First and second generation jet airliners are getting rarer and rarer these days. It makes me incredibly sad, but at least for the time being we have these airports which are still great for catching old smokeys in action.

Memphis, TN
You’ve gotta love FedEx. They keep old birds flying. But they also have many new aircraft coming on line, such as the B777F which are replacing the older types.

For the time being, you can head to their Memphis, TN, base to catch quite a few classic B727 and DC/MD-10 aircraft coming and going each day. Depending on whether you consider A300-600 and A310-300 aircraft to be old or not, you can also see those. Also, as the airline is bringing in lots of second-hand B757 freighters, it’s another one I’ll leave you to decide on whether they’re an old jet or not!

Jakarta, Indonesia
Last time I visited Jakarta’s main CGK airport, it was still a hub for B727′s, B737-200′s, DC-9′s, DC-10′s and F-28′s. It was incredible, and great for filling lots of gaps in my log book from the 80′s and 90′s.

Today there are still a number of these types around, but it has dwindled significantly. More prevalent are MD-80′s and B737-300/400′s, which are becoming classics.

From 26 April 2012, Allegiant Air will open a new base at Oakland Airport, California.

It will see two MD-80 aircraft based there for scheduled operations to a number of airports. Routes include:

Billings, MO
Bozeman, MO
Kalispell, MO
Idaho Falls, ID
Medford, OR
Missoula, MO
Redmond, OR

These are in addition to the airline’s existing routes from Oakland to Bellingham, WA, Eugene, OR, and Phoenix-Mesa, AZ.

To mark the start of international scheduled services this week by ANA’s Boeing 787, I thought I’d mention a few other places you’ll be seeing the type this year. We’ll see a lot more Boeing 787 Dreamliners in our skies this year as more are delivered to airlines such as Air India, Japan Airlines and China Southern, so it’s time to start getting them in your logbooks!

Tokyo Haneda & Narita
With both ANA and JAL operating the Dreamliner this year, one of the best places to catch the type is at their Tokyo Narita and Haneda bases. This seems likely to be the place to catch the biggest concentration of Dreamliners outside of Seattle or Charleston this year.

Frankfurt International
For Europe, Frankfurt is the first place to see 787 operations with ANA from Tokyo. This was the type’s first international destination, and will be flying in every day.

Seattle
OK, so there are a few Seattle airports to see Deamliners. Most notably, Boeing’s Everett facility is the place where they’re put together. So you’ll see them quite regularly on flight test and out on the flight line. This includes the demonstrators, which is quite cool. However, ANA have also announced 787 flights to Seattle-Tacoma Airport from Tokyo, starting soon.

Boston
The US East Coast gets its first Dreamliner service from Japan Airlines in April, with non-stop service to Tokyo Narita.

Singapore
From September, Japan Airlines’ flights from Tokyo Narita will switch to 787s, increasing to 14x weekly by the end of October.

Melbourne
From October, Air India is expected to begin sending its 787s to Melbourne from its Indian bases. This will likely mark the first scheduled Dreamliner services to Australia.

Osaka Itami
Again, ANA sends its 787s to Itami. Maybe we’ll see more routes out of Osaka’s Kansai airport in the future, but for now the domestic one is the place to be.

New Delhi
Japan Airlines will start daily 787 flights to Delhi from Tokyo Narita later this year. However, if Air India receive their 787s on time, the airport is likely to get even more of the type in residence.

Moscow Domodedovo
Japan Airlines will send their Dreamliners to Moscow DME this year, replacing their 777 equipment. This sees the second known destination in Europe for the type.

Guangzhou
Despite heavy delays, China Southern are expected to take delivery of their first 787 before the Autumn. Therefore their home base of Guangzhou will become a hub for the type very soon.

There are of course more airports that the 787 flies to, such as domestic destinations within Japan. And as new frames arrive for Air India and China Southern, new routes will be announced. If you hear of any, let me know.

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner World Tour continues, with new destinations and dates announced.

The aircraft used is ZA003, and is fitted out to best show off the interior possibilities to airline customers it visits.

