This Sea Dragon was written off at 2 April 2002 at Bahrain International Airport after its engine failed and caught fire just after take off. The pilots of the massive helicopter were able to return to the base and following a crash landing the aircraft was destroyed. All eighteen occupants survived and the helicopter was struck of charge on 30 July 2002.

A Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 2 "Fleet Angels" UH-3H Sea King at the Muharraq platform. The squadron runned Detachment 2 at this location. Strikingly is the nice arabic 740 on the nose cone. The UH-3H is a cargo, utility transport conversion of the SH-3H Sea King. The SH-3H Anti-Submarine/Surface Warfare systems were removed to make space for cargo.

An Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 "Shadowhawks" EA-6B Prowler awaiting permission to taxi to the cat. The ground crew is checking the aircraft, quite a dangerous environment with all those air breathing intakes.

A Strike Fighter squadron (VFA) 15 "Valions" F/A-18C going fot the number three wire on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) under the careful watch of three Tomcats.

S-3B Viking of Sea Control Squadron (VS) 24 "Scouts" manoeuvring over the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).

Three Tomcats parked on the rear side of the massive flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).

A legacy Hornet on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) while sailing in the Persian Gulf.

CAG bird on the cat of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during the sundown cruise of the Tomcat.

Standing next to a catapult during a launch is really impressive. That incredible acceleration of the launched aircraft, the wing that buzzes over your head, that noise... best thing to encounter in aviation photography (I think)!

Tomcat of Fighting Squadron (VF) 31 "Tomcatters" launched from the USS Theordore Roosevelt (CVN-71) while deployed in the Persian Gulf.

This 1978 Puma is used by Erickson Evergreen Helicopters but leased to the US Navy Military Sealift Command under a three plus two year contract of Geo-Seis Helicopters. Geo-Seis operated 2 SA330Js (see my other picture of N405R), aboard three MSC combat stores ships on a rotating basis beginning in Jan'05. The commercial helos deployed aboard the ships all over the world and operate often from shore bases for vertical replenishment missions. Strikingly, this N330JF is only painted as N330J. Check all the US Navy squadron (sticker)zaps on the wheel bay.

This "Candid" was built as Il-76MD and received registration CCCP-86903 within the Soviet Air Force before its delivery on 10 Mar'83. The bird was sold to Atlant as UR-86903 and converted to Il-76TD in '91. The airframe was 2 times reregistred within Atlant, to UR-76382 in Oct'94 and to RA-76382 in Feb'95. The aircraft was then sold to Atlant Aerobatics as HA-TCG in Jul'96. It operated mainly from Budapest and was transferred to again another Atlant, this time Atlant Hungary in May'00. It was seen at Shymkent (Kazakhstan) with cut off wings and tail in 2010. The fuselage was last seen in 2016.

This 1977 Puma is used by Erickson Evergreen Helicopters but leased to the US Navy Military Sealift Command under a contract of Geo-Seis Helicopters. The US Navy awarded Geo-Seis on 23 Nov 1999 a USD 20.3 million 3-year fixed price contract with an additional USD 10.9 million 2-year option to Geo-Seis Helicopters, Inc. The Fort Collins (CO) company Geo-Seis operated two SA330Js aboard three MSC combat stores ships on a rotating basis beginning in Jan 2005. The commercial helos deployed aboard the ships all over the world and operate often from shore bases for vertical replenishment missions.

The MH-60S Seahawk (with its unofficial name Knighthawk) entered into US Navy service in February 2002 as the replacement helicopter for the might CH-46D Sea Knight heavy-lift, tandem-rotor helicopters. This one was seen at Muharraq, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26 "Chargers", the largest US Navy expeditionary helicopter squadron on the US East Coast, operating some twenty MH-60S' from homebase NS Norfolk Chambers Field in Virginea.

The 8K tailcode on this UC-12M Huron reveals that it belongs to the Headquarters of the Commander Middle East Force (CMEF). The Beech is stationed at Muharraq Bahrain since 1999 and pictured in 2005 at its homebase in the small Gulf country. Before 1999, the military King Air variant served the Naval Air Facilities at Mildenhall (8G), Sigonella (no code), Naples (no code) and Rota (no code). It now flies uncoded with CMEF since 2006 and is still serving CMEF by mid 2018.