One afternoon last April I was at Founders' Plaza and I then saw the North American 767-300 push back from Terminal B. I wasn't sure if it was going to depart off 36R, in which case I should stay put at Founders' Plaza, or get sent to the east side for departure. I have plenty of shots of it arriving in the morning but hadn't caught it departing, so I got the kids buckled up and car ready as I watched it taxi down. Once I saw it turn east to go over the bridges, I hustled it over to the Whataburger parking lot by Freeport Parkway and SH114. The sun angle was lousy as the 767 was going to be between me and the sun, but surprisingly, the shots turned out okay by my book:
^Unlike North American's other 767-300s, this one has been flying with a solid blue tail that doesn't have the American flag marking on it. I wonder if that's on purpose to reduce its visibility overseas on trooping charters?
^This particular aircraft, N769NA, has had quite a career. A 767-300ER originally built for British leisure carrier Britannia Airways and was leased out to quite a few other charter airlines including Aeris and Blue Panorama and even flew a stint with Garuda Indonesia before coming home to roost in North American's fleet for good around 2007 or so where she's been flying military trooping charters.
I often see this aircraft on arrival- bringing soldiers home on leave from overseas. This was the first time I'd caught a departure and I'm sure there were a lot of families left behind at Terminal B worried about loved ones departing back to Iraq and Afghanistan.
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