Tag Archives: delta

Misty 330s

While at Boeing Field, you get a steady stream of traffic for SeaTac overhead.  With Delta’s substantial presence at Seattle, the right time of day can mean a few widebodies.  The A330 is a big part of their operations and we currently get the old and the new with the -300s and the -900 neos.  The conditions looked pretty clear above me but there must have been a lot of moisture around because the jets seemed to be pulling a bit of vapor with them and going in and out of clouds that they seemed to hard to see without them there.

I played around with the processing a bit to see what I could do to show up the moisture more effectively.  It gets a little more interest out of a shot that would otherwise not be worthy of any note.

A330 CEO Versus NEO Courtesy of Delta

While I had headed to SeaTac to see the 21Air 767 arrive, I hung around for a couple of other arrivals.  Delta operates a variety of long haul types into the airport and this includes A330s of the older and newer generations.  First to arrive was an A330-300.  A little while later, it was followed by an A330-900, the A330neo version.  I thought I would try and get identical shots of both jets to see how much the engine and winglet changes showed up when looking at them in flight.  Here are shots to compare the two types for you to make your own comparisons.  I think the differences are there but they are not drastic.

Finding a New Place for the Outer Arrivals

SeaTac is not the easiest place to get shots of the arrivals in the afternoon if the flow is from the north.  The inner runway is okay but the outer is not so easy without bugging the more experienced locals.  I was heading to the airport for a meeting but, with easy traffic, I got there a little early and decided to do a quick trip around the airport.  I came across a gravel parking area that gives a view of short final.  The planes appear quickly and are soon below the sight lines for the runway but there is a window in which you can shoot.  On this day the weather was crummy with rain constantly coming down – sometimes very heavily.  This was just a recce but I did get an A220 and some other types in the few minutes I was there before heading to my meeting.

A220 Airborne

My first Delta A220 (or C Series if you are old school) showed up in this post from when I was at DFW.  It was only on the ramp so no flying action on that occasion.  SeaTac is one of the regular destinations now and one was departing when I had just landed and was waiting to meet my sister off her flight from the UK.  Shooting through the windows at an airport is a bit hit or miss.  The quality of the glass is one concern since it is thick stuff.  You also have mixed cleanliness and reflections from the interior.  Then you have to deal with the heat coming off whatever is on the ramp with the potential for lots of APU and engine exhausts.  However, I did get some clear shots of it as it got airborne.  I think the shape is quite distinctive and I am really coming to like the type.

One of My Dream Rally Cars

The 80s was a time of some crazy cars in the rally world.  Rallying was a big deal in those days and the impact it had on car sales was significant.  The hot hatches were heavily influenced by rally based marketing.  One car that was a big success in WRC was the Lancia Delta Integrale.  The road cars that came from homologation of rally cars were hot property.  Coming across one now is even more exciting than it was back then.  This Integrale was part of Exotics @ RTC.  It wasn’t getting a whole lot of attention (plenty of supercars on display to attract the visitors) but there were probably a few guys my age that recognized it and appreciated what it was.

My First A220

The A220 (or C Series CS100 if you are not yet ready to have it labeled as an Airbus) has been in service for a while but, until recently, I hadn’t seen one.  Then, while I was on the shuttle between the terminals at DFW, we came around the terminal that Delta uses and I realized that the jet that had just pushed back was an A220.

It was early evening so the light was quite nice.  The shape of the jet was quite distinctive.  Aside from the cockpit shaping, the wings are quite large (giving it quite decent range capability) and the large fans of the Pratt GTFs are conspicuous.  It is not a bad looking jet the Delta colors looked good on it.  Sadly it taxied to the other side of the airport so I didn’t see it depart but it was nice to finally see one for real.

Delta A350 In to SeaTac

Delta has replaced the 767 on the Narita run with the A350.  It arrives in to SeaTac in the morning and SeaTac early arrivals from the south do not provide good opportunities for photography.  I had an idea for a possible place to try so headed out on a sunny Sunday (very cold) morning.  It turned out my chosen spot was a non-starter so now I was looking for an alternative and rapidly.  I ended up a little further away than was ideal and with a slightly obscured view.  The cold played to my advantage though.  Heat haze is probably usually a big problem at this spot but, on this occasion, I could get away with it. 

While obscured, I had some views of the approach path and also close to the touchdown zone.  Only the heavy jets land on the inner runway so I didn’t have much chance to practice what would happen.  Only one heavy came in beforehand – a Korean Air 777 – and this showed me I need to change my plan a little.  Then I just had to hope things would work out for the A350.  It wasn’t great but it worked out okay and I was pleased to come away with some shots.

Salt Lake City is a Scenic Airport!

I had a long layover at Salt Lake City when connecting on a Delta flight.  The sun was out and the mountains in the background were covered in snow so it made for a rather pretty backdrop for the airport operations.  It was a bit Delta-centric given that they hub at the airport and we were in one of their terminals but it did make for some nice light and scenery for aviation shots.

I Am Liking the A350

When I first saw images of the A350, I did not think much of its looks.  The nose profile seemed odd and I was disappointed.  However, something about it has got to me.  I have been seeing a lot more of them in service recently and something about the jet in person is appealing.  It doesn’t hurt that a few of the airlines I have seen have interesting liveries.

Narita seems to be a popular destination for the type and I got to see examples from Delta, Thai and Vietnam Airlines while I was there.  Deliveries have really ramped up now so it will not be long before I am seeing them regularly.  Asiana has been using it to SeaTac for a while and China Airlines is bringing them in to Vancouver.  Good that I like them since I will be seeing a lot more of them.  Now I need to fly in one to see what it is like as a passenger.

Whose Truck is This (and How Old?)

Sitting in the lounge at Narita waiting for my flight home, this truck belonging to Delta was parked below us.  It may be painted in Delta markings but it isn’t hard to see who originally bought it.  I guess it isn’t the newest truck in the fleet and, unlike a lot of the vehicles on the ramp, this looks like it was built in the US.