Tag Archives: dreamlifter

Damp Air Brings the Vortices Out at KPAE

Damp and cloudy days are not always ideal for aviation photography but they can provide some interesting options.  One weekend I was up at Everett when they were approaching from the south.  The jets broke out of the cloud at quite low level but there was some light from the side coming under the clouds.  The damp air meant that the jets were pulling some conspicuous vortices as they flared for landing.  They were a long way off but it was possible to get some shots of them.  The 747 produced vortices that were easier to see but the 787s didn’t do too badly either.

Dreamlifter Turnaround

The 787s fleeing the hurricane weren’t the only aircraft arriving at Paine Field while we were there.  The regular schedule of 787 component deliveries was underway with the Dreamlifters.  One of the jets landed just after we got there.  We watched from the rooftop as it taxied in, the crew opened up the tail and a fuselage barrel section was offloaded.  There was another Dreamlifter already parked up when we got there.

Once our tour was over, we headed back upstairs because this Dreamlifter was now ready to go.  It pushed back and taxied out.  I decided to try some video of it rather than more stills.  The jet was off to Japan and was fueled up.  Consequently, it used a good chunk of the runway to get airborne.  I was watching through the camera and can admit to being a little surprised how long it ran.  The video I got is below.

Dreamlifter at the Other End

When planes are arriving at Paine Field from the north, I am usually up near Future of Flight.  However, I was down at the south end when a Dreamlifter came in.  They used the full length of the runway and turned on to the taxiway when they reached the end. This meant I got a good chance to shoot the plane from a place I had not done before.  The weather was overcast which actually helped to show some of the textures associated with the modifications that the base 747-400 had received.

One of My Better Encounters with the Dreamlifter

I have had some mixed luck with the Dreamlifter.  Light failing at the wrong moment or the sun setting just before departure are two examples.  On this occasion, though, things worked out pretty well for me.  I was visiting Future of Flight so I was on their viewing deck when the jet departed.  I watched them start up (including some nice puffs of smoke as fuel and oil burned off at ignition) but they were partly obscured by a hangar.

Pushback made everything easier and they then taxied right towards me.  It is true that you are looking into the sun at this point but it was still not a problem to get shots of the plane without a problem.  They taxied out past the parked IL-76 and then held in front of us for a moment.  The wind was good for northerly departures so they taxied across the threshold and then down Alpha to the other end of Paine Field.

Take off had to wait for a couple of Cessnas and then they lined up and headed our way.  I was definitely not alone on the viewing terrace at this point!  Little areas of snow alongside the runway were apparent when the outboard engines disturbed them.  Then they were rotating and climbing towards us.  Finally I got some decent conditions for some shots.  Now, I guess, this will happen a lot and I will wonder why I ever was bothered about not shooting the jet in nice light.

The Sun is Setting! Too Late…

The Thai delivery flight I wrote about in this post went out in lovely light.  It was due to be followed by a Dreamlifter flight to Nagoya.  That is a long leg so means a heavy jet which should use a good amount of the runway.  The scheduled departure time meant it should be just before sundown.  They didn’t start on time, though, and the light was beginning to fade.  A bit of cloud on the horizon meant that sunset was going to be okay but the light was going to go before that.  Meanwhile, once the jet called up, they advised the tower that they needed to burn down a bit of fuel to get to the required takeoff weight.  Great, not what was needed!

By the time they were ready to go, the light was gone.  However, I had waited long enough so I figured I wasn’t giving up now (although I was now getting pretty cold!).  The ISO was being ramped up rapidly as I had to keep assessing the conditions while I waited and it got steadily darker.  Finally, they called for departure and lined up.  Looking up the runway over the ridge, I could see the jet approaching.  Something interesting was making the plane look very squashed!  Once it got over the ridge, they rotated and got airborne very close to me.  Everything was very flat but at least it was something different to shoot.

Dreamlifter Shape Explored

Since the Dreamlifters are a regular feature around this part of the world, catching a movement is not a big deal.  That gives you a chance to think about shooting the planes in a different way.  I have been interested in the shape of the structure and the texture it has.  Since the Dreamlifters have been built to serve one purpose – that of moving bits of the 787s around the world – they are functional rather than elegant.  The shape is designed to maximize the capacity.

Meanwhile, the modifications have been made to a base airframe so some of the joints between the new structure and the original are pretty agricultural.  The number of fasteners that are visible on the surface are substantial.  This is not a problem.  The plane serves a purpose and it does this well.  The way in which the fuselage shape transitions from the original 747 lines into the Dreamlifter lines are also very interesting.  A tighter shot gives you a good view of how the curves come together.

The Dreamlifter is not a beauty.  I don’t even think it is as good looking as the Belugas that Airbus uses which have a more integrated feel to their design.  However, it does the job well and it is nice to have a different shape in an era when every airliner is looking like every other.  A bit of variety is a welcome thing and, while I am lucky to be close to them on a regular basis, I shall continue to appreciate what I get to see.

Departing Dreamlifter Finds the One Cloud

A convenient departure of a Dreamlifter from Everett meant I could get up there to see it go.  The day was very nice so I was optimistic of getting a reasonable shot of it.  I saw it taxi out at the far end of the field (that extra tall fin the 400LCF has makes it easy to see over the ridges in the field) and it turned towards me and accelerated.

The light was shining off the fuselage and it rotated as it came over the ridge towards me.  Just as it got airborne and into a nice position, it found the one shadow that was anywhere in Snohomish county at that point.  It isn’t awful but it was pretty bloody disappointing.  As it climbed away, back into the sun of course!

Unloading the Wings

The wings for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are not built in the US.  They come from Japan and they make the journey in the 747-400LCF Dreamlifter.  The process for unloading them is very well practiced.  The aircraft lands and is parked up.  The tail is then swung open to expose the cavernous hold.  A transporter pulls up behind the lane and elevates its deck to level with the aircraft.  The wings are in a cradle that then slides out of the plane and on to the transporter.  It then backs away and lowers down before driving the wings into a storage building.

While this was going on, other fuselage parts could be seen inside.  With production running at a high rate, this process is repeated every few days.  I have never yet seen the Belugas at work for Airbus doing the same sort of thing but I would like to some day.  Their new aircraft are currently being assembled so they will soon have more capacity.  I don’t know whether Boeing will need more of the Dreamlifters at some point but the current fleet seems to be kept busy.

If You Snooze You Lose – Missing the Dreamlifter

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.