Mobility Guardian 2023

Aircraft, mostly transports, from foreign air forces are stopping through HNL as part of Mobility Guardian 2023, a multi-national air exercise being held at Andersen AFB, Guam.

Le Armée de l’Air has A330-200 MRTTs: F-UJCH (msn 1808, f/n 042) and F-UJCM (msn 1998, f/n 047); and A400M F-RBAR (msn 110, f/n 110).

The Luftwaffe has A400Ms: 54+02 (msn 029) and 54+05 (msn 040).

The Royal Thai Air Force has a C-130J, 60112 (msn 5281).

The Royal Air Force has a C-17A: ZZ172 (c/n 50079, l/n F-78).

The Royal Canadian Air Force has CC-150 Polaris: 15001 (msn 446) and 15003 (msn 425), and C-130J 130605 (msn 5637).

N288CM

Cargo Aircraft Management, CAM, is ferrying N288CM (c/n 29386, l/n 981) from XSP to ILN, via GUM and HNL. This 767-33Q8ERF will be leased to My Freighter of Uzbekistan, and will overnight at HNL.

29386's History:

Apr 2001: Delivered to Air Seychelles as S7-ASY "Aldabra", under lease from ILFC.

May 2012: Leased to Kenya Airways as 5Y-KYV.

May 2014: Sold to AerCap, and the lease transferred.

Jun 2015: Leased to Air Canada Rouge as C-FJZK (f/n 675).

Mar 2020: Withdrawn from service, and stored at SNN.

Mar 2022: Ferried to MZJ for storage.

Oct 2022: Acquired by CAM, and registered as N288CM.

Nov 2022: Ferried to QPG for freighter conversion. 

Singapore Airlines' 9V-DHC

Singapore Airlines' third 777-F, 9V-DHC (c/n 67143, l/n 1744), is making its first appearance at HNL today as SIA7407 from LAX, and will continue onto SIN. This DHL hybrid-liveried freighter was recently delivered to Singapore Airlines eleven days ago, and will join the rotation of the airlines other two 777-Fs.

Aloha Air Cargo's N360WA

Northern Air Cargo had their N360WA (c/n 23553, l/n 1406) painted in the Aloha Air Cargo livery. This 737-301F was ferried to LIM, via ONT, MIA, and KIN, as AAH9360 this past March for heavy maintenance. It made its return flight to HNL from LIM, via KIN, MIA, and OAK, as AAH9360 this morning. It should enter service within a few days.

N289MT

Raytheon’s heavily-modified 727-223, N289MT (c/n 22467, l/n 1765), is making a stop at HIK as it transits from DNA to LAX, via AWK and HIK. Known as Voodoo One, it is the avionics and radar testbed aircraft for Raytheon.

22467's History:

Jly 1981: Delivered to American Airlines as N710AA (f/n 710), under lease from the Connecticut National Bank, then WFBN (date unknown)

Jan 2001: Withdrawn from service, and stored at TUL.

Mar 2002: Acquired by the Raytheon Corporation, and converted to a testbed aircraft.

N9PF

N9PF (c/n 37583, l/n 2869), a 737-7HZ BBJ, owned by PF Global Aviation, is making a stop at HNL.

A6-RJV

Royal Jet's 737-77W BBJ, A6-RJV (c/n 62467, l/n 5564), is making a stop at HNL this morning.

Royal New Zealand Air Force’s NZ4804

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No 5 Squadron is taking delivery of NZ4804 (c/n 67020, l/n 9601) today. This P-8A, their fourth, is making its delivery flight from BFI to OHA, via HNL and NAN, as POSIDN1.

LZ-MRX

Nauru Airlines is taking delivery of LZ-MRX (c/n 33003, l/n 1121), owned by Merx Aviation. This 737-86NF is making its delivery flight from DHN to BNE, via SDM, HNL, and NAN. It will be registered as VH-8TG.

33003’s History:

Apr 2002: Delivered to Excel Airways as G-XLAG, under lease from GECAS.

Oct 2003: Subleased to Ryanair for six months.

Nov 2005: Subleased to Xtra Airways for seven months.

Nov 2006: Airline rebrands as XL Airways.

Dec 2006: Subleased to Xtra Airways for five months.

Dec 2007: Subleased to Sunwing Airlines as C-FEAG for six months.

May 2009: Leased to Garuda Indonesia as PK-GEJ.

Aug 2016: Acquired by Merx Aviation, and leased to Sriwijaya Air as PK-CMU “Berarti”.

Oct 2021: Returned to Merx as LZ-MRX, and stored at SNN.

Jan 2022: Ferried to DHN for freighter conversion.

N919RA

Boeing Capital Corp is having N919RA (c/n 30174, l/n 1175) from MZJ to PVG, via PHX, HNL, and GUM, for freighter conversion. This 737-809 stopped through HNL this past December on its way to storage.

D-ACBN

Daimler Chrysler's DC Aviation's A319-115CJ, D-ACBN (msn 3243), is making a stop at HNL from STR, via RST, as DCS201.

3243's History:

May 2008: Delivered to DC Aviation as VP-CBN.

Mar 2010: Re-registered as D-ACBN.

15 July 2023 UPDATE

D-ABCN left late tonight, shortly before midnight to return to RST as DCS201.

