Tag Archives: king county

EC145

The EC-145 is an helicopter I have yet to decide about. A bigger type than the EC-135, I am not sure it carries the extra size as gracefully as it could. It has a slightly bug-like look to it I think. The most recent updates have added a Fenestron to replace the tail rotor. That can sometimes be a good thing but on this type it seems like they have picked a slightly larger unit from the parts bin by mistake. The fin section seems pretty large. Even so, I am not totally against it. It certainly seems smooth and quiet as it flies by. This one did look kind of cool…

DHL Freighters

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DHL planes are hard to miss. The bright yellow livery they carry is not one that you are going to miss easily. They may not have the wide reach of FedEx or UPS in the US but Boeing Field is a regular stop for them. The 767 is one of their staples, much as it is for all express carriers. They also make use of the 757 which pleases me given my fondness for the first airliner I ever flew on.

Evening light is the best for getting a DHL jet since the yellow positively glows when the low sun gets on it. I had a bit of traffic during this visit and these are the jets I saw.

Some King County Light Aircraft

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Some of my trips to Boeing Field are pretty quiet. Others seem to involve a constant stream of traffic. With some interesting large machines appearing on a regular basis, it is easy to overlook the variety of smaller types that come through. Some of these are commercial operations using planes like the Cessna Caravan. Others are purely private users either based on the field or passing through.

Since my posts don’t give them any coverage normally, I thought I would just throw a selection of different types in to this post. They might still not be getting as much attention as they could but at least you can see some of what is going on there.

Preserved American Airlines 727

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The Museum of Flight in Seattle is currently in the process of building a new facility. While the work is underway, a number of airframes have been moved from their previous location to alternative spots until they can be moved to their new home. Most of them are still near the museum itself. However, the 727 seems to have drawn the short straw and it was parked up on Clay Lacy’s FBO ramp while I was visiting. It was near Joe Clark’s Learjet as well. Some cool stuff to look at for any visiting jets at the FBO!

Sleek Looking 429

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While I don’t have any particular brand loyalty when it comes to helicopter manufacturers, I have never been a great fan of Bell products from an aesthetic position. They may be great machines but the fact the majority of the line look like pumped up Jet Rangers has never impressed me. Of course, a decent color scheme can go a long way to making something look better. The 429 is a chunky looking version of the basic shape and not a favorite for me but this example showed up at Boeing Field. Someone came up with a cool idea for this airframe. The gloss black paint with the color trims looks pretty cool to me. Good effort whoever did this.

WACO and Stearman

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Vintage types are always nice to see out and about rather than in a museum. When they are active and in fantastic condition, things are even better. One evening at Boeing Field, I was treated to a pair of great looking planes. A Cabin WACO was one of them. It landed and taxied back in past where I was standing. Having had a fun time at the WACO Reunion a few years ago (more of which you can read about here), I am now more aware of them as a type than I once was.

The other visitor was a Stearman. Again, looking great in the evening light, it taxied out and departed away from me. The problem with planes like these at a location like Boeing Field is that they tend to fly quite a distance from you and, since they are a lot smaller than some of the other planes there, you don’t get such good photo opportunities. Heat haze can also make things tricky. Despite that, there were a few shots to be had and some time to just enjoy watching them.

Another New 737

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Nothing too special today. However, I do like the look of a plane that is still in primer before it has gone to the paint shop. A 737 on test at Boeing Field came in while I was there so I got a chance to add another unpainted one to the collection.

Executive MD-80

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As airliners reach the end of their natural lifespan, you suddenly become aware of them disappearing. However, some have a second life converted for corporate charter use. One type I haven’t seen a lot of in private use is the McDonnell Douglas MD-80. However, one was in Boeing Field on a job recently and I was pleased to see it in use. It was parked up at the FBO when I arrived and so I assumed I would not see it move. However, I was wrong.

They taxied out and, as is the case for the larger jets, had to cross over to our side and come alongside where I was. A good close up view of the jet before it headed down to the threshold for departure. I don’t know how far it was going but it did not seem to be too heavily loaded as it got airborne quite quickly and climbed away. I don’t know how many of these jets will find a new role after retirement from airline service but hopefully there will be a few more.

Floatplanes But No Water

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A fun feature of flying in the Pacific Northwest is the abundance of floatplanes and amphibians. The locations that support water based aviation are many so the planes are pretty common. Boeing Field provided me with a couple of examples on one recent visit. One was a Cessna Caravan on amphibious floats that showed up on approach while I was distracted. I almost didn’t get it at all. The other flew overhead but didn’t land. I did get a couple of quick shots as it flew by though. I wonder where it went next.

Globals at King County

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While I am not ever going to have my own business jet, I know the various types that would be high on my wishlist if I happened to go shopping for one. The Global Express jets from bombardier are right up there. They are big, comfortable, can go anywhere and they look pretty cool. They are also getting more common as sales have been very strong recently (although they are going to cut production a bit – I guess because the line is in need of a bit of a refresh). NetJets have also started operating the type which boosts the number you are likely to see around.

A visit to Boeing Field included the appearance of some Globals and this was a nice surprise. I got them on approach and departing which was nice. They also tend to taxi directly past where I was so you can have a good close up look at the jet. It was a busy day for business jets with a Falcon coming down the approach while one of the Globals was holding for departure. Bombardier did a nice job with this plane. The new Global jets are currently in development. I look forward to seeing what they look like when they start flying.