Preserved KC-97

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A strange airfield means time for a trip around the perimeter to see what is around.  Medford didn’t disappoint.  A small museum included a nicely preserved Boeing KC-97 tanker aircraft.  Sadly, everything was closed up so I couldn’t take a closer look.  Meanwhile, the fencing around it was pretty close in so it was a bit of struggle to get a clean shot but there will still some options.  The boom was no longer fitted but, otherwise, it looked just like you would hope.

Ferry After Sundown

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Growing up on an island must bring a special affinity for ferries because, whenever I see them, it brings a spark of interest as to what people are going to or from.  I lived on the seafront for a portion of my teenage years and the ferries would pass our window each day as they headed to the mainland.  Ferry travel at night was often a thing because it would be either the beginning or end of a longer journey.  Something about the lights on a ferry at night seems very welcoming to me.

We had a terrace overlooking Puget Sound that we were able to hang out on in the evenings and the regular ferry traffic across the sound caught my attention.  It is dark out on the water but the lights from the passenger decks and the lighting on the open car deck beneath shine out across the water.  Seeing it from a slightly elevated position on the shore helps as well.  Seeing this just makes me feel good.  I guess decades away from living on an island hasn’t changed some things deep inside.

Q400 Go Cougs

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Medford is not a busy airport for commercial traffic but it does have some regular services.  Horizon seemed to be the most common operator (should I call them Alaska now?).  Their Q400s were coming and going quite often.  Horizon has been painting their aircraft in a large variety of schemes, many of which are associated with colleges around the region.  (My friend David who works for them recently shared with me just how many there are so I might start trying to get them all.)

One of the planes is painted to represent Washington State University at Pullman WA.  I have seen this one before a few times but this time it was taking off while I was driving around the airport to see what was there.  It quickly climbed away past me but I got a better look at it than I had previously done.

An Aging Monorail Keeps on Going

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Cast your mind back to 1962 (if you are old enough to do so).  What were your preferred modes of transport then?  Do you still drive the same car?  Probably not.  That was the year the Seattle Monorail opened to serve the World’s Fair.  It is still going strong.  The original cars are still in use although they have had some upgrades over the years and are planned to have some more.  The styling is certainly of their time but they continue to prove to be a popular tourist attraction – the fifth most popular attraction in Washington apparently.  There are two trains which operate at peak times, the red and the blue train.  The journey is not a long one and it isn’t too cheap but it is part of a visit to Seattle to check it out.  Plus, it was going where I wanted to go!

Icelandic Veteran With a Smoky Engine

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Icelandair has made a good business of operating Boeing 757s on routes from Iceland to the US with Seattle being a regular destination for years.  There was a time when the 757 was a cutting-edge jet but these days they are getting up in years.  Similarly, the RB211-535E4 was once considered very advanced.  Now, it is dated.  It turns out that one of the engines on this flight is in a little better shape than the other.  As they cycled the power on the approach, the starboard engine was noticeably smokier.  Not a big deal but I guess it has been on the wing a little longer than its partner.

Cougar Mountain Zoo

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Cougar Mountain Zoo is a small zoo located on the east side of Lake Washington in an area named, wait for it, Cougar Mountain.  While it is not a big facility, it does have an interesting variety of creatures in nice habitats and we ended up spending a lot more time there than we thought would be the case.  I shall have a variety of creatures to share in some upcoming posts but, given the name of the location and the zoo, it would be churlish to start with any other than the cougars.

They have an enclosure that is one of the first things you come across when you enter.  However, they are not always terribly keen on showing off.  When we first got there, one of them was lying deep within a small cave and didn’t seem interested in coming out.  However, over time they did stretch their legs and come to check things out.  Two things really got their attention.  One was they knew some feeding was coming soon so they were alert for where the food would ultimately be coming from.  The other was some small children that ran around.  The cats were eying the kids intently.  I assume, if the fencing hadn’t been there, some tasty snacks would have been had by these guys.

Big cats do looks very cool I think.  When they are taking it easy, they still look like they are in control and when they get active, you do feel that they could take care of anything that comes their way.  The cougar has an intense looking face too.  More to come from this place in some upcoming posts.

If You Snooze You Lose – Missing the Dreamlifter

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The move to Seattle meant lots of new things to shoot and that includes the Boeing 747-400LCF Dreamlifters.  These transport the components for the Boeing 787s between the production locations and the final assembly lines.  We were sitting indoors one Sunday afternoon when I saw one was inbound to Paine Field.  I figured the light would be okay so I would head out to catch it.  I had a bit of time.  Did I get up there and then or did I mess around for a bit?  You guessed right if you think I was wasting time.

I did finally get going.  I head the scanner on in the car to listen out for it and, sure enough, as I was driving towards the field I heard them call final.  As I got closer, the unmistakable shape of the jet was on short final.  By the time I got there, it was safely on the ground.  Crap!  I was in place for it taxiing back to the base they operate out of.  However, I would have been a lot happier if I had caught it in the air.  Was the other stuff I was doing worth it?  Since I can’t remember what it was, I seriously doubt it.

Fremont Bridge

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Bascule bridges were a popular thing for me when we lived in Chicago.  The Chicago River was crossed by many of them and I liked watching them being opened when the sailboats were entering or leaving the lake.  Fremont also has a bascule bridge and it is really nicely looked after.  It is well painted and seems to have a few decorative elements.  We also got lucky with it opening as we were walking along the trail that runs underneath it.  I wonder how good it looks at night.  I guess I will have to come back and find out!

Dormant Centerline Jammer

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The Growlers use the same jamming pod that came from the Prowler.  A new jamming system is in development but, for now, the ALQ-99 is the system that they have and the pods are the same pods.  The jamming power comes from a generator that is powered by a turbine mounted on the front of the pod.  As the jet flies along, the turbine spins in the airflow and provides the “juice” to power the electronics within.  Even at relatively low speeds the turbine gets rotating.  However, when the jets come in to land, if they have a centerline pod, the turbine is not moving.  I don’t know whether the blockage from the nose gear doors is enough to stop it or whether it is deliberately switched off.  However, the turbine blades are feathered and it is not moving.  Compare the wing mounted pods and the motion and blade angle is clearly different.

A Troll Lives Under the Bridge

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How many childhood stories included a troll?  I never even got to think what a troll really was.  They just seemed to live under bridges and take pleasure in making life miserable for anyone coming across the bridge.  When you think about how mean spirited they were, it isn’t difficult to see how the name has been co-opted for modern usage.  Fremont on the north side of Seattle has its own troll.  It probably has many of the modern version but this one is old school.

Situated under a bridge that takes the road down to the city center, the troll is rather large.  He has been sculpted out of the earth under the bridge and, I assume, some other building material.  He is a pretty grim looking fellow.  This doesn’t stop attracting a lot of people that come to check him out.  If you want to get some sense of the scale of him, he has a VW Bug under one hand.  That appears to be a genuine Beetle so you can see he is a pretty big chap.  I didn’t notice anyone having any trouble getting across the bridge so he either isn’t good at his job or else the propaganda about trolls was fake news!