KC-135 Over Sacramento

[steve holmes]

yeah, persistent contrails all day. I don't bother to take as many pictures of them as I used to but I saw a couple that made big deviations in their flight paths that I want to check out

 

[Mick West]

This was flying NW around 3PM (From Shingle Springs). Made a bit of a turn.

It was a military tanker, KC-135. It did not show up on FR24.

 

[steve holmes]

I haven't had time to look it up but here's my photo. Since the time stamp is 3:01, it could well be the same one you saw. I was at Lake Natoma (22 miles east of Sacramento), looking west, and it started northward and then deviated NE.

 

[Mick West]

Yeah, that's the same flight - I was facing west. The turn is more apparent from your perspective. Probably not very much though, the perspective foreshortening makes it look 10x the angle.

 

[SR1419]

that's the same flight

Possibly out of Travis AFB.

 

[Mick West]

Here's the trail at 3:06

 

[Mick West]

Possibly out of Travis AFB.

Possible, but looked like it was coming from further south.

[Edit] Actually, it does seem about right.

 

[steve holmes]

somewhere in this thread, I think you said it wasn't 'on FR24. So, how did you ID it (if so)?

 

[Mick West]

somewhere in this thread, I think you said it wasn't 'on FR24. So, how did you ID it (if so)?

By looking at it. You can tell it's a KC-135 from the boom on the tail

 

[Trailspotter]

Possibly out of Travis AFB.

Possible, but looked like it was coming from further south.

[Edit] Actually, it does seem about right.

Travis AFB seems too close for leaving contrails over Sacramento. Also, it hosts KC-10s rather than KC-135s.
Could it be out of Edwards AFB (418th Flight Test Squadron)?

 

[Mick West]

Travis AFB seems too close for leaving contrails over Sacramento. Also, it hosts KC-10s rather than KC-135s.
Could it be out of Edwards AFB (418th Flight Test Squadron)?

Hard to say for sure. The KC-135 has a huge range without cargo, so it could have been visiting somewhere, or doing some kind of training or testing. It's relatively uncommon here - however I'm sure there are more, as it's hard to ID from the ground. We do get relatively few four engined planes making contrails over here though.