Gallery Update: Icelandair Inaugural Service to PDX

Today I went up to PDX specifically to photograph Icelandair's inaugural flight to Reykjavik; the arriving flight came in yesterday evening, leaving the aircraft used to sit for about a day, which in turn has allowed me this opportunity to catch the departing flight. Portland, which has been handicapped for many years as a small market is starting to see a quite a bit more variety, especially this year, mainly with new connections to Europe (Wish I could say the same about flights to Asia though...)!

Before Icelandair came, Delta Air Lines was the only carrier offering flights to one European destination (Amsterdam). German flag carrier Lufthansa also offered flights to Frankfurt, Germany several years ago before they ceased the route in 2009, citing poor profitability. On that note, flights to Frankfurt will be reinstated via leisure carrier Condor Flugdienst next month using Boeing 767-300 aircraft! You can bet I'll be there to catch that inaugural flight with my camera as well! Both of these new European routes will be summer seasonal for the time being, unless there's enough demand to warrant year-round service.

Icelandair's fleet currently consists only of Boeing 757s (that will change in the near future when they get two 767s  in 2016 and the new 737 MAX series when it becomes available); the airline's only special liveried aircraft, Hekla Aurora Northern Lights theme was used for the inaugural service, which made it a treat to catch! What's cool about Icelandair's Hekla Aurora liveried 757 is that they have a page on their website dedicated solely to this aircraft, which includes a schedule of where the plane will be next. In short, I actually knew ahead of time (by a few days) that Hekla Aurora would be used for the inaugural PDX service. Talk about spotter-friendly (You hear that, other airlines with special/commemorative liveries??? Take a page out of Icelandair's book!)! Here's the gallery link featuring Icelandair's Hekla Aurora in addition to a few other highlights spotted:

Portland (PDX) 15

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SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a United Express) Embraer E-175LR (N109SY) departing on 28R.

After photographing the new American livery this past Saturday and catching nothing but MD-80s in the old livery every time I've been at PDX, it's nice to catch something else in the old American "chrome" colors! American Airlines Boeing 737-823 (N893NN) departing on 28L for Chicago O' Hare. Aside from former US Airways aircraft acquired in the merger, the only legacy American aircraft usually seen at PDX are MD-80s on the Dallas/Fort Worth route and 737s on the Chicago route.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4 (N606SW) arriving on 28L.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8H4 (N8625A) arriving on 28L. Note the split-scimitar winglets. My first look at a Southwest 737 with splits!

Beechcraft Super King Air B200GT (N792BP). Tail-number is registered to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N581AS) adorned with the Hawaiian lei next to the Eskimo taxiing out for departure. Still equipped the regular blended winglets.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7BD (N7732A) taxiing for departure. This is a former AirTran Airways bird (formerly registered as N296AT).

Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 DHC-8-402 Q400 (N440QX) in Oregon State University Beavers livery on push-back prior to departure.

Competition on two fronts meet; the first being two competing airlines with different business models and the second being two different major aircraft manufacturers. 

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N959WN) taxiing for departure.

United Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N486UA) vacating 28R after arrival.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N614SK) vacating 28R after arrival from Seattle.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N959WN) departing on 28R.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N514AS) arriving on 28R. I caught the red strobe on the belly of the aircraft in this shot!

Cessna 525B Citation CJ3 (N80VM) climbing away from PDX.

Jazz Air (d/b/a Air Canada Express) De Havilland Canada Dash 8 DHC-8-301 (G-GMON) taxiing up to parking after arrival from Vancouver, B.C.

SeaPort Airlines Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (N803TH) taxiing for departure.

Icelandair Boeing 757-25C (TF-FIU) Hekla Aurora:

Emulating the Northern Lights, this is one of the most beautifully painted 757s I've ever seen.

Encouraging people to stop in Iceland on their way to Europe with their hashtag #MyStopover. Icelandair is the only airline in the world that allows passengers travelling to Europe the option to stay and tour in Iceland for up to seven days at no additional charge. Like how Portland or Seattle can be viewed as a gateway to Alaska, Iceland is viewed as a gateway to Europe and Icelandair certainly has been taking advantage of that fact. And because of where Iceland's located, the 757 is the ideal platform for Icelandair to utilize from their Reykjavik hub to the destinations they serve.

