2017 - summary

As usual, being delayed with publishing posts from the year, the year itself came to an end. Luckily not much is left to catch up with.

Firstly, my personal TOP5 photos from the year. No specific order. Tried to show a diversified range of shots. Not necessarily top quality, but all of them represent something that might be special to me (like let's say a memory) about it. Choosing just 5 wasn't easy, so I decided that I'll end up with 7 :P Sometimes I had to go with the one that has a bigger story behind it. Many great photos couldn't make it, and it was a real battle.

1. That one is for all the spotting in Warsaw and the experiences connected with WAW. Entry source.

2. That one for all the spotting trips done that year, for the diversity, for all involved and for more to come! For the MD-11, soon to be a rare sight in Europe. Entry source.

3. Here there will be two, for the shows during this year. A couple first times for me, first time a night show, my first time at SIAF in Sliac and some more. Surely both of these made a big impression on me. The photo from SIAF shows a very low pass by Zoltan Veres while the night shot shows one of the Aerosparx in action. Entries to be published soon.

4. These two are for all the flights, plenty of them this year. All the ones with a greater cause and all those just for fun, just for the flight. The long and the short, the bigger and smaller planes. Entry source (photo 1); entry source (photo 2)

5. This one for the trips, not the flights, the trips. The places and people invloved, the views and expeirences throughtout the entire year. Entry source.

Nordica (LOT) CRJ900 experience (LO779 WAW-KUN) 2017.07.22

LOT took over some stakes in Regional Jet and that way came into partnership with Estonian Nordica. EE flights on LOTs AOC and does some LO flights for LO (mainly TLL/ARN/CPH/VNO/ODS/GOT at the moment). Taking advantage of some reconstruction works at VNO at flights being redirected to KUN I hopped on one of their CRJs and flew to KUN.

22 July 2017
LO779 (1315-1520) WAW-KUN
ES-ACG Bombardier CRJ900

The midday flight to Kaunas, usually to Vilnius. We are taken to the aircraft by bus with a slight delay. The delay is insignificant as afterall we land in Kaunas on time. On board we get the Nordica service, their inflight magazine. menu etc. The seats on the CRJ are rather thick and soft, legspace is enough and the comfort of the ride is, overall, good. The cabin has the same mancaments as any other CRJ or Q400 has, limited space in the overhead compartments resulting in "Delivery at Aircraft" tags, the side walls near the windows are slightly cut (due to the small tube of the cabin) taking away some legspace. I like the dragonfly elements in the livery, in the outfits and in the on board magazine. The CRJ is a quiet plane up front, slightly louder at the rear, not a surprise when you consider where the engines are mounted. The Estonian flag looks nice on the winglets. My overall experience waws rather positive, the flight wasn't long enough to soak in more, rather a quick jump from A to B. After landing in Kaunas we taxi by two Let-410s and two Air Force planes, deboard to the bus and are later taken to the temporary terminal (which is going to be shown here).

Off from Warsaw with the downtown easily visible

LO800 PLQ-WAW and Palanga Airport 2017.07.19

19 July 2017
LO800 (0605-0625) PLQ-WAW
SP-EQH Bombardier Q400

This short story begins a little earlier than before the flight to Warsaw. First I had to get to Palanga, but as not many views are provided the only souvenir is the arrivals area of the airport.
This morning, seasonal flight to Warsaw departs minutes after 6 am, and lands after an hour and twenty minutes in Warsaw. We are on time, the weather is on our side, the sun is shining nicely both in Lithuania and in Poland. I take my seat in row 7 (not my favorite one if I'd be asked). The flight itself is very similar to others, but we can't buy sandwiches as they are from the day before and the crew cannot sell them to us. A slight minus for LOT. But the crew makes it up with their smiles and very positive attitude despite the time and the short sleep they had.

Katowice round-trip, LO3881 LO3884, 2017.07.16

The day before I've been to Munich and Lublin. On that day I had 3 flights planned, a mileage run to Katowice and later on in the evening an escapade to Palanga.

