Gallery Review: New Year's Montage 2013

Greetings to you all!

I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! It's that time of year again; time to continue a personal blogging tradition I started doing last year by presenting to you another montage of some of my best photos taken during the year 2013. This year wasn't the greatest in terms of what aircraft I was able to photograph due to me spending half of the year studying at school, plus a few factors outside my control (like the sequester, to name something!), but I kept my passion burning as best as I could. Enjoy the following photos!

Commercial Aircraft Spotting:

Alaska Airlines (Horizon Air) De Havilland Canada DHC-8-401Q Dash 8 Q400 (N407QX) in Oregon Ducks livery departing Portland International Airport (PDX).
Portland, Oregon.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N592AS) push-back from gate for departure from PDX.
Portland, Oregon.

So nice to see some of the old United tulip colors on the regional jets.
SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a United Express) Canadair CL-600-2C10 CRJ-702/ER (N796SK) taxiing for departure from Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO).
Reno, Nevada.

American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (N499AA) taxiing up to the gate after arrival at RNO. Catch these 'Mad Dogs' while you still can! And catch AA's livery like this one while you still can!
Reno, Nevada.

Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global Express (N304CC) parked on the general aviation ramp at PDX.
Portland, Oregon.

Museum Shots:

FACE OFF! With the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum's Messerschmitt Me-262 reproduction replica.
McMinnville, Oregon.

ANOTHER FACE OFF!! With the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum's Focke-Wulf FW-190 reproduction replica.
McMinnville, Oregon.

ONE MORE FACE OFF!!! With the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum's newly acquired Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 'Flogger'.
McMinnville, Oregon.

A rather captivating evening shot of the main part of the museum with the Hughes H-4 Hercules 'Spruce Goose' visible inside and an F-14 Tomcat and a MiG-29 also visible. Note the road leading up to the building is painted like an airport runway!
McMinnville, Oregon.

Tillamook Air Museum's PZL-Mielec Lim-6 (N2503N) sporting a unique arctic camouflage.
Tillamook, Oregon.

One of only four left in existence, this Martin AM-1 Mauler (N7163M) can also be found at the Tillamook Air Museum.
Tillamook, Oregon.

This Nakajima Ki-43-IIIa Hayabusa 'Oscar' (N43JE) at the Tillamook Air Museum is a Texas Airplane Factory replica and is the only airworthy example of the type in the world.
Tillamook, Oregon.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (NX47DA) on display at the Tillamook Air Museum.
Tillamook, Oregon.

Air Shows/Events:

P-51D Mustang (N551BJ) nicknamed 'Mormon Mustang' of the Legacy Flight Museum.
Rexburg, Idaho.

P-51D Mustang (N51RH) nicknamed 'Ole Yeller' taxiing at Rexburg-Madison County Airport (RXE).
Rexburg, Idaho.

Hawker Hunter F51 (N611JR) on static display at the Oregon International Air Show.
Hillsboro, Oregon.

The Classic Aviation Museum's PZL-Mielec Lim-5 (N1426D) in afterburner during the Oregon International Air Show.
Hillsboro, Oregon.

With red, white, and blue smoke, the Patriots Jet Team does their thing as the main headliner in their six L-39C Albatross at the Oregon International Air Show.
Hillsboro, Oregon.

A brand new tri-jet is a rarity these days! A Dassault Falcon 900LX (N265LX) in a demo flight during the Reno Air Races.
Reno, Nevada.

Patriots Jet Team also performed in Reno this year as well so I got to see them twice! Smoke on and they're showing off their LED wingtip lights installed by Fry's Electronics.
Reno, Nevada.

Okay, it's not an airplane but the Coin Force Smoke 'n Thunder jet dragster is always an air show favorite; especially when there's some fire involved!
Reno, Nevada.

The British always had some cool names for their planes... The Commemorative Air Force's Supermarine 379 Spitfire FR14 parked in the pits during the Reno Air Races.
Reno, Nevada.

I was so thrilled to see this Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero (N712Z) of the Commemorative Air Force fly this year at the Reno Air Races.
Reno, Nevada.

It's always nice to catch aircraft from different parts of the world and a Brazilian Embraer is no exception! This years Jet Class Pace Plane at the Reno Air Races was this Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 (N900HT).
Reno, Nevada.

Racers for the 2013 Unlimited Warbird Class lined up for the final Gold Heat race waiting for the Pace Plane. In the foreground are the Patriot Jet Team's L-39s parked on the ramp.
Reno, Nevada.

