Updated AFB's on Google Earth - Jan.11th 2012

It took GE almost 5 weeks to update the new imagery of some areas, but actually very few spots around the world have been updated !! We expected more...but anyway..thanks for their efforts !!

Starting from Syria, with Mennekh AB (36°31'19.84"N 37° 2'23.32"E).

Inventory contains Mi-8's only after transferring all Flamingo's to another training air base.

Libya, Benina (Benghazi) AB (32° 5'48.22"N 20°16'4.93"E)

These transport aircraft look like grounded, the biggest is Tu-154 ?!?, few Yak-40's, few Aeritalia G222 !?! are the 2 ones inside the right shield Let L-410 Turbolet's ??

Among these transport aircraft, 2 Il-76 and one Antonov An-72 (dark livery).

7 Mig-23's in HAS area, also wreckage of DC-3 Dakota's and other small aircraft.

Russia, Sverdlovsk / Aramil AB (56°42'2.43"N 60°47'18.49"E).

Just 4km to the north, Koltsovo AB (56°44'43.17"N 60°48'9.05"E).

Interesting boneyard includes numbers of phased out transport aircraft.

India, Pune AB (18°34'53.58"N 73°55'2.55"E).

A home base of Su-30MKI's.

Are these stored / phased out Su-27's?!?

U.S.A, Indian Spring AB (36°35'11.84"N 115°40'25.83"W).

Only one UAV is visible in the eastern yard.

U.S.A, the secretive Area 51 also in Nevada (37°14'2.66"N 115°48'2.56"W), F-16's and few transporters.

Air Force Museum - Riyadh / SAUDI ARABIA (Part III)

The last part of this fast tour in Riyadh Museum, in the left wing indoor, De Havilland Vampire FB-52 reg. 541.
Vampire was the first jet aircraft to fly for RSAF since it entered service in 1957, retired in 1960.

The trainer T-34E Mentor reg. 619.

The U.S. trainer TEMCO TE-1B Buckaroo (T35) reg. 34470; one of the earliest aircraft used in training in Dhahran air base.
10 units built and delivered to RSAF under the mutual defense aid plan.

Again...T6 Texan !! reg. 91-713; note that the engine frontal frame is different that the Texan displayed outdoor which is more exposed than this.

De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk reg. 600; this trainer entered service in RSAF in 1956 as replacement for the biplane De Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth.

Another trainer is the North American T-28A Trojan reg. 713, this is one of four acquired in 1950s.

Agusta Bell AB-212 reg. 1437.

Cockpit view...

Bell 206 Jet Ranger reg. 1220.

General view of the left wing.

General view of the mid area; I recommend to visit this amazing museum which contains airplanes from the early days of flight over Arab Peninsula preserved in an excellent condition.
What it may need more to be perfect...is the BAe Hawk, Pilatus PC-9, Alouette-3, Tornado IDS in desert camo and the Typhoon (of course won't be here in the near future).

Air Force Museum - Riyadh / SAUDI ARABIA (Part II)

Indoor, starting with the very first biplane King AbdulAziz owned, It's the British made reconnaissance / bomber Airco DH 9.

This was the first Saudi owned aircraft to fly over the Arab Peninsula in 1925 until 1952.

Caproni CA.100, started to train the first Saudi cadets under the sovereign of King AbdulAziz inside Saudi Arabia from 1935 till 1939.

Westland Wapiti 2A the British light bomber and reconnaissance biplane was the beginning of air force in the sovereign of King AbdulAziz; It entered service in 1931 until 1952.

Douglas C-47 Dakota reg. SA-R-1 which formed the starting point of Saudi air lines.

It was a gift by president Franklin Roosevelt to King AbdulAziz, served from1952 till 1967.

The above photo for the interior of this Dakota. 

Cockpit view...nicely preserved !!!

Hawker Hunter F-60 reg.60-602, numbers of this aircraft were delivered to RSAF in mid 1960s.

PAC Strike Master reg. 1127, used to train King Faisal Air Academy Cadets.

Served from 1968 till 1997.

Lockheed F-86F Sabre reg. 5518, served from 1958 till 1972.

PAC Lightning F-53 reg. 610 with Firestreak missiles; 34 units of this aircraft were delivered to RSAF from 1966 to 1972, it served until 1986.

Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter II reg. 1504, around 120 units were still flying at least before the arrival of Typhoon which will replace them in Taif air base.

It's notable also that Saudi Arabia donated around 10 units in 1970 to Yemeni AF.

Cockpit of Lightning T-55 in display.

Air Force Museum - Riyadh / SAUDI ARABIA (Part I)

A fast and fruitful trip to Riyadh enabled me visit the museum of Saudi Arabian air force cavaliers "Saqr Al Jazeera" which means Falcon of the Peninsula.
The current layout of aircraft outdoor is different than the latest aerial image available from GE dated 2010.

The first to see by entering the southern gate is the Lockheed L-1011-500 Tristar reg. HZ-AHP in the old SAUDIA livery (from 1972 to 1996) , it was used by Saudi Arabian Defence Forces as an anti-terrorist trainer jet.

Lockheed C-130 Hercules reg. 460, these aircraft entered service for RSAF in 1965, nowadays around 42 units are in service.

Douglas DC-4 reg. 450 operated by RSAF, 5 units of this aircraft were delivered in 1950s.

Boeing 707 reg. HZ-HM2, was operated by Saudi Arabian airlines as one of the Royal Flights.

Lockheed F-68 Sabre, looks to be newly brought here with its wings aside, to be assembled and arranged for display later.

Boeing F-15B trainer variant reg. 1315.

Panavia Tornado reg. 2915, the displayed is the ADV variant which is a long-endurance interceptor.

The twin-engined six-seats Cessna 310K reg. 131, operated by RSAF.

BAC Strike Master Mk80 reg. 1123, these aircraft served in RSAF from 1968 to 1997.

Cessna O-1 Bird Dog observation aircraft reg. HZ-NC1.

Again...Texan is everywhere !!! This one is T6 reg. 206.

Douglas A-26B Invader reg. 612,  this bomber served for RSAF from 1955 till 1964.

Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star reg. 786, these aircraft served for RSAF from 1958 till 1972.

One of six BAC Lightning T-55 two-seat side-by-side training aircraft delivered to RSAF survived here.

Another Lockheed T-33 reg. 1510.