DFW | April 2009 | Founders' Plaza

The 9th was a good day for spotting weatherwise- southerly winds, warm day, sunny...smells like a trip out to Founders' Plaza in the making....so I did. I had mentioned in a past posting that I dig 777s and 757s and I'll usually photograph a handful of American's each week. Here's the catches that particular day that came out nicely:

^This 777-200ER is N767AJ, a relative youngster in American's fleet, having been built in February 2006. You can see the reflection of the perimeter road in the underbelly as she comes in on short final.

^A unique 757 in American's fleet- this one with special markings for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer scheme. I knew about the six American Eagle ERJ-145s getting these markings and the single American 777, but didn't realize there was also a 757 as well. Guess I haven't been paying as close attention as I thought!  Notice the small pink ribbon markings on the aft fuselage above the cheatline as well as on the winglets.
This aircraft, N664AA, was built in February 1992 for American and was retrofitted with winglets about the same time it was painted in the pink ribbon markings last year.

^Obligatory opening shot of the UPS ramp- this MD-11F is N283UP and she's had quite a career before flying for UPS. Originally built in December 1991 for German leisure carrier LTU International, she then went to Swissair in 1998. Around 2004 or so she then flew for Air Namibia after spending short sojurn in open storage in the desert at Mojave. Sometime around early 2006 she was converted to a freighter by Aeronavili in Italy and delivered to UPS where she's flown ever since.

^I do so love the DC-9! This Northwest DC-9-30, N926NW, was built in April 1970 for JAT (Jugoslovenski Aerotransport) and sometime in the late 1980s it was sold to Northwest Airlines where she's flown ever since. This is the third different Northwest color scheme the aircraft has worn in her career with them.

^If you look closely, you can barely make out the smoke trail from those trusty old JT8D engines.

^American Eagle ERJ-145 N643AE with the special markings denoting it as the 200th ERJ-145 built by Embraer.

^When the winds are from the north, departing American Eagle ATR-72s will turn almost immediately to the west which brings them right over Founders' Plaza. This shot won't get on Airliners.net because it's not a perfect profile shot and no one can see the tail number, yada-yada-yada, but here's a different look than what's on most airliner photo websites.