Tag Archives: kpae

Finally I Have Avanti Success

I posted about a trip to Paine Field one evening to photograph an Avanti which was unsuccessful because the plane diverted back to Sacramento.  A little while later, I got a notification that it was due in again.  The arrival time was about 6:40.  With sunset just after 7 at that time, it had the potential to be very nice.  Of course, any delay could make it a bust.  I figured it was worth a shot and Nancy was fine with waiting from me to get back before having dinner!

The evening light was looking really good.  I practiced panning with some of the local traffic while watching for the progress of the Avanti.  It was on its way but arrival time was slipping a little.  It should still be okay.  Meanwhile, I noticed the progress of the shadows of some of the trees where I was as they crept closer to the runway.  It was going to be tight.  We would make sunset without a problem and there was no low cloud to cause concern but it was a risk that the tree shadows would be on the plane.

Nothing I could do about any of this and, with the plane still airborne as it was due to pass me (assuming that they didn’t land near the threshold), the chances are things would be okay.  I kept my eyes peeled for the sight of the Avanti lining up on approach. Eventually it came in to view and zipped down the glide slope.  By now the light was low and the shadows were creeping on to the runway but it made the silver of the airframe positively glow.  I clicked away as it came by and then I was done.  Back home for dinner!

Evening at Paine Field As A Consolation

I saw a notification that an Avanti was heading to Paine Field and due to arrive later in the evening and not long before sunset.  This seemed like an ideal opportunity.  I waited to see it depart from Mather Field in Sacramento and then got stuff ready to head up after dinner.  I made good time getting up there and the light was looking great.  Everything was on a northerly flow which was not what I had hoped for but never mind.  However, a quick check on my phone showed no sign of the Avanti.

Eventually I discovered that it had diverted back to Mather.  I don’t know the reasoning but it was on the ground down there and not close to arriving near me.  I was rather annoyed I hadn’t checked this out just before leaving because it would already have been back on the ground by then.  However, I was there and the light was nice so why not make the best of things.  A variety of planes were making the most of the conditions including a nice Stinson, some bizjets and a Horizon jet so it wasn’t a totally wasted trip.

777X Parking Lot

Boeing is not having a good time of it at the moment.  The 737 Max saga hurt it significantly and it is still getting in to delivering jets that have been stored for a long time.  Some countries have still not cleared it to fly.  Meanwhile, the 787 program is in a bit of a hole with a variety of quality problems showing up such that deliveries have almost ground to a halt.  Those two programs are supposed to be cash generators at the moment which allow investment in the next program.  The KC-46 is also not what you would call a success!

That program is the 777X and it is not going well either.  In the aftermath of the Max problems, the certification program is getting significantly dragged out.  Initially engine problems delayed first flight but now that is a distant memory as all sorts of other things are meaning that service entry is not likely until early 2024.  They should have been in service last year under the original plan.

Production of the last original 777s other than freighters is now complete and production of 777X airframes is well underway.  However, there is nothing to do with them for now so a steady stream of green airframes is piling up at Paine Field.  The cross runway (it doesn’t seem fair to call it a runway given that Boeing has used it as a parking lot for the last decade) is now filling up with airframes with weights where the engines would be and either no wing tips or they are covered with film to disguise the customer airline markings.  Line numbers are taped to the gear doors.  It all looks rather familiar and sad.  It will be a while before these jets are readied for customers and it will be interesting to see how many Paine Field can hold before the production line churns out even more of them than there is space for.

JetStar Prototype

I’ve seen the JetStar prototype a few times in various visits to the Museum of Flight restoration facility up at Paine Field.  The JetStar is a favorite of mine as might be determined by several of my posts over the years.  The prototype is a bit different, though.  It was built with two engines – Bristol Orpheus turbojets.  After the first two aircraft, the rest were four engined.  After it finished testing, it was used by Lockheed for transport duties.  It ended up in Vancouver before coming into the museum’s collection.  These shots are of it in the restoration shop.

Late Afternoon Light Aircraft Traffic at Paine Field

I have posted a few shots from a visit to Paine Field one evening when the light was really nice.  The bigger movements of that evening have got their own posts but there was a fair bit of light aircraft traffic that evening.  Some of these were vintage types or at least types that have been a round so long that they should probably qualify as vintage these days.  The warm, low light made for good shots of what otherwise might not be the most interesting of photo subjects.

Embraer Departing Paine Field

I was up at Paine Field one weekend morning awaiting a Dreamlifter movement – more of that in another post – and one of the local Embraer operations was departing while I was waiting.  Sure, an Embraer E175 is not the most exciting photo subject but I wasn’t doing anything else and the morning light was alright so why not get some shots of it as it taxied by and lined up to depart.

More Black Hawk Shots

I posted some shots of the Black Hawks that were delivering personnel to Paine Field for their onward flight in a USAF C-32.  There were only a few shots in that post, but I took a lot of photos of the Black Hawks as they made there approach.  Since there is a limit to what I get to shoot these days, I felt a post could certainly be made of some of the other shots from that day.  Nice evening light really helps a Black Hawk look good.

Dreamlifter Cheats Me

Dreamlifter operations at Paine Field are heavily curtailed these days.  No more 787s are being built there so no parts deliveries are required.  However, the jet is being used to deliver the occasional 767 cockpit section which means there are still occasions when they show up.  One morning, the light was great, and one was due in.  Moreover, the wind was from the north and the airport was on northerly flow, so it meant getting an approach shot was achievable.  I was ready and waiting.  However, despite the other ops being northerly, the Dreamlifter was sent to the north to make a southerly approach – maybe for the ILS?  I was at the wrong end.  It didn’t even taxi all the way to the end, so I only got it as it turned off a bit north of me.  These chances are not frequent, so I was pretty annoyed!

Early Pegasus Jets Getting Reworked

The KC-46 Pegasus program continues to be a problem for Boeing.  Delivery rates are lower than planned and articles describing the shortcomings in the jets continue to get circulated.  They have a long way to go, and Boeing is going to have to spend a lot more money before they are fully capable.  Meanwhile, jet do continue to be built and delivered.  The earliest jets were given civil registrations because they were undergoing a civil certification program as well as a military one.  Two of those jets are now back at Everett getting reworked – presumably because they will ultimately get delivered to the USAF.  I shot a couple of them on the airfield while up there one sunny weekend.

UPS 747-8F Test Flight

This was a bit of a mistake.  I saw a Boeing 747-8 was due for a flight at Paine Field.  The 747-8I that Lufthansa declined to take delivery of has been active recently and I thought this was it.  Instead, it was a freighter that was due for a short test flight.  Not what I had in mind but still not too bad.  It was another UPS jet.  There are some non-UPS 747s still to be built before the line is closed soon and I will want to see some of those.

It was early in the day so the light was best on the east side.  That limits your options but I got it taxiing down for departure and heading out.  It was a 30 minute flight so I got the return too before heading off.  I wish I hadn’t been so eager to get back because a Janet 737 showed up half an hour after I left!  Oh well.