Tag Archives: seattle

Draining the Locks at Ballard

The gates on the locks in Ballard are getting old and they are due for replacement. I had seen that they had drained the locks to start this process and went down to have a look. However, they had finished the first phase of work and reopened the locks to traffic, so they were full again. I was pretty disappointed but was told that there were more phases to come so I headed back at the beginning of the second phase. They weren’t fully drained but most of the water was gone. You could see the portals where the water flows when the locks are in use.

There are gates outside the normal gates which can be used to close off the water when the main gates need work done. These were closed off. The main gates are not the initial focus. The intermediate gate is the first one to be replaced and it was already gone when I was there. There will be more chances to check this out so I shall go back at some point.

Is This My Last Kalitta 727?

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The 727 is a rarity already and one of the remaining operators, Kalitta, is close to ending their operations too. I read that they only have two left and that they will both be gone later this year. Consequently, I was rather pleased when one was due into Seattle. Unfortunately, it was due to land at about 8pm. I did think of getting out to try and see what the ambient light would be like but decided against it. It then got delayed and didn’t arrive until after 10pm.

They filed to head straight back out that evening so I figured I would miss out. However, something was not right with the jet, and they didn’t leave. The following day, when I saw that they hadn’t gone, I was able to come by and see if they were still there. Indeed they were. It wasn’t long before I heard the sound of an engine running and thought I might be in luck. Sadly, the open panels were a sign that they were just doing an engine test. I had to leave shortly afterwards and was wondering whether they would depart while I was absent.

Luck continued to be on my side, and they were still there later in the day. No flight plan filed, and I was wondering whether they were either not going at all or might wait until after dark. I was pondering driving around to the other side of the field to see if I could find out anything when my friend messaged me that a flight plan had been filed for a departure shortly. Now, I never trust the timing of a flight plan for a freighter, but this was still promising.

Needless to say, they did not go promptly. This was not a bad thing, though. As I waited, the conditions were steadily improving with some nice light. At this time of year, though, that light doesn’t last too long, and I was fearing it might disappear before they left. Fortunately, they finally fired up and taxied past me. The light was looking great. Now to hope that they didn’t have a long wait for ATC release.

I had wondered whether they would get off the ground fast or not. The 727 was capable enough in short fields but they don’t leap off the ground. I chose a location that I thought might be good for rotation shots and I am glad I did. I had just about the perfect spot. They rotated in front of me, climbed out in lovely light and disappeared. I wonder whether this will be my last Kalitta 727 shot or not.

It Might Have Been Green but the Light Was Excellent

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An Air Tanzania 737 Max 9 made its initial flight from Renton and was due into Boeing Field at the end of the day. The timing of its arrival was looking promising. However, I was dealing with something else, and it was a higher priority. If that could be completed in time, the Air Tanzania might just work out. Having shot their 767 freighter, I was hoping that it would already be painted. That was not to be the case with only the rudder and winglets showing the colors that are to come.

The evening light was developing nicely so the green of the protective covering really looked pretty good. However, the real benefit was once the plane had passed me. The sky to the east was developing a really cool purple hue. The evening light was working wonders with the clouds over there. Stick a green 737 in front of that and things really did look good. I hope I get to see it once painted before it heads off to its new home.

Don’t Stand Under the Heron Rookery

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The south side of the locks at Ballard has an area of trees along the water which is a heron rookery. I have been there once when the herons were roosting. That is not an appealing experience. The herons are directly above the path and a lot of adult and juvenile birds in their nests results in an almost constant stream of “material” falling onto the bushes and path below. It is perilous, the odor is intense and the ground underfoot is not as grippy as you might like.

In winter, the herons aren’t roosting, but the area is surprisingly unpleasant even then. Some cormorants were up in the trees using it as a good spot for picking out their next fishing trip. They did also imperil those below a little but not to the extent that the herons do. The cold weather was doing a good job of suppressing the smell and also the slippery nature of the paths. I took some images of a bench and the bushes which show just how much falls from above. Heron chicks might be interesting to see but visit this location only when you know what you are letting yourself in for!

