Why did a 737/A320 land at Goodyear?

[gurisudenko]

I was just sitting here in the living room, minding my own business, when I heard what always makes me turn my head - the roar of jet engines. But, it wasn't from the usual route over my house that I'm used to!

It looked like a 737 or A320 trying to land at Goodyear, right down the street! I caught a glimpse at the tail of the plane (which was still frighteningly low to the ground) - looked like America West...

Did anyone else see this or hear about anything?! AHH!

[MikeD]

[ QUOTE ]
I was just sitting here in the living room, minding my own business, when I heard what always makes me turn my head - the roar of jet engines. But, it wasn't from the usual route over my house that I'm used to!

It looked like a 737 or A320 trying to land at Goodyear, right down the street! I caught a glimpse at the tail of the plane (which was still frighteningly low to the ground) - looked like America West...

Did anyone else see this or hear about anything?! AHH!

[/ QUOTE ]

Take a look at GYR (I assume you live near there), the place is practically a Pinal Air Park with all the airliners stored there, of all types and from many different airlines.

[gurisudenko]

Yeah, I figured someone may have been flying in older equipment for that lot of sadly abandoned planes behind the Lockheed Martin building...

It was so odd, though. Haven't seen a jet like that so close to my house! Usually it's just GA traffic that low. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[MikeD]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I figured someone may have been flying in older equipment for that lot of sadly abandoned planes behind the Lockheed Martin building...

It was so odd, though. Haven't seen a jet like that so close to my house! Usually it's just GA traffic that low. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

You never noticed the other 70 or so airliners parked there when they arrived/landed at GYR? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[gurisudenko]

Hey, I wasn't thinking! I thought they had a better pattern established for when they bring in the planes of that size. I thought the pilot was trying to mow my lawn!

...LOL And A320's aren't really "old" equipment...so I still wonder what it was....

[Maximillian_Jenius]

You sure it was an America West plane?

If so woulda love to have seen that.


Matthew

[MikeD]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey, I wasn't thinking! I thought they had a better pattern established for when they bring in the planes of that size. I thought the pilot was trying to mow my lawn!

...LOL And A320's aren't really "old" equipment...so I still wonder what it was....

[/ QUOTE ]

No, but there's all sorts of modern equipment stored there, including a few United 777s. Leasebacks, holds, etc; GYR is the new up and coming storage yard ala Pinal, Kingman, Tucson, George, Norton, and Mojave.

Of course the approach is going to look interesting. They can only really land on RW 3, due to both noise abatement and the huge displaced threshold on RW 21 landings.

[gurisudenko]

It went by pretty fast, and we have a lot of trees in our neighborhood so I couldn't get a fantastic look at logos or anything. I just noted the aquamarine and red coloring on the tail....so it's a good chance that it may have been America West.

I should drive down there soon and see if it's parked anywhere. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[gurisudenko]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hey, I wasn't thinking! I thought they had a better pattern established for when they bring in the planes of that size. I thought the pilot was trying to mow my lawn!

...LOL And A320's aren't really "old" equipment...so I still wonder what it was....

[/ QUOTE ]

No, but there's all sorts of modern equipment stored there, including a few United 777s. Leasebacks, holds, etc; GYR is the new up and coming storage yard ala Pinal, Kingman, Tucson, George, Norton, and Mojave.

Of course the approach is going to look interesting. They can only really land on RW 3, due to both noise abatement and the huge displaced threshold on RW 21 landings.

[/ QUOTE ]

How come you know this, and I don't?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buck.gif[/img]<---me

Are they still using those DAL MD-11's I see out there? I need a tour.

[MikeD]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hey, I wasn't thinking! I thought they had a better pattern established for when they bring in the planes of that size. I thought the pilot was trying to mow my lawn!

...LOL And A320's aren't really "old" equipment...so I still wonder what it was....

[/ QUOTE ]

No, but there's all sorts of modern equipment stored there, including a few United 777s. Leasebacks, holds, etc; GYR is the new up and coming storage yard ala Pinal, Kingman, Tucson, George, Norton, and Mojave.

Of course the approach is going to look interesting. They can only really land on RW 3, due to both noise abatement and the huge displaced threshold on RW 21 landings.

[/ QUOTE ]

How come you know this, and I don't?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buck.gif[/img]<---me

Are they still using those DAL MD-11's I see out there? I need a tour.

[/ QUOTE ]

The L-1011s are stored too. Most of United's 727 fleet is out there. Most of the DC-10s being converted for, or are parts sources for the FEDEX MD-10 conversion. Rest of the planes are in storage, or being broken up.

How do I know? First time I was at GYR was in 1976. Been in and out of that place and following it (along with the other valley airports) since then. Ever see the DC-7 parked on the north ramp that hasn't moved for as long as I can remember?

