Question re. AN-225 in US Last Weekend

[WGPu]

This past Saturday (4/11) I photographed the AN-225 flying pretty low over eastern Tennessee (north of Knoxvile). I found out later that the plane was flying from Houston to Bangor, ME. But here's what puzzles me. When I first saw it, the plane was headed ESE (~1220 EDT). Ten minutes later it came back headed WNW, ESCORTED by two smaller, gray-colored planes, that looked liked cargo types. It was further off and I couldn't get a pic.

Any ideas why this plane, heading to Maine from Texas, would make a back-and-forth detour like this and who might have been escorting it?

Thanks.

(I'll post a photo when I can figure out how. :ugh:)

[jackcarls0n]

I was in Houston the day it was departing. It was interesting to see it taxi down to depart of 15L.

Not to sure what was going on around, but could be that it was carrying some important cargo for the military or they most probably got lost and ended up in restricted airspace!!

[MarkerInbound]

I'm betting out of Houston it was oil field stuff. They spent two hours in BGR then left for Shannon. Got no idea how accurate their info is but Flightaware shows them on a ~071 heading the entire time they're flying over TN. Looks like they crossed LIT at 290 then went up to 310 for the rest of the flight.

[jackcarls0n]

That could be it too.. It can carry a lot of cargo ..and oil drilling stuff can be it.

250 tones of cargo ..just amazing!

[Clear_Prop]

they most probably got lost and ended up in restricted airspace!!

Sorry to shoot you down Jackcarls0n, but that's a ridiculous suggestion!

Only the very best An124 rated crews get to operate the 225, certainly not the kind of pilots who "get lost and end up in restricted airspace".

The Mriya gets a huge welcome and a keen audience everywhere it goes. I think the clue is in the fact it was seen in formation with other aircraft. If you paid several million dollars to hire this plane - do you think you'd miss up on the chance to arrange a photo opportunity at the same time?

[jackcarls0n]

I know that clear prop!! It was just a bit of sarcasm.

[Naderhood]

You sure it was a 225 and not a 124?

[SMT Member]

Many moons ago we chartered the An-224 to carry 3 main-deck loaders into Baghdad. Each loader weighed around 30 tons, and were winched onto a platform and from there driven into the aircraft and chained down. All was good, until the loadmaster proclaimed they were 'slightly' out of balance, and required a bit of ballast to bring things back to where they should be. 'Not a problem' says I 'how much do you need?'. 'Around 30 tons should do it' came the answer, which saw my jaw dropping quite a substantial distance.

Amazing piece of kit.

[Geosync]

The 124 is no slouch either. I remember flying on those beasts as a passenger, climbing up to the crew deck from the frigid Canadian tarmacs. The Russian crew would turn on the heater enroute and it was instantly 104 deg F. It was either off or on with that thing, no in between. And the cockpit...talk about a man's airplane. Children of the magenta line need not apply! I never flew or really wanted to fly heavy iron, only the low and slow bug smashers, but if I had to fly some heavy iron the 124 would be it. Awesome airplane and crews.