16 July 2017
LO3881 (1100-1150) WAW-KTW
SP-LDG Embraer 170

This flight has been recently added to the schedule. The load is rather small, very small I would say. Good for me, more space. The flight itself took around 40 minutes from block to block (the full video without cuts is available beneath) and was a pleasant one. Hard to have a poor experience on the E-Jet of LOT.

16 July 2017
LO3884 (1500-1550) KTW-WAW
SP-EQK Bombardier Q400

After disembarking from the previous flight I have plenty of time before my return. I wanted to get some knowledge of how the airport looks before my same plane mileage run the next month. Thus I wander around, in and outside. I've been already at KTW, but never as a passenger, did some spotting and picking up here. The airport is divided into three terminals, two for departures and one for arrivals. No transfer available. After having enough, what would be around 2,5h prior to departure I head to the security and later walk a little around the airside.Quite crampy I would say. But they have an awesome view on the apron and runway. I take a seat with a view and indulge in a book. When boarding comes I slowly get on the plane, take my seat in row 12 and want to enjoy the flight as is. Mainly because of the dirty window that I can do nothing about. The flight was quick and on time, the LF around 70%.

Boarding from the bus

BMI regional Embraer 145 experience (BM1771 MUC-LUZ) 2017.07.15

BMI opened a route from Munich to Lublin operated by the E135, usually. After getting to Munich from Warsaw, I head back to Poland, unluckily on the E145

15 July 2017
BM1771 (1110-1250) MUC-LUZ
G-RJXC Embraer 145


There were mixed signals from the start, some sources claimed that the 135 is to fly, others that the 145. Unluckily the gate confirmed that it was going to be the 145. The only 145 flight on that route in the span of a month. After wandering around the airport for some time, finally the time to board has come. I get on the bus, We are taken to the plane and board the aircraft. I take my seat in row 18, not as happy as I thought I'd be, I can see the 135 next to us. Well, it happens. We depart more or less on time, slightly behind schedule, but no problem as we arrived on time after all. The sound of the RRs spooling up and working is magnificent! The small jet is crampy, not much space for cabin luggage, so leaving yours as a Delivery at Aircraft is a good idea, for your own comfort. At the front it's rather quiet, at the back you have the possibility to listen to the engine sounds - a big yes! The service is basic, passengers are served drinks and a small snack. My experience with BMI regional was OK-, the major problems being the plane swap (happens...) and the poor information and attitude of the gate agent, who showed up at the gate, after the printed boarding time, and seemed like she had a problem with everyone and everything. Will have to try and catch the 135 some time...

Boarding our little jet

Munich transfer, airside and spotting 2017.07.15

After arriving earlier on LO351 and having some time before my next flight to Lublin (BM1771) I walked here and there at the terminal, tried to take some pictures of aircraft but the dirty glass wasn't exactly helpful.

LO351 WAW-MUC 2017.07.15

BMI opened a route from Munich to Lublin operated by the E135, usually. but first one has to get to Munich.

15 July 2017
LO351 (0720-0900) WAW-MUC
SP-LIN Embraer 175

One of the first flights in the morning departure wave. We are taken to the plane by bus. As we wait for a couple transferring passengers we depart a couple of minutes later than schedule. After taking off from runway 29 we turn left and head for Wrocław. The flight passes quickly and soon we begin our descend for Munich. Most of the time we fly over some clouds, first Cu's start to form despite the early hour. On the approach itself we encounter a little turbulence. A smooth landing and all that is left is the taxi process to the gate. We dock at the satellite terminal after a couple of minutes of waiting for our gate to get free. A LH A321 had to be pushed back (you can see it at the last photo). In block - on time! So after yet another pleasant flight with LOT I disembark and head for some terminal airside sightseeing in MUC before my next flight.

Austrian Fokker 100 experience (OS631 VIE-WAW) 2017.06.22

Returning back home from England: the final leg, slightly later than planned.

