A few weeks ago I was transiting Chicago enroute to Europe for the Austrian GP and had a 5-hour layover that gave me the chance to watch a few birds come and go. With my flight being on LOT, I had no choice but to go to Terminal 5 to catch my flight which in turn gave me a great angle of the Southern East-West runways that most international arriving and departing flights use due to the proximity to the terminal.
For those of you inclined, the best vantage point tends to between Gates M13 and M15 due to their angle to the runway which gives you a wide perspective for arrivals and departures. I spent the bulk of the 5 hours there (with visits to the SWISS, Air France/KLM, and SAS lounges along the way). Yes AF/KLM because LOT contracts with KLM for their Business Class passengers. But take my word for it, you can skip the AF/KLM lounge. SWISS is much better primarily because of their food offerings (Oreos!).
Anyway, here are a few favorites from Terminal 5……
Bound for Delhi, Air India’s 777
A 787 wears the AA livery beautifully….
Another nice 787 moment….
Sporting the refreshed Austrian livery, their 777 arrives from Vienna
Next stop, Hong Kong
China Eastern 777 arriving from Shanghai
Korean 777 climbs towards Seoul
My ride to WAW
LH’s 747-8i has a way to sniff me out every time I’m in ORD……
Qatari arrival from Doha
Speedbird photobombed by Air India.
Though not a heavy, when’s the last time that you’ve seen a TWA livery?
