Gallery Update: Chasing a Jumbo Jet at an Unlikely Place

This really was a last-minute, unexpected spotting trip I decided to take for a specific reason despite the fact I wasn't planning on doing anything today. Let's just say I love the AvGeek-friendly website FlightAware! It was because of what I found out on FlightAware that I decided to drive down to Eugene, Oregon for the second time this year to do some planespotting. The time of day (not to mention the weather!) was not the most ideal for a variety of spotting at Eugene Airport but when you find out a chartered Boeing 747-400 is scheduled to land at EUG, you make an exception to go see it for yourself! Yes indeed, a Boeing 747 did fly into Eugene today and I did go down and photographed it! For a regional airport like Eugene, 747s are a rare and uncommon sight and are becoming rarer overall as wide-body twin-jets become the primary long-haul airliners. Plus, this is only the second Boeing 747 I've photographed since I started getting to planespotting and aviation photography (the other was the prototype 747 at the Museum of Flight.). United Airlines brought up one of their 747-400s from Victorville, California to Eugene on a military charter. Here's the link:

Eugene (EUG) 2

And the preview:

LearJet 60 (N860PD) departing.

United Airlines Boeing 747-422 (N122UA):

Slowing down upon landing.

Clearing the runway.

First view of the actual tail number.

Taxiing to the gate.

Parked at the gate.

Horizon Air Bombardier DHC-8-402 Dash 8 Q400 (N438QX) departing.

Horizon Air Bombardier DHC-8-402 Dash 8 Q400 (N422QX) clearing the runway after arrival.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a United Express) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER (N783SK) clearing the runway after arriving from Denver.

Empire Airlines (d/b/a FedEx Feeder) Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster (N700FX) clearing the runway after arrival.

Horizon Air Bombardier DHC-8-402 Dash 8 Q400 (N422QX) departing after a quick turn-around.

SkyWest Airlines (d/b/a United Express) Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER (N783SK) departing back to Denver after a quick turn-around.

I certainly hope I get to photograph more active 747s in the future before they're all gone!