22 June 2017
OS631 (1745-1905) VIE-WAW
OE-LVE Fokker 100

After missing my connection after the flight from London was delayed I've been rebooked for the next direct flight (unfortunately the fastest connection available). The good thing was that it was going to be operated by the Fokker 100. Always nice to fly the F100. After some time-killing, eating etc its time to board. We are taken to the aircraft by bus and the flight today is full so I must cope with my seat in row 21, well, it could be worse :D An on-time departure gets us on time to Warsaw where we land at runway 29 due to a incident that happened on runway 33 (see photos and flight video) that blocked the runway. The sounds on the Fokker jets are always solid! Love 'em. This wasn't my first Austrian Fokker 100 flight. I did some flights a couple years back (that is where the review video comes from) but nothing has changed on board. Today, they have recently been phased out of service, unluckily I did not manage to get the F70 neither with AUA nor KLM, well, will have to search for it somewhere farther.

Departing Heathrow (OS452 LHR-VIE) 2017.06.22

Returning from England back home. First leg: to Vienna and a short stop..

22 June 2017
OS452 (0905-1225) LHR-VIE
OE-LBA Airbus A321

I arrive at the airport with a time margin to get through all the controls. A quick walk around the general area of T2 and I head to the security check. The queue moves quickly and in no time I am on the other side. I must admit I really like how T2 is constructed with the gates having a double entry for each "flight", with all the clear markings and information. Exact gate shown around 1h before departure (when the inbound flight arrives) so gate changes are rather rare. My plane arrives from Vienna slightly delayed, our first delay is shown to be 13 minutes. But 13 minutes past departure time boarding is still in progress... It is important to me as I have a 35 minute (scheduled time) change in Vienna, so every minute counts. After all we pushback with a delay of 35 minutes, so my entire stop just disappeared. The taxi process to the northern runway is long and involves many stops. Heavy traffic, what can you do. With some hopes still left at the back of my head I sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. The A321 inside doesn't differ form the A320, luckily the seat next to me is vacant giving me some more comfort on board. When we get closer to Vienna I start browsing the inflight magazine searching for rerouting options as I am nearly sure that I won't make my flight. During the approach the purser informs that some connections will unfortunately not make it, and says which. After all we get to our gate 7 minutes before my planned departure, when I get to the terminal the flight to Warsaw isn't even on the screens anymore. Bad luck. So I head to the transfer desk where after a couple of minutes I get a new boarding pass for the next flight to Warsaw (4 hours later), which after all ended up to be the fastest way anyway. After my asking I also get a 12€ worth of voucher for food and drinks and some of the restaurants.
Summing up the flight: the inflight experience was standard, same as the A320. The crew was friendly and Heathrow was Heathrow :D The Austrian ground staff in Vienna was very professional, for what I thank them. There is nothing I could say went bad in Vienna.

Austrian A320 family experience (OS461 VIE-LHR) 2017.06.20

On my way to England. Heathrow via Vienna. Leg 2: bound for London

20 June 2017
OS461 (1250-1420) VIE-LHR
OE-LBW Airbus A320

After a smooth inbound flight I have just enough time to walk around the shops, the skylink terminal (which must be one of my favorite terminals), take some pictures and board without any hassle. The flight was delayed due to a slot restriction. It didn't really make any difference for me as I had a long stop at Heathrow before the onward journey. I was lucky to have a free seat next to me as the flight was rather full. The service during the flight was basic. Austrian offers WiFi connection in 3 different plans depending on what you would like to do during the flight. You may test it during the flight for a limited time and I must say it works pretty fine. The plane (despite being not the newest of frames) is clean and looks younger than it really is. The legspace is alright but the Recaro seats feel hard. All in all rather a typical flight from A to B, the seats are known from the OS EJet, the LH short-haul fleet, the SN short-haul fleet and the LX short-haul fleet. In other words, the entire LH group has these seats. I ain't a fan of them to be honest.
While we approach London I hoped for a landing from the east with superb views on London downtown. Unluckily, we did hold in one of the stacks and later on proceeded for the approach from the west. After touchdown we taxi around the airport to get to our gate.

Austrian Embraer 195 experience (OS626 VIE-WAW) 2017.06.20

On my way to England. Heathrow via Vienna. Leg 1: a short hop to Austria.

