March 2016
While photographing the aerial demonstrations of the 2016 Aerial Firefighting International conference, I caught this Coast Guard Spartan (still wearing an Air Force paint scheme) climbing out after takeoff. This military transport was developed and manufactured by Alenia Aermacchi of Italy and procured by the USAF in 2007. Budget cuts forced the Air Force to retire this type in 2012 at which point 14 were turned over to the Coast Guard in exchange for seven C-130s to be transferred to the U.S. Forest Service. Air Station Sacramento began operations with the type in 2016. Nikon D7100 w/80-400mm, processed with Aperture.