vagabond

I had to go to my coffee shop today and could not help but notice the presence of two other types of aircraft flying around McChord. There were the usual C-17s, but today, there was something that looked like a smallish MD-80 and something else that was vintage-like with propellers. Both were flying low and I could see the wheels down. Didn't see any bombs attached or any blue chunks fall off, thank goodness.

rickair7777

The jet may have been a navy C-9, basically a DC-9 which is the founding father of the MD family. I think the USAF has a VIP version also.

Lots of planes have props...I assume you know what a C-130 looks like (fat, high wing, 4 engines). Other possibilities:

Navy P-3C (4 engines, low wing, long probe on the tail)
Navy E-2 (2 engines, large frisbee-looking radome on top)
Navy C-2 (2-engines, cargo/pax version of E-2, no radome).

The army has smaller 2-engine turboprops too.

vagabond

No, the one I saw was not fat. I still don't know what it is and really can't describe it. Sorry. In fact, I probably won't recognize it even if it reappeared in front of me right this minute! Getting old and feeble-minded.

May have to wait for my old friend, Moose, to weigh in. Where art thou, Moose?

And what would all these Navy planes be doing in McChord?

USMCFLYR

Sometimes the USAF lets their USN/USMC buddies come train with them and work out of the abandonded buildings

Although the E-2 and C-2 share some similarities (like the pipeline), I wouldn't say that the C-2 is a pax version of the E-2. Bunk - that wouldn't be correct would it?

USMCFLYR

rickair7777

They are based on the same airframe, obviously modified for the mission. There is one pilot community for both planes, they interchangeable throughout their career IIRC.

HSLD

Something like this? :

dbtownley

The C-2 is a pax carrier and shares a lot of systems (gear, hyds, brakes, and prop system) with the E-2. Actually when I was going through the RAG circa 2001, the C-2 students had to use an E-2 simulator. They now have a C-2 sim in Norfolk at VAW-120. The engines on the C-2 are a different version from the E-2 (they have -427s which produce more power), but its the same engine as the P-3 and the C-130. All C-2s and E-2s are going to 8 bladed props as well.

Do you think it was a V-22 that you saw? It has two huge Props and maybe even had them at a tilt during landing. It is the new transport airframe for the Marine Corps and AF.

USMCFLYR

That part I knew - that they shared some systems.

That part I did not know.
In the pipeline now - since I recently learned that all go to the 'Tailhook' pipeline and then select E2/C2 or strike at a later time - are there two different RAGs still. I see that you mentioned that that C-2 sim is at VAW-120. What is the pipeline once you get to NAS Norfolk?

rickair thought that they might be able to go back and forth. I haven't run across that many in my time in Naval Aviation, but from the ones that I have run across were either E-2 or C-2 guys (and gals) and had not flown the other. They seem to be strictly in their pipeline - or at least NOT interchangeable. The Legacy Hornet and Super Hornet are just about as close to one aricraft as a **new** aircraft can get and the USN is about as close as you can get to interchangeable - but it still takes two different NATOPS quals (for now)

USMCFLYR

FlyBoyd

They select "tailhook" out of primary and then select E-2/C-2 while in advanced. Typically the guys near the bottom (but not always). After they do that we get them at VT-31/35.

The E-2/C-2 IPs I know in VT-21/22/31 are indeed E-2 or C-2.

CheyDogFlies

The smallish MD-80 was a C-9 for sure. I saw it parked on the ramp when I left Friday night in the heavy rain. I saw it from the front, so I couldn't see the markings on it to say if it was an AF or Navy or Marine (if the Marines fly them any more) C-9.

The C-9 is a DC-9-30, fyi.