Gallery Update: Double 737 Sightings in Salem!

It's been just under three weeks since commercial airline service returned to Salem. I decided to go to the airport today and chase after another Avelo Airlines 737-700; I've photographed this particular airframe in Eugene earlier this year, but I wanted to see and photograph it right here at my home airport. But the REAL prize catch of this day happened to be another 737 NOT operated by Avelo; rather, a rare 737-500 flown by a private operator! So I ended up seeing two different Boeing 737s at the same time in, which is a rare and unusual sight for Salem (for now).

I've actually been trying to chase down this unusual 737-500 here in Salem for over a month now. I first found out about it from a fellow plane-spotter and their Instagram as it paid a visit to Salem this past August and parked at the terminal prior to the start of airline service (it had been flying in and out of Moses Lake, Washington to various airports in the region, presumably on training or test flights, with Salem being a frequent stopover). I first saw it for myself last September prior to my Reno trip just after getting back from flying and I stupidly did not have my camera with me! Since then, I've tried to keep my eyes glued to flight tracking sites for when it would likely return to Salem again; I say "tried" because in actuality, I completely forgot about chasing down this Boeing 737-500 and was mainly after the Avelo 737-700 when I noticed the -500 getting ready to depart (which made my heart skip a beat upon realizing what I was in for!). So I was able to redeem myself today.

The operator of the 737-500 I was fortunate to see today is operated by a company based at Bridgewater, Virginia called Dynamic Aviation. They're in the business of providing contracted service for both commercial and defense sectors, primarily specializing in aerial firefighting, airborne data acquisition (ADA), Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), and aerial spray/dispersant applications (mainly for insect/pest control and oil spill response). Their fleet certainly lives up to the company's name with over 150 aircraft of various sizes, ranging from the Beechcraft King Air family, the Classic Dash 8s, and the 737-500, happens to be the newest addition to their portfolio; they also have a small vintage fleet of World War II-era warbirds for exhibition use. The company indeed has a diversified business portfolio.

Salem (SLE)

Preview:

Dynamic Aviation (d/b/a Marine Spill Response Corporation - MSRC) Boeing 737-5Y0 (N735X) holding short of 31 prior to departing for Moses Lake. Only my third time photographing a 737-500 and absolute thrill to see one here in Salem!

A rare sight for Salem (at least for now) with two two 737s in the frame. What makes this shot better is that it's two different variants and generations of the Boeing 737 family!

Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N707VL) arriving on 31 as VXP185 from Burbank.

I saw this airframe down in Eugene earlier this year, but I definitely wanted a photo of it right here at my home airport!

As previously mentioned, Avelo's twice-weekly flights between Salem and Burbank will shift over to Thursdays and Sundays in line with the twice-weekly Vegas flights.

I'm still getting used to the sight of 737s frequenting Salem, whether it be Avelo's weekly services or one-off visitors!

I know it hasn't even been a month yet, but I do wonder what the load factors are for the twice-weekly flights Salem sees right now...

N735X has been hopping around mostly on a weekly basis throughout the Pacific Northwest and currently being based at Moses Lake, Washington. It arrived into Salem earlier this afternoon from Sacramento-McClellan. Flight tracking history also shows this rare 737 Classic has visited Bellingham, Washington and even Amarillo, Texas.

VXP185 taxiing to the terminal.

N735X taxiing onto 31 for departure to Moses Lake.

N735X departing on 31 for Moses Lake.

As expected, this 737 Classic has quite a history. It was first delivered to Aviacion Del Noroeste in April 1992 as XA-SAS. It was then transferred to TAESA in February 1994; it was leased from Irish lessor Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) during it's stint in Mexico. Airframe returned from the lease in May 1996 and was re-registered as N191G.

In November 1996, the airframe was leased again, this time to India's Jet Airways as VT-JAL. Following it's stint with Jet Airways, airframe was taken on by U.S. lessor Aero USA and re-registered as N191AP in December 2000.

Airframe was leased again in February 2001, this time to Brazil's Rio Sul. Re-registered as N191LS in August 2003 after being taken up by Irish lessor GECAS.

In February 2004, airframe was leased to SkyEurope Airlines in Slovakia as OM-SEB

In December 2006, this airframe began a extensive stint in Russia and was transferred over to Aeroflot's former regional subsidiary, Aeroflot-Nord and re-registered to VP-BRN; Aeroflot-Nord came to be when Aeroflot took a 51% stake in AVL Arkhangelsk Airlines.

Interestingly, the 737-500 has been a favorite of many Russian carriers, with many of them buying second-hand models of the aircraft to replace aging Soviet-built aircraft and to expand their fleets.

Being the smallest of the 737 Classic series, the -500 served as a modern and direct replacement of the 737-200, incorporating the improvements of the 737 Classic series in a model that allowed longer routes with fewer passengers to be more economical than with the 737-300. The -500 was also built during a transitional period regarding cockpit technology as it came available with either a modern (at the time) glass cockpit or classic steam gauges.

After Aeroflot divested its stake in December 2009, Aeroflot-Nord became known as Nordavia and this airframe continued to fly for the airline under independent operations. Airframe continued flying for the airline after changing corporate identities again in March 2019 as Smartavia.

Airframe's extensive time in Russia ended and was withdrawn from use in October 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and was ferried back to the United States and placed into long-term storage.

Dynamic Aviation took on this airframe in December 2020 and began the conversion process in partnership with Marine Spill Response Corporation-MSRC.

Note the modification under the rear fuselage.

Dynamic Aviation's fleet of 737-500s are a fairly new addition to the company's fleet in partnership with MSRC. This airframe has been retrofitted with an aerial dispersant spraying system for oil spill response in order to minimize and mitigate any environmental impacts should one occur.

With jet speeds, the 737 allows Dynamic Aviation to rapidly respond to such a disaster and be on scene in a matter of hours.

Add this to an already-long list of things the "Baby Boeing" is capable of doing!

United States Army Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian (20-03323) hover taxiing to the ramp after shooting an approach onto 31, arriving from Gray Army Airfield, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Not too often we get to see Apaches here in Salem!

N707VL taxiing for departure as VXP186 for the return trip to Burbank.

Not a great day for flying, but at least Avelo's livery livery still stands out on a gloomy day such as this!

Boeing 737s are likely going to be the largest commercial jets Salem will see frequently as it's hard to imagine anything bigger here!

With Avelo, the big question is when will we start seeing their 737-800s serve Salem???

Having been in operation for a little over two years now, Avelo certainly has changed up their aircraft allocation for their two distinct route networks; their -800s are all on the east coast and the majority of their fleet is out east as well.

Cessna 550 Citation II (N521TM) taxiing for departure to Boise.

VXP186 departing on 31 for Burbank.

From what I could tell from flight tracking sites, Avelo is currently basing two 737s in Burbank and one in Las Vegas; not surprising since flight history of the Las Vegas-Salem flights have consistently been the same airframe every time.

N521TM departing on 34 for Boise.