Tag Archives: md-11

Anchorage Jets

A step back in time to the mid 2000s.  I had a work trip to Anchorage having been invited up by a potential client to discuss their business.  We lived in Chicago at the time and I needed to fly to Seattle to connect to Anchorage.  (Interestingly, the return leg was possible to make direct overnight.). I had not expected Anchorage airport to be too much.  I knew, even then, that it was a hub for freight traffic across the Pacific but I did not think it would be that busy.

When we landed and I walked down the jet bridge, I looked out of the window to see rows of 747s, MD-11s and DC-10s.  It was quite an eye-opener to see just how many large jets were laying over there.  There was a steady stream of movements too.  These planes were not just waiting around for business.  The airport downtown was another reminder with everyone I spoke to in the bar being a crew on layover.

The meetings went well but didn’t lead to anything.  The timing of the trips meant I had some time to kill so I spent a bit of time out at the airport watching the arrivals and departures.  There were the unusual locals that Alaska is known for and the props will definitely be worth a separate post.  For this one I shall share the jets that came and went.  Many of these are types or operators that have ceased to be.  It was a great thing to see and I’m glad I got the chance to be there, however briefly.  A specific trip up is something I would like to try and do at some point.  All those Alaska Airlines points have got to be worth something!

UPS Evening Arrivals

Founders’ Plaza sits at the northwest corner of DFW.  It is just north of the UPS ramp.  As the light was getting good just prior to disappearing in the evening, UPS had scheduled a couple of arrivals.  The first of the two was a 747-8F.  It landed on our side of the field and then taxied back towards us crossing the field at the north end.  It then headed to the part of the ramp that lies east-west so was parked tail on to us.

A little time after it arrived, an MD-11 was due in.  The later arrival meant the light was getting even better and the white fuselage was turning a nice shade of orange as the sun started to set.  It taxied back up on our side of the airfield so was more head on as it came back.  This made for a contrasty shot with the warm light on one side and deep shade on the other.  They were a good way to round off a nice afternoon of shooting.

FedEx Coming Through the Clouds

Clouds are not a rarity in the Seattle area but we do actually have lots of nice weather in the summer.  You will still get plenty of clouds though and these can be nice to see with the arriving jets.  A FedEx MD-11 was turning on to its approach over Kenmore when I was down at the lake and I looked up to see it popping in and out of the clouds above.  It was pulling a little vapor of its own but the way it seemed to be peeping through the clouds caught my eye so I grabbed a few shots.

Lufthansa MD-11

Aside from FedEx, MD-11s are becoming pretty thin on the ground.  Lufthansa Cargo has had a decent fleet of them but there will come a time before too long when they are all gone.  I figured one weekend I would nip out and get the arrival of one of them.  The arrivals of heavy jets, particularly freighters, are often put on the inside runway which gave me a bit of a chance but, at that time of day, there aren’t great spots.  I found a place that is rather close to being underneath the jet but it would have to do.  I still think it is a nice looking jet, even if it didn’t prove to be a success in its originally intended role.

PDX Evening Arrivals

Back in the summer of 2017, we made a trip to Oregon for the solar eclipse.  You can read all about that in previous posts here and here.  The night before the eclipse, we stayed in Portland and the most convenient place to stay was at a hotel near the airport.  The location turned out to be between the two runways at PDX and that evening the approach paths brought the planes in from our direction to the runways.

I figured I could pop out for a few minutes and photograph some of the arrivals.  The evening light was coming in and we were a little on the wrong side of the closer runway but this was an impromptu shoot so I didn’t mind.  A little biz jet traffic came in on the other runway while I got a selection of Q400s, FedEx freighters and the usual narrowbodies.

Since I was close to the centerline of the approach, it provided a slightly different perspective to that which I would normally go for.  Looking up and almost straight down the nose is interesting.  Not something to do all the time but certainly some variety (particularly if it only requires you to walk out to the parking lot).  It’s good to try different angles on a regular basis and avoid getting repetitive.

FedEx Fleet Types

Flipping through various shoots looking for something else, I happened to come across a few shots of aircraft from the FedEx fleet.  It occurred to me that I could drag together a post that was focused purely on the FedEx aircraft types.  FedEx has an extensive fleet of aircraft these days.  Their early days of using Falcon 20s to move their packages around are long gone.  Now they have a variety of aircraft types of different sizes and range to meet all of their needs.

