Airport Spotting Blog » North America Archives – Blog Title

5 Old Jet hubs not to miss

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:30:58 +0000

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.

Tehran Mehrabad, Iran
Iran’s sanctions have meant its many airlines are forced to use older types in passenger service. The famed Saha Air B707′s are still here, though the rumours constantly say they will be retired imminently. Elsewhere at this domestic airport you’ll see Yak42′s, B727-200′s, MD-80′s, B747-200′s, A300B2/B4′s, A310-200′s and a few other Russian types. Sadly the TU-154 and IL-62 aircraft no longer fly passengers in Iran.

Tehran is, for the time being, still open to tourists. But the political situation is always fragile and likely to change. So check before travelling!

Pyonyang, North Korea
Air Koryo, the national carrier or North Korea, still operates a number of classics from its Pyonyang base. These include TU-154′s, TU-204′s, IL-18′s, and IL-62′s. Recently there was an enthusiast’s tour announced that took in flights on all of these types. You can also simply fly in from Beijing and arrange domestic flights.

Detroit Willow Run Airport
The original Detroit Airport is now mainly a cargo hub. Whilst the number of classic types operating here has declined, you can still see older B727′s, B747-100/200′s, DC-9′s, and Lockheed Electras around the place regularly.

Allegiant Air chooses Oakland as new base

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:33:26 +0000

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.

10 airports to catch the 787 Dreamliner in 2012

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:40:50 +0000

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 787 World Tour Continues

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:25:21 +0000

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!

787 news – Scheduled flights to the USA from April 2012

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:17:47 +0000

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 – Guest post by Stephanie Gehman

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:00:18 +0000

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:

1. What is your role at Harrisburg, and what experience do you have there?
I am the marketing manager at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT). My job responsibilities include researching, developing, planning and implementing all of the airport’s tradition and emerging communications, including: relationship and community building, branding, marketing, advertising, public relations, website, social media, customer communication and more. Additionally I oversee the development and improvement of the in-terminal experience for airport customers and guests, along with the staff that implements these initiatives and information. I also serve as our staff photographer and videographer. In a nutshell, I am “jill-of-all-trades” and doing my utmost to master and manage all of them!

2. Tell us briefly about Harrisburg as an airport – where is it? who does it serve? what kind of operators do you have?
Harrisburg International Airport is located in Middletown, PA, the reason why our airport code is “MDT.” Our facility serves the business and leisure travelers in the 8 counties surrounding us in South Central Pennsylvania. MDT is served by Air Canada, AirTran Airways, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and US Airways to 14 great nonstop destinations and to 100s of connections worldwide.

3. What plans for the future does Harrisburg have – expanded facilities? new routes/airlines?
We’re continually in discussion with airlines about market’s potential at Harrisburg, but at this time there are no new service announcements. Our facility was constructed just 7 years ago, so no new expansions are in progress either.

4. You mentioned a Federal Grant on your recent interview with the Airplane Geeks. What will that help you with?
As described on Airplane Geeks the Department of Transportation grant money can be used toward securing a new airline partner or new destination in the nonstop cities served by the airline partners at MDT.

5. Does Harrisburg have any other notable operators, such as FBOs, flight training, cargo, or military?
The airport authority that owns and operates MDT, also owns three general aviation airports in the state of Pennsylvania. At MDT, there is an fixed base operator (FBO), AvFlight, and we’re also the site of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard 193^rd. We are served by air cargo carriers: UPS, FedEx and DHL.

6. Lastly, are there any great places to watch aircraft movements at Harrisburg? Are there any rules that spotters must follow if they want to watch aircraft (eg contact security or stay away from a certain area)?
We have a public observation deck located on the third floor of our terminal that is open to the public 24 hours a day. There are many other great locations on the airport campus to aircraft spot as well.

Thanks very much to Stephanie for taking the time to speak to us. You can follow her on Twitter at @airport_girl and Harrisburg’s official feed on @HIAairport

Chicago Midway Buffer Zones to be created

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:07:32 +0000

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?

Phoenix Airports – A Spotting Guide

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:13:37 +0000

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.

Deer Valley
This airport is situated in the north of Phoenix. It is one of America’s busiest general aviation airports, so if you collect light aircraft this is the place to be. It’s quite hard to see everything, but the main access road is your best bet.

