Gallery Update: Wheels Up King Air Sighting in Salem

Hope you're having a Happy Halloween! I am happy to announce that I purchased and acquired a pretty new (only used twice by the previous owner!) camera lens with greater telescoping capability than my current telescoping lens. Needless to say, I can't wait to better utilize it! I took my lens for a quick little test run today with a few ramp shots of Wheels Up Beechcraft King Air 350 that flew into Salem earlier today. I look forward to using my new lens on a major spotting trip and hopefully at air shows next year.

Salem (SLE) 62

Preview:

Wheels Up Beechcraft B300 King Air 350i (N838UP) parked on the ramp. Arrived earlier this afternoon as GAJ838 from Missoula. Scheduled to depart for Boeing Field tomorrow morning.

Gallery Update: Twin Comanche Glamour Shots

Today was certainly a great day, considering that I took my introductory multi-engine training flight with my multi-engine instructor today! After the flight, I got a few more pictures of the plane since it was gorgeous October day.

Aurora (UAO) 3

Preview:

 

Piper PA-30B Twin Comanche (N125RJ) parked on the ramp.

Needless to say, I had fun flying this beast and I can't wait to do my multi full-time!

And I certainly have my work cut out when managing two engines!

Gallery Update: Some Pre-flight Spotting

Before going flying this afternoon, I got some quick shots from the ramp area. I didn't waste too much time though, because my commercial checkride is coming up and I wanted to focus on preparing for that.

Salem (SLE) 61

Preview:

Grumman American AA-1C Lynx (N9532U) departing on 34.

Cat/Peterson Learjet 45 (N657PP) departing on 34 for Red Bluff, California.

Birdstrike! As it turned out, N657PP's left wing hit a bird during takeoff roll!

Valley Flyers Cessna 172M Skyhawk (N515ED) arriving on 34 after a flight around the canyon where the wildfires occurred. At the controls is one of my friends in the flying club!

Gallery Update: Some Quick Evening Shots

After getting back from another flight practicing for my commercial license with my instructor, with the setting sun and the skies a pinkish-orange, I got a few quick ramp shots that were worthwhile, especially since there was an Embraer Legacy 500 with a unique paintjob on the ramp!

Salem (SLE) 60

Preview:

Embraer EMB-550 Legacy 500 (N56CH) parked on the ramp. Arrived this morning from Sacramento-McClellan.

Eurocopter AS350 B3 Écureuil (N7HE) parked on the ramp. Another helicopter lending hand with the recent firefighting efforts east of Salem.

Side view of N56CH. Gotta love the colorful paintjob!

Gallery Update: Quick Shots in Albany and Salem

 I had an errand to run down in Albany this afternoon so I decided to fly down there and make it a little social visit. Of course, I had my camera with me so I got a few photos around the ramp. I then returned to Salem after getting some commercial maneuvers practice and noticed a few firefighting helicopters on the ramp, so I got some shots of those as well! Considering that it's been a rather long and brutal week at my job, today was honestly a good way to end the week on.

Albany (S12) 20

Salem (SLE) 59

Preview:

Infinite Air Center Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior (N33376) parked on the ramp. Last time I saw this plane, it was hangared and I couldn't get a full shot of the airframe.

Infinite Air Center Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee (N98241) parked on the ramp after returning from a training flight. It was so nice to see the Cherokee I did my Instrument checkride in just a year ago! Like visiting an old friend!

A shot of Infinite Air Center's two Piper Cherokee models in the same frame!

Cessna 510 Citation Mustang (N530RM) departing on 16 for Thermal, California.

Frontier Flying Services Cessna 172M Skyhawk (N1264U) arriving on 16 from Corvallis.

Infinite Air Center Cessna 150M Commuter II (N66709) airborne off 16 for pattern work.

Hillsboro Aviation Bell 205A-1 (N223HT) parked on the ramp. Currently supporting wildfire efforts out around Mill City and Gates east of Salem.

Columbia Helicopters Boeing CH-47D Chinook (N471CH) parked on the ramp. Currently stopped over on its way to Utah, most likely to support firefighting efforts down there. First time catching one of Columbia's Chinooks! Formerly with the United States Army as 90-00198.

Gallery Update: Air Canada Jetz Sighting in PDX!

