DFW | April 2009 | 31L Arrivals | Part 1

I then headed over to Minters Chapel Cemetery to see if the crosswind ops had started yet and while early mornings aren't great for spotting from there, it does put you practically under short final for 31L. I noticed the long conga line of about 12 American and American Eagle jets forming for takeoff on 31L and I hauled arse over to the China Air Cargo lot as there's a nice knoll there that overlooks the end of 31L...and already found two spotters there.

^This particular ERJ-170 was supposed to be PT-SZO (Embraer test bird?) but it wasn't taken up and instead the aircraft went to Chautauqua flying as Delta Connection. Since about 2007 or so it's been flying in this ad hoc scheme that has traces of the Delta Connection livery, only now it's flown by Shuttle America.

^How close was I? This close. The neat thing about crosswind ops off 31L is that anything that lands there has to pass back in front of you on Taxiway B to get to the ramp. So you get twice the fun- a landing and a close taxi-by. I was shooting well under 200mm for this shot. Even at 55mm an American 757 like this one was still bigger than the frame.

^Here was some of the supreme awesomeness that made that Thursday epic spotting. This EVA Air Cargo MD-11F is just seconds from touchdown (you can see the American MD-82 holding short for takeoff) and look how it's banked as it fights the gusty west winds.

^Of course if it's going to land on 31L it's gonna taxi right in front of this geek's face and oh did it in its three-engined glory. This particular aircraft, B-16109, was a purpose-built MD-11F for EVA Air that first took to the air in 1997. In the background, one of the uber-many American MD-80s heading down Taxiway A to the hold short point.

^United's 757-200 in the new color scheme takes position at the hold point to await its turn for takeoff. Built in 1990, N532UA has flown its entire life to date for United Airlines.

^I didn't realize that American Eagle has several ERJ-145s in the special Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer scheme. This one, N909AE, was the first one of the flock, unveiled at a special ceremony in August of last year.

^Check out the bank on this UPS 767-300F! This was during a particularly gusty part of the morning when there were several go-arounds. This freighter was literally bucking its way down the glideslope and there was a UPS employee watching the show who was muttering "[I]Holy crap, go-around![/I]" N318UP has been flying with UPS since it first took to the air in 1997. In the background are two fire trainers the DFW fire department uses.

^More E-Jet action! This ERJ-170 belongs to Republic Airways flying as US Airways Express. Prior to that, M801MA flew for Mid-Atlantic but still as a US Airways Express bird.

^This is that UPS 767-300F that I pictured above as it taxis by on its way to the West Cargo complex.

^Last shot in this set (but not from this day), this was one of several go-arounds I'd seen. N133UP is an Airbus A300-600F that's been flying for UPS as a new build coming up on eight years now. There were multiple windshear alerts being issued at the tower by this point in the morning and it was going to get crazier........