Tag Archives: Portland

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.

What Am I Supposed to do With This F-16 Ladder?

The Open House at Portland International that the Redhawks held was not the only thing going on that morning.  While we were checking out the F-15s, a bunch of ground crew were at work out on the ramp area.  They were setting up spots on the ramp for some incoming planes.  As soon as I saw the ladders being carried, I could see that they were not for F-15s.  They looked a lot more like F-16 ladders.  The crews carried them out in a variety of manners but this person seemed to have a more relaxed way of moving a ladder around.

Hello C-17s. Where Are Your Buddies?

In this previous post, I mentioned the crews at Portland setting up for the arrival of some F-16s.  They were coming in from Texas for a week of DACT training according to the word around the ramp.  Sadly, the jets did not arrive prior to the end of the Open House.  However, they weren’t the only planes coming in.  The ground crews and support equipment arrived ahead of the jets courtesy of a pair of C-17s.  These arrived a few minutes apart and taxied in to the adjacent section of the ramp.  One jet was already unloading as the second taxied in.  They were a nice compensation for the F-16s not arriving in time.

Tower, Requesting a Flyby

Another shot from the Portland Open House of the Redhawks and a gratuitous reference to Top Gun scripts.  In this case it wasn’t really a flyby.  Instead, the jets were launching off the near runway.  They were all doing a nice job of keeping it low on departure and they ended up pulling up as the passed the ramp and the tower.  A nice view as they pulled up with a few of them getting some vapor is they climbed out more steeply than the average departure from the airport!

Gate Guards

The 142FW of the Oregon ANG has operated a number of different types over the years.  It was nice to see that the base has preserved some of the jets.  As you come through the main gate, the grass area to your left has an F-15A mounted on a pole looking suitably dynamic and reflecting the current jets used by the unit.

A short distance away is a memorial park with two further jets.  Both of these are in great condition (the F-15 looked a bit weathered from a distance).  There is an F-4C Phantom which is nice but the one I liked the most is an F-101 Voodoo.  The Voodoo is a jet I never saw fly.  I have seen various examples on the ground over the years but there is something about the lines of the jet I just like.  Oh, to have seen them in action.

Missile Load Training

The open day at the Portland ANG base included a demonstration of missile loading.  A jet had been parked out on the ramp for the morning and there was a rack of missiles also on display.  Towards the end of the morning, a team started to prep the jet for loading.  This was an exercise that had multiple purposes.  It was a demonstration for the guests, but it was also a qualification test.

Apparently, the crews are required to carry out a loading drill every 90 days when they are timed and observed in order to maintain their qualifications.  Therefore, a pair of observers were there to watch the three-person team do their work.  It can’t have been fun to have the public watching and the assessment team overseeing you at the same time.  The crew got to it though and they seemed to be diligently following every procedure which is no bad thing when you are potentially dealing with live weapons (not that these examples were in any way live).

The missile configuration was quite a mix.  They had six AMRAAMS to load, four on the fuselage and two on the stub pylons.  The other two stubs were fitted with an AIM-9M and an AIM-9X.  The Sidewinders were loaded by hand but the AMRAAMs are heavier and required the use of a mechanical loader.  Prepping the plane before the missiles came close took a while and then the missiles were loaded in sequence with things like fins being added at different times such that some were on before the missile was attached and some were added once it was installed.

Once the whole task was completed, they reversed the process and removed the missiles.  There was some choreography involved with getting the loader in place.  It is not a subtle piece of machinery, but it could be placed quite accurately.  Then there is adjustability in the rotation and position of the missile holders to allow things to be fine-tuned into position.  Maneuvering a missile on to the rail or the launcher while not hitting anything else also requires some careful work.  It was a most interesting process to watch.

Cathay/Atlas/Polar – Whichever!

A 747-8 freighter came in to Portland while I was at the ANG base.  I could see it on FlightRadar24 before it landed, and it was listed with a Cathay Pacific flight number.  I was pleased to get a Cathay jet but, when it landed, it wasn’t in Cathay Colors.  Instead, it was in Polar Air Cargo colors.  I figured it was a subcontract operation by Polar.  However, when it taxied closer, on the side of the fuselage was the notice that it was operated by Atlas.  Atlas and Polar are related so I guess this shouldn’t be such a surprise.  Finding who actually operates any jet can be a bit of an exercise these days.

Anyone Know a Paint Shop Around Here?

Portland International is home to a paint facility owned by Boeing and operated under contract to them.  It provides additional paint capacity for their jets assembled up in the Seattle area.  One of the jets landed at Portland while I was there for the ANG open house.  It was a 777 freighter.  It landed on the runway closest to us and turned on to the taxiway just in front of where we were standing.  It then taxied back to the opposite end of the field where the paint facility is located.  The only clue as to what airline it was destined for was the rudder which had a small element of the future colors.  My guess is Qatar but I’m sure someone can put me straight if that is wrong.

Portland Eagle Launches

The F-15s based at Portland International Airport are an active bunch.  From what I understand, they tend to launch two waves of jets a day, one first thing in the morning and the next around lunchtime.  I was there early waiting to pick up some colleagues from a flight.  I was sitting in the parking lot waiting for the message that they had landed.  I wasn’t even thinking about the Eagles.  My camera was in the trunk.  Then I heard a noise and rapidly realized what it was.

I was never going to get out of the car, open the trunk, get the camera out and on in time to get the first jet but I was ready for the second and third.  It was a cloudy day so not exactly ideal conditions for shooting a gray jet but they were F-15s so who is complaining.  After a brief gap, some more jets launched as well and this time I was ready.  Just as they cleared me, I got a text from my colleagues saying they were ready to be picked up.  What excellent timing.

Portland Station

I took a trip to Portland for work.  Rather than drive, I took the train down.  It wasn’t as quick but it was a far more relaxing way to travel.  With wifi on the train and no need to pay attention to where we were going, I could get on with things or, occasionally I assure you, stare out of the window at the scenery.  A lot of the journey was along the shoreline and it was very pretty.  (They are building a more direct route to bypass some of this which will reduce the journey time but probably make it a lot less attractive.)

I arrived at Portland at the Amtrak station.  It was a rather striking building.  A lot of the older stations are more architecturally individual as they were built at a time when railways were competing for business.  This one made me think of a European style.  For some reason, it made me think of Germany.  I can’t quite pin down why but there was something Germanic about the design.

I arrived in good weather but didn’t have time to get a shot.  The following morning things were rather murky but, when I came back for my trip home, the skies had cleared and I grabbed a few shots.  I rather like the message on the tower.  Pretty clear what they are driving at!