DFW | April 2009 | Founders' Plaza

Sometimes early in the morning you get just the right kind of light for some nice shooting opportunities at Founders' Plaza. On this particular morning several weeks ago they were using 18R for takeoffs as well as landings as 18L, the usual departure runway on the west side, wasn't being used for reasons I'm not sure- maybe some inspection work, not sure, but it was only closed for about an hour.

That meant departing traffic would come that much closer to Founders' Plaza for departure. Above is an American 737-800 rolling out onto the end of 18R after receiving its takeoff clearance.

This aircraft is N944AN, built and delivered to American Airlines in August 2000. She was retrofitted with winglets in 2007.

I don't usually post pictures of MD-80s (the Ubiquitous-80) as they're so common and I use them to "practice" some new settings, but this made an interesting scene with two MD-80s side by side holding short of 18R for departure.

 Another "unique scene"- here while an American MD-80 awaits departure clearance short of 18R, a Martinaire Cessna 208 Caravan prepares to take the active runway for takeoff. Martinaire flies regional cargo flights, this particular Caravan was operating as Martinaire 803 and was headed for Springdale, Arkansas.

The heat haze look was from the jetwash of a previously departing aircraft.

Another routine morning cargo departure at DFW is this Ameriflight Metro III. At one time the Metro III (nicknamed the San Antonio Sewer Pipe as they were narrow and built by Swearingen in San Antonio) was a common commuter aircraft before larger aircraft more than 19 seats were allowed under deregulation.

There's not much out there that has the same high-pitched scream of a Metro III and its engines going to full power. It really evokes some childhood memories for me watching Air Midwest's Metro IIIs that served the small towns in Kansas I grew up in.

 Once 18L opened back up, this Delta MD-90 was the first to head out on that runway. The twin V2500 engines have just spooled up and I sorta liked how the jetwash was blurring out part of the background. This aircraft, N916DN, was built and delivered to Delta (the MD-90's launch customer) in October 1996.