I was out at Founders' Plaza recently (and I should point out the sun canopies are back up, hooray) and overhead the following on the West Approach frequencies:
Approach: American 2436, maintain your current heading and speed but I'll have you turn south of NETEE over the lake for visual approach to One-Eight Right for noise abatement.
American 2436: Current heading and speed, turn south of NETEE and we'll wake up the fish, American 2436.
Approach: (chuckle) After doing that, contact Tower 124.15........
In an ILS approach, most of the flights bound for 18R turn onto the glideslope north of NETEE- I live in Flower Mound on the north side of Grapevine Lake and see them all the time turning from base to final. On bad weather days/IMC, they'll often intercept the glideslope much further north, sometimes as far north as YOHAN just south of Lake Lewisville.
27 March 2010
20 February 2010
DFW | February 2010 | Founders' Plaza | What the hell is ALL this white stuff?
Spot in VFR? Check.
Spot in 110 degree temps and get sunburned? Check.
Spot in single digit windchills? Check.
Spot in IFR? Check.
Spot in a thunderstorm? Check.
Spot in a snowstorm? Dammit, did that on the day of DFW's epic 12 inch snowstorm, too. 'Cause that's how I roll.
It started snowing at 0300 local time that day and it wasn't too bad in the morning as I took the kids to school. And of course, I was going to swing by Founders' Plaza at DFW on the way back home as I figured it might make for an interesting exercise in photography as I've found it's in the crummy weather conditions that push me to really experiment with different combinations of settings. So I spent about an hour to catch some morning action on the west side of DFW from Founders' before I had to cash in my chips and bail as the snow got heavier and visibilities dropped as heavy snow AND fog set in.
This was the METAR when I got there:
KDFW 111353Z 12006KT 3/4SM R17C/6000VP6000FT -SN BR OVC003 00/M01 A3009
Obligatory shot of the UPS ramp, this was around 0800. The MD-11F arrived the previous night and doesn't head out until later in the afternoon, but two A300-600Fs were being loaded up and prepared for departure.
It looked like they were about 1/2 of the way through loading this Airbus freighter. Notice how the snow has melted on the top of the fuselage where the aircraft structure is under the skin. I'm assuming that's from conductive heating from the interior? Couldn't make out the tail number, snow was covering that part of the fuselage.
There was a lot of activity on the Ameriflight/Martinaire ramp that's just to the west of the UPS ramp. Decing. This was the first of the planes out of the ramp, an Ameriflight Beech C99. This particular bird, N223BH, was built back in 1981 and has been in service with Ameriflight since June 1992. The orange staining is the deicing fluid.
"American 632, cleared to land One-Eight Right RVR five-thousand, braking action fair to good."
This particular MD-82, N489AA, was built and delivered to American back in January 1989 when I still sported a Flock of Seagulls haircut. In addition to the snow falling, fog was beginning to set in and the condensation clouds on the wings of the arriving flights began to get more prominent.
"American 2407, position and hold One-Eight Left, be ready to go when I call you back. Amflight 1722, hold short on Whiskey Golf for One-Eight Left."
This shows how challenging the visibility was with the snowfall. That Ameriflight Beech 99 was the one I posted above, N223BH. The American 737-800 was headed to Los Angeles and the Ameriflight Beech 99 was headed to Amarillo.
Here's something not often seen from Founders' Plaza- three cargo turboprops just sitting at the Taxiway C and Taxiway Y intersection. Two Ameriflight Swearingen Metroliners and a single Martinaire Cessna Caravan. I'm assuming they were waiting on their IFR clearance? Only one of the Metroliners made it out, though.
The snow started getting heavier when this other Martinaire Cessna 208B Caravan headed out. This particular aircraft, N4591B, was built and delivered to Martinaire in July 2004.
Hot on the heels of that Martinaire Caravan was this Ameriflight Beech C99- N228BH was built in 1986 and has been with Ameriflight since March 2004. Seeing the Metroliners and Beech 99s was quite nostalgiac for me, I grew up in Western Kansas and as a kid in the mid-1970s, Air Midwest's Metroliners and Beech 99s were our airport's "heavy metal".
One of DFW's heavy fire trucks heads out on an emergency call while an American MD-80 gets into position for departure off 18L.
By this point the weather was really starting to go south. No wind, thank God, but the snow was getting heavier and the RVRs were dropping below 3000 feet. These three guys elected to call it a day and head back to the ramp- a Martinaire Cessna Caravan, an Ameriflight Swearingen Metroliner, and bringing up the rear of the conga line was an Ameriflight Beech 1900C. Not sure where the 1900C came from, it might have been already out waiting for departure when I got to Founders' Plaza. Two of these guys were in that group I pictured above that were waiting at a taxiway intersection.
