2020 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[catch22]

Southwest suspending OKC-DCA Aug 31-Oct 26

[gopokes88]

July out
https://flyokc.com/sites/default/fil...nplanement.pdf

[catch22]

I bet Alaska is the only airline at least breaking even in OKC. Sometimes it's a benefit to be the smallest with the least overhead.

[Bits_Of_Real_Panther]

What's going on here ?
https://twitter.com/AirlineFlyer/sta...185744903?s=19

[catch22]

Looks like touch and goes. Pretty standard in OKC.

[Ward]

The E-6's are home based at Tinker. They are Navy planes and are home based in the middle of the country to buy a little more time in case of attack. Google them. They are the ones whose main job is to communicate with our ballistic missile subs.

The E-4 is a 747 plane that is the so called Doomsday Plane. They are home based in Omaha NE at Offut AFB. Google them. This particular one I noticed on ABSDexchange.com, which is an interesting aviation website someone alerted me to back in March when we were all quarantining at home, it gave me something to do to pass the time. Today this particular E4 flew from Omaha and shot a bunch of approaches, first at Tinker then at Will Rogers, then flew back home.

ADSBexchange.com is an interesting site, as an aviation lover I've enjoyed it when I run across an unusual or rare plane flying around. It passes the time, gives me something to do.

[catch22]

obviously without being in the know - it's all speculation.

one thing i have learned with aviation is either it makes 100% sense or it is completely random and coincidental.

for example if they were told they needed to fly 7 hours today and get in 20 missed approached... the dispatcher may have picked tinker/okc because he has a cousin in okc that likes airplanes and wanted to surprise him. the fuel has to be burnt anyway. i would say this is highly unlikely. but aviation is full of stuff like this. pilots dont care, they do as they are told as long as it is not unsafe.

or, there was an actual reason. Field Aerospace (ARINC) at WRWA does military avionics work. perhaps they needed an E-4 in the area so they could live test some confidential communications or datalink equipment. they may not have needed the E-4 do anything other than be in the area. so they decided to do pattern work for a couple hours.

i know if it were an actual mission they wouldnt be flying low altitude in the pattern....

[Ward]

^^^ I think it was just a training flight, and/or the plane had been in maintenance and needing a little trip.

If you will look right now, right now, you see a Russian IL76 that just crossed into Oklahoma in Western Oklahoma, on a NW to SE directional path, probably overhead Elk City right now. This is one big sucker! They use them for for-hire transport of huge or heavy oversize things.

We'll see shortly where it lands. It's VDA3562 and it came out of Anchorage Alaska, where it undoubtedly refueled and did a crew rest, etc.

[Celebrator]

I was doing a pickup about 7:00 tonight at WRWA and this av geek reaaaallly enjoyed watching a few of touch and gos and missed approaches from the cell phone lot--it was awesome.

[LakeEffect]

The E-4 did touch-and-gos at WRWA a couple times earlier this year as well. We're a nice-sized airport relatively close to Omaha so it works out well for them for training...

Watch WRWA closely and you'd be amazed how many military flights come in for fuel or touch-and-go training. I spot quite a few from my desk near Integris Baptist - I have north and west facing windows so I get to see many approaching aircraft. Also, if you're on Instagram, follow https://www.instagram.com/planelycrazy/ or https://www.instagram.com/the_fighterjetgeek/ for OKC stuff and https://www.instagram.com/okavgeek/ for Tulsa stuff.

[Celebrator]

Just did a check of Allegiant's website for departures out of OKC and the only destinations available to book were Destin and Las Vegas. Switched the departure city to TUL and they have SFB, LAX, PIE, and LAS! Anyone get any news about Allegiant dropping SFB and LAX from OKC?

[Ward]

Last night an Antonov A124 landed in Tulsa. That's one big honker!

I know this is the OKC website but you rarely see one of those big A124's.

For anyone not familar with those, they only haul super heavy and oversized loads. Very specialized.

[BG918]

Last night an Antonov A124 landed in Tulsa. That's one big honker!