Omni 777 Takes the Band to Houston

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The appearance of UW in the national championship game meant a lot of people flying from Seattle to Houston. That included the band and I believe they were the ones to fly in an Omni Air International 777-200ER. We get plenty of Omni’s 767s at Boeing Field but a 777 was an interesting change. I hung around quite a while one Saturday waiting for them to depart. As with so many charters, they went late. (Late enough to mean I got stuck on I-5 heading back for lunch when a protest closed down the interstate.) I took a chance by going with a long prime rather than a zoom and, fortunately, they rotated just early enough for that to work out for me. I was rather pleased with the tighter shots of them getting airborne.

Rowing Near the Locks

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A cold but sunny winter’s day at the locks in Ballard did not make me think that being on the water would be fun. However, someone clearly had a different idea. While I was walking around looking at the boats and the wildlife, a guy was out sculling in his boat. He came quite close to the overflow from the sluice gates and had to work to position himself with the flow and turbulence from the water as it headed towards the sound. It seemed like a very cold time to be out there, but I guess he was enjoying himself?

Grab It While You Can – Or Will I Be Wrong?

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UW had some success with their football program this year which meant a few charter flights took place. Some of the charters that they arranged were with New Pacific Airlines. This is a relatively new airline that originally was going to be Northern Pacific until BNSF Railway, which owns that name, objected to their using it. Their plan has been to operate transpacific flights via Anchorage in a similar model to that of Icelandair. Things have got off to a slow start. They are doing some domestic US flying but those routes have been erratic too. The fleet is a pair (I think) of Boeing 757-200s so hardly cutting edge. I think they might not last long.

Consequently, when their jet showed up at BFI, I figured I should definitely get photos since I might not get the chance again. Winter conditions are not going to be the greatest, but I was able to get a few that I was pretty happy with. I don’t wish the airline any harm at all, but they don’t seem to be giving off the vibe of a great success story. Let’s hope the charters can fill in until they get something more solid going.

Rails on the End of the Bridge

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The railway that runs from Seattle up to Everett and either on to Vancouver or east across the Cascades crosses a bridge that is just outside the locks at Ballard. The bridge is a bascule bridge and, since there is quite regular boat traffic including sailing boats with high masts, it is frequently opened. The low winter light does a nice job of illuminating the underside of the deck of the bridge when it is open. I was more interested in the shapes at the end of the bridge where the rails end. They are clearly shaped to interlock with the opposite rails on the bridge approach and also to have a shape which allows the wheels to smoothly pass over without some sudden impact forces. As they stand up in the air, they strike me as rather fascinating.

F-35As Departing for Their Veterans’ Day Flyover

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The UW Huskies had a home game during the weekend of during the weekend of Veterans’ Day. The USAF provided a flyover for the start of the game with a couple of F-35As from Luke AFB making the trip up to Seattle to do the honors. The sun was a bit erratic on the day of the game, but it wasn’t too bad and the trees around Boeing Field still had a little fall color in them. Both jets launched for the flyover.

I watched them taxi out from the Modern ramp and head to the departure end. I knew that they would be airborne well before they got to me, but I was hoping that they would keep it low. The first of the jets obliged keeping nice and low at least for a while allowing me to get a shot with the ground in the background. The second jet was a little more eager to climb and it was well skylines by the time it got close to my spot. They were planning on some time in the local area before the flyover so now it was time to wait.

So, What Really Happened With This Jet?

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Titan Airways provides jets for some high end tourist programs. I have shot their older A321s before, but they recently took on an A321neo that had previously been used as a transport for the UK government. On a flight, it had issues with windows that were not sealed, and the plane was not pressurizing properly with a load of noise. When they investigated further, it turned out it had been used for filing work and the high intensity lights had damaged the window seals.

With the windows repaired and a test flight undertaken, it was back in service and its next trip was to Seattle. I caught it landing at Boeing Field. It arrived at the worst time of day for lighting but, with something unusual like this, I decided to make the best of it. It turned out okay and I was quite pleased with the results, as was one of the pilots!