Recently, Edelweiss celebrated their inaugural flight from Zurich to Seattle using an Airbus A340 (4 engines 4 long haul). I was double excited not only to see a new international carrier start service at my home airport, but they are also using an AvGeek favorite: the A340. Francis Zera (our Editor-At-Large and Director of Photography) and I tag teamed the event and I would say we had a pretty good time.
Covering an inaugural arrival has become pretty routine: Decorations at the gate (check), you get to go on the tarmac and watch the plane arrive (check), you get to enjoy a water cannon salute (check), there are VIPs who speak at the gate (check), there is a ribbon cutting (check), and there are some sweet snacks to enjoy (check). Not to say inaugurals aren’t exciting, but with this one, I got to experience something new that I was not expecting.
Not long before the Edelweiss inaugural to Seattle, I edited and published Francis’ SAS inaugural story. In his piece he described how he got a bit wet from the water cannon salute due to the wind shifting. I was entertained and even laughed, but brushed it off. When we were told where to stand for the Edelweiss’ Airbus A340’s arrival, I went as far as I could towards the runways… which was also very close to one of the fire trucks. I had a fleeting thought about Francis’ water experience, but I figured worst case it might be a little misty. Nope.
The Edelweiss red-and-white A340 was beautiful as she landed at SEA and started her taxi to the gate. As she rounded the final corner, I was so distracted by the aircraft that I didn’t notice that the wind was blowing pretty heavily in my direction from the fire truck. I was taking some photos with my phone and then, BAM!
It was like I was being sprayed by a, … well, … huge fire hose of water and I was soaked instantly. By the time the water was turned off, it was like I had just jumped into a pool. I was drenched, but I loved it. My inner child was giddy, not only from seeing an Airbus A340 from the tarmac, but also getting sprayed by a fire truck. Not to mention that it also felt good since it was pretty hot out. Best inaugural ever.
I was a little worried about my phone, since it got drenched too and I couldn’t take a selfie, but luckily not only was it okay, but Francis was there to capture my shock. We were able to walk around the plane taking photos of those beautiful four engines. Then we headed back to the terminal for the speeches and ribbon cutting.
Flights between Zurich and Seattle can currently be booked for travel in September, 2025, and between May and August 2026.