This livery was skillfully hand-painted by a team of highly skilled airbrush artists from the UK.

All of Icelandair's aircraft are named after Icelandic Volcanoes. The names of Iceland’s volcanoes have close ties with the country’s heritage and history and inform foreign conceptions of it as the ever-volcanically active island in the North Atlantic. Hekla is the name of Iceland's most famous volcano, which last erupted in 2000. Hekla is also a traditional Icelandic girl’s name. And of course, Aurora refers to the Northern Lights.

Taxiing for departure via Runway 28R.

Hekla Aurora rotating on 28R.

My best photo of this flight.

Climbing away back towards home, Reykjavik-Keflavik International Airport.

Stowing the landing gear.

Let's hope Icelandair's service is here to stay in PDX for the long run...

Delta Airlines Airbus A320-211 (N309US) arriving on 28R. This is a former Northwest Airlines aircraft.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8H4 (N8625A) taxiing out for departure.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N614SK) taxiing for departure.

NetJets Cessna 750 Citation X (N795QS) taxiing to the FBO after arriving on 28R. The Citation X is the fastest civilian aircraft in the world with speed of  Mach 0.935.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8H4 (N8625A) climbing after rotating off of 28R.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N614SK) climbing after rotating from 28R.

Jazz Air (d/b/a Air Canada Express) De Havilland Canada Dash 8 DHC-8-301 (G-GMON) climbing after rotation from 28R, on the flight back to Vancouver, B.C.

United Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N486UA) rotating off 28R.

Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global Express (N881TS) climbing away after departure via 28R.

Raytheon Hawker 800XP (N808YY) departing PDX.

Compass Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Embraer E-175LR (N616CZ) taxiing for departure to Los Angeles.

Gallery Update: Bagging Four Heavies at PDX

Out of boredom, withdrawals, and looking to get away from work and home, I decided to go spotting at PDX just for the heck of it today. Actually, I wanted to get some practice in using the camera I have now because this coming week, Icelandair is starting summer seasonal service between Portland and Reykjavik and I plan on photographing the inaugural flight when it departs! But today was also a good day for me in terms of spotting. Highlights from this spur of the moment spotting trip includes catching four heavies, which includes a Boeing test flight fresh out of the paint shop, two Delta 767s, and a Delta A330. Another highlight includes photographing the new American Airlines livery, twice! The first was a legacy 737 and the second was a former US Airways Airbus. Here's the link:

Portland (PDX) 14

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Former TWA-turned American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (N9403W) arriving from Dallas/Fort Worth on 28L. 

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4 (N613SW) having just smoked its mains upon arrival on 28L. In the background are some F-15 Eagles of the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing, the Redhawks.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-790 (N644AS) arriving on 28L.

Size comparison to give you an idea between the Alaska Airlines 737-700 (N644AS) and the Boeing 777-300/ER (B-KQY) destined for Cathay Pacific.

Two firsts for me in this photo: My first Boeing test flight and first 777-300/ER photographed. Fresh from the paint hangar Boeing has at PDX, this Boeing 777-367/ER (B-KQY) destined for Hong Kong-based customer Cathay Pacific taxis for departure as BOE603 bound for Paine Field in Everett, Washington where all Boeing wide-bodies are built today. After painting, it's usually not long before these new Boeing airframes are in revenue service with their customers. I have yet to see my first 787 though...

BOE603 rotating from PDX's Runway 28L. With no passengers and cargo, even the big Triple-7 can get in the air without using a lot of runway!

B-KQY just after rotation. I love this photo because I caught the red beacon light!

United Airlines Boeing 737-924/ER (N69819) taxiing for departure. Note the split-scimitar winglets. This is my first time seeing a United 737-900 and the first time seeing a 737 equipped with the split-scimitar winglets on another airline (first for me with UAL) other than Alaska!

Delta Air Lines McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 (N904DA) arriving from Minneapolis/St. Paul. I haven't photographed an MD-90 in quite a while since they aren't that common, with only a total of 71 airframes still in service. Only three airlines currently operate the MD-90; Delta is the largest and only U.S. operator of the type, with 65 in its fleet. The remaining airframes are used by the Taiwan-based EVA Airways Corporation between EVA Air (4) and its subsidiary UNI Air (2), which are slated to be phased out.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-832 (N3743H) arriving with reverse thrust deployed. I got the red beacon light in this photo!

