Navy Clipper Over Fairhope

𝘼𝙞𝙧𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚:

A US Navy Boeing C-40A Clipper passes over Fairhope’s Montrose community Saturday morning shortly after taking off from the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Captured climbing from about 23,000 feet or about 4.3 miles up, the aircraft moves at a ground speed of 390 knots or 448 mph. Used by the Navy, Air Force and Marines, Clippers are based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation and are used as an ‘office in the sky,’ transporting senior military commanders, Cabinet officials and members of Congress. First deployed in 2001, Clippers are equipped with sophisticated and secure communications systems including fast Internet access for sensitive needs. The US Naval Reserve operates more than a dozen C-40As. The Air Force uses the C-40B, while the C-40C is used for carrying members of the Cabinet and Congress. After about five hours in the air, the flight ends with landing at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA. Photo shot from Fairhope, roughly seven miles from the aircraft…