Category Archives: civil

Kenmore Air Moves to a PC-12

Kenmore Air is well known for operating a fleet of deHavilland Canada floatplanes in the Pacific Northwest.  They do also have a sizeable fleet of land planes too which, up until know has been Cessna based with Caravans being their staple.  However, they have added something new to the fleet in the shape of a Pilatus PC-12.  Not sure what the purpose of this is and whether it is the first of many but I was pleased to catch it on approach not long after they took delivery (or at least announced delivery).

Please Bring the Falcon 900 My Way

While spending a little time at Boeing Field waiting to see what would be on the move, a Falcon 900 powered up over at the FBO.  Most bizjets can taxi from that ramp down to the threshold but there is a limit on the size of aircraft than can use that taxiway to the end.  Larger jets have to cross over to our side of the runway and use the taxiway that is close to the parking lot.  I hoped that the Falcon 900 was in the class of jets that needed to do that and that they wouldn’t just do an intersection departure instead.

I got lucky and they came my way.  I prefer the look of the cockpits on the newer generation Falcons with the multi window configuration dating back to the Falcon 20 looking a little outdated but, putting that aside, the Falcon 900 is a nice looking plane.

My First Avanti in a While

Anyone who has been reading the blog for a long time will know that I like the Piaggio Avanti.  I think it is a massively underrated airframe which should be more popular with bizjet owners than some of the tiny and slower jets that sell well.  Oh well, that ship has sailed.  They show up occasionally and it is a good day if I get to see one.

This example was at Boeing Field.  It was heading out so I saw it taxi out and take off.  They usually have quite a long take off run so it was a fair distance away when it got airborne.  Another example has been around recently but I have not been able to see it.  Maybe the chance will present itself again before too long so I can get something a bit more exciting that just taxiing nearby.

One of Boeing’s T-38s Again

Stopping by Boeing Field en route to somewhere else and finding that a Boeing T-38 chase jet is about to arrive is a lucky coincidence.  Turned out even better as I saw a car parked in my normal spot and realized it was my friend David.  A chance to chat and catch up while the T-38 made its approach was a lot of fun.  Good to see both him and the T-38!

Under a G650

When photographing bizjets, you can tend to get the same sort of shot all the time so it is nice to get something a little different.  Getting close to the underside of the jet when it is on short final provides a different angle on things and can also bring in some of the scenery around the location.  I did that for a Gulfstream G650 just to play around.

Amphibian By The Fence

There is something interesting about amphibious planes.  Whenever I come across one, I am hoping I can get a shot of it.  This one was parked up tight against the fence at Renton.  Shooting through the fence with my normal camera is problematic with the wire strands always being in shot and hard to remove in post.  The phone lens is a better bet in this situation.  I stitched a few shots together to make something usable.  I liked the star formation on the fin which led me to think this one might come from Alaska.

Two Max Jets on Test But Only One Works!

One evening, while at BFI, a couple of Max test aircraft taxied out.  One was painted up in Fly Dubai colors and the other was still in primer although the rudder seemed to indicate that it will be a United jet when delivered.  They both taxied out and then held on the taxiway.  The primer jet was second in line and held for ages.  Eventually, it took the intersection on to the runway and backtracked to the Boeing ramp.  No idea what the issue was but it clearly wasn’t ready to fly.  Their colleagues took off a short while before in their, apparently serviceable, jet.

Air Malta Airborne

The Air Malta Max jets have been on here before.  A subsidiary of Ryanair – everyone’s favorite airline – they have been stored at Renton for a while awaiting the commencement of deliveries after whatever delays have been preventing Ryanair from accepting any jets.  With that now addressed, both Ryanair and Air Malta have been taking jets.  Buzz still hasn’t accepted any and they still seem to be parked at Renton.  I was pleased to have an Air Malta jet come in from a test flight while I was at BFI.  It was an overcast day but there was a hint of light when it made its approach.  Not great but better than sitting on the ground!

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.

North Weald Throw Back

Scanning old photos has mainly focused on my folders of negatives.  Unlike serious photographers, I almost always shot negatives.  However, I knew that slides were supposed to be the way to go and decided to experiment with them a few times.  One of those times was a show at North Weald during my college days.  I did not know a lot about what I was doing then and that is even more the case when considering the use of slide film.  However, some of the shots are okay.

What is more fun is seeing the sort of planes that showed up at a show in the late 80s.  Some of them are familiar today while others are long gone.  A Norwegian A-26 was there which is coincidental given I have recently shot a Norwegian P-8 and a private A-26.  A Jaguar displayed from the RAF as did Tornados.  Sally B was busy then as she is now.  Some things change and others don’t.  Here is a selection of the least crappy shots from that event.