Can you see Mount Adams, Mount Rainier and Mount St Helens in this photo taken from an Alaska Airlines flight? Photo by Rita Harvey.

Rita, a friend of mine, recently flew from Seattle to Chicago on Alaska Airlines. Every time one of my friends fly I tell them to get pictures [...]]]>

Can you see Mount Adams, Mount Rainier and Mount St Helens in this photo taken from an Alaska Airlines flight? Photo by Rita Harvey.

Rita, a friend of mine, recently flew from Seattle to Chicago on Alaska Airlines. Every time one of my friends fly I tell them to get pictures of the flight (I don’t care about the destination). Most roll their eyes and say, “sure David,” and get me nothing (I’m talking to you Colton — who just came back from Hawaii).

One of the first photos she sent was an amazing photo of Mount Rainier from the plane. I thought it was great, but there was no plane. A true aviation nerd photo will have a plane part in it. Oh, she delivered.

I have spoken with a few different people,including my mother, to determine what mountains we are looking at and I am pretty sure it is Mount Adams, Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens (arrows showing where the mountains are). After talking to a few people and looking at maps, I am 98.5% sure those are the right mountains. If they aren’t let me know, but does it matter? It is amazing.

The the other great photos Rita took (be sure to look at the one with the moon)

The Airbus A380 is big. Very big. You can even see it from space (ok with Google Maps, you can see almost anything from space). But I was messing around on and was checking out Toulouse Blagnac Airport, where Airbus [...]]]>

An Airbus A380, A340 and a few A320's hanging out at Toulouse Blagnac Airport

The Airbus A380 is big. Very big. You can even see it from space (ok with Google Maps, you can see almost anything from space). But I was messing around on and was checking out Toulouse Blagnac Airport, where Airbus and ATR aircraft are made. I found it interesting seeing the size difference of the Airbus A380 compared to an A340 and A320′s.

Here is the link to the Google maps, what other planes can you find?

Last week I put the challenge out to find photos with lots of airline tails. When I put the photos of a bunch of Qantas Airline’s tails, I only saw nine. [...]]]>

Can you find all 16 US Airways tails in this photo? (there is a bigger version in the links). Photo by Drew V.

Last week I put the challenge out to find photos with lots of airline tails. When I put the photos of a bunch of Qantas Airline’s tails, I only saw nine. However a reader smartly pointed out that there are really ten. Here are the photos I was sent:

* My original Qantas with TEN tails
* 10 Delta Air Lines tails from Daniel
* Aireal shot of 20 Delta tails from Daniel
* Who wants to count all these tails up? from Daniel
* 16 US Airways tails (with markings showing all 16) from Drew V
* 40 FedEx tails sent in from Rowen
* Five Qantas Airlines Boeing 747 tails at LAX by daeguowl
* A whole load of old US Airways Shuttle photos (even though I said Mojave wouldn’t work, but I can break my own rules) by @FlyInsider
* 12 Lufthansa tails from @FlyInsider
* Go ahead and count them in this satellite shot of Mojave forwarded by @BinkyAirways
* I count 15 Northwest Airlines tails, which will soon be going away – from @TerminalWanderer

So who is the winner? That is hard to tell since I am not counting them for all the photos. I will say EVERYONE is a winner for finding such great photos.

UPDATE: I have added a few more photos. It is not too late to send them on in to me, if you want them posted.

Yesterday I posted the corner of the ad showing “World’s best-selling airbus,” and asked what ad did it go to. A few people guessed (mostly via Twitter) that it was an Airbus A300, Boeing 737 or Boeing 747. Only two [...]]]>

Boeing had this ad stating that the Boeing 727 is the best-selling air bus

Yesterday I posted the corner of the ad showing “World’s best-selling airbus,” and asked what ad did it go to. A few people guessed (mostly via Twitter) that it was an Airbus A300, Boeing 737 or Boeing 747. Only two people (@CraigSymons and @SkippysCage) guessed it correctly: the Boeing 727. This was the best quality of the ad I could find and it is difficult to read the text, but I am pretty sure it says:

“More than 1,000 Boeing 727s have been sold to date. It is the best-selling jetliner in aviation history.

And it has been the best-selling jetliner during the past two years — the years when the new airbuses were supposed to dominate the industry.

