Viewing Air Force 1 landing today?

For those who are interested in watching his address to Senate check this out: http://webcast.aph.gov.au/livebroadcasting/

i don’t like this, unless of course he’s saying thank you but you can send your boys home now.
During the 26-hour visit, the leaders are expected to make an announcement on a strengthening of miliary ties between Australia and the US.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/third-time-lucky-as-president-barack-obama-jets-in-to-canberra/story-e6frfkvr-1226196775830#ixzz1dqGSmoLS

EvanJames said :

Cops have got the traffic lights along Pialligo/Fairbairn/Majura turned off and are being manual traffic lights so figure they’ll be bringing him out that way.

Exactly what you are *meant* to think… 😉

No pics but watched it come in from the 11th floor. More white than blue was surprising – but I guess most views of it I see (West Wing, Die Hard, AF1) are below shots.

Surprised to see only a single fast mover way off to the east. What happened to the pair of them straddling the plane on final, ready to take the bullet (Mt Ainslie-launched shoulder-mounted stinger) for the President?

Next thing someone will tell me reality ain’t like in the movies…

BTW where is all our Hornet viewing? Notable by their absence. Have the wowsers scared them off into wide orbits over Batemans and Wagga to stifle noise complaints after the Bush visit?

yup, was definitely early… missed the landing but could see the plane in front of the airport hanger (with binoculars)… he is here!

The Canberra Times is useful for something, they had live updates on their page, and suddenly said it was arriving early, 3.10pm ish. So I scuttled out… could see it coming in over Jerra! But made it to the heavily-people-infested fence behind CostCo just in time. Watched the landing and the taxiing. Cops have got the traffic lights along Pialligo/Fairbairn/Majura turned off and are being manual traffic lights so figure they’ll be bringing him out that way.

Campbell high school also had some buildings swept for bombs but apparently it’s because he will be at the war memorial and they were within the usual perimeter.

Speaking of security risks, someone tell the US military to stop hitting on women in Manuka! For their own safety, they need to know that the local men are very territorial!

At this point, if you’re not in position you’re about 180 seconds too late.

Jivrashia said :

There is an aircraft with registration N17007 showing up on the radar at the moment, heading in from Sydney.

According to google it is a 1935 American Eaglecraft EAGLET B-31, which is a WW1 aircraft…

A ruse for Air Force One??

where did you get the radar?

just got news around the airport that airforce 1 will be touching down at 3:11

There is an aircraft with registration N17007 showing up on the radar at the moment, heading in from Sydney.

According to google it is a 1935 American Eaglecraft EAGLET B-31, which is a WW1 aircraft…

A ruse for Air Force One??

My understanding is the queen’s plane was just early and she waited on the plane to not ruin the scheduling.

I can’t speak for this circus though.

Hey JB, you expect that as with the queen the 3:30 arrival is for the “door of the plane opens and he steps out” moment, and actually landing might be earlier?

Erg0 said :

I believe there’s a road closed in Campbell tomorrow, seems like a pretty good bet.

Oops, it’s the road up near the War Memorial. Disregard.

littlevixen said :

Greta said :

Which school is he going to visit, any rumours? Will it be a school close to Parliament House or one of the newer/show-offy schools?

Friends kids go to Campbell PS. Apparently they’ve been having “anti-terrorist training” during school time.

I believe there’s a road closed in Campbell tomorrow, seems like a pretty good bet.

Greta said :

Which school is he going to visit, any rumours? Will it be a school close to Parliament House or one of the newer/show-offy schools?

Friends kids go to Campbell PS. Apparently they’ve been having “anti-terrorist training” during school time.

It would appear we have unearthed our resident plane spotters/HAM radio operators.

Devil_n_Disquiz said :

YSCB ATIS so far is thus

TMP: 21. WIND: 120/10. QNH: 1019. RWY 17 & RWY 12 FOR ARRIVALS & DEPS. VIS: GT 10 KM. CLD: FEW040.

TAF much?

Wind appears to have swung to the north! Yay! Should mean that the approach is in from the south now (over Jerra), so I can watch it. Airport’s gone all quiet so I figure they’re switching the landings/takeoffs around to the usual config.

Latest ATIS

RWY 35. WIND: 040/8. QNH: 1019. TMP: 21. VIS: GT 10 KM. CLD: FEW040.

Note change of RWY

With all the attention Majura Avenue’s been getting lately I wouldn’t mind betting on North Ainslie.

But that’s just a wild guess.

carnardly said :

If i can’t get there today – when is they are chooffing off?

Tomorrow 1225

Which school is he going to visit, any rumours? Will it be a school close to Parliament House or one of the newer/show-offy schools?

Jivrashia said :

The Book Depository?

Cheap jokes aside, watching a full-blown 747 utilising our small runway from end-to-end would be something….

