Gallery Update: Chasing a Fairchild-Dornier 328JET in Salem

One aircraft type I've waited years to photograph is the Fairchild-Dornier 328JET, which I see as a unique design and my opportunity to see one happened to be today. And better yet, I didn't have to go far to see this one! Shout out to FlightAware.com for this one as I noticed that Key Lime Air was bringing in one of their 328JETs on a charter flight into Salem today so I justified staying awake after getting off work this morning to go see this unique regional airliner.

Key Lime Air is headquartered in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area at the Centennial Airport in Dove Valley, Colorado. The airline was founded in 1997 and it's main business model includes public charter flights (utilizing two Fairchild Swearingen Metro 23s, a single Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia, and four Fairchild-Dornier 328JETs) and cargo feeder service (utilizing cargo-only Metroliner variants and Piper PA-31 Navajos) on the behalf of UPS. Key Lime Air's passenger service sector does business as Denver Air Connection on both scheduled charters and regular scheduled services, the latter beginning in late 2015 to a limited number of destinations feeding into Denver International. Here's the link:

Salem (SLE) 12

Photo preview:

Key Lime Air (d/b/a Denver Air Connection) Fairchild-Dornier 328-310 328JET (N398DC) back-taxiing to access the Salem Air Center FBO ramp after arriving on 31 as LYM3307. Due to construction being done at the airport and with the wind direction at the time, aircraft had to back-taxi utilizing a section of Runway 16/34. 

LYM3307 just about to turn on its taxi to the FBO. Note the high-wing design of this unique regional jet, which is capable of carrying up to 30 passengers, a pretty small number for a jet.

Head-on view of the 328JET. Based off the Dornier 328 turboprop commuter airliner which first flew in 1991, the 328JET was developed as a result of  public perception of noise and reliability issues with turboprops and first flew about seven years later. The original 328 turboprop was initially produced by Dornier Flugzeugwerke in Germany but later acquired by Fairchild Aircraft, which continued production and eventually designed the jet version. Compared to the 217 turboprop versions built of which 166 remaining in service, only 100 328JETs were built and about 54 of them remain in service.

LYM3307 just about to position for parking.

Oregon Army National Guard Sikorsky HH-60M (S-70A) Black Hawk (10-20307) arriving over 34.

LYM3307 having just parked. This is probably the largest jet I've seen at McNary Field since SkyWest Airlines stopped flying into Salem with their CRJ-200s on scheduled flights to Salt Lake City nearly eight years ago! Although, I know for a fact that Boeing 737s have landed at Salem in the past too.

Airstairs deployed. Like most small regional jets, the Fairchild-Dornier 328JET has steps built into its door. Makes sense since this regional airliner was designed to fly into places where typical ramp service equipment would be limited or unavailable.

Size comparison between the 328JET and a Cessna 550 Citation II.

Cessna 550 Citation II (N447SF) parked on the FBO's ramp.

One last shot of Key Lime Air's Fairchild-Dornier 328JET disembarking passengers. You can tell that this is a charter with the red carpet and all the nice looking cars that have driven right up to the airplane!