Happy New Years everyone! The year 2013 is over, and in the world of aviation, we have seen quite a lot of things (both good and bad) play out this year:

• The 787 Dreamliner getting grounded for three months due to battery problems.
• U.S. Government sequester grounding much of the military from performing at air shows; many air shows throughout the country were cancelled.
• Drama concerning the merger of American Airlines and US Airways which eventually did go through.
• 2013 saw over 20 major incidents and accidents worldwide.
• Allowing the use of electronic devices on flights even during take-off/landing.

As for me, I did what I could keeping my passion for aviation alive. May the year 2014 be full great things to come, including more awesome photos! AND hopefully a better air show season this year, with military jets and demos!

Regards from your fellow aviation enthusiast,

Michael with a "K"

Amazing Aircraft: The DC-10, the End of an Era

This day marks the end of an era in commercial aviation with the final day of scheduled passenger service for the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The DC-10, an amazing aircraft for it's time has the distinct feature of being a tri-jet, with two engines mounted under the wing and the other being mounted on top of the rear fuselage under the vertical stabilizer. Introduced in the early 1970s, the DC-10 fulfilled an industry need for an innovate aircraft smaller than jumbo jets like the Boeing 747 with capabilities to operate long-distance routes to and from airports with shorter runways. Depending on the configuration, the aircraft is capable of carrying up to 380 passengers with a range of medium- to long-haul operations.

Despite it's role and unique design, the aircraft type was involved in several accidents that gave it an unfavorable reputation. Major incidents include American Airlines Flight 96 and Turkish Airlines Flight 981, where the aircraft cargo door design had mechanical issues. Then there was American Airlines Flight 191, where one of the wing-mounted engines detached after taking off from Chicago, damaging the leading edge of the wing and causing the ill-fated DC-10 to roll and crash, killing 271 people on board plus two on the ground. The main culprit of this major accident was improper maintenance procedures carried out by the airline during the engine removal process. And the most famous DC-10 accident would have to be United Airlines Flight 232, when it made a crash landing in Sioux City, Iowa caused when the aircraft lost its hydraulic systems vital for flight control after an uncontained engine failure in the rear engine. The engine failure that started the chain events was caused by a manufacturing defect in the engine fan blades. The Sioux City crash, made famous due to television coverage, killed 111 passengers while 185 survived.

Wired Magazine even called the DC-10 "the fifth worst stupid engineering mistake in history." But what would those at Wired know? Pilots who have flown the DC-10 describe it as reliable, fun to fly, roomy, and quiet, even comparing it to like flying an old Cadillac Fleetwood. Despite improving safety records, as design flaws were properly addressed and resolved, it would be one of the final nails in the coffin for the DC-10 as public confidence in the aircraft was never restored. The DC-10 had it's share of accidents; but let's keep in mind that popular and iconic commercial airliners like the Boeing 737 and Boeing 747 has a fatal accident-rate close to the DC-10.

The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 would be later succeeded by the MD-11, similar in design but larger both in the wings and fuselage, and with the addition of winglets.

An MD-11F operated by FedEx Express. FedEx currently operates the world's largest cargo air fleet and also the world's largest operator of the MD-11.

McDonnell Douglas would eventually merge with Boeing with the latter being the surviving company. After the merge, Boeing continued production of the MD-11 and also conducted an upgrade program for old DC-10s by equipping several aircraft with glass cockpits, leading to the re-designation as MD-10s; this upgrade eliminated the need for a three-person crew and allowed a common type rating with MD-11. This allowed airlines like FedEx Express, which operates both MD-10s and MD-11s to have a common pilot pool for both aircraft.

A FedEx Express-operated MD-10, a DC-10 that received the glass cockpit upgrade from Boeing. FedEx is also the world's largest operator of the DC-10/MD-10 type.

There is also a military variant of the DC-10 introduced in the 1980s used for aerial refueling, designated as the KC-10 Extender.

A United States Air Force KC-10 Extender on static display at an air show.

As an aviation enthusiast and aircraft spotter, it is a sad day to see DC-10 retired from scheduled passenger service. But at least we will still be seeing them operational in cargo and military services in the years to come. However, we all probably know that in some time, the retirement of cargo and military DC-10 variants are somewhere around the corner.

The deciding factors that have sealed the DC-10's fate is operational costs and fuel consumption. Newer, two-engine aircraft consume less fuel, making the tri-jets and even four-engine airliners (like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340) expensive to operate. The original DC-10s also required a three-man crew (Captain, First Officer, and Flight Engineer), which is a rarity in the commercial aviation industry today and also another costly factor for the airlines that operate them.

