The Groom Lake Gulfstream

On 27-Feb-2023 N105TB flew from Bedford via Tulsa, OK to Mojave, CA on its final flight (at least that’s what the crew said to Bedford ATC prior to departure)

KBED clearance to N105TB was to FSM -not TUL – which is Fort Smith, Arkansas. Seems unusual as Tulsa is home to more ancient Gulfstreams but maybe 120nm was a bit of a stretch for fuel.

Here’s the clearance from BED Ground https://www.dropbox.com/s/6g8al9btwvkc39i/aN105TB%20clearance.mp3?dl=0

Mildly amusing chitchat on the Ground frequency afterwards where N1O5TB crew explain that it’s the final flight into retirement and request a touch n go or a 500ft flyby. Refused by ATC as they’re not allowed; hardly surprising as it’s probably the noisiest aircraft at Bedford! https://www.dropbox.com/s/hebm2z9f85ulpml/aKBED1-Gnd-Feb-27-2023-1400Z.mp3?dl=0

Even more amusing is the comment from another aircraft on the ground frequency that there is ‘an unusual amount of black smoke coming from that departing aircraft’ as N105TB departs with its Speys leaving a smoke trail. At least one of the engines is to be put to good use, donated to Northrop-Grumman’s N82CR that’s been waiting for a donor at Lancaster Fox Fields for a while now.

Farewell N105TB. Following you around has provided me with much entertainment over the years.

4Cs Aviation Program to Receive Donated Aircraft

https://www.ll.mit.edu/r-d/projects/airborne-radar-testbed

c/n 1101, it was previously seen at Bedford, MA with MIT as N900EG, flying in January 2022 as ‘Research 0EG’. It subsequently went to KSUS (St Louis) for a while.

Hopefully this isn’t a replacement for N105TB. It is a little quieter though.

Welcome to the newest member of our airborne testbed fleet! This SAAB-340 aircraft has been initially modified to carry the Laboratory’s Airborne Radar Testbed, but has a lot of future potential to test out other advanced sensors and communications equipment. Photo: G. Cooper pic.twitter.com/ApQIoRtnnv

— Lincoln Laboratory (@MITLL) April 30, 2021

https://www.disabledperson.com/jobs/9644054-master-planner

The vacancy has been filled, but I’m wondering whether the reference to the next ASTB means that N108RT, which has not been seen in the wild for 18 months, will be the replacement for N105TB.

Some interesting news items showed up in a Google search

A ‘Good Show’ award after N105TB (one assumes) suffered a fuel leak in 2014 during a transcontinental transit

https://hr.mit.edu/rewards/recipient/award-recipients/2015/innovative-solutions/gulfstream-gii-apu-root-cause

The organisational chart of MIT Lincoln Labs shows in Division 10 the likely reason for the N registration chosen, for the Gulfstream fleet at least. Group 105 and Group 108 personalised N105TB, N108EW and N108RT. I’d always assumed that the rationale for 5TB was that the ‘5’ is a stylised ‘S’ thus 5TB = Seeker Test Bed. EW and RT are presumably Electronic Warfare/Weapons/W… and Radar Test.

N108RT Gulfstream 4 has not been spied at all in 2020 or 2021. Last tracked to Fort Lauderdale in December 2019.

After a month on the west coast USA, operating from Point Mugu and then at Tonopah Test Range since 7-March, N105TB is heading east today.

METAL66 has consistently been the operational callsign during this period.

Although N105TB has been active recently, two new arrivals may spell the end.

N108EW and N108RT are new arrivals with Lincoln Labs.

N108EW is a Gulfstream 4 that was previously C-20H 92-0375.

N108RT is a Gulfstream 4SP.