20 June 2017
OS626 (1030-1155) WAW-VIE
OE-LWK Embraer 195

Seated in row 23, a small load factor on that flight, less than 50%, plenty of free seats in the rear giving freedom to move around, photograph and film. That was my first flight on the OS E-Jet, the seats didn't make a good impression on me, desk-like with minimal material around it. Small recline but legroom was sufficient. More seats compared to the E95 of LOT thus windows aren't perfectly aligned with the seats. Nevertheless it makes it job and gets you from A to B quickly, but I wouldn't choose the OS E95 for longer journeys.
I arrive at the airport a little early thus I get some time to take a couple of pictures before boarding. The flight is on time giving me a decent 1 hour in Vienna (slightly more than planned as the next flight to LHR got delayed).

Quick hop to WRO LO3847 & LO3860

After the trip to Frankfurt time came to realize the last segment of my ticket, the short hop to Wrocław. Why? For the fun and for the M&M segment. So the day after the return from Frankfurt I hop on the evening flight to Wrocław, fly, wait 3,5 hours for the last flight of the day/read/take a couple of photos and return to Warsaw. Both flight: a quite usual Dash commute from A to B. Not much to say about them. One thing was that I got to fly on the last "untouched" Q400 in the fleet (EQE) so now I did sit on board each Q400 flying for LOT (and previously Eurolot).

22 May 2017
LO3847 (1640-1725) WAW-WRO
SP-EQI Bombardier Q400

22 May 2017
LO3860 (2105-2200) WRO-WAW
SP-EQE Bombardier Q400

Wrocław downtown during approach

LOT Boeing 737-400 post retrofit experience (LO380 FRA-WAW) 2017.05.21

After an entire day of spotting (second in FRA) it was time to return back home. Having plenty of time to my flight I used the final energy reserves for a walk around to perhaps get some through window shots, but I've shown these in the link above. Here I wanted to focus on the plane. It was going to be the 737-400 and my first journey on it after the interior has been changed. (Here the pre-retrofit version)

21 May 2017
LO380 (1950-2135) FRA-WAW
SP-LLF Boeing 737-400

We've been taken to the aircraft by bus, the flight is half full so there is plenty of free space on board. I take my seat in row 13 by the window and wait for the departure. Plenty of legroom here (emergency exit right by my side) but other, "standard" rows aren't bad either. Power sockets are available throughout the entire plane and the new seats are much thinner than the previous ones. They are the same as on the 738. A good choice for a ~2h flight. Decent quality and comfort. A thing that I miss are moveable headrests but that will change with the arrival of the 737 MAX. You just can't like the good ol' classic 737s' and in the new interior they are a real good hard product to fly on. The lav is refreshed as well.

Frankfurt spotting EDDF/FRA day 2, 2017.05.21

After the first day of spotting, a short night, the second and last day came. Early morning wake-up call in order to get some shots of the morning arrivals. We had a flight later in the evening so we wanted to use as much of the day as possible. The morning was chilly, which compared to the heat we got later during the day was a very nice thing. Our main goals for the day were the retro planes that we didn't manage to catch the day before, as well as the MD11s. Despite the heat, the limited amount of  combinations available I am happy with the results. We changed our location a couple of time and after ANA 777 BB8 c/s arrived we headed to give back our car and wait for the flight, hence the couple pictures from the terminal. After a long and exhausting day we later boarded the half empty flight to Warsaw. Overall, very well spent two days at FRA!

A6-EFL

Frankfurt spotting EDDF/FRA day 1, 2017.05.20

After arriving earlier that morning from Warsaw, together with a friend first we walked to the hotel, left our unnecessary belongings in our room and got picked up by different friends (who arrived in Frankfurt the day before). Later on all of us moved to the first location. There was a plan for both days at FRA (3 days for some). The main goal being undeniably the MD-11F of Lufthansa Cargo. My personal small goals? Basically almost everything else. From the Lufthansa 747s and A380 via Asian carriers to such cargo companies as Saudia Cargo, Air Bridge Cargo or Asiana Cargo. In fact the majority of traffic was nice, all the 747s, 767s, 777s, 787s, some A330s, A350, A380s and so on, and so on. Companies and liveries very different to those seen in Warsaw. What we didn't manage during the first day we left ourselves for the second. The weather could have been better, but it wasn't tragic. A long day, a short night later on with an early morning wake-up call. All well worth the effort!

