DFW | April 2009 | Founders' Plaza

^American 176 Heavy from New Tokyo/Narita International is just seconds from concluding a long overnight flight.....this 777-200ER, N799AN, was built and delivered to American in February 2001.


^Another catch I've been trying to get for a long time now, this Aeromexico Travel MD-87 was operating as ATE6712 nonstop from Cancun, Mexico. Aeromexico Travel is the charter subsidiary for Aeromexico. The subsidiary has only three aircraft- two MD-83s and a single MD-87, XA-TXC, which is this aircraft.

It was one of the MD-87 prototypes before being delivered to Braathens who then passed it on to Transwede and until it came into possession of Aeromexico in 2003, it flew for a variety of European charter airlines including Spanair and Air Liberte.


^This is a little different view of a United Airlines 757-200 in the old blue/gray color scheme. Sometimes when the airport gets real busy, to keep things from backing up on the northwest hold pad for 18L, the tower will have some of the aircraft taxi across 18L, do a 180 degree turn and hold short of 18L on the opposite side.

This was United Flight 123 in the midst of that 180 degree turn. Her tail number is N566UA, built and delivered to United in October 1992, I think this flight was bound for San Francisco.


^Here's Griswold the Grizzly Bear of Frontier Airlines, N812FR, an Airbus A318, just seconds from touchdown on its morning run from Denver.


^This UPS A300-600F freighter arrived from Boston. Poor gal landed on the east side and taxied for what seemed like forever to get to the UPS ramp on the west side. For a freighter she's a youngster, N173UP was built and delivered to UPS in 2006.


^There was a time not long ago that not only were Delta's MD-88s a common sight at DFW, but there was also an MD-88 crew base here at one time before the hub got shut down. It was a very senior base, too- many Delta MD-88 captains nearing retirement ended up settling down here in North Texas. This aircraft, N961DL, was built and delivered to Delta back in 1990.


^An American 767-300, N373AA (built and delivered to American in 1992) starts its takeoff roll down 18L.


^I have been trying to shoot the UPS MD-11F on arrival, and was tracking this flight's inbound progress as UPS2917 from Ontario International in southern California...and then it goes and lands on 13R off to my south...dang it. But I did get as consolation this nice close up nose-on view as it taxied to its parking spot at the UPS cargo ramp. The spotting gods taketh, the spotting gods giveth....