Another airline I haven't photographed in quite some time: JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-232 (N760JB) "The Blues Were Made For Flying" clearing Runway 28R after arrival from Long Beach.

Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 DHC-8-402 Q400 (N414QX) sporting the San Diego State University Aztecs livery arriving on Runway 28L.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N225AG) departing on Runway 28L.

United Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N467UA) clearing Runway 28R after arrival.

My first photo of the new American Airlines livery! American Airlines Boeing 737-823 (N835NN) arriving on 28L from Chicago O' Hare.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N535AS) sporting the Hawaiin lei next to the Eskimo and equipped with split-scimitar winglets on push-back for departure.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N228WN) arriving on 28L.

Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 DHC-8-402 Q400 (N400QX) sporting the University of Idaho Vandals livery rotating off 28L on departure.

Another United 737 with split-scimitar winglets! This time, it's a United Airlines Boeing 737-824 (N78524), having just cleared 28R upon arrival.

Cessna 650 Citation VII (N161SD) departing PDX.

US Airways (operated by American Airlines) Airbus A320-232 (N635AW) arriving from Phoenix-Sky Harbor. This former America West Airlines-turned US Airways bird is now sporting the new American Airlines livery and I gotta say, this is going to take some getting used to...

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N525AS) arriving on 28L. Note the split-scimitar winglets.

Compass Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Embraer E-175LR (N635CZ) departing on 28R bound for Los Angeles.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-702 (N632SK) departing for Seattle-Tacoma.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-332 (N126DL) taxiing for departure to Atlanta.

N126DL departing on 28R for Atlanta. Seeing 767s used for U.S. domestic flights is pretty uncommon nowadays.

Size comparison between Delta's 767-300/ER and Horizon's Dash 8 Q400.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-332/ER (N199DN) taxiing for departure to Tokyo-Narita.

N199DN departing on 28L for Tokyo-Narita.

Air Canada Jazz Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200ER (C-GJZJ) clearing 28R upon arrival from Calgary. 

C-GJZJ taxiing to the remote ramp for regional flights.

"Parallel parking" a CRJ! When it comes to flights involving regional jets, it's quick business here.

As you might notice from some of the ramp equipment, Air Canada Jazz/Jazz Air is serviced at PDX by United Airlines, a fellow Star Alliance partner.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-832 (N393DA) taxiing for departure.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-490 (N767AS) arriving on 28L.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N577AS) adorned with the Hawaiian lei taxiing for departure. No splits on this baby Boeing! Just the regular ol' blended winglets!

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7AD (N798SW) in the new livery arriving on 28L. This particular airframe used to be in the now defunct Eastwind Airlines fleet (as N700EW).

American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (N9403W) departing on 28L for the return trip to Dallas/Fort Worth.

Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-323 (N817NW) taxiing for departure to Amsterdam-Schiphol. As the tail number indicates, this is a a former Northwest Airlines bird. Delta utilizes the A330s on the Amsterdam route during the busier summer season.

N817NW departing for Amsterdam on 28L.

Dassault Falcon 50 (N959DM) departing PDX. This is the only tri-jet I saw this trip.

Air Canada Jazz Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200ER (C-GJZJ) departing for the return trip to Calgary.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N406WN) arriving on 28L.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-790 (N625AS) arriving on 28L.

American Airlines Boeing 737-823 (N835NN) taxiing for departure for the return trip to Chicago O' Hare.

Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 DHC-8-402 Q400 (N437QX) sporting the Boise State University Broncos livery arriving on 28L.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7AD (N798SW) taxiing for departure. Didn't see this when it arrived earlier but note the sticker advertising the 'Live in the Vineyard' event, which is held twice a year in Napa Valley, California, an event which Southwest Airlines is a sponsor of.

American Airlines Boeing 737-823 (N835NN) departing on 28L for Chicago O' Hare.

Horizon Air's Boise State Q400 taxiing to the terminal.

Southwest Airline's N798SW departing on 28L.