D-ABYF

LOT Boeing 737-800 experience (LO381 WAW-FRA) 2017.05.20

20 May 2017
LO381 (0745-0945) WAW-FRA
SP-LWA Boeing 737-800

On a trip to Frankfurt on board the newest addition to the LOT fleet. The Boeing 737-800. The load on that flight wasn't great thus I was able to walk freely and sit both in the front and at the back. The seats on the plane are exactly the same like on the 734 after their retrofit. The seats are quite comfy, but unfortunately don't have an adjustable headrest, which is a minus. Only the front rows have power sockets (the 734 has them in all rows). With a Y186 configuration it is pretty dense, but you don't get a cramped feeling. Service is basic. Overall I'd say a pretty good product as for the times. LOT did a nice job with choosing the seats (I must also add that the backrest is adjustable). A next change in quality is said to come with the MAX, soon. Can't wait to see what it will be. I must say that LOT did do its homework well and can compete on an equal level with others.

Taxiing

EPWA 2017.05.17 RNAF DC10

A rare visit of the Royal Netherlands Air Force DC10 Tanker in Warsaw. A type rarely seen lately in Europe. Luckily it did give Warsaw and opportunity to listen and see it one more time.

T-235

EPWA 2017.05.05 Qatari

A delegation from Qatar visited Warsaw. They came on three planes, an A310, an A340, and A319CJ a 747-8. During their departure also the usual scheduled Qatar A330 departed for Doha. The first plan was to catch the 747 departing from runway 33 and then quickly shift for the rest of departures from 29. That's the reason for the shots of the 787s. Unluckily they decided to taxi at once, both the A310 and 748. A quick decision and I move for the A310 departure so I can only watch the 748 taxiing away. The sun did play some nice tones later during the day. In fact not the shots I wanted to get but I did take the risk being fully aware of what can go wrong.

A7-AFE

EPWA 2017.04.27

Just some simple shots with the hope of getting some water spraying action. But the heat haze won with me.

TC-JRL

Double Jumbo (LY, AI) 2017.04.26

Two Jumbos almost one after the other. Not a daily sight in Warsaw. An El Al Israel and a Air India plane arrive in Warsaw.

4X-ELC

EPWA 2017.04.25

A little spotting in the morning (~9-10am) and some from the evening wave (~5pm)

4X-EKH

EPWA 2017.04.24

The weather was nice, plenty of free time so I decided to get out for some spotting of the afternoon departure wave. Mostly LOT 787s, some shots of the Nordica CRJ900. All departures from runway 29 due to the closure of runway 33 (usually used for departures of the 787s)

SP-LLG

ES-ACC

Low cost day, Lublin by Wizz Air 2017.03.26

One day I decided that I wanted to fly to and from Lublin airport. That flying from and to is different. Plus I didn’t want to have to get back from Lublin by bus or get to Lublin by bus. Wizzair has one plane based at Lublin so the flights are schematic. After some research the final routing was chosen, mostly based on the price factor. The day was to be a sad day for my back anyway, so at least my wallet wouldn’t suffer that much. It ended to be a WAW-LTN-LUZ-NYO-GDN-WAW routing with Wizz and the last segment with Ryanair. 6 am departure from Warsaw and back in Warsaw after 8 pm. Sounds like a plan. I checked-in for my flights rather late, with hope that maybe some “better” seats could be allocated, I got 3 times an aisle, one middle and one window seat, at least at the start. As I didn’t plan on too much photography (no camera) as I was traveling very light that wasn’t too big of a problem. Of course the window seat was on the flight after which I had the shortest connection. When buying the tickets I had 25 minutes in Gdańsk. Later Ryanair changed their schedule giving me only 10 scheduled minutes to change planes... But step by step:

Boarding a @wizzaircom plane at Lublin Airport #wizzair #luz #lublin #airplane #a320 #airbus @airbus #wing #avgeek #aviationgeek #aviation #plane #flying @lotniskolublin

