New QANTAS Livery

Boeing 767-300 VH-OGD wearing the new QANTAS colors. This is the first update to the QANTAS livery since the year after I was born! What do you think?






Republished with permission, all photos are courtesy of Naddsy.

Two Places At Once

Somehow, I managed to defy the laws of gravity, physics and the universe and be in two places at once. I had an excellent vantage point of the departures at PAE yesterday afternoon. Watching the seven series aircraft lined up for departure one after another was truly an amazing sight. After the 757 departed PAE, I, along with famed night-time photographer Charles Conklin, raced down to BFI in time to see the 777-300ER do a fly over. The 777 had already begun its taxi when we left. I have the honor of saying, I raced a 777, and won.

I took a little video from my cell phone camera and put it on youtube.



Here are some of my favorite shots from yesterday. Please note these are 100% unedited images and have not been modified at all except for the copyright mark.

Parade of Sevens

Post time is EDT. -3 hours for PDT.

Editors Note 1: This is the first post from Seattle.
Editors Note 2: This information was not purchased and was provided at the courtesy of a source.

Last night as I was taxiing to the gate at SEA after my cross country flight, my phone rings and on the other line comes the complete schedule for tonight's events at PAE and BFI.

The rumors are true, the parade of Seven series aircraft will take place tonight, July 7, 2007 (7/7/07). Boeing will leave PAE tonight with eight aircraft (707 through 777) beginning at 1835 PDT.

Saturday, July 7, 2007
All times in PDT
1000 LCF2 Returns to PAE (Wings for Static Frame believed to be aboard)
1300 LCF2 Leaves PAE for BFI
1320 LCF2 Arrives at BFI
1400 FedEx 727-200 (tail N464FE) positions at PAE
1400 Delta 767-300 (tail TBD) arrives at PAE
1415 Alaska 737 (tail TBD) arrives at PAE
1500 AirTran 717 (tail TBD) arrives at PAE
1530 Continental 757 (tail TBD) arrives at PAE
1600 Crew meeting for all involved pilots
1700 Group photo for all aircraft
1820 Crews are in place with all aircraft
1830 Museum of Flight Reception begins at BFI
1835 707 taxis, 717 through 777 taxi behind and depart PAE
1900 NOTAM for BFI released - South Field Shut Down
1902 Welcome Remarks at BFI Reception

1907 Omega Air 707 (tail N707MQ) Operating as Omega 1 - Touchdown at BFI
1917 Air Tran 717 Operating at B717B - Touchdown at BFI
1927 FedEx 727 - Touchdown at BFI
1937 Alaska 737 - Touchdown at BFI
1947 Rolls Royce 747-200 (tail N787RR) Operating as N787RR - Touchdown at BFI
1957 Continental 757 - Touchdown at BFI
2007 Delta 767 Operating as DAL9900 - Touchdown at BFI
2017 Air France 777-300ER (tail F-GSQY) Operating as BOE536 - Touchdown at BFI

2038 Rolls Royce 747 taxis at BFI on three engines
2045 707 + 717 towed to Museum of Flight
- 707 and LCF2 will spend the night at BFI
2200 Rolls Royce 747 heads to BFI

All eyes on the sky. Mine certainly will.

Flight Plans: 2nd Edition

Boeing went through an interesting phase in its corporate life in the late 1990s and early part of this decade. In short, it was a manufacturer of derivative aircraft. Aircraft like the 717, 737-600/700/800/900, 747-400ER, the 757-300, the 777-200LR/300ER rolled off the production line. Aircraft like these stretched the capabilities of the existing Boeing (or old McDonnell Douglas) product line without actually adding an entirely new product. During this time period Boeing was criticized for its lack of new offerings to the market.

One such derivative offering was the 767-400ER. A stretched 767 that fit in just below the 777-200, seating between 245 to 375 passengers. The aircraft had several very interesting features. The aircraft was the first on Boeing's product line that featured raked wingtips. Now standard on the 777-200LR/300ER, 747-800 and 787-800/900. In addition, the interior design incorporated the very popular 777 interior with curved overhead bins and new lighting. Another 777 feature which made it onto the 400ER was the introduction of the 777 style cockpit. The 777 and 767-400ER flight decks are practically indistinguishable from one another. The only exceptions being the non-glass backup instruments, no cursor control device and CRT flight management computer screens.

The 400ER was designed as a replacement for the retiring DC-10s and L1011s. Rumors still exist today whether or not the 400ER was designed specifically for Delta. Today the 400ER flies with Delta (21) and Continental (26) and has been moved around on many different types of routes. Some to Hawaii, some within the continental US, at one point to Europe and South America. The 767-400ER routes are constantly changing and have been subject of much discussion within the aviation enthusiast community. This niche aircraft, which will likely be replaced by the 787-900 (which Continental has purchased), has not seen a new order since it's first deliveries in 2000.

I had the chance to fly on a Delta 767-400ER on two legs in 2003. One from SLC to LAX and the other from LAX to ATL. Today, Delta still flies the 400ER on the LAX-ATL route. The flight takes a tour of the southern part of the United States, which starts with the HOLTZ Eight (page 2) departure out over the Pacific, then back around towards Palm Springs. The flight covers northern Arizona and New Mexico, Amarillo, Texas, Oklahoma City and Memphis, Tennessee, setting up an arrival from the Northwest to the Jackson-Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.

HOLTZ8 TRM BXK PXR ONM CNX PNH SYO IRW FSM MEM ERLIN2

All Boeing 767-400ER flights over North America.