Mesa Falcon Field
Another airport to the east of Phoenix in the district of Mesa. Here you’ll find a lot of GA movements, and some services by Pet Airways. On the field is also a couple of DC-3′s and a DC-4.

Mesa Gateway Airport
This airport serves as a hub for Allegiant Airways and its MD-80s, serving various destinations around the country. It is technically Phoenix’s low-cost airport. You can see aircraft from the terminal area.

Phoenix Goodyear Airport
There are a lot of storage airports in Arizona, and Goodyear is the nearest to Phoenix. AeroTurbine is one of the main operating companies here, disposing of many older types that have reached the end of their life. It’s quite difficult to spot aircraft here, but a number of roads and tracks surround the field which give glimpses.

Spotting at Cancun Airport

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:22:32 +0000

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:

First of all it should be pointed out that our hobby is not understood in Mexico. In addition, the authorities are very security conscious in vew of their relationship with the USA, and Mexico has many internal problems of its own, mostly, but not exclusively, drugs related (although Cancun is far removed from the problem areas). As such, it is not surprising to learn that with numerous police patrolling the airport and the surrounding areas, you will quickly receive a visit if spotting in the vecinity of the airport. So spotting from landside is not a good idea even if there was anywhere halfway decent to spot from.

Cancun airport now has two runways and the three terminal buildings are located between the two runways. The approach road to the terminals goes under a bridge which aircraft landing on the new runway have to taxi over in order to get to the terminals. As far as I can make out, the new runway (which opened in October 2010) seems to be used only for landings. The old runway (which is longer) is used for take-offs and some landings.

Terminal 1 was badly damaged in the October 2005 hurricane and is currently disused. Terminal 2 consists of the octagonal satellite (Gates A) and the aprons to the east of the satellite (Gates B). Gates B are used by the Mexican airlines. Gates A are used by Canadian airlines, Jetblue, Frontier, Air Tran, most continental European airlines including British Airways and Thomson. The new Terminal 3 is used by all other US airlines.

The General Aviation Terminal is located on the end of Terminal 1 but survived the hurricane. If driving, there is a specific car park for this Terminal with the standard ticket barrier at the entrance. Alternatively you can walk to the GA Terminal from the main terminals and there are some views to be had on the way. The area is open and is used by many airport workers. There is a police station next to the GA Terminal, so expect to see an increased presence here. Walk into the GA Terminal and you’ll get views onto the ramp, so have a clear memory for logging! There are loos in here as well (to the left) to give a reason for going in in the first place. There are also views from the left hand side overflow car park; most can be read without the need of optics. At the right time of year these ramps are full with biz, and well worth any effort.The only views of the GA terminal airside are from the satellite on the end of Terminal 2. However the interior of the satellite has been altered to segregate arriving passengers from those departing and the holding area for departing passengers now has only very limited views of the GA ramp.

The ‘non-satellite’ part of Terminal 2 has excellent views of the ‘old runway’ but no view of the GA ramp as the satellite is in the way. It is possible to freely access the satellite from the main part of Terminal 2 and vice versa regardless from which part your flight leaves.

I didn’t visit Terminal 3, so the following information comes from other reports. Terminal 3 is the furthest away from the GA Terminal and it is impossible to see the GA ramp from it – in any case it is well over half a mile away. In front of these stands is the taxiway from the bridge that crosses the approach road so one can see everything that lands on the new runway when it taxis past. The good news is that a new GA Terminal and ramp are being built on the far side of this taxiway but it will not be ready until mid 2012 or so. When it is finished, anything parked there will be clearly visible from Terminal 3.

By walking back through Terminal 3 you can read everything parked on the various narrow body gates and some of those on Terminal 2. You will not see everything that lands on the old runway as some stop short to taxi to the satellite or the GA Terminal. There is one spot landside outside the far end of Terminal 3 where you can see the aircraft parked on the widebody stands plus everything that crosses the bridge and whatever takes off on the old runway once it passes the end of the building – but you would have to be quick. A camera is probably better to use rather than bins or a ‘scope.

Finally, choose a right hand window seat for departure as you will either taxi past or take off past Terminal 2 and its satellite, then the GA Terminal, next Terminal 1 – they still park some aircraft on the ramp there – and finally the remote parking area halfway to the threshold with several derelict aircraft.

John Wayne Santa Ana’s new terminal opens

admin — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:09:29 +0000

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.