As luck would have it I’m in the right place at the right time….
I am spending a few days in Everett, Washington to take in Plane Spotting at Paine Field. This morning, I parked my car a bit before sunrise and within an hour I would be surprised with what came out from behind the ‘curtain’.
So without further rambling, I introduce you (and the world) to the newly completed D-ABYR fresh from the paint booth, including a 2 minute video showing the Push Back. Most of the photos are shot at 600mm with Sigma’s new 150-600. I can’t say I’m disappointed with the sharpness. My love affair with the lens continues!
BTW, pardon the soundtrack on the video. I needed to cover up ‘someone’s’ constant breathing into the microphone! 🙂
Hello World! The very first images of D-ABYR as she is pushed out of the Boeing Paint Booth. Taken at 600mm, cropped 75%, but acceptable…
A bit more of D-ABYR as the push back continues.
Preparing for tow to parking.
Pardon the United 787-9
Now she awaits her inaugural flight in the coming days…..
When I was at Paine Field a couple of weeks ago, I was able to get a glimpse of what was one of the most powerful radial engine aircraft during World War II. The aircraft, a Focke-Wulf FW190, belongs to Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection and is the world’s only FW190 that still flies. After seeing it for the first time and mentioning that fact to local spotters that I met during the weekend, they offered up a fantastic story about this specific aircraft. I looked up the history of the aircraft on the Flying Heritage Collection website to confirm the details:
This aircraft was built in 1943 and entered service with the German Air Force’s Jagdgeschwader (fighter wing) 54 based near Leningrad. Shortly after entering service, she was shot down during a raid on a Soviet train and had crash landed in a marsh field. The pilot was able to survive the landing but was captured by the Soviet Army and became a Prisoner of War until the early 1950s.
The FW190 high above Paine Field
Over the next 40-45 years, the aircraft laid untouched in the marshes and had become overgrown with trees and vegetation. After being discovered in the late 1980s by a ‘War Bird Hunter’, she was transported to England and then to the USA for a complete restoration which was completed in 2010.
An interesting part of this story was according to the actual pilot who crash landed the FW190, it was found EXACTLY as he had left it, including the hat that he left behind on his seat. Literally no one saw or touched this plane for 40+ years. Today you can see and hear her taking to the air at Paine Field.
Here is a video that shows her discovery by Russian War Bird Hunters:
I arrived in Seattle late on the afternoon of June 19 and after dealing with Seattle’s miserable traffic, I finally got to Paine Field in the early evening so there was not much to see as far as traffic coming and going. However, the flight line was full of aircraft destined for a wide variety of airlines. One thing that struck me was the number of 787s that were present. The 787s easily made up 70-80% of the aircraft sitting on the various ramps. The 747-8i and -8F made up most of the difference aside from 1 or 2 777s. Seeing this reminded me a bit of Henry Ford’s attitude: “You can have any color on your car, as long as it’s black”. Boeing’s version would be “You can buy any airplane you want as long as it’s a 787”. It is nice to see the 787 continue to gain acceptance despite some of her early growing pains.
The highlight from yesterday’s abridged plane spotting was ironically a non-Boeing moment. At 9:00p, an Antonov AN-124 arrived from Columbus, Ohio’s Rickenbacker Air Force Base. Interestingly, the aircraft did not go to a ramp for parking, but rather was parked on a taxiway, surrounded by boeing vehicles. I speculate, but perhaps there were some pieces and parts aboard not designed for public viewing. I say this because Boeing has a VERY SECURE area within its assembly building where access is limited to the military and their contractors. Basically, it is the area where the 767s are being built to military specs to be used as tankers, so some secrecy is warranted.
Below are a few shots from the 2 hours or so that I had at Paine. Today (and tommorow!), I plan on spending virtually the entire day along side the runway hoping to catch a few great shots. If it works out, I’ll be back with some great shots…. 🙂
This 747-8F was previously decorated in a special Seattle Seahawks livery.
United’s First 787-900 (a bit blurry due to how far away she was parked!)
Right before sunset, the sun broke out behind a dark cloud cover to create some great light effects.
Lufthansa’s next 747-8i, D-ABYP, is also Boeing’s 1500th 747 to roll off the line. ‘YP’ will fly home on June 28 after Boeing commemorates the occasion on June 27.
British Airways’ next 787 receives her finishing touches.
This AN124 was the highlight of day 1. About 30-40 people turned out watch the arrival at 9:00p.
It is unusual to see an uncovered/unpainted aircraft in the open. Typically they have a green coating to protect the surface. My best guess is that this 747-8i belongs to Air China (Vertical Stabilizer provides a hint). Please correct me if I am wrong.
This 787, sporting Boeing’s newest ‘Incognito’ livery, belongs to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Finance Ministry.