You can see the snow accumulation on this Ameriflight Metroliner. Perhaps that was why they headed back, to get another deicing application? This particular bird, N428MA, was built back in 1986 and has been flying with Ameriflight since March 1998.
Shooting was getting hard by this point. This Ameriflight Beech 1900C, N331AF, was built in 1985 and has been flying with Ameriflight since January 1996.
I was getting ready to pack it up and head home as I was cold and a bit soaked when I heard on my scanner "EVA 696 Heavy maintain 3000 to YOHAN and get established on the localizer for ILS One-Eight Right, you're following an MD-80." Well, okay, what's a few more minutes? Here she is breaking out of the overcast on short final.
EVA696 was coming in from Anchorage and the pilots were probably thinking "Dammit, the weather was waaaaay nicer in Alaska than here!" This particular EVA Air Cargo bird, tail number B-16401, was built and delivered to EVA Air as a passenger 747-400 back in October 1992. Between November 2007 and June 2008 she was laid up at IAI's Bedek Division in Tel Aviv being converted to freighter configuration as a 747-400(BDSF)- Bedek Division Special Freighter.
And here she is just about to come over the threshold of 18R (the line of green lights on the lower right of the picture). The condensation cloud over the wings completely obscured the mid-fuselage and "EVA" titles.
Lest you think me nuts for spotting in this weather, I wasn't the only spotter out there this morning. I present a fellow airport nerd and photographer.
Oh, and for good measure, our very own mascot Spotting Grackle was there, too. He ain't afraid of some pissant snowflakes. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna get shown up by Spotting Grackle.
Spot in 110 degree temps and get sunburned? Check.
Spot in single digit windchills? Check.
Spot in IFR? Check.
Spot in a thunderstorm? Check.
Spot in a snowstorm? Dammit, did that on the day of DFW's epic 12 inch snowstorm, too. 'Cause that's how I roll.
It started snowing at 0300 local time that day and it wasn't too bad in the morning as I took the kids to school. And of course, I was going to swing by Founders' Plaza at DFW on the way back home as I figured it might make for an interesting exercise in photography as I've found it's in the crummy weather conditions that push me to really experiment with different combinations of settings. So I spent about an hour to catch some morning action on the west side of DFW from Founders' before I had to cash in my chips and bail as the snow got heavier and visibilities dropped as heavy snow AND fog set in.
This was the METAR when I got there:
KDFW 111353Z 12006KT 3/4SM R17C/6000VP6000FT -SN BR OVC003 00/M01 A3009
Obligatory shot of the UPS ramp, this was around 0800. The MD-11F arrived the previous night and doesn't head out until later in the afternoon, but two A300-600Fs were being loaded up and prepared for departure.
It looked like they were about 1/2 of the way through loading this Airbus freighter. Notice how the snow has melted on the top of the fuselage where the aircraft structure is under the skin. I'm assuming that's from conductive heating from the interior? Couldn't make out the tail number, snow was covering that part of the fuselage.
There was a lot of activity on the Ameriflight/Martinaire ramp that's just to the west of the UPS ramp. Decing. This was the first of the planes out of the ramp, an Ameriflight Beech C99. This particular bird, N223BH, was built back in 1981 and has been in service with Ameriflight since June 1992. The orange staining is the deicing fluid.
"American 632, cleared to land One-Eight Right RVR five-thousand, braking action fair to good."
This particular MD-82, N489AA, was built and delivered to American back in January 1989 when I still sported a Flock of Seagulls haircut. In addition to the snow falling, fog was beginning to set in and the condensation clouds on the wings of the arriving flights began to get more prominent.
"American 2407, position and hold One-Eight Left, be ready to go when I call you back. Amflight 1722, hold short on Whiskey Golf for One-Eight Left."
This shows how challenging the visibility was with the snowfall. That Ameriflight Beech 99 was the one I posted above, N223BH. The American 737-800 was headed to Los Angeles and the Ameriflight Beech 99 was headed to Amarillo.
Here's something not often seen from Founders' Plaza- three cargo turboprops just sitting at the Taxiway C and Taxiway Y intersection. Two Ameriflight Swearingen Metroliners and a single Martinaire Cessna Caravan. I'm assuming they were waiting on their IFR clearance? Only one of the Metroliners made it out, though.
The snow started getting heavier when this other Martinaire Cessna 208B Caravan headed out. This particular aircraft, N4591B, was built and delivered to Martinaire in July 2004.
Hot on the heels of that Martinaire Caravan was this Ameriflight Beech C99- N228BH was built in 1986 and has been with Ameriflight since March 2004. Seeing the Metroliners and Beech 99s was quite nostalgiac for me, I grew up in Western Kansas and as a kid in the mid-1970s, Air Midwest's Metroliners and Beech 99s were our airport's "heavy metal".
