222NB (4348)

04-11-2016 Fort Lauderdale - Executive (FL)

GII N117LB (193), N721CN ((206), N74RT (219) GIII N221WR (381), N817MF (466), N975RG (471), N62MV (484) GIV 5N-BOD (1126), N707CW (1252) GV N108NY (685) G550 N999LR (5481)

04-11-2016 Boca Raton (FL)

GIII N270MC (374), N375LT (375) GIV N818BK (1094), N877LC (1165), N771AV (1197), N450EF (1379) G450 N704JW (4003)

04-11-2016 West Palm Beach (FL)

GIII N560SH (404), N469BT (432), LV-CEG (472) GIV N116WJ (1320) G450 N450EA (4065), N72LN (4144), N936MP (4173) G550 N928GC (5239), N235DX (5345), OK-KKF (5426) G650 N288Z (6093)

Okeechobee County Airport was a real pleasant surprise. Situated in the middle of a small village it currently develops as a new final Gulfstream resting place. Various old Gulfstreams are parked here and awaiting their final fate. Very nice was the fact that the terrace of the Landing Strip Café gives access to the platform. This means that some of the stored Gulfstreams can be seen very close by and can be photographed easily. More difficult is to see anything from the outside fences of the airport. Almost all around are dense trees which block the views. Driving completely around gives some opportunities to see the other Gulfstreams.

05-11-2016 Okeechobee (FL)

GII N226RM (145), N608MD (197) GIII N818VB (302), N774MB (339), N913PD (354), N874RA (361), N16AJ (413) GIV N415RR (1040), N61WH (1075), N273SF (1346)

05-11-2016 West Palm Beach (FL)

GIV N995GC (1074), N227SV (1172), N710EC (1502) G450 N72LN (4144), N455FX (4340) G550 N345KC (5036)

05-11-2016 Miami International Airport (FL)

GV N50JE (567) G550 XA-ALC (5116) G650 N13MS (6036)

26-10-2016 - N868DS (Gulfstream II, 123) - Ontario (CA), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

26-10-2016 - N750RA (Gulfstream II, 117) - Ontario (CA), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

26-10-2016 - N2JR (Gulfstream II, 131) - Ontario (CA), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

03-11-2016 - N49RF (Gulfstream IV, 1246) - Fort Myers Page Field (FL), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

04-11-2016 - N59JE (Gulfstream V, 559) - Opa Locka (FL), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

04-11-2016 - YV569T (Gulfstream II, 151) - Opa Locka (FL), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

05-11-2016 - N273SF (Gulfstream IV, 1346) - Okeechobee (FL), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

05-11-2016 - N774MB (Gulfstream III, 339) - Okeechobee (FL), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

05-11-2016 - N415RR (Gulfstream IV, 1040) - Okeechobee (FL), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

05-11-2016 - N818VB (Gulfstream III, 302) - Okeechobee (FL), USA - (C) R. Verhaegh

A very good trip again. Partly used for some cultural visits like Pearl Harbor but also with some great new Gulfstream airframes. Highlights of the trip: N947NA, N616GA, N1KE and of course the very unexpected but beautiful GIV N49RF.