Let us say "good-bye" and salute to an old commercial aviation workhorse. May it's legacy of troubled beginnings, public doubts, and major improvements be one for the history books.

Gallery Update: A Dark Morning at PDX

I am pretty much kicking myself now... I had to drive up to PDX this morning so my sister could catch her flight back to Utah. After dropping her off, of course I would take some time to go planespotting at my usual place. Unfortunately, it was still dark outside so I wasn't able to photograph half of what I saw, which was frustrating because there was some really good air traffic activities. Here's the photo gallery link:

Portland (PDX) 10

What's even more frustrating about this spotting trip was that it was cloudy weather (typical Oregon...). Even worse, the weather really screwed up my lighting. And here's where I'm kicking myself: After coming home, I read the manual on what settings my camera has and lo and behold, there WAS a setting I could have switched to in order to compensate for the weather lighting conditions. Wish I knew about that earlier... Anyways, my photos turned out okay after tinkering with them in Picasa. Here's a preview of some things that were my highlights:

Last time I photographed the Canadians, they were still branded as Air Canada Jazz. Now this De Havilland Dash 8 DHC-8-301 (C-GTAG) is in the Air Canada Express (Jazz Air) livery.

Though a common sight and livery here at PDX, this Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-490 (N788AS), being a 400-series is one of the older 737s in the fleet (It entered service with Alaska in 1997). These older versions of the "baby Boeing" aren't going to be around much longer...

Not really a whole lot of CRJs in Alaska Airlines colors... This Canadair CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N217AG) is operated by SkyWest Airlines and is mainly utilized on some of Alaska's West Coast routes where it is not feasible to operate with Horizon's Bombardier Q400s or Alaska's Boeing 737s. SkyWest purchased N217AG from Horizon Air (ex-N609QX) when they retired their CRJs and went to an all-Q400 fleet. This aircraft pictured here is seen initiating a go-around for some unknown reason.

I finally photographed a McDonnell Douglas MD-11! Operated as an MD-11F (freighter) by FedEx Express. Unfortunately, this is one of the photos of mine that got affected by the poor lighting so I can't identify it through the aircraft tail-number. It's such a shame on what's become of the once mighty tri-jet. In an era where twin-jets can do a lot more efficiently, the tri-jets are becoming obsolete. 

Here's another new sight for me: UPS Airlines Boeing 767-34AF/ER flaring over the runway. Again, I'm having a hard time identifying the tail number from the multiple photos I've taken of this aircraft. UPS recently started fitting all their 767 freighters with winglets.

Gallery Update: Tillamook Air Museum

I don't know why I haven't went until now... I've been living in Oregon for about six years and I never went to to the Tillamook Air Museum in the northwest part of Oregon until today when I jumped at the opportunity being off work for the Thanksgiving holiday and all... The museum is inside a giant World War II-era airship hangar and yes, they used to house blimps inside them; up to nine to be exact! You might have seen them in pictures but you have to see these airship hangars in person because THEY'RE HUGE! I'm glad I took this opportunity to go and visit because the museum announced in April of this year that it was planning to move a portion of it's collection (the Erickson Collection, which is most of the airworthy World War II-era planes) to Madras, Oregon sometime before the end of its lease on the blimp hangar, which is until January 2016. Reasons being that the large wooden hangar is need of costly repairs and Madras, which is in a drier climate is actually better for the preservation of the aircraft the museum owns and displays. That in turn has caused the historic blimp hangar to have an uncertain future. Here's the link to the photo gallery:

Tillamook Air Museum

The one unfortunate part about this visit is that not all the museum's aircraft were present, including their P-51 Mustang, a Focke-Wulf Fw-190, P-38 Lightning, and SBD Dauntless. Here's a photo preview:

Like I said, HUGE! Also pictured is the only surviving Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy, which is pretty much the centerpiece of the museum. This historically significant airship hangar, officially known as Hangar B is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As mentioned the deteriorating hangar is in need of repairs and faces an insecure future.

Here's the Mini Guppy. It was conceived from parts off of a Boeing 377/C-97 Stratofreighters such as the cockpit, wings, and tail-section while the main body (the cargo area) was installed by Aero Spacelines, Inc.

Interior view of the Mini Guppy cargo section.

A unique aircraft is the "flying W", the Bellanca Aircruiser. This airframe is one of only two left in existence; it is also the only airworthy example in the world.

The only airworthy example of the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon), nicknamed "Oscar" by the allies in World War II can be found at the Tillamook Air Museum. This airframe was recovered from the Kuril Islands north of Japan.