[gurisudenko]

It's still there. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Mike have you ever seen a jetliner on approach to Pinal Airpark or ever depart Pinal I haven't?

If so how do they do approach with there runways being the same magnetic heading as Marana and also with air traffic flying overhead from TUS and Davis Monthan when rwys. 11 and 12 are used respectively?


Matthew

[Doug Taylor]

Might be doing "heavy maintenance" down there. We fly our jets to all sorts of weird places for heavy maintenance -- in fact, I think we were flying MD-88's from DFW to GDL (Guadalajara, MX) for some retrofits and painting a few years ago.

[MikeD]

[ QUOTE ]
Mike have you ever seen a jetliner on approach to Pinal Airpark or ever depart Pinal I haven't?

If so how do they do approach with there runways being the same magnetic heading as Marana and also with air traffic flying overhead from TUS and Davis Monthan when rwys. 11 and 12 are used respectively?


Matthew

[/ QUOTE ]

First off, let's make sure we're speaking the same language. By "Marana", I assume you mean the old Avra Valley Airport, now known as Marana Northwest Regional (I still can't get used to that new name!) [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Even so, I've seen many airliners and miltary fixed-wing aircraft depart/arrive Pinal Air Park; this is aside from the AZ National Guard OH-58s and AH-64s based there. They normally make a courtesy call to TUS TRACON (which they're not required to do since they're outside of TUS airspace), and they make a VFR descent and landing on 12 coming from west of Picacho Peak and I-10 (I've never seen an airliner depart to the north off of 30, and 12 is the preferred calm wind runway anyway, which is odd since 30 has runway distance-remaining markers, whereas 12 doesn't). From there, the VFR pattern around the field is east of the field, over I-10, which is pretty neat. Other traffic there is heavy USAF C-130 traffic for the "other" operations going on at that field.

[gurisudenko]

There it goes, it just went back the other way! A bunch of little kids outside were yelling at it [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/spin2.gif[/img]

[N519AT]

Occasionally, late at night America West takes their planes up for some touch 'n goes at satellite airports near Phoenix for pilots that are new on the type. I have heard this happen at GYR and IWA. Might have been something completely different though. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Would they really have to go to satelite airports...cause PHX is pretty dead at 2-3am I'd figure.

Matthew

[chrisesp]

Noise, even at DFW flights stop around 11pm.

[Bog]

If it was a Bus, it might be on Bounce Night, the time when new Captains and FOs learn how to land a 100,000+ pound airplane with a joystick.

If it was a 737, it might be a -200 heading for retirement.

Do a search on a.net for the latest inventory. I tried to snap a pic of it the last time I was on the Arlin3, but it didn't turn out.

As for Pinal Airpark, I was on the SUNNS arrival a few months back and heard ABQ center talking to an Atlas 747 coming out of there from a C or D check. Had to keep them low and slow until they could find room to sneak them higher. Rumor has it that Evergreen pays $1.00 per year as a lease rate for that place.

You won't see anyone doing touch-n-goes at Slime Harbor in the middle of the night for the same reason we get departure delays when it's severe clear: Tempe and Snobbsdale residents complain about the noise. Out at Willy or Goodyear, there aren't as many people so no-one cares.

[Doug Taylor]

Like 2 people make 80% of the noise complaints here in Scottsdale.

And one of those two people has a Harley Davidson, which had a higher noise profile than a Cessna by far.

[Bog]

You can bet those two people having hearing aids, too. Probably crank up the volume and sit on their porch with the phone in hand, waiting ...

[Bert]

I think that thing buzzed us in the practice area!!!! It missed us by less than a mile to our left...roared right past us at about 6,000 feet.

I think it was American...they were calling it American on Luke approach.

[EDUC8-or]

The people in the west valley are probably more used to loud noises such as F-16's flying around, so noise abatement might not be such a problem.

I flew out to visit my parents in Litchfield Park and we parked at GYR. They have a beautiful terminal and fuel was cheap. We did see a UAL 777, a couple MD-11's, and some 747-400's parked on the field. There is also a retired KLM 747 that they've been working on for about 2-3 years now.

[MikeD]

[ QUOTE ]
The people in the west valley are probably more used to loud noises such as F-16's flying around, so noise abatement might not be such a problem.



[/ QUOTE ]

Problem is, the people in the west valley are becoming more and more like those in Scottsdale. Both Luke and Goodyear have some heinous noise abatement areas around their fields.

[aloft]

[ QUOTE ]
How come you know this, and I don't?

[/ QUOTE ]

He's got a Top Secret clearance. The government sees to it that he knows more than you. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]