DFW | April 2009 | 31L Arrivals | Part 4

Here's the last set from this past April's crazy crosswind day:

^Right after lunch there's about three UPS flights that come in in rapid succession. This is N301UP, a 767-300F that was built in 1995 and has been flying with UPS since then.


^It took a lot of tweaking in Photoshop to make this shot somewhat presentable....but I like the angles and set up of a UPS A300-600F on short final as the China Airlines Cargo 747-400F awaits its turn for takeoff. The sun angles were less favorable after lunchtime and the parking lot area of the Minters Chapel Cemetery would have been better, but you can't see the touchdown and rollouts on 31L and the just as nice taxi-back.


^N129HQ is an ERJ-175 flying with Republic Airlines under the US Airways Express banner. The fuselage stretch of the 175 is barely perceptible over that of the 170 to my eye.


^*Finally* got a picture of the American Astrojet 737-800 at DFW....the flagship schemed 757 has long been since repainted, it's always nice to see that N951AA still wears the Astrojet retro colors. This particular aircraft was built in 2000 and initially didn't have winglets. Those were retrofitted just in the last two years.


^American's 777-200ER N752AN prepares for departure. This 777 was built and delivered to American in 2001. I seem to never get tired of seeing American's 777s and 757s.


^I always enjoy seeing Frontier's wildlife-themed aircraft. This A319, N918FR, features "Jake" the White-Tail Deer.


^N566AN is a relatively young 737-800, having only joined Alaska's fleet in 2007. After what seemed like a flawless touchdown in gusty winds, the aircraft bounced twice.


^If they were going to plant both mains on the runway, they usually came down a bit hard and threw up quite a cloud of burnt rubber in the process. This American 757-200, N968AN, was no exception and it made for some interesting shots in the process. This aircraft was built and delivered to American in 1994 and retrofitted with winglets just in the last year and a half.


^This aircraft, XA-UBX, is a four year old A318 flying for Mexicana. I don't really care for this particular color scheme as it's bland and uninspring, but regardless of colors, any aircraft taxiing this close to me is a-okay in my book. For that moment, at least.


^Last shot of the day before I had to jet off and pick up the kids from school, the Alaska 737-800 here taxiing back and headed to the terminal complex. Notice the Alaska Airlines' 75th Anniversary marking by the passenger door.

DFW | April 2009 | 31L Arrivals | Part 3

More goodness from last April's DFW crosswind day:




^The great thing about getting a big chunk of the day to sit out and watch 31L ops is that some planes passed me three times- once to land, once to taxi back, and a third time for departure. This particular aircraft, B-16109, was a purpose-built MD-11F for EVA Air that first took to the air in 1997 that I had shot on its arrival.

^I love this scheme. Green is a color that you don't see very often in the airline world and definitely you don't see this much green on aircraft. It suits the MD-11F's lines well. Here she is taking position on the end of 31L for departure.


^That's how she rolls, baby! Off and running, I *think* our EVA Air Cargo service stops in Seattle on its way to Taipei. We also get EVA's 747-400Fs here at DFW as well. But I like the MD-11F's look, even if the plane's got a truckload of design issues.


^N817SK is a two year old CRJ-900 flying for Skywest under the Delta Connection banner. This one made one hell of a landing in some atrocious wind gusts- if I were on this flight or operating this flight, I'd have to change my underwear.


^Duo shot of an American Eagle ERJ-145 taxiing by while one of the uber-ubiquitous American MD-80s lands. Notice the bank angle on the American MD-80, there was a lot of landings on one main first this particular day.


^Case in point that illustrates the challenges of that day, N466UA, an eight and a half year old A320 for United, just seconds away from a less-than-ideal landing on 31L.


^China Airlines Cargo 747-400F heads out for departure while a UPS 767-300F is on short final. The sun angles by this time of the day weren't ideal for photography, but no one there spotting or shooting pictures moved to the Minters Chapel Cemetery as the landings were too interesting to watch from our current vantage point.


^The same United A320 that I photographed landing now taxis past our vantage point. Time for a wash, she's lookin' a bit grimy.


^I kinda like this shot of the United A320 taxiing to the gate while the China Airlines Cargo 747-400F is heading out.


^Here's the China Airlines Cargo 747-400F rolling onto 31L to take it's position for takeoff.

DFW | April 2009 | 31L Arrivals | Part 2

^N398AN is a 767-300 that's ten years old and flying for American all its life. Here it is taking 31L after receiving its takeoff clearance. About this point some spotty rain showers moved through the area, but even light rain feels like sandblasting when it's driven by 40+mph winds. One spotter was crouched down using his car as a wind/rain break while he continued to shoot pictures!



^US Airways 737-300 crosses the threshold while an American Eagle ATR-72 waits its turn for takeoff. N166AW was built in 1986 and flew for America West before the merger with US Airways. It was even leased out for a time to Ansett Australia.


^That UPS A300-600F that I previously posted (N133UP) that had to go-around due to wind shear finally landed and here it is headed past our vantage point to the West Cargo complex.


^Chautauqua Airlines ERJ-145 operating as Continental Express- prior to 2007, Chautauqua operated N286SK under the US Airways Express banner.


^Bit of a hairy landing for this NWA Airlink CRJ-900 (N922XJ is flown by Mesaba for Northwest) as it lands on one main. Landings like this weren't all that unusual this particular day. At one point the wind got so bad that flights were electing to hold in hopes of the wind dissipating. It wasn't unusual to see 15+ aircraft all in line waiting to take off on 31L. 


^N638RW flies for Shuttle America under the United Express banner. I was surprised at the number of ERJ-170 flights we get at DFW- there was a time when the first ERJ-170 service got a lot of attention from the local spotting community. That was when Founders' Plaza was still located on the SE side of DFW.


^N690AE is another one of American Eagle's Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness jets...this one taking its position short of 31L to await its turn. Listening in on the scanner, while this aircraft was #6 in line, the winds were gusting to near 50mph and this aircraft's flight crew were discussing with the tower a return to the gate as the conditions were beyond their comfort level.


^US Airways' N166AW that I had already posted on its arrival heads back out for the return trip to Phoenix. The building complex in the background is the Simuflite center on the corner of West Airfield Drive and Glade Rd.


^The same United Express ERJ-170 I posted earlier also heads back out, taking position next to an American MD-82 at the hold line to 31L.


^N589SW is an early vintage CRJ-100 (it was built in 1995) that has been flying for Comair for Delta Connection. Prior to that it flew with Skywest, but still under the Delta Connection banner.

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........