Airforce One – Customised 747-200B
Landing distance – 2.1km
Take-off distance – 3.17km
Canberra Airport – 3.27km

Hmmmm….. 100m is not much when you’re going at 200km/h

Not quite true, the take-off distance would be what is required to take the plane upto what’s known as V1 speed (basically the “this plane will still take off even if an engine blows up right now” speed) and then bring it back to a stop.

To actually calculate the distances travelled prior to actually getting airborne is a very complex formula, and I assure you they leave nothing to chance (not even on a normal commercial flight)

If i can’t get there today – when is they are chooffing off?

YSCB ATIS so far is thus

TMP: 21. WIND: 120/10. QNH: 1019. RWY 17 & RWY 12 FOR ARRIVALS & DEPS. VIS: GT 10 KM. CLD: FEW040.

There’s nothing unusual about landing or taking off from the North. About half the flights I’ve been on have taken off and landed from each direction. It makes for some pass-time activities, trying to guess which way we’re coming in when I don’t recognise the landmarks from 1km up 🙂

It is an exciting runway. We don’t have high winds today after all, so it won’t be a high-power landing (that could be very ugly!).

I’ve said this before, but for a great bit of footage of a giant Russian cargo plane that was actually *off* the Canberra runway when he finally lifted off, go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZGXwbPfwQs&feature=related
and make sure you have sound on for the commentary. (can’t get into you tube here so I hope it’s the right link!).

Jivrashia said :

The Book Depository?

Yes, but you need to be on the grassy knoll for the kill.

Pretty good pilots mind you.

Wind is now from the east, and they’re still taking off to the south (over Jerra), so at this stage I’d still be expecting AF1 to approach from the north. However, the wind is slated to change to the NE so that could change. I hope it does!

The Book Depository?

Cheap jokes aside, watching a full-blown 747 utilising our small runway from end-to-end would be something….

Airforce One – Customised 747-200B
Landing distance – 2.1km
Take-off distance – 3.17km
Canberra Airport – 3.27km

Hmmmm….. 100m is not much when you’re going at 200km/h

martyo said :

how do you get up Mount Pleasant ?

From Civic: http://g.co/maps/e5ntw

As it is part of ADFA it is regularly patrolled by security and I suspect their presence may be increased during the Obamarama visit.

martyo said :

how do you get up Mount Pleasant ?

ahahahahaha sorry i must have read this wrong…

thanks Johnboy. 🙂

my mail is 3.30pm

hey – what time is he lobbing in? If I did want to dash and get my camera for BO.

Sorry if I’ve missed that bit of vital information.

Now tell me. In all honesty who are these Fighter jets protecting the “POTUSA” from way up there in Australian air space? Aliens from outa space?

how do you get up Mount Pleasant ?

My head is filled with the sounds of F/A-18 Hornets flying way above at the moment.

sepi said :

We are just a scenic backdrop really.

He is going to visit a school here, because it is education week in the US. That seems kind of woerd to me.

ZOMG!~!!~!!!~~~!111111““1!!!!!!!! won’t somebody think of the children. Bush jr was visiting a school when the WTC was attacked. We’re all going to dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Holden Caulfield said :

Mount Pleasant has a pretty good view of the airport and is a bit closer, although not as high.

This.

Landing from the North so the Majura Rd McDonalds car park could be good. I doubt the Secret Service would deny people their Big Macs!

If RWY35 is used then the top level of the BOP carpark will serve you well. It looks over Taxiway Bravo and the the active is just a bit further over.

We are just a scenic backdrop really.

He is going to visit a school here, because it is education week in the US. That seems kind of woerd to me.

lindilou said :

What about actually seeing the guy in the flesh? There’s barely any info in this regard..

Screw seeing the president, I’m just interested in the plane…

johnboy said :

If you’ve got a decent zoom surely the top of Mount Ainslie?

Mount Pleasant has a pretty good view of the airport and is a bit closer, although not as high.

lindilou said :

What about actually seeing the guy in the flesh? There’s barely any info in this regard..

The merkins don’t seem to actually be trying to make friends.

I’m going to give it a go – Mount Ainslie – with a 300mm

What about actually seeing the guy in the flesh? There’s barely any info in this regard..

If you’ve got a decent zoom surely the top of Mount Ainslie?

The wind is being tricky today. It suddenly swung to the SE early this morning, so they’ve been landing and taking off from the north (a bit unusual). The forecast says that my mid afternoon it should be from the ENE, which will have them landing/taking off from the normal southerly direction.

I reckon from behind Costco/Trade Secret would be a pretty good spot, especially if it’s coming in from the north. But they evidently have plans for the Majura precinct, there’s piles of barriers at every intersection which they evidently plan to set up later.