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Janet (airline)
Encyclopedia
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
name for a small fleet of passenger aircraft operated by defense contractor EG&G
EG&G
EG&G, formally known as Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier, Inc., is a United States national defense contractor and provider of management and technical services. The company was involved in contracting services to the United States government during World War II, and conducted weapons research and...
. Their aircraft currently serve mostly the Nevada Test Site
Nevada Test Site
The Nevada National Security Site , previously the Nevada Test Site , is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about northwest of the city of Las Vegas...
(most notably Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
) from their terminal at Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
' McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
. The origin of the word "Janet" is obscure and, while it is used as a radio callsign, it is not known whether the name is an official name, code word, or acronym.
Fleet
The Janet fleet consists of six Boeing 737-600s painted white with a prominent red cheatline. There are also five smaller executive turboprops (two Beechcraft 1900s and three Beechcraft 200Cs) painted white with less prominent blue trim stripes. The fleet is registered to the Department of the Air ForceDepartment of the Air Force
The Department of the Air Force is one of the three Military Departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America...
, while some earlier members were registered to several civil aircraft leasing corporations. A number of the recently retired 737-200s were modified from a military T-43A
Boeing T-43
|-See also:-External links:* http://www.militaryaircraft.de/pictures/military/aircraft/T-43/T-43A_Gator.html* http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/t43a.shtml* http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/12ftw.htm...
aircraft. One of the 737-200s with registration N5177C in the 1980s was briefly based in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
at Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt am Main Airport , or simply Frankfurt Airport, known in German as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main or Rhein-Main-Flughafen, is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, Germany, southwest of the city centre....
(which was at the time also home to a USAF base, Rhein-Main Air Base
Rhein-Main Air Base
Rhein-Main Air Base was a U.S. Air Force / NATO military airbase near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It occupied the south side of Frankfurt International Airport. Its airport codes are discontinued....
), and was operated by Keyway Air Transport
Keyway Air Transport
Keyway Air Transport was the name given to a small and now defunct airline which operated from Frankfurt International Airport using a Boeing T-43 Bobcat and a Boeing 707-355C. Details on its operation are unknown...
, which also appears to have been a US government operation with Keyway Air Transport merely being a front company
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
. It was retired on March 6, 2009.
The 737-200 fleet was recently phased out with the arrival of the 737-600s. All the new aircraft are ex-Air China
Air China
Air China is the flag carrier and one of the major airlines of the People's Republic of China. Based in Beijing Capital International Airport, Air China is the world's 10th largest airline by fleet size. The airline ranked behind its main competitors China Southern Airlines and China Eastern...
and with the exception of N273RH and N365SR were previously operated by the now defunct China Southwest Airlines
China Southwest Airlines
China Southwest Airlines was an airline based in the People's Republic of China. It was merged into Air China in 2002.China Southwest Airlines was headquartered at Chengdu, Sichuan Province and also maintained a hub at Chongqing. The airline was the sole carrier flying to Lhasa until 2002...
before being acquired for US Air Force operations starting in 2008. Most of the Beechcraft
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
airplanes were sold directly to the Air Force, except for two, which had civilian owners first.
The following table lists information about the Janet fleet.
| Model | Registration | MSN | C/N |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-66N | N319BD | 28649 | 887 |
| Boeing 737-66N | N869HH | 28650 | 932 |
| Boeing 737-66N | N859WP | 28652 | 938 |
| Boeing 737-66N | N273RH | 29890 | 1276 |
| Boeing 737-66N | N365SR | 29891 | 1294 |
| Boeing 737-66N | N288DP | 29892 | 1305 |
| Beech 1900C | N20RA | UB-42 | Unknown |
| Beech 1900C | N623RA | UC-163 | Unknown |
| Beech King Air B200C Beechcraft Super King Air The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series... |
N654BA | BL-54 | Unknown |
| Beech King Air B200C | N661BA | BL-61 | Unknown |
| Beech King Air B200C | N662BA | BL-62 | Unknown |
Destinations
The following locations are some of the most common Janet destinations:- CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- Edwards Air Force BaseEdwards Air Force BaseEdwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
- Naval Air Weapons Station China LakeNaval Air Weapons Station China Lake- About : is part of under Commander, Navy Installation Command and is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately north of Los Angeles. Occupying three counties – Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo – the installation’s closest neighbors are the cities of Ridgecrest,...
- Edwards Air Force Base
- NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
- Area 51Area 51Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
- McCarran International AirportMcCarran International AirportMcCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
Hub - Tonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range Airport , also Senior Trend project site PS-66, is located near the center of the Tonopah Test Range, southeast of Tonopah, Nevada and northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a major airfield with a runway, instrument approach facilities, and nighttime illumination...
- Area 51
Popular culture
In Microsoft Flight Simulator XMicrosoft Flight Simulator X
Microsoft Flight Simulator X, also known as FSX, is the latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator after Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004...
free flight mode, one can fly a Janet Boeing 737, labeled as "Unmarked Airliner". There is also a mission, called "Secret Shuttle", in which one is a new Janet captain, making his/her first shuttle flight to "Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
" from Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
' McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
. Although a 737-800W
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
is used for the flight, it is painted in a similar style to the 737s operated by Janet.