Post udostępniony przez Konstanty Dobrzyński (@tinek6_hd_aviation) 5 Maj, 2017 o 1:10 PDT

(IEG) Zielona Góra by LOT, LO3983 & LO3984

17 March 2017
LO3983 (2235-2335) WAW-IEG
SP-EQL Bombardier Q400

18 March 2017
LO3984 (0545-0650) IEG-WAW
SP-EQL Bombardier Q400

For a long time I wanted to fly to the small airport in Babimost in western Poland. Flight to and from Zielona Góra – Babimost have been long operated by Sprint Air on the Saab 340 but the schedule didn’t make it possible to get a one day trip from Warsaw. After their contract ended, LOT scooped up the new contract for the flights and now flies 5xweekly on the Q400. The flights still don’t allow to get a one day trip from Warsaw but they do allow for a short night stay during the weekend. The flights leave late from Warsaw and leaves early from Zielona Góra. So after LOT announced the flights I got tickets for one of the rotations. Straight from work and then straight to work. Not many passengers during this time of the year (23 for WAW-IEG and 16 for IEG-WAW). Now, during the summer, the loads are better. At IEG, they have a separate arrival terminal to which you are taken by a bus. The departure hall is small, has no classic gate, boarding is performed by hand by the staff and you walk to the plane. My entire experience was very positive, because of (its grotesqueness) the small details that I found new, and hard to believe. The ‘gate’ area would be crowded if the Q400 was full, I don’t want to think what would be happening there if a full plane of the size of a B737 or A320 would arrive or depart. At the speed that the security check was performed, two hours would surely not be enough to check everyone, the space behind the security check would be full and overcrowded for sure. Lucky for them that they don’t have such situations although they probably would love to have more flights and more passengers.

DUS pre-flight LO408 2017.02.26

Knowing that Düsseldorf airport has an open viewing terrace we decided to go the airport well ahead the time we’d normally go. After walking around the general area first we head towards the terrace where I’ll spend most of my time before it gets cold, almost dark, boring and the time will end. The terrace itself is real nice I must admit. Plenty of room. “Access” to a couple of jetways. Good view on the runways and taxiway. Some nice close-ups are possible with a longer lens. But if you have only a short one, don’t worry as you’ll still have plenty of photo opportunities.

LO409 WAW-DUS 2017.02.25

25 February 2017
LO409 (0735-0930) WAW-DUS
SP-LDK Embraer 170

A weekend excursion to Düsseldorf in some nice company. Luckily the morning departure wave of LOT flights from Warsaw starts after 7 am which is rather ok for a morning departure. Much better than a 6 am flight. Most passengers have already passed through security, thus, around 7 o’clock there merely is a queue to the security control. With around 40 minutes until departure we arrive at the airport, check a bag in for a hassle free flight and head to the gates. A brief stop at the duty free and for a coffee. Just in time at the gate. Today’s ride, SP-LDK, the only plane painted in Star Alliance colors in the fleet. We leave the gate on time, taxi briefly and head up and west, towards DUS. Not too many people, not exactly a business hour to fly, Saturday morning, the atmosphere on board is sleepy and the flight passes quickly, without greater problems. Just enough time to get a small breakfast on board. At our destination airport we park at a remote position, hop on a bus and are quickly transported to the terminal where we pick up our bag and head on to the city.

Overall, I still hold up the impression that LOTs jungle jets are one of the best for short travels around Europe. Really hard to beat them in my opinion.

Leaving snowy Warsaw behind

Emirates A380 in Warsaw 2017.02.10

For the fourth anniversary of launching flights between Dubai and Warsaw Emirates decided to send an Airbus A380 to Warsaw. Winter weather was almost at it's best. Unluckily the heat haze was active thus some of the photos didn't work out as good as they could. Both the departure and landing had to be on runway 15 on that day due to the size of the aircraft. Also, taxiing space is limited for the A380 at Warsaw Chopin airport. Both flights were on time, more or less. In addition some shots of other movements, the Air Transat A330 flying for Travel Service, LOT Boeing 787s and other smaller machines.

