Did anyone catch the POW departure this morning. I think I saw an unmarked 747 on the tarmac. It was parked next to UPS and Atlas Air 747. It was blank white, I did not even notice a tail marking on it. Did anyone else see it? Was it military or maybe press? Any speculation. PS I was watching on CNN.
F-4’s rule the skies
I didn’t see it myself, but the reasons could be many.
What variant of the 747 was it? Some freight companies, especially those that specialize in a specific sort of cargo and don’t need to advertize to get business, have very spartan if any markings at all.
Its not entirely unusual for an airline or aircraft manufacturer to lease out an aircraft to the military, press or some other body or organization. If they do, it may be within the mutual interests of the leasor and leasee to not have any markings on the aircraft. Military aircraft always get attention in the midst of civilian ones and if the reasons for the lease are the least bit contentious or controversial, it could have a profoundly negative economic effect on the leasor in the form of passenger boycotts in the case of the leasor being an airline.
Another possibility is that aircraft could be making a fuel stop and be either on a maintenance “shakedown” flight or simply being ferried bettween owners and liveries.
Did the aircraft at least have some sort of registration marking present? That would tell you a lot including what country is currently flying it and it can also give you a way to track that particular aircraft’s history.
There were no markings on it what so ever. It was pure white with what appeared to be a gray bottom. It had no visible markings what so ever. I did not see the wings to well and only saw the right side of the aircraft. But I did see the footage twice. No nothing on it.
My guess is that it’s a leased 747F. Probably nothing covert about it.
Dave
Or maybe they just plain ol ran out of decals and solvaset. ROTFLMAO…!!![:p]
Flaps up,Mike
If you saw them depart out of Ramstein, it was most likely a contract 747 freighter. I worked in the aerial port (air cargo & passenger operations) at Ramstein for four years. The Air Force has a number of civilian contractors that routinely haul cargo and passengers. Many times these airplanes change hands so often there’s no sense in painting them. I know an aircraft spotter who lives just outside the east gate at Ramstein. If anyone is really curious, I’m fairly certain I can get the 747’s regisration number and name of owner. The only covert looking thing I saw there was during that Iran/Contra thing in the early 80’s when we had a stretch DC-8 freighter on the ramp. It was carrying a U.S. civil registration for Evergreen Air, but was marked “Air India Cargo”[:0]