Why?

Because the Boeing 727 is the original airbus.

It has the lowest investment, cost per seat of any airbus. And you can buy two 727-200s for the price of one of the bigger airbuses.

The 727-200 gives more flexibility than the bigger airbuses. Its capacity of 125, up to 189 (all coach), passengers makes it ideal for ??? on intermediate routes and in scheduled services where frequency is essential.

The 727s passenger appeal and operating reliability  and efficiency are well known. Everyday, Boeing 727s are earning profit for more airlines than any other jetline.

That’s why it is the world’s best-selling airbus.”

Obviously a  jab at the new Airbus Industry, but I find it quite humorous.

Thanks David for showing this to me!

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This is a tag line from a magazine ad from the 1970′s. Anyone have any guesses which ad this might be from?

I will post the full ad tomorrow.

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Had a lot of great guesses from people on the photo livery quiz. You can see the answers above. Most people made the same mistake I did on the last one. I thought it was USAir, but if you look closely this was [...]]]>

Here are the answers -- did you guess right?

Had a lot of great guesses from people on the photo livery quiz. You can see the answers above. Most people made the same mistake I did on the last one. I thought it was USAir, but if you look closely this was a bare-metal plane from American, with Southwest’s livery painted on it. You can read more about these planes and see larger photos on Southwest Airline’s blog.

Winners of being big airline livery nerds:
* TxAgFlyer
* DCSpotter
* Patrick Olave
* Unregistered user #473787 on the Seattle PI

Nice job folks. There were quite a few others that only got one wrong.

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The other day while going down I-405, which is just east of Seattle, I saw this very long Boeing truck being escorted by a Boeing van.

It is so long there is someone steering the rear wheels in the back. I have tried to do [...]]]>

Big long Boeing truck hauling what down the freeway?

The other day while going down I-405, which is just east of Seattle, I saw this very long Boeing truck being escorted by a Boeing van.

It is so long there is someone steering the rear wheels in the back. I have tried to do some research, asked a few people in aviation, put it out on Twitter,  and talked to people at Boeing, but no one can tell me what it is hauling and what Boeing calls the truck.

So, time to use the power of my very smart blog readers (that is you!). What is the story behind this truck and what is it hauling?

CLICK HERE FOR A LITTLE BIGGER VERSION OF THE PICTURE

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This is not a photo shop, but a photograph of a Qantas Boeing 747-300 with a little extra cargo — a 5th engine.

When a Qantas airplane needs a replacement engine or to have one worked on, sometimes they will attached the 5th engine onto [...]]]>

Why would this Boeing 747 need a 5th engine?

This is not a photo shop, but a photograph of a Qantas Boeing 747-300 with a little extra cargo — a 5th engine.

When a Qantas airplane needs a replacement engine or to have one worked on, sometimes they will attached the 5th engine onto a Boeing 747 and fly it without power to its destination.

This ends up being more cost effective for the airline. The 5th engine will limit the 747′s performance (not that it is known for its sporty maneuvering already), but it provides no additional safety risk.

There is also a photo of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 with a 5th engine.

People on Twitter are sharing other airplanes with additional engines:
* Lockheed L1011 Tristar thanks FlyingPhotog
* Boeing 720 thanks apgphoto
* DC-8 thanks TxAGFlyer
* Pan Am Boeing 747 thanks Skippyscage

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On Thursday I posted a photo of a static display Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727-100 N8160G at the Future of Flight and asked “What’s wrong [...]]]>

July 29, 1975 just arriving from JFK to Antiqua - then on to St. Marten. Capodilupo as a child on his first flight on "Marcella". Photo from David Capodilupo

On Thursday I posted a photo of a static display Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727-100 N8160G at the Future of Flight and asked “What’s wrong here?”

Most of you guessed correctly: the logo and font were wrong. You can check out the before and after-photo to see the change. As I was doing research on the fixed logo, I found the story was much more interesting than I expected.

My research led me to David Capodilupo who has been following N8160G almost his whole life.

Capodilupo first flew on N8160G in July of 1975 (that is him and the plane in the first picture). He fell in love with the tri-engined “whisper jet” and started a life-long relationship with the plane. After his flight he would purchase different airline models and make them look exactly like N8160G by painting the “160″ on the nose.

