My aircraft from LAX to Narita in Tokyo should be a Boeing 777-200ER
Today is my birthday. What better way to celebrate than a trip to Tokyo? I am once again at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) ready for a new adventure. This one will take me many miles during a short period of time.
Currently I am waiting for my Alaska Airlines flight from SEA down to Los Angeles (LAX). I will have a little layover there, then on to Tokyo via All Nippon Airways (ANA) to take a look at Haneda Airport’s new international terminal (HND).
This is going to be a long process. I leave today at about 7am. Fly to LAX, then to Tokyo and back to Seattle by Friday evening. A short trip via time, but long trip via experience. I am excited since this trip will be a few firsts: I have never flown ANA, on a Boeing 777-200ER 777-300ER (it has been changed, but still haven’t flown on one) or traveled so far in such a short amount of time. As an airline geek, I am totally pumped.
This also means I might be a little out of touch and a bit slow on my e-communications for the next few days. Even though this will be a whirl-wind trip, I will be back and pumped for the Aviation Geek Fest on Saturday.
A trip like this is one reason why I love the airline business. I wake up in one part of the world and I will go to sleep half way across the globe. Try doing that 100 years ago.
Disclaimer: ANA is covering my flight from LAX to NRT plus hotel. I am covering my flight from SEA to LAX and back.
The Spirit of Delta, a Boeing 767-200 (N102DA), parked at the Delta Heritage Museum
Delta has a lot of Spirit and it is in the form of a Boeing 767.
A while back, I got the opportunity to explore the entire Delta Heritage Museum, but with this blog I want to take a look at the most impressive piece they have on display there: The Spirit of Delta.
They have some pretty amazing displays at the museum, including an immaculate DC-3 that has been fully restored (photo). However, this Boeing 767 has a story to trump the beauty and rarity of the DC-3.
I don’t want to leave you without an inside look at the Delta Heritage Museum and archive, so be sure to check out Brett Snyder’s write up. He writes the blog Cranky Flier and was able to visit the museum a few weeks prior and goes into great detail about the entire museum.
In the early 1980′s, Delta wasn’t doing so great. The bad economy and high fuel prices made producing profit very challenging. In the spring of 1982, Delta posted its first quarterly loss in 35 years, causing fear about their future.
Instead of just waiting around, hoping for a solution, Delta employees banded together with retirees and friends to raise $30million to purchase a brand spanking new Boeing 767-200 (N102DA).
On December 15, 1982 a ceremony at the Delta Technical Operations Center in Atlanta, employees presented the Boeing 767, called the Spirit of Delta, to the airline.
The aircraft served the airline well flying passengers for 23 years. After it was time for the Spirit of Delta to retire, she went on farewell tour. This was to give employees and fans a last chance to see the historical aircraft in flight. Painted in her original colors, she flew for two weeks around the country before making her final stop in Atlanta. On May 7, 2006 she found her new home at the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum, where she can still be found today.
The interior of the aircraft has been updated to celebrate Delta’s culture. The first part of the aircraft still has her original seats, but the back of the aircraft has displays highlighting the aircraft’s story and Delta’s jet history. Unfortunately, during my trip the air stairs weren’t there, so I wasn’t able to check out the interior, but that was ok, the exterior was mighty exciting all on its own. If I had to pick one aircraft and livery to celebrate Delta, it would this exact combination.
Their museum is designed for Delta employees, but the general public is able to make an appointment. If you live in the Atlanta area or will be spending some time there, I highly suggest you try to make a visit. A special thanks to museum director Tiffany Meng and archives manager (and Delta blogger) Marie Force for showing me around your amazing facility!
A Boeing 757 with its nose off in for work at Delta Tech Ops. Click for larger.
You hear a lot of complaints from folks about companies outsourcing. In fact, its known within the airline community that many airlines not do their own maintenance. Delta Air Lines works just the opposite. Not only do they not outsource their maintenance, but they also in-source work from other companies from around the globe.
Delta’s Technical Operations (TechOps) is located on the west east side of the airport and is about 1.5 miles long. My tour guide, Anthony Black, thankfully opted for a golf cart, since we had a lot of ground to cover.
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is like its own city, but so is Delta TechOps. The TechOPs is so large, it has its own credit union, mini-hospital and interior roads complete with stop signs.
Delta Tech Ops has many engines worth millions of dollars each. Click for larger.
Delta flies many different aircraft types with a variety of engines. Down a long hallway are signs with different engine-types hanging from the ceilings (photo). Engines are located all all over the facility in different states of being repaired or overhauled.
Engines are very complex pieces of machinery composed of many different odd-shaped parts. Technicians need to be very careful of labeling each part to make sure they can put the engine-puzzle back together when completed (photo). When the composite fan blades are removed, they are stored separately and not allowed to touch (photo). Just be careful… each blade is worth about $20,000.00.
When the engine is done, it is moved into one of five test cells in the facility (photo). The test cell is a large wind tunnel and each engine will be run for about 8-12 hours to simulate a flight and to make sure it is ready to go back on an aircraft. After it gets the thumbs up, it is either placed on an aircraft waiting at the facility or packaged up and possibly shipped anywhere in the world for a customer (flight-line photo).
Delta's paint hangars have lifts come down from the ceiling (shouldn't they be called "lowers" then?). Click for larger.
The facility doesn’t just do engine work. They also work on anything from replacing small nuts and bolts, adding winglets and completing an overhaul of an aircraft. About 150 different companies will in-source maintenance at the TechOps center, meaning they keep busy.
Our next stop was taking a look at the paint hangars. They have been very busy recently with the merger with Northwest Airlines, getting all the planes painted over to Delta’s livery. I wasn’t able to see any Delta aircraft being painted, but I was able to check out a Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767 that was in for a new coat of paint (photo). The hangars have lifts that come down from the ceiling to allow workers to efficiently paint aircraft. This saves time, since the painters are easily able to work around the aircraft with their mechanical lifts.
The Delta TechOps is one impressive place. Not only with the size of the facility, but the scale of their operations. Next time you are flying to ATL, be sure to take a look out the window and see if you can check out some of the action happening at the TechOps.
While I was hanging out with United Airlines at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) a while back, I was invited to go on top of the old FAA tower to get one of the best views of the airport. Words can’t really describe it, nor can photos, so I took a video.
United uses the top part of the tower to guide their aircraft from the gate to the taxi way and back.
Be sure to check the Qantas Airbus A380 parked off to the side.
It is too dark and rainy to get a good photo of my plane today. But this is the Delta 767 that took me to Atlanta last year.
Back at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. I was looking forward to seeing the new body scanners here, but there weren’t any in my security line…I am going to have to look into that.
I am on my way to Atlanta, GA to hang out with Delta Air Lines for the day. I am going to check out how they operate and talk to some folks to find out what their game plan is for the future.
Delta is currently the largest airline in the world. How does such a large airline manage 160 million passengers per year, 354 destinations in 65 countries, 75,000 employees and a fleet of more than 725 aircraft ranging from 34 passenger Saab 340B to the 403 passenger Boeing 747-400? I am not quite sure, but I am sure as heck excited to find out.
Today, I will be flying on a Boeing 767-300 and I have the privilege of testing out Delta’s domestic first class. This is great, since last year I flew on the exact same route in economy.
Do you have any questions for Delta you would like answered? Leave them in the comments or email me at david@airlinereporter.com and I will see what I can do.