Since mid-September, I've been keeping an eye on the arrival and departure patterns of a specific aircraft that I've noticed in PDX rather frequently. The aircraft in question is an Air Canada Airbus A319. But this isn't just any regular A319 in Air Canada's operations; we're talking about one of three A319s operating under the Air Canada Jetz banner, a charter division of Air Canada that caters to sports teams and corporate clients! As it turns out, Air Canada is running a few sports charters for Major League Soccer teams up and down the west coast.

I've been thinking about a spotting trip to Portland just to catch this rather rare and unusual sight since I first noticed Air Canada Jetz's presence, but it was hard to find the time to do so until today presented itself. Needless to say, this was a welcome opportunity. I was a little worried upon arrival however as the fog from the west rolled in and visibility at times were less than ideal. Thankfully, a lot of the fog burned off for me to get the shots I wanted, making this another successful and welcome spotting trip.

Portland (PDX) 57

Preview:

Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 (N772JS) airborne off 10L.

United Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N410UA) beginning taxi for departure as UAL445 for Denver.

Cessna 550B Citation Bravo (N22GF) taxiing to the FBO ramp after arriving on 10R from Coer D'Alene.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N201LV) taxiing to the gate after arriving on 10R as SWA3201 from Sacramento. Note the left winglet still in the old livery/logo.

NetJets Cessna 680A Citation Latitude (N624QS) taxiing to the FBO after arriving on 10R as EJA624 from Boeing Field.

Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 (N300KC) taxiing to the ramp after arriving on 10R. Owned by the Kroger Supermarket chain.

SC Aviation Raytheon Hawker 800XP (N411MM) arriving on 10L as COL411 from Boeing Field.

Flexjet Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 (N380FX) taxiing for departure as LXJ380 for Dallas-Love.

Horizon Air (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Embraer ERJ-170-200LR E-175LR (N622QX) departing on 10L as QXE2292 for San Francisco.

Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-8F2 (N828SY) taxiing for departure as SCX8637 for Los Angeles.

One of two Major League Soccer (MLS) charters. 

SCX8637 departing on 10L for Los Angeles.

N201LV taxiing for departure, continuing on as SWA3201 for Denver.

Gulfstream Aerospace G-VI G650ER (N4096Q) taxiing for departure. Gotta love this solid black scheme!

SWA3201 departing on 10L for Denver.

N4096Q departing on 10L.

N300KC taxiing back out for departure.

Cessna 680A Citation Latitude (N673PP) taxiing for departure.

Air Canada Jetz Airbus A319-114 (C-GBIA) taxiing for departure as ACA7004 for San Jose. I am absolutely thrilled to catch one of Air Canada's Airbuses from their charter division! I'm also pleased to catch one of Air Canada's old mainline liveries on an Airbus after seeing only mainline liveries on their now-retired Embraer E-190s in the past!

Previously flew for Air Canada's mainline division from 1998 when it was delivered from Airbus until 2015, when it was transferred to the Jetz division. Currently operating charter flights for Major League Soccer.

The Air Canada Jetz fleet is configured with 58 business class seats and operates a premium business service for corporate clients as well as professional sports teams.

Jetz was founded in late-2001 and is the official carrier for all seven Canadian teams of the National Hockey League (NHL). They also had been the carrier for several US-based NHL franchises. Jetz was also the carrier of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) until 2016 when they switched to Delta Air Lines, and since April 2010, the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB); this was the first time Jetz operated sport charters during the summer.

In addition to sports teams, Air Canada Jetz carried U2 on their 2005-2006 Vertigo Tour, and again in 2009 on their U2 360 Tour. Jetz also carried The Rolling Stones on their North American tour (until the band felt the Jetz Aircraft was not large enough and transferred to a Boeing 747-400.). Jetz has carried many other high-profiled rock bands, including Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, The Spice Girls.

N300KC departing on 10L.

N673PP departing on 10L.

ACA7004 departing on 10L for San Jose.

In order offset some losses from cancelled sports charters as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and to add some frequency in a socially-distanced manner (and to keep aircraft and pilots active!), Air Canada Jetz began operating regularly-scheduled domestic flights in Canada for the first time on June 1 of this year from Toronto to Montreal and Ottawa.

ACA7004 airborne off 10L. Considering that all the original plane-spotting plans (namely all the inaugural flights and the new airline sightings) I had this year went awry and didn't happen due to COVID, opportunities like this have been a godsend for an otherwise sporadic year for aviation and for my personal aviation photography.