Gallery Update: Lincoln City, OR Coast Guard Activity

In the ten or so years I've lived in Oregon, I have actually never been out to the Oregon coast until today. I went with a group of friends to Lincoln City, about an hour drive west of Salem. Knowing that the United States Coast Guard has stations in Astoria and Coos Bay and probably at a few other installations, I hoped that I would get lucky and catch one of their aircraft in the air buzzing the beach. And my luck paid off!

Here's the link:

Off-Airport 3 (Updated)

Preview:

United States Coast Guard Aérospatiale/Eurocopter MH-65D Dolphin (6548) buzzing Oceanlake Beach in Lincoln City, OR.

Gallery Update: Spotting at PDX on My LEAST Favorite Day of the Year

When you're single like me, you kind of resent Valentine's Day. As long as I'm single, V-day will probably be my least favorite holiday of the year. So for me, the only way to cope with feelings of resentment towards happy couples and those feelings of loneliness is to go do something I like, namely, planespotting! When I think about it, the majestic airplane really is my only one true love!

All joking aside, I drove up to PDX today and spent a couple hours practicing up on my photography in less-than-ideal conditions. Hedging on my bets, I saw a few things I've never seen before too, so the trip was worth it. Some new stuff includes a good shot of a Delta Air Lines plane in the SkyTeam Alliance livery, a casino charter airline, a special Boeing 757, and a new aircraft type from Jazz Air/Air Canada Express. I also wanted to get a few things I missed or screwed up from the last time as well, such as getting another Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330.

Link:

Portland (PDX) 19

Photo Preview:

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Embraer E-175LR (N176SY) departing on 28L. As of this photo, this is the newest E-Jet in service with SkyWest on Alaska Airlines' behalf.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-490 (N793AS) departing on 28L.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N590AS) equipped with split-scimitar winglets departing on 28L.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-790 (N615AS) departing on 28L. Note the subtly revised livery; I photographed this airframe last September.

Hawaiian Air Airbus A330-243 (N395HA) taxiing for departure to Honolulu as HAL25.

HAL25 departing for Honolulu on 28L.

Gulfstream Aerospace G-VI G650 (N673HA) arriving on 28R. This aircraft is based at Portland-Hillsboro Airport (HIO).

N673HA taxiing to the FBO after clearing 28R.

Horizon Air Bombardier DHC-8-402 Q400 (N401QX) in Washington State University Cougars livery arriving on 28L.

Jazz Air (d/b/a Air Canada Express) De Havilland Canada DHC-8-301 (C-GTAG) pulling up to the gate after arrival Vancouver.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N569AS) bearing the Starliner 75 retro livery departing on 28L.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 (N593AS) taxiing for departure.

United Airlines Boeing 737-924/ER (N39450) just after push-back.

SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200ER (N498CA) just after push-back. As the tail number indicates, this airframe was once part of the now-defunct Comair. Before adorning its current SkyWest house colors, this CRJ flew on the behalf of Delta Connection (as Comair) and then for Midwest Connect (as SkyWest).

SeaPort Airlines Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (N1026V) pulling up to the ramp in preparation for passenger boarding. SeaPort is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and recently shut down its entire southwest network in California and Mexico apparently due to shortage in pilots.

Frontier Airlines Airbus A320-214 (N228FR) "Orville the Red Cardinal" arriving from Denver on 28R. Note the new Airbus winglets or Sharklets!

N498CA taxiing for departure.

N498CA just after rotation from 28R departing for Denver as SKW5302.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-332/ER (N179DN) arriving on 28R from Amsterdam as DAL179.

Jazz Air (d/b/a Air Canada Express) De Havilland Canada DHC-8-301 (C-GTAG) departing as JZA8118 for the return trip to Vancouver.

United Airlines Boeing 737-924/ER (N69824) arriving on 28R from Chicago.

Cessna 560 Citation V (N629EP) taxiing to the FBO after arrival on 28R.

United Airlines Airbus A319-131 (N807UA) arriving on 28R from Houston as UAL1938.

Peninsula Airways (operating as PenAir) Saab 340B/Plus (N410XJ) arriving on 28R from Crescent City. I photographed this very same airframe last November.

N410XJ taxiing to the gate.

PenAir recently just announced expansion out of their new hub at PDX with service to the following destinations:
1.) North Bend/Coos Bay on March 21, 2016, which replaces (and adds capacity) SeaPort Airlines after the latter announced it will be ceasing PDX-OTH service earlier this month.
2.) Starting on April 21, 2016, service to additional northern California cities in Eureka/Arcata and Redding.
PenAir was supposed to start service to Klamath Falls, OR after Crescent City services started, but those plans are currently on hold due to the Transportation Security Administration refusing to station staff and equipment at LMT.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-832 (N3765) bearing the SkyTeam Allaiance livery arriving on 28R from Atlanta as DAL773. 

Xtra Airways Boeing 737-484 (N148AS) arriving on 28R from Wendover, NV as CXP712. I have never seen an Xtra Airways casino charter aircraft before so I was pretty excited to catch this. And this is exactly what Xtra Airways' business model is, hence its callsign "Casino Express." Not only that, but the airline recently introduced an updated livery on one of their newer aircraft so I was pleased to get this old livery while it lasted.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a United Express) Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR (N952SW) taxiing for departure. CRJ-100s and CRJ-200s have become a rare sight at PDX since so many of them have been phased out and retired in favor of larger regional jets due to the former being uneconomical to operate these days.

Dassault Falcon 50 (N2FQ) taxiing to the FBO after arriving on 28R.

Dassault Falcon 900EX (N904JY) taxiing to the FBO after arrival on 28R.

