Allegiant Air Boeing 757 N902NV outside ATS at Paine Field in Everett, WA on Sunday.
I know, I know, I have posted a lot of blogs not only on Allegiant’s new Boeing 757’s, but also their semi-new livery. What can I say, I love new liveries and new airplane types. Put them together and I can’t resist.
While driving around Paine Field on Sunday, there was a nice treat sitting outside of ATS in Everett: N902NV. Although I was aware that N902NV was at ATS, I haven’t seen her in person. Previously I wondered if Allegiant’s semi-new livery would look better in person than in photos and I think it does.
Taking a look at this close up photo of the door, you can see there is no interior trim on the door and what looks like wires hanging down from the inside. I assume that the interior has not yet been completed and work should continue at ATS. N901NV, the other Boeing 757, is stationed at Flightstar Aircraft Services in Jacksonville, FL. I followed up with Allegiant again to see if there was any news on these Boeing 757’s and at this time they are still staying silent.
On top of seeing their new aircraft, Allegiant also announced last week that if you don’t pay for an assigned seat, you will end up having Southwest-style open seating. This will be the new order for boarding:
* Priority Boarding for those that pay $9.99 extra per leg on top of seat assignment fee
* Pre-boards
* General Boarding – those who purchased seat assignments for $6.99 or $9.99
* Families with children under 7
* Everyone else, in order of check in
If a passenger does not board during their specified boarding time, they forfeit their seat assignment. Now, that would be frustrating for a family of 3 that dropped $30 to sit together.
I will be taking my first flight on Allegiant next month from Bellingham to Las Vegas. I have heard you can purchase Allegiant MD-80 models on board the aircraft, you better believe I will be getting one of my own.
UPDATE:
On Allegiant’s SEC presentation they state under a plan to amend the 757 fleet and Hawaii program:
* Operate 757 in domestic mainland, non-ETOPS flying (ETOPS is needed to fly over 60min away from an airport)
* After several months of operational experience, apply for ETOPS
* Target ETOPS approval in 2012
Interesting. Allegiant has confirmed with me that the Boeing 757’s will start flying in mid-2011, but there was no talk about pushing flights to Hawaii to 2012. Is Allegiant just having issues with getting ETOPS certification or does the FAA want Allegiant to get some experience flying the Boeing 757 domestically over land before having them ETOPS certified. I am not sure now, but hoping to find out. Thanks to Dan Webb for finding this.
MORE PHOTOS OF ALLEGIANT 757 N902NV AT PAINE FIELD
Head to the Future of Flight to get a close look of a Dreamlifter (N249BA) and four Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Yesterday was a very nice day in Seattle for it being almost the middle of November. Figured it might be a good day to head back to Paine Field (KPAE) and take a look at what is going on. As always, there were a few nice surprises.
The biggest is one of the Dreamlifters (N249BA) is parked just feet away from the Future of Flight (photo). The DreamLifter is sitting right next to four Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Rumors are the Dreamlifter will be parked there until the end of the month and the Dreamliners should be there at least through the winter.
The 787’s and now the Dreamlifter are hanging out next to the Future of Flight due to Boeing’s turf getting pretty full. I don’t think I have ever seen so many new airplanes at Paine Field (photo). One of the new liveries seen out on the ramp is AirBridgeCargo’s on a Boeing 747-8F (photo). To date have seen Boeing’s “lite” livery, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, British Airways (partly) and AirBridgeCargo on the Boeing 747-8 Freighter to date.
During my visit a brand new, not even fully painted, Air France Boeing 777-300 (F-GZNH) took off (photo – video). I have seen quite a few Boeing 777’s take off, but it never gets old. One of my reasons for heading to Paine was to check out the Eva Air Boeing 777-300’s. I have been covering their issues with Koito seats and they have been moved from the tower (photo1 –photo2) and one had a test flight today. I am working on an update on their story to share soon.
MORE:
* 40 Photos of Paine Field (KPAE) from yesterday
* Video of Air France (F-GZNH) Boeing 777-300ER taking off from Paine Field
All of Paine Field in one photo.
Liz Matzelle (@ImperfectSense) has taken some pretty sweet pictures and video of aviation in the northwest. One can take a lot of photos of Paine Field, but none of them really give you the feeling of what it is like standing on one of the grassy gnolls looking out on all the wonderful new Boeing aircraft.
She recently made this panoramic photo and I just had to share. All the way from the new Boeing 787’s parked by the Boeing Factory all the way over to the tower. Seeing it in so small really doesn’t do it justice, so here are two much larger versions:
* Big version of the photo
* Really big version of the photo
There are some pretty sweet things in this photo. See if you can find:
* The very first Boeing 727-100 in old United livery
* A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737
* The three Eva Air Boeing 777’s waiting on seats
* An old B-52 Bomber
* A Dreamlifter (ok you should be able to find that in the small version)
* Ethiopian Airlines 777-200
Two Royal Air Maroc and one JAL Boeing 787 Dreamliner next to the Future of Flight
Here it is, the beginning of October and for some odd reason we are having really nice weather in Seattle. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. Knowing Saturday was probably going to be one of the last sunny days we are going to see around these parts and knowing Boeing towed three Boeing 787’s right next to the Future of Flight, I figured it was a really nice day to go visit Paine Field (KPAE) again.
How many brand spak'n new Boeing aircraft can you identify here?
There are a lot of Boeing 787 Dreamliners sitting outside waiting for parts. There are so many, that Boeing is having to get creative with where they are parking the aircraft. There are now three 787 Dreamliners parked next to the Future of Flight and two more outside the Boeing hangars. The three by the Future of Flight are two Royal Air Maroc Dreamliners and one JAL. By the hangars is a JAL and one all white 787 (photo).
That's a lot of eye candy at Boeing's fuel dock
The Dreamliners aren’t the only thing overly impressive on this trip. There were also five aircraft sitting at the Boeing fuel dock. Two Dreamlifters, one Boeing 747-8, one Boeing 777 for V Australia and one Boeing 767 for JAL.
It is a stare off between Boeing 747-8's
On the east side are quite a few new Boeing 747-8s. The British Airways World Cargo 747 is still sitting with just a blue belly as it was a few weeks back. There is also a nice collection of Boeing 747-8F in Korean Air Cargo and Cathay Pacific liveries. There was also one that just has the rudder painted and is a Nippon Cargo Airlines 747-8F (photo).
Visiting Paine Field is always an awesome experience, especially when it is sunny. I feel very lucky to live just a quick 15 minute drive from one of the most interesting airports in the world.
CHECK OUT 51 PHOTOS OF AIRPLANES AT PAINE FIELD (KPAE)
New British Airways Boeing 747-8F at Paine Field
Late last night I got word from Jon Ostrower (aka FlightBlogger) that a nicely new painted Boeing 747-8 in British Airways colors was out in the open. So, this morning I headed over to Paine Field (KPAE) to check it out. I found her, but it wasn’t so easy. First she was parked a bit off from the rest of the Boeing 747-8’s and she is not in full British Airways livery. She is painted all white with a blue belly.
I was also able to check out the other Boeing 747-8’s sitting, waiting to take to the sky.
CHECK OUT ALL THE PICTURES
Update: BA has announced it is updating its fleet of Boeing 747-400F with new Boeing 747-8F’s and will be leasing them through Global Supply Systems, which is 49% owned by Atlas Air. On the press release BA states, “It has also been agreed that the new 747-8fs will be delivered in British Airways livery and incorporate the British Airways World Cargo logo.” Flight Global reports that they will be wet-leased for five years by GSS.