He had a hard time following the plane through most of his life since there was not an easy way to do so. About eight years ago he was able to track her down and see she was flying for FedEx as N124FE. FedEx had named her “Marcella.”

Capodilupo in front of N8160G at the Future of Flight. Notice the "160" on her nose.

Most Boeing 727-100′s were being retired and scrapped by the early 1980′s, but since Marcella was a 727-100 Quick Change (meaning she could quickly be converted to a cargo carrier), she already had a large cargo door built into her side, allowing her to have a second life with FedEx.

Marcella flew with FedEx from November 1981 until October 2003. In December 2003 she had her last flight from Oakland to Paine Field in Everett, WA where she was to have her front end preserved and displayed in the Future of Flight.

Capodilupo told me it was hard to be sent photos of Marcella being cut up, however he was happy she would find a loving home with the Future of Flight, instead of being sold for scrap.

After Marcella was set up in the Future of Flight, Capodilupo flew out from Boston to visit her. He was very excited to reconnect with the same plane that first flew him as a child in 1975. Once he saw her, his joy turned to disappointment when he noticed the logo and Eastern font were incorrect.

For years Capodilupo has been making his own models (and what airline enthusiast wouldn’t want this 6′ Eastern L1011 model he made in their living room?) and since most model companies didn’t make the Eastern logos properly, he would create his own. Faced with a similar problem, but on a little larger scale, Capodilupo told the Future of Flight “I will fix this.”

He donated his own time and money to put the graphics and logo properly on Marcella and of course the “160″ back on the nose. He is not quite done with Marcella. Can you tell a difference between the two pictures still? The one from 1975 has a black tip on the nose and the current one does not. Capodilupo is hoping to help fix that during a future visit to the Seattle area.

Marcella doesn’t only live on at the Future of Flight. Some of her parts are also being used to restore the first Boeing 727 (which is interesting enough for its own blog in the near future). Hopefully pieces of Marcella will be back in the air in the next few years.

Additional information:
* More photos of Capodilupo and Marcella on my Flickr
* Photos of N8160G on Airliners.net
* Photo of Marcella in silver Eastern Air Lines livery
* My blog on the Future of Flight with more pics of Marcella

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This is a front section of an Eastern Airlines Boeing 727-200 located at the Future of Flight. There are two things not quite right with the photo (except half the plane missing). Can you tell what’s wrong?

Tomorrow I will give the answer and [...]]]>

Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 at the Future of Flight.

This is a front section of an Eastern Airlines Boeing 727-200 located at the Future of Flight. There are two things not quite right with the photo (except half the plane missing). Can you tell what’s wrong?

Tomorrow I will give the answer and a nice little story how it was fixed.

UPDATE: This story has gotten more interesting than I thought. I will be posting the answer and story on Monday.

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Most of you were right on with the photo I posted yesterday.  It is a  Boeing 747-200 that was the test bed for Rolls Royce to test the Trent 1000 for certification taken at the Future of [...]]]>

Notice the size difference of the Trent 1000 engine that is being used on the Boeing 787

Most of you were right on with the photo I posted yesterday.  It is a  Boeing 747-200 that was the test bed for Rolls Royce to test the Trent 1000 for certification taken at the Future of Flight in 2007. The odd part of the photo was engine #3 was a bit larger than the other three.

The aircraft was purchased by Rolls Royce from Cathay Pacific Airlines. The engine was being tested to be used on the Boeing 787.

One of my readers, Ian, found additional pictures of the aircraft in flight from Flight Global.

Trying to read airline news now, all I see is “terrorist”, “security”, and “TSA.” Trying to do something a little lighter.

This Boeing 747 is parked outside the Future of Flight in Everett, WA. [...]]]>

This Boeing 747 is parked outside the Future of Flight. Image is used by permission from the Future of Flight.

Trying to read airline news now, all I see is “terrorist”, “security”, and “TSA.” Trying to do something a little lighter.

This Boeing 747 is parked outside the Future of Flight in Everett, WA. Notice anything strange with the aircraft? Any idea who might own the aircraft?

The Strato Deck (all the people on the roof) is where I caught the Boeing 787 taxi tests and the Boeing 787 first flight.

So can you spot what is odd with this 747?

SEE LARGER VERSION

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