Kingdom of Morocco’s CN-RGA

The Kingdom of Morocco’s 747-428, CN-RGA (c/n 25629, l/n 956) is making a stop at HNL. The top photo has CN-RGA on final for Runway 8L, and the above photo has the 747 taxiing to Runway 8R to return to Morocco.

Amazon Prime Air's N4621K

Amazon Prime Air is taking delivery of N4621K "Momentum" (msn 1902). This A330-343F will be operated by Hawaiian Airlines, and be based at CVG. It arrived from ICN last night, following freighter conversion at PVG. It will undergo prep work and test flights before Hawaiian puts them into service. This is the first of ten A330-343Fs to be leased from Altavair.

1902's History:

Oct 2018: Ordered by Hong Kong Airlines as B-LHI, but was not taken up.

Apr 2022: Re-registered as F-WXAA by Airbus.

Nov 2022: Ferried to PVG for freighter conversion.

Jun 2023: Acquired by Altavair AirFinance for lease to Hawaiian Airlines.

Virgin Australia's VH-8IA

Virgin Australia is taking delivery of their first 737-8, VH-8IA "Monkey Mia" (c/n 65045, l/n 8604) today. It's making its delivery flight segment from BFI to BNE, via KOA and NAN, as VOZ9947, and will overnight at KOA. It was scheduled to make their delivery flight yesterday, but was postponed to today.

N599MB

Paradise Helicopters has leased a Cessna C208B Grand Caravan, N599MB (msn 208B5547), for ad hoc inter-island charter flights. Their website does not mention the service, but their Instagram account has a post featuring this Grand Caravan. This C208B is being leased from Mani Hana AC N599MB [West Hollywood, CA].

Operation Centennial Contact

Four KC-135Rs from the Hawai‘i Air National Guard's 203rd Air Refueling Squadron participated in Operation Centennial Contact this morning. It is the commemoration of 100 years of aerial refueling, that many of the US Air Force and Air National Guard refueling units participated in. The four KC-135Rs, flying as TANKER61, performed the flyover with refueling booms lowered, after a refueling training mission. The route took the tankers over Kalaeloa, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i, and the National Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). 

The four Stratotankers seen in the photos above in order, in the flight were :

63-8030 "Mākaha" (c/n 18647, l/n 686)

63-8883 (c/n 18731, l/n 714)

59-1499 (c/n 17987, l/n 402)

61-0290 "Hōkū Lele" (c/n 18197, l/n 512)

We also shot a video of the Stratotankers on final approach for Runway 8L following the flyover.

C-FSRJ

Summit Air (Canada) has acquired C-FSRJ (msn E3331) from Cobham Aviation. This RJ100 is ferrying from ADL to YZF, via BNE, HIR, HNL, and YVR.

E3331's History:

Aug 1998: Delivered to CityFlyer Express as G-BZAV, and operated for British Airways, with a "Chelsea Rose" tail art.

Mar 2007: Tail art reverted to the standard British Airways.

May 2010: Acquired by BAE Systems Asset Management.

Sep 2010: Leased to National Jet Express as VH-NJY, and operated for Cobham Aviation.

Jly 2011: Sold to Falko, and lease transferred.

Jan 2016: New livery for Cobham Aviation.

Mar 2018: Purchased by National Jet Express.

Jun 2022: Withdrawn from service, and stored at ADL.

May 2023: Purchased by Summit Air as C-FSRJ.

TNI Angkatan Udara's A-1340

Lockheed-Martin is delivering A-1340 (msn 5963) to TNI Angkatan Udara (Indonesian Air Force, IDAF). This C-130J-30 Super Hercules is flying from MGE to HLP (via SAN, HNL, MAJ, and GUM) as LAC5963, and is making an overnight stop at HNL. It's also wearing a temporary US registration, N5101Q. This is the TNI-AU's second of five C-130Js to be delivered of the five that was ordered.

QantasLink's N934QQ

Alliance Airlines is taking delivery of N934QQ (msn 19000034), painted in the QantasLink livery. This ERJ-190AR is making its delivery flight from SJO to BNE, via SDM, OAK, HNL, and NAN. Its being flown by Southern Cross International as SXI2325, and will overnight at HNL from OAK.

19000034's History:

Jun 2006: Delivered to Copa Airlines as HP-1557CMP.

Mar 2020: Withdrawn from service, and stored at SJO.

Jly 2021: Acquired by TVPX Trust Services for Alliance Airlines.

RP-C4156

Cebu Pacific is taking delivery of a white-tail A320-214, RP-C4156 (msn 3896), leased from DAE Capital. It’s flying from MEX to MNL, via TUS, HNL, and MAJ. The telltale sign this A320 is destined to Cebu Pacific, is the yellow wingfence. From HNL, it will fly on as CEB4156.

3896's History:

May 2009: Delivered to Bahrain Air as A9C-BAT, under lease from ALAFCO.

Apr 2010: Leased to Turkish Airlines as TC-JPU "Salihli".

Dec 2013: Aircraft name changed to "Aksaray".

Oct 2015: Sold to AWAS, and lease transferred; active for a year, then stored at SAW.

Jly 2017: Leased to Viva Air Colombia as HK-5221.

Aug 2017: Sold to DAE Capital, and lease transferred.

Mar 2020: Withdrawn from service, and stored at MDE for three months, then ferried to BOG for storage.

Jun 2021: Re-entered service.

Feb 2023: Withdrawn from service, and stored at BOG, then ferried to MEX a month later.