I know this is the OKC website but you rarely see one of those big A124's.

For anyone not familar with those, they only haul super heavy and oversized loads. Very specialized.

There is a oilfield manufacturer in Tulsa (not sure which one) that these come for to pick up large pieces of equipment and fly them to Russia.

[TheTravellers]

Last night an Antonov A124 landed in Tulsa. That's one big honker!

I know this is the OKC website but you rarely see one of those big A124's.

For anyone not familar with those, they only haul super heavy and oversized loads. Very specialized.

That would be very cool to see. Saw the Antonov AN-225 at an airshow here decades ago, wish I could see *that one* again, but not sure if it flies here in the US anymore...

[catch22]

Effective October only (*explained below)

Delta reduces ATL-OKC to 4 daily, down from 6 (2019: 5).
Delta suspends DTW-OKC 0 daily
Delta reduces MSP-OKC to 2 daily, down from 3 (2019: 2)

*Since demand is highly variable and unpredictable, most airlines have reduced their firm scheduling window to 30-60 days out. They will accept bookings as normal but refine the schedule much closer on. So this results in suspensions and reductions only being effective for essentially 30 days at a time.

[shawnw]

I still don't fully understand the demand picture. Flew to Chicago last weekend, flight out was 1 seat short of full, flight back had like 5 empty seats. Airports seemed as packed as usual.

[catch22]

I still don't fully understand the demand picture. Flew to Chicago last weekend, flight out was 1 seat short of full, flight back had like 5 empty seats. Airports seemed as packed as usual.

Mainly junk fares. Business travel is dead. Most of the demand is unprofitable. Adding flights to capture this traffic is financial suicide as it increases supply and costs while depressing already unsustainable yields

[catch22]

I agree airports seem to be packed, but you are seeing a false image of it by only seeing it at one particular time.

We are running less than half the banks of normal in Denver, outside of the banks there is nothing going on. Most of the stores in the concourse close for several hours between banks, complete ghost town. The banks are condensed to provide maximum connection potential - connecting as many cities as possible in one bank in order to reduce the number of banks required. So during the banks it is an absolute madhouse. but outside of them you could probably walk naked in the concourse with no one spotting you. havent tried it probably wont, dont recommend.

[shawnw]

Makes sense, thanks for the insight

[BG918]

I agree airports seem to be packed, but you are seeing a false image of it by only seeing it at one particular time.

We are running less than half the banks of normal in Denver, outside of the banks there is nothing going on. Most of the stores in the concourse close for several hours between banks, complete ghost town. The banks are condensed to provide maximum connection potential - connecting as many cities as possible in one bank in order to reduce the number of banks required. So during the banks it is an absolute madhouse. but outside of them you could probably walk naked in the concourse with no one spotting you. havent tried it probably wont, dont recommend.

Interesting. I was at DEN over the weekend and it was packed to the gills. Probably the busiest I've ever seen it, literally wall to wall people at the gates. The people mover was packed solid, so much for social distancing..

[jdizzle]

DFW, PDX, and MSP were airports I flew through in the past 1.5 weeks on vacation. I had never seen them so empty. Like, ever.

[Ward]

What do you mean by banks?

[gopokes88]

It’s summer. Still lots of tourists traffic. My 6-7am flights for work are empty for business travel.

[catch22]

What do you mean by banks?

A bank is a coordinated arrival and departure timing of flights into and out of a hub. This is meant to minimize connection time and provide a large number of connection options. For example a typical pre-covid bank in denver for united may have 65 arrivals between 830am and 915. And then 65 departure between 945 and 1030 with a total passenger throughput of 12,000. (6,000 actual customers as an arrival and departure passenger may be the same customer for connecting iteneraries. The next bank may not be for another hour resulting in a relatively dead airport between banks.

[Celebrator]

Trying this one again:

Did a check of Allegiant's website for departures out of OKC and the only destinations available to book were Destin and Las Vegas. Switched the departure city to TUL and they have SFB, LAX, PIE, and LAS! Anyone get any news about Allegiant dropping SFB and LAX from OKC?