One of DFW's heavy fire trucks heads out on an emergency call while an American MD-80 gets into position for departure off 18L.
By this point the weather was really starting to go south. No wind, thank God, but the snow was getting heavier and the RVRs were dropping below 3000 feet. These three guys elected to call it a day and head back to the ramp- a Martinaire Cessna Caravan, an Ameriflight Swearingen Metroliner, and bringing up the rear of the conga line was an Ameriflight Beech 1900C. Not sure where the 1900C came from, it might have been already out waiting for departure when I got to Founders' Plaza. Two of these guys were in that group I pictured above that were waiting at a taxiway intersection.
You can see the snow accumulation on this Ameriflight Metroliner. Perhaps that was why they headed back, to get another deicing application? This particular bird, N428MA, was built back in 1986 and has been flying with Ameriflight since March 1998.
Shooting was getting hard by this point. This Ameriflight Beech 1900C, N331AF, was built in 1985 and has been flying with Ameriflight since January 1996.
I was getting ready to pack it up and head home as I was cold and a bit soaked when I heard on my scanner "EVA 696 Heavy maintain 3000 to YOHAN and get established on the localizer for ILS One-Eight Right, you're following an MD-80." Well, okay, what's a few more minutes? Here she is breaking out of the overcast on short final.
EVA696 was coming in from Anchorage and the pilots were probably thinking "Dammit, the weather was waaaaay nicer in Alaska than here!" This particular EVA Air Cargo bird, tail number B-16401, was built and delivered to EVA Air as a passenger 747-400 back in October 1992. Between November 2007 and June 2008 she was laid up at IAI's Bedek Division in Tel Aviv being converted to freighter configuration as a 747-400(BDSF)- Bedek Division Special Freighter.
And here she is just about to come over the threshold of 18R (the line of green lights on the lower right of the picture). The condensation cloud over the wings completely obscured the mid-fuselage and "EVA" titles.
Lest you think me nuts for spotting in this weather, I wasn't the only spotter out there this morning. I present a fellow airport nerd and photographer.
Oh, and for good measure, our very own mascot Spotting Grackle was there, too. He ain't afraid of some pissant snowflakes. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna get shown up by Spotting Grackle.
01 February 2010
DAL | Love Field Terminal Modernization Project
The Love Field Modernization Project now has their own website and I have to say I'm impressed with what I see so far. It's going to be quite a construction project as I understand it will be built in phases with flights moved gradually from the current Southwest concourse to the new concourse. During the transition period some flights will be using progressively more and more of the new terminal as it's completed. Some of the images from that site:
28 January 2010
DFW | January 2010 | Founders' Plaza | It's IMC below 1000' AGL......
Last Wednesday we had a bit of a temperature inversion that had a thick layer of ground fog about a 1000 feet or so thick but VMC conditions above that point. With the rising sun, it made for some unusual shooting conditions at Founders' Plaza that I thought might be fun.
It was too foggy to get a good shot of the registration numbers for either of these two birds. As an American MD-80 lands on 18R, an Airborne Express 767-200F with a yellow rudder from the DHL livery starts its takeoff run on 18L.
Beacon flash! As the sun starts rising, it started to give a slight orange hue to the fog. There were higher clouds that occasionally would cover the sun and give you more of the bluish-depressed look. Here a United A320 gets into position from the NW hold pad onto 18L for departure. This particular United Airbus, N429UA, was built and delivered to United back in May 1995.
The humid air provided an opportunity to try and photograph the low pressure condensation clouds that form over the wings on landing aircraft. As non-standard American tail numbers always get my attention, I had to shoot this MD-80- this is N9426T, an MD-83 built and delivered originally in September 1998 to Trans World Airlines and now flying with American post-merger/acquisition/Borg assimilation of TWA.
"EVA 692 Heavy, cleared to land Runway One-Eight Right, RVR more than six-thousand feet......"
This EVA Air Cargo 747-400BDSF (Bedek Division Special Freighter) came in from Seattle.
This particular aircraft, B-16402, was originally built and delivered to EVA Air of Taiwan as a passenger 747-400. Between June and November 2007 she was converted to freighter configuration by IAI Bedek Division in Tel Aviv.
Note the vortex highlighted by the condensation cloud coming off the mid-wing area! First time I've managed to catch that. Cool. It only shows up as the 747s are making their flare as the angle of attack on the wings increases.
The fog got a bit thicker as the sun got higher in the early morning sky. I can't make out the tail number on this American 737-800 that was asked by DFW West Tower to "position and hold on 18L".