N952SW departing as SKW5995 for San Francisco.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 717-2BD (N970AT) taxiing for departure. Formerly with Air Tran Airways.

Boeing 757-223 (N874TW) after departure via 28R. A very unusual visitor to PDX. Formerly with American Airlines as N616AA. Aircraft is registered to the U.S. Department of Justice and was in town due to some current events one really doesn't want to hear about that has been happening in central Oregon recently.

N970AT just after rotation from 28R departing as DAL1190 for Los Angeles.

American Airlines Boeing 737-823 (N808NN) taxiing for departure. Check out the red beacon!

N808NN departing on 28L as AAL1525 for Dallas/Ft. Worth, a route once flown by American's MD-80s.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N921WN) arriving on 28L.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N223AG) departing on 28L. This former Horizon Air airframe was leased to South African Express as ZS-NLV after Horizon phased out the CRJ-700 from its fleet.

Horizon Air Bombardier DHC-8-401 Q400 (N412QX) departing on 28L.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4 (N365SW) departing on 28L.

United Airlines Boeing 737-924/ER (N69824) taxiing for departure.

Delta Air Lines Airbus A320-212 (N354NW) arriving on 28R.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-790 (N622AS) arriving on 28L.

Horizon Air Bombardier DHC-8-402 Q400 (N442QX) arriving on 28L.

American Airlines Boeing 737-823 (N912AN) arriving on 28L as AAL1355 from Dallas/Ft. Worth.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N225AG) departing on 28L. Formerly with Horizon Air as N601QX and then leased to South African Express as ZS-NBD.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4 (N640SW) arriving on 28L.

SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200ER (N495CA) arriving on 28L. Formerly with Comair under the Delta Connection banner and then flew exclusively for Midwest Connect and then US Airways Express under SkyWest ownership.

Delta Air Lines McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 (N943DN) arriving on 28R as DAL1073 from Minneapolis/St. Paul. Formerly with Japan Air Systerm-JAS and later Japan Airlines-JAL as JA003D.

N410XJ taxiing for departure for the return trip to Crescent City.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Delta Connection) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER (N625CA) taxiing for departure. Formerly with Comair and once wore a special special livery commemorating Comair's 150th CRJ in the fleet. What's unique about this airframe is that even though it's operated by SkyWest, Delta Air Lines is the actual owner of this aircraft.

N410XJ airborne after departure from 28R bound for Crescent City.

N148AS taxiing for departure. This airframe is formerly SX-BKG of Olympic Airlines and then VQ-BNX of Moskovia Airlines.

N3765 taxiing for departure.

N625CA after departure via 28R as SKW4623 for Seattle-Tacoma.

N673HA after departure on 28R after spending about two hours on the ground.

N148AS just after rotation from 28R departing for Reno as CXP777. See what they did with the flight number there???

The only other 737-400s I've photographed were ones from Alaska Airlines so it was actually kind of nice to catch another airline flying this variant of the 737 Classic. Catch these old classics while they're still around!

Raytheon Hawker 800XP (N401TM) taxiing to the FBO after arrival on 28R.

N3765 rotating from 28R on the return trip to Atlanta as DAL773.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701 (N224AG) departing on 28L.

Horizon Air Bombardier DHC-8-401 Q400 (N413QX) taxiing for departure.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N709SW) arriving on 28R.

N179DN departing on 28L for the return trip to Amsterdam as DAL178.

American Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N679AW) arriving on 28L as AAL408 from Phoenix-Sky Harbor. Formerly with American West Airlines and then US Airways prior to the merger.

Ameriflight Beech 99A Airliner (N1924T) after departing via 28L. 

Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-332/ER (N1201P) taxiing for departure.

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

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7BD (N7740A) departing via 28L. Formerly with Air Tran Airways as N313AT.

N1201P departing on 28L as DAL623 for Tokyo-Narita.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-990 (N320AS) taxiing for departure.

N320AS departing on 28L as ASA400 to San Francisco.

N943DN taxiing for departure.

N943DN rotating on 28R for Minneapolis/St. Paul as DAL827.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-700 (N217AG) arriving on 28L. Formerly with Horizon Air as N609QX.

Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global Express XRS (N999YY) after departing via 28R.

Jazz Air (d/b/a Air Canada Express) Bombardier CL-600-2D15 CRJ-705ER (C-GPJZ) arriving on 28R as JZA8315 from Calgary. This particular route was recently upgraded from the shorter CRJ-200 to the CRJ-705 so naturally, this was at the top of my list of what I wanted to see today as I have never seen a CRJ-705 before.

Taxiing to the gate. After seeing nothing but Dash 8 300s and CRJ-200s from Jazz Air, it was actually nice to something else from their fleet.

The series 705 is based on the standard CRJ-900, with a business class cabin and a reduced maximum seating capacity.

This special version of the CRJ-900 seats 75 passengers.

Many regional airlines have contracts with their mainline carrier partners that limit the maximum passenger capacity on aircraft they operate.

In this case, the Air Canada Pilots Association negotiated a scope agreement with Air Canada limiting the maximum seating capacity of any jet aircraft at Air Canada Express to 75 seats.

 Air Canada Jazz was the launch customer for this aircraft in 2005 with 10 Executive Class and 65 Economy Class seats, all fitted with personal audio/video-on-demand systems. Jazz Aviation, a subsidiary of Chorus Aviation, operates 16 CRJ-705s on behalf of Air Canada and is currently the only operator of the type.

Pulling up to the gate. I hear this variant of the CRJ is very favorable among passengers and it is quite the upgrade from the CRJ-200s Jazz operated into PDX in the past!