ARIA Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft

EC-18B

EC-135E

Hello and Welcome to my Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA) website. To view the official ARIA website at Edwards AFB, CA (it's back, but for how long?) select the ARIA EDWARDS link below. There you will find information on ARIA's History, Mission, Capabilities, Logistics, Sub Systems. Here in my Main ARIA Section, you will find more information on the above plus deployment locations. My intentions at a later date is to place the first, last, and somewhere in the middle ARIA Operational Capability Report's in this section (Yes, I have copies of these). Click the MAIN ARIA SECTION link. Also you will find links to other sites that I have found with any ARIA content . Hopefully they will still be there when you select it. In addition I have provided pictures of aircraft 61-0326 and 10-0894 PMEE (Prime Mission Electronic Equipment) installation and aircraft racks. 61-326, a EC-135E, is the last ARIA with the original PMEE installation that was installed when I was first assigned to the organization. 10-0894, a EC-18B pictures will show all the modifications/ upgrades that has been accomplished since being here at Edwards AFB, CA. The EC-135N pictures will come as soon as I decide which aircraft, get then laid out and organized.

I've also developed a combination ICQ User, E-mail link, or whatever method you wish to be contacted list. This will be for the use of all past and present ARIA members and their families and friends. Hopefully this will provide us a way to stay in touch with each other. If you wish to be added to this list (or not listed), E-Mail me using the link at the bottom of this page or on links found on the contact list page. Please include your name, nickname (if applicable), what method (ICQ, AIM, DBabble, E-Mail, etc) you want to use to be contacted, location, and association (PMEE, Pilot, Crew Chief, etc.) with the aircraft and dates of service with ARIA. I will list you as time permits.

All ARIA members and veterans, please select the following link to view IMPORTANT information about the upcoming ARIA reunion and Aircraft 00-0374 dedication to the WPAFB museum.

My history with ARIA started in August of 1982 after graduating from the 328X0 Communications Tech school at Kessler AFB, Miss, where I was assigned to the 4950th Test Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. There I was assigned to the HF (High Frequency) maintenance shop. I started flight training as a HF Operator in Sept of 1983. From there I became a HF Flight Instructor and then HF Chief Flight Examiner in 1993. In 1994, the ARIA organization (and myself) was moved to Edwards AFB, CA where it was assigned to the 450th Test Squadron. Now that brings me up to date. I'm still here and still flying with the ARIA.

Since moving to Edwards AFB a lot of changes have occurred, both to the organization and aircraft:

When I got to ARIA in August of 1982, the fleet of aircraft was comprised of 4133, 4128, 326, 327, 329, 330, 374, and seven 707's that the Air Force had procured to become future ARIA,s. Three of them did, 891, 892, and 894, with 4133, 4128, and 327 being the donor aircraft for the PMEE Equipment. 893 and 895 was also outfitted with similar equipment for use on other specialized missions. 896 was modified as a test bed for the smils/optics program.

The last seven years here at Edwards has not been kind to the ARIA organization. We have seen 893, 895, and 896 PMEE equipment removed and the aircraft sent on to other locations. Aircraft 326, 329, and 330 PMEE equipment has been removed and the aircraft mothballed. After a lot of hard from personnel from the 450th Test Squadron, ARIA, and many others, 374 finally arrived at WPAFB museum in Nov of 2000 to become part of the ARIA exhibit. This aircraft is intact (I have first hand knowledge of this), all PMEE equipment is installed and will make one hell of a display. 892 is gone, this happen the latter part of 2000. This leave's 2 707's (891 and 894) which are now called EC-18B's.

Other changes that have occurred since coming to Edwards AFB is the upgrade of the backend electronics (PMEE equipment). All subsystem/operator positions have been upgraded , including the Communications equipment, formally the HF subsystem (who would ever thought that would happen huh). Over all some of the modifications/ upgrades have turn out pretty good, others, well not so good (ask any DSC operator).

As for the future of the ARIA program, Edwards says there not any. Sometime between July and no later then Sept of 2000 we will close for good, remove all the equipment from the remaining two aircraft, excess them and turn in all the equipment. What a lousy/stupid way to end a FIRST CLASS organization that started out supporting the Apollo program, then Deep Space, Mars , Shuttle missions. Too many satellite launches to name, plus many other programs, both foreign and domestic. At one time we was considered a national asset. And there is no replacement. FW&A Item here.

The 452 FLTS located at Edwards AFB, California has Official ARIA Home Page. Its an excellent site, with Pictures, History, Aircraft's Mission, and Equipment. When it does come back up, I will provide a link to it, if not I will copy it here, as I have a copy of it.

William Scott Haggard has the Official Unofficial ARIA Home Page. An excellent site, with pictures, history, additional link's, and an ARIA Alumni Registry. Please Register if you have not. This link is still active even though it appears that it hasn't been updated in a while. It's located at:

The ARIA aircraft was featured in the United State's Air Force's AIRMAN Magazine, view the article here:

Recently the ARIA aircraft (374 going to the USAF Mueseum) was featured in the AFMC Leading Edge magazine, view that article here:

Miles Bowen:		Mark Holliday:
US Air Force Images:		Palmdale Ca:
Periscope:		Federation of American Scientists:
LEONID Meteor Shower:		Robert Guere:
Global Test Range:		Vandenberg AFB Mobile Systems:
AFFTC Test Support:		TECNET:
NOAA-J Pamphlet:		Ariane 5:
Ascension Island:		Gregory G. Williams:
SOHO Launch Operations:		ARIA Reunion Homepage:

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Last Updated 2 March 2001

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