"American 176 Heavy cleared to land One-Eight Right, RVR more than six-thousand feet...." Arriving right on the dot at 830am is American's regular Boeing 777-200ER service, Flight 176, from New Tokyo Narita International (RJAA).
On short final, N793AN shows off it's low pressure condensation cloud. It's actually much more impressive further back from short final, there have been days so humid the 777's condensation cloud will look like a waterfall spilling back off the lowered flaps. This particular 777 was built and delivered to American in September 2000.
At this point in the morning they closed 18L for departures and moved the next bank of departures to 18R (and closer to Founders' Plaza). Operating as Skywest 4745, N821SK takes up position on 18R to await departure clearance. This particular CRJ-900 in Skywest's 35th Anniversary livery was built and delivered to Skywest in April 2007 and has been operating under the Delta Connection banner since then.
You'd think crappy vision conditions like this would dissuade most photographers, but this guy was one of three of us spotting that morning in the muck. He had the biggest glass on hand, though. That's one of the great things about coming out to Founders' Plaza as a planespotter and photographer. I've met plenty of like-minded folks out there who enjoy spotting and photography as much as I do.
It was too foggy to get a good shot of the registration numbers for either of these two birds. As an American MD-80 lands on 18R, an Airborne Express 767-200F with a yellow rudder from the DHL livery starts its takeoff run on 18L.
Beacon flash! As the sun starts rising, it started to give a slight orange hue to the fog. There were higher clouds that occasionally would cover the sun and give you more of the bluish-depressed look. Here a United A320 gets into position from the NW hold pad onto 18L for departure. This particular United Airbus, N429UA, was built and delivered to United back in May 1995.
The humid air provided an opportunity to try and photograph the low pressure condensation clouds that form over the wings on landing aircraft. As non-standard American tail numbers always get my attention, I had to shoot this MD-80- this is N9426T, an MD-83 built and delivered originally in September 1998 to Trans World Airlines and now flying with American post-merger/acquisition/Borg assimilation of TWA.
"EVA 692 Heavy, cleared to land Runway One-Eight Right, RVR more than six-thousand feet......"
This EVA Air Cargo 747-400BDSF (Bedek Division Special Freighter) came in from Seattle.
This particular aircraft, B-16402, was originally built and delivered to EVA Air of Taiwan as a passenger 747-400. Between June and November 2007 she was converted to freighter configuration by IAI Bedek Division in Tel Aviv.
Note the vortex highlighted by the condensation cloud coming off the mid-wing area! First time I've managed to catch that. Cool. It only shows up as the 747s are making their flare as the angle of attack on the wings increases.
The fog got a bit thicker as the sun got higher in the early morning sky. I can't make out the tail number on this American 737-800 that was asked by DFW West Tower to "position and hold on 18L".
"American 176 Heavy cleared to land One-Eight Right, RVR more than six-thousand feet...." Arriving right on the dot at 830am is American's regular Boeing 777-200ER service, Flight 176, from New Tokyo Narita International (RJAA).
On short final, N793AN shows off it's low pressure condensation cloud. It's actually much more impressive further back from short final, there have been days so humid the 777's condensation cloud will look like a waterfall spilling back off the lowered flaps. This particular 777 was built and delivered to American in September 2000.
At this point in the morning they closed 18L for departures and moved the next bank of departures to 18R (and closer to Founders' Plaza). Operating as Skywest 4745, N821SK takes up position on 18R to await departure clearance. This particular CRJ-900 in Skywest's 35th Anniversary livery was built and delivered to Skywest in April 2007 and has been operating under the Delta Connection banner since then.
You'd think crappy vision conditions like this would dissuade most photographers, but this guy was one of three of us spotting that morning in the muck. He had the biggest glass on hand, though. That's one of the great things about coming out to Founders' Plaza as a planespotter and photographer. I've met plenty of like-minded folks out there who enjoy spotting and photography as much as I do.
23 January 2010
DFW | January 2010 | Founders' Plaza | A few more from the first spotting day of the new year....
Here's a little different format, panoramic but not multiple shots stitched but rather the quick and dirty way, crop to panoramic. This is N262AA, an MD-82 built and delivered to American Airlines in March 1985.
N384AA takes position on 18L and awaits departure clearance from the tower. This Boeing 767-300ER was built and delivered to American in August 1993.
You don't usually see an A300 freighter parked in this particular spot at the UPS ramp, much less still unbuttoned. This is N162UP, an A300F-600R built and delivered to UPS in December 2004
Last of this set, this is N759AN headed to the American line maintenance hangars on the west side. Built and delivered to American in November 2001, this Boeing 777-200ER got its special Susan G. Komen breast cancer awareness livery in October 2008.
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