Gallery Update: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum Revisit

Five years ago, I got into aviation photography and planespotting and started my aviation photo collection with a visit to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Last weekend, I figured it was about time for a revisit and I'm glad I went! Since my first visit to the museum five years ago, a lot of new aircraft have been added to the exhibit and this time, I had a better camera to take pictures with! And I am generally pleased with my photo results.

Follow this link to see my album from the museum:

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (Revisit)

I sure wished the weather was better for the sake of lighting, but that's Oregon for you... Like I mentioned earlier new things have been added to the exhibit since I first went five years ago. Back then, the space exhibit was open but was really bare and not much to offer. And of course some things have been rearranged to make room for the latest additions. Additions to the museum complex continues... Here are some of the highlights from my recent visit:

The hardest thing to do is getting the entire airframe of the Hughes H-4 Hercules (a.k.a. the Spruce Goose) in the shot. This time around, I was more successful in doing so, minus some of the wingspan.

This is actually a reproduction replica Focke-Wulf Fw-190 (known as 'Red 13') built by Legend Flyers, based in Everett, Washington.

Also built as a reproduction replica by Legend Flyers (from the Me-262 Project) is 'Yellow 5', a Messerschmitt Me-262 Schwalbe (Swallow). The museum now has the largest aircraft (Hughes H-4) designed during World War II, as well as the fastest aircraft designed during World War II (Messerschmitt Me-262).

At first, I thought this was an F-111 Aardvark when I saw the variable-sweep wing until I noticed the 'Red 339' on the fuselage and it only had one engine, when I realized it was actually a Mikoyan-Gurevich  MiG-23 'Flogger'. Apparently, this is one of the latest additions to the museum.

Something I don't want to EVER see in my rear view mirror is the Northrop Grumman RQ-8A Fire Scout.

This is a mock-up of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk which the museum received from the manufacturer. This mock-up was originally used  by Northrop Grumman to show off the design of the Global Hawk to the United States Air Force. Ironically, it ended up on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio before they ended up receiving an actual RQ-4 from the Air Force and returned the mock-up to Northrop Grumman, who in turn donated it to Evergreen.

A unique design in general aviation has to be the Beechcraft 2000A Starship (N74TD/cn NC-27). Such a shame that it wasn't a commercial success due to a lousy economy in the late 1980s. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful aircraft and was for 1980s-standards, ahead of its time.

McDonnell Douglas VC-9C (DC-9-32) once used for executive transport by the United States Air Force. This is 73-1683, one of three used by the USAF from 1976 until recent retirement. Occasionally used by the Vice Presidents with 'Air Force Two' callsign.

Another aircraft that wasn't here five years ago is this PBY Catalina nicknamed 'Killer Cat'. This airframe is actually a Canadaian-built Canso A, acquired by the museum in August 2011.

Unrelated to my visit to the museum is the recent news of Evergreen International Airlines announcement of shutting down at the end of this month. Evergreen operates a fleet of Boeing 747s for their cargo operations.There's not a lot of places in the world where you get to see two Boeing 747s at one museum complex, unless you're at Evergreen!

N482EV, a Boeing 747-212B(SF) sits engine-less in front of the museum, having once served Evergreen International Airlines.

N481EV, a Boeing 747-132(SF) stands as part of the main attraction of the Evergreen Wings & Wave Waterpark.

Gallery Update: Hillsboro Air Fair Open House

Wasn't expecting much for the month of October but as it turns out, there IS an event that caused me to visit the Portland-Hillsboro Airport for the second time this year. The Port of Portland hosts an open house event every year called the Hillsboro Airport Air Fair held on the terminal grounds of the airport. A small event really, but I thought it was worth checking out and I certainly enjoyed the sights and sounds of it so it was worth the trip. Major players involved at this open house includes Hillsboro Aviation's Flight School and a couple of the larger jet FBOs located at the airport. Sights included a small static display, view of the airport runway and flight ramp with constantly departing and arriving traffic, as well as a bus tour that took us to the FBOs.

Here are the gallery links:

Hillsboro Air Fair 2013

Portland-Hillsboro (HIO) 1

Preview:

Cessna 162 Skycatcher (N5199K) on static display.

Gulfstream V (N3546), which belongs to Nike, Inc. taxiing to a hangar on the far side of the airport after arrival.
This aircraft's tail number is "Nike" spelled backwards on a telephone keypad.
It's a corporate jet but you have to see it up close to realize the size of these planes because Gulfstreams are HUGE!
(If you own Nike tennis shoes or clothing, you helped pay for this aircraft!)