The fleet is constantly in a state of regeneration.  The types that have long been a part of FedEx operations are now going or gone and being replaced with something more up to date.  The 727 fleet has gone.  The A300s and A310s are still in use but the number in the fleet is gradually going down.  The interesting thing about the FedEx fleet is the way the economics are changing.  For a long time, second hand jets that had been retired from airline service made a lot of sense.  The operating model involves a lot of jets flying from their home base to Memphis in the middle of the night to deliver packages to the hub.  Then, after a quick turnaround of all of the sorted packages, the planes fly back to base.  Then they sit on the ground for most of the day.

This model means that utilization for the aircraft is low.  Having a less efficient jet is not a problem when it only flies a few hours each day.  If it is cheap to buy, you can use it efficiently.  Having a bunch of inefficient 727s works very well.  Similarly, the smaller aircraft that feed into hubs also can be operated relatively cheaply.  A fleet of Cessna Caravans that sit on the ground or a bunch of ATR42s is effective.

The 727s are gone now.  They have been replaced with 757s which have all been retired by airline operators (a lot of them from British Airways).The big change is that new jets are being acquired.  The operating economics for FedEx have changed.  The DC-10s (which got upgraded to MD-10s) are gradually being replaced by new 767s.  Meanwhile, the MD-11s which had previously been the kings of the long haul flights are now being relegated to domestic service while the 777F takes over the long haul missions.  Direct from Memphis to China is now the norm for the 777F.  You don’t see MD-11s crossing the Pacific as much any more.  I think the Europe runs are limited too.  The 777 can go direct with a decent payload and doesn’t need to stop for fuel in Anchorage.

The MD-11 will survive for a while yet.  Its less efficient operate will mean it can be pushed onto shorter segments with lower utilization.  The high utilization missions will be the preserve of the newer jets.  The older jets will be fine on the flights that only involve a couple of trips a day.  For these their low capital costs will offset any operational cost penalty.  The migration of the fleet will continue though.  Soon it will be a fleet with a few less types and things will be a bit less interesting.  There will still be a bunch of 727s scattered around airports that had them donated though so keep an eye out for them.

Some FedEx Vapor

AE7I7353.jpgDamp conditions are not uncommon in the Bay.  Getting some vapor over the wing during a climb out would not be a surprise. Getting it on the approach can also happen but not so often.  A FedEx MD-11 was on the approach to Oakland while I was walking along the shore.  As it headed away, they were configured for the final approach as some flashes of vapor showed themselves above the wing.  I happened to get them this time.

Late Gear Down for FedEx

AE7I7328.jpgOakland is a big hub for FedEx and they have a lot of aircraft movements through the airport on a normal day.  While its use in passenger service is pretty much done, the MD-11 is still a regular on the freight circuit and FedEx is by far the largest operator.  When walking along the shore in Hayward, I saw a couple of MD-11s come in.  Normally, the jets are configured for landing by the time they come over you in Hayward.  However, one MD-11 seemed to be coming in with a little more urgency.  As it approached me, it had flaps deployed but no gear.  Then, as it came over, the gear started to travel.  There is a reasonable distance to go to the airport so I am not suggesting that the approach was not stabilized at the right time but it was a little late.

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Chasing the MD-11

wpid8830-C59F5718.jpgI mentioned in a previous post that one of the few remaining passenger operators of MD-11s is KLM and they are currently bringing the jet into SFO on alternating days.  I had previously missed it because the day I was there was the day that the A330 was running the service.  I wanted to make an effort to see the jet since you never know how long it will be before the opportunity is gone.  The draw-down of the fleet is underway but they can change routes with little warning.  Therefore, I decided to make the trip.

wpid8826-C59F5231.jpgThis time it was a quick visit.  We were heading over to the peninsula for other reasons so I persuaded Nancy to allow me to make the diversion.  Since tracking flights is now so easy, there was little element of chance in this.  We knew when the jet was coming so I didn’t need to make her wait long.

wpid8832-C59F5761.jpgSure enough, the MD-11 came into view overhead as it made the pass before coming onto the approach.  There was some limited visibility out on the bay but the light was fine for the landing shot and I was happy with the result.  I got a few other shots while I was waiting and then it was back to our previously arranged schedule.  Glad to have shot this aircraft before the opportunity finally disappears.  At least FedEx will keep using them for a while to come.

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