The new dates are:

20-23 January – Wichita, KS
23-25 January – Rockford, IL
25-27 January – Dublin, Ireland
27-30 January – Huntsville, AL

Keep an eye out here for more dates as they become known!

Fantastic news for those in the USA – ANA (All Nippon Airways) will start flying their Boeing 787 Dreamliners on scheduled services to the USA from April 2012.

The three routes announced are from Toyko Narita to San Jose, CA, Seattle, WA, and Washington DC Dulles.

Flights begin on 1 April 2012.

Great news for spotters over there, and I think this proves to some degree (San Jose) that the 787 will be used to try out more niche long haul routes.

As a side note, there will, however, be a delay to the planned Beijing and Frankfurt 787 services due to a delay in delivery of the third aircraft to ANA.

Harrisburg International Airport is a relatively new facility in Pennsylvania, USA.

We recently spoke to the airport’s Marketing Manager, Stephanie Gehman about the airport, which is relatively unknown to our European readers, but offers an interesting alternative to the other airports on the Eastern Seaboard. So, here’s a bit of information from Stephanie:

Four areas of land around Midway Airport are to be acquired to help make the airport safer. Chicago City Council made the announcement this week.

In 2005 a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 slid off the runway and killed a young boy in a car whilst landing in snowy conditions. The nature of the airport’s location means it is hemmed in on all sides by roads, commercial premises and residential neighbourhoods.

Although limited runway safety zones exist to aid in stopping overruns, it is hoped that by adding an additional buffer area it will further prevent any more loss of life should an accident occur again.

Naturally there are some who feel the compulsory purchase of some historic premises is not welcome. However it seems the council will definitely be going ahead with the plans.

One option is to create areas of parkland in the new buffer zone, which holds the tantalising prospect of new public areas to watch aircraft coming and going at Chicago Midway. We shall wait and see.

What do you think of the plans? Do you live nearby?

Arizona is a great place to visit if you’re an aviation enthusiast. Not only does it have a couple of major airports, but it’s also home to many storage bases and the incredible AMARG collection at Davis Monthan AFB near Tucson.

Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona, and it has a number of airports in its vicinity that are easy to visit and definitely worth stopping by. Below, I’ve listed a few details of each, but please feel free to comment with your own opinions and details.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International
This is the main airport of the state, and certainly the busiest. It is a hub for US Airways and Southwest Airlines. All major US airlines, both passenger and cargo, visit daily, and there is a large enthusiast community who ensure the hobby is accepted. Try the top level of the car park for some good views.

Scottsdale
Technically another city, but you’d never know. Scottsdale is situated to the east of Phoenix, and it’s airport is a busy base for executive jets. You can view movements from the airport’s perimeter roads, and see aircraft on the ground from the main terminal area.

Cancun is a popular holiday destination and there are often a lot of requests about places to spot at the airport. Therefore we have this comprehensive guide which comes courtesy of a businessman who regularly visits Cancun, with additional information from Mike Nelson and Mark Birchenough.

Before going on holiday to Mexico, I sought the advice of a number of people on spotting at Cancun.  Back in 2000 when I first visited Cancun, there were one or two places inside the terminal which could be used for spotting.  Everything could be seen as long as it moved, because everything took off and landed on the one runway.  I again visited in 2006, not long after the hurricane which devastated the whole area, but I did not have the opportunity for any extensive spotting except on departure.  Since then the airport has changed substantially, particularly with the addition of the new runway.

I set out below the current situation based on information I have received from others, together with my own observations:

Thursday 10 September saw the new Commuter terminal at John Wayne Santa Ana Airport in Orange County, Los Angeles, open for business.

This is one of two commuter terminals debuting at the airport, and is to handle flights by Delta Connection and United Express ; the second will open in mid-November.

These new terminals are part of a half billion dollar expansion at the cramped airport to see it capable of handling more passengers and aircraft.

Initial photographs from the opening show large glass windows in the departures area. But what are the views like elsewhere in the new terminal? If you’ve visited, why not let us know.