DFW | January 2010 | Founders' Plaza | It was *so* cold.......

Had an hour to kill this afternoon between kids' activities and decided to swing by Founders' Plaza despite the fact that it was 26 degrees with a brisk north wind that had the wind chill down in the single digits. So the operative word here is to sit in a very warm car and only hop out for shots you *really* want. I wasn't expecting anything interesting, but the chilly weather we've had lent itself to a scene you don't really see much of at DFW.......

Deicing! Doesn't happen much in these parts and I wasn't expecting to see it, but lo and behold, there you have it. The afternoon MD-11F departure gets a hose down. Funny thing is that this particular MD-11F, N276UP, was originally built in March 1996 as a passenger MD-11 for Japan Air Lines and flew as JA8588. JAL called their MD-11s "J Birds" and each one had a different species of bird on the winglet, this one was a white-tailed eagle. Way back then, JAL's MD-11s were regulars at DFW and just maybe this is one that's come on back. Ahhhh, nostalgia. I was usually out on my lunch break when JAL's MD-11s arrived back then.




Here the other side of the aircraft gets treated. The poor guy had a difficult time getting the #2 intake as he was positioned in front of it and had to spray into the blustery north winds. I'm surprised he tried as much as he did before repositioning upwind from the tail section.

When they started the #3 engine, this enormous cloud of white smoke poured out of the engine. Not unusual if the engine has cold soaked (I think this aircraft had arrived the night before and there was some freezing rain last night, hence the need for deicing to get rid of the accumulated ice), but it's usually not cold enough here to see this happen a lot. I think it actually has to be a lot colder to see some flames shoot out, but not sure.

Start up of the #1 engine then resulted in more white smoke. Didn't seem as thick and heavy as it did for the #3 engine, don't know if the engine bleed air maybe pre-warmed this engine a bit?

And finally the #2 engine was started with all the white smoke that comes with a cold-soaked engine start.

This particular aircraft, N276UP, was converted to freighter configuration in August 2004 by Singapore Aerospace at Peya Lebar Airport for UPS.

DFW | May 2009 | Founders' Plaza | What can brown do for you?

Around 1030 or so a steady stream of UPS freighters starts arriving at DFW and that makes the UPS ramp adjacent to Founders' Plaza a beehive of activity until right after lunch time. If you dig cargo birds, then that's one of the prime spotting times at DFW. These are all shots from just one day right before lunch back in May:

First of the lunch rush at the UPS ramp, this is N435UP, a 757-200PF (Package Freighter) that was built and delivered to UPS back in October of 1993. She's just nosing into her parking space and you can see other rampers heading out to marshall in the other arriving UPS flights.

Too bad the day was so hazy, this would have been a much better shot, but here's the UPS flight that arrives from Ontario, California, daily at DFW. This MD-11F, N253UP, was built originally as a passenger aircraft for Varig Brasil in September 1993 and was converted to freighter configuration by Singapore Air Services Company at Paya Lebar Airport there for UPS. Notice that her #1 and #3 engines have different exhaust spikes. Don't see that very often that two different versions of the GE CF6-80C2 are used on the wing engines. Usually if one engine is different, it's installed on the #2 tail position.

N253UP just seconds from touchdown on 18R with the International Terminal in the background......

Hot on the heels of a UPS MD-11F comes a UPS A300-600F from Boston that's still in the old colors. This aircraft, N144UP, was built and delivered to UPS in February 2002. In a few seconds, the spoilers across the wings will deploy.....

This UPS 767-300F arrived on 13L just before the UPS MD-11F and A300-600F and got to the UPS ramp first. This particular Boeing freighter, N322UP, was built and delivered to UPS in November 1997. Behind it entering the ramp is the MD-11F N253UP.

N253UP starts its turn into its parking space while behind her the A300-600F N144UP enters the UPS ramp.

Close up shot of N144UP as it turns a stone's throw from Founders' Plaza onto the north ramp of the UPS facility.

Bringing up the rear of the late morning UPS conga line at DFW, N151UP is an A300-600 this time in the current newer colors, built and delivered to UPS in April 2003. I think this flight came in from UPS' main hub at Louisville.

Some UPS birds framing American Airlines line maintenance hangars and the West Tower at DFW. I liked how this one came out, I'll probably get it enlarged to hang on my walls.

DFW | April 2009 | Founders' Plaza | Saying goodbye to a grand old lady...

Due to the ongoing economic situation, UPS recently retired its DC-8 fleet sooner than anticipated with the last UPS DC-8 flight taking place on May 12. I thought that April 16 was the last time I'd seen the UPS DC-8, but going through my photos tonight I've found a set of shots that would be the last time I'd be seeing UPS's venerable old DC-8s 'round these parts ever. These shots were taken on a gloomy afternoon on April 30 from Founders' Plaza:

This particular aircraft is N894UP, built in July 1969 as a DC-8-63CF for charter airline Capitol Airlines. In 1984 she was to have been sold to Evergreen, but the deal fell through and she ultimately ended up with UPS who had her converted to Super Seventy standards with the re-engining to more efficient CFM56 engines.

The last information I have she is in open storage at UPS's hub in Louisville.