LO3806 RZE-WAW 2017.02.05

05 February 2017
LO3806 (0905-0955) RZE-WAW
SP-EQK Bombardier Q400


Returning from a brief visit in Rzeszów. The morning flight to Warsaw, on this day operated by a Dash Q400. Pretty much a very decent flight, smooth, quick and easy. The airport is small (more pictures of the airport from the arrival). This time seated in row 4. A full video with no cuts at all is available down in this entry. The weather in Rzeszów wasn't the prettiest, but when you get on a plane it doesn't really matter that much.

Boarding by foot.

LO3805 WAW-RZE 2017.02.04

04 February 2017
LO3805 (0740-0835) WAW-RZE
SP-EQD Bombardier Q400

A brief hop south to the city of Rzeszów. The morning departure from Warsaw. My first time at the airport in Jasionka. The flight itself was really quick and nothing special happened during it. You may find a full flight (no cuts) video down over here. The departure area at the airport is brief. You disembark and walk to the terminal, pass beside the luggage belt and you are out and ready to go. More, and easier with photos.

Waiting for departure in Warsaw

Swiss CS100 experience, 21/22.01.2017

On the quest to fly the Swiss Boeing 777 on one of its intra-european flighs. WAW-ZRH-HAJ-ZRH-WAW. Two flights, in and out of Warsaw on the CS100


21 January 2017
LX1343 (0945-1150) WAW-ZRH
HB-JBD Bombardier CS100

Swiss flights to Warsaw like to be delayed. So was this one, not much, 15 minutes more or less. That made my connection in Zurich even shorter, but as the next flight also caught a delay it wasn't a very big problem after all. The ground staff did their best to reduce the delay as much as possible and they've managed a little bit. We soon pushback and start our taxi to runway 29. And later up, towards Zurich. The flight goes on smoothly. The wing looks nice, clouds spread wide all over the ground. The closer we get to Zurich the denser the airspace, the more planes you can see nearby. Some fly really close :) On approach to Zurich, we hold a little bit and fly around. Sure, I'm in no rush :D let's wait. Smooth landing, rather quick taxi to the gate, and off I go for my next flight.
How would I rate the CS100 of Swiss? Good windows, nice panels, the seat (22A on this flight) has no moveable headrest (but at least it's soft) but apart of it it is rather ok, maybe slightly hard on the back. Elegant colors of the cabin. The CSeries made a good first impression on me and it won't be a plane that I would rather not fly.

Arriving at its gate in WAW from ZRH

Swiss Boeing 777 experience, 2017.01.22

On the quest to fly the Swiss Boeing 777 on one of its intra-european flighs. WAW-ZRH-HAJ-ZRH-WAW


22 January 2017
LX817 (1455-1610) HAJ-ZRH
HB-JNF Boeing 777-300ER

After arriving early at the airport I go for a walk around the general area. Check-in area, corridors, different sections etc. Having seen more or less all I wanted I pass the security control and wait for my plane to arrive from ZRH. HB-JNF is already on its way. In the meantime I get to photograph an arriving Aeroflot A320 and a taxiing for departure and de-icing Tuifly 737 painted in a RIU Hotels & Resorts scheme.
On this 777 there are two sections for economy class. Between doors 3-4 and 4-5. The second one is not available for reservation. All passengers are seated in the section between doors 3 and 4 which is on that day full. The seat offers a moveable headrest, a decent IFE system with a wide choice of movies, music and many many more. The ride is smooth and pleasant. The cabin has a brownish finish, like Swiss has on all of it's planes. Overall, I think I would not have too many problems on a longer flight on that machine and surely would not say it's bad if anyone asked me. After the flight I did have some reservations about part of the cabin crew, they could be more open towards the client.

Swiss Avro experience, 2017.01.21

On the quest to fly the Swiss Boeing 777 on one of its intra-european flighs. WAW-ZRH-HAJ-ZRH-WAW


21 January 2017
LX816 (1235-1350) ZRH-HAJ
HB-IYZ British Aerospace Avro RJ100

On my way to Hannover I was supposed to get the 777, it got swapped to a Avro plane. The flight was slightly delayed, what was a good thing as my inbound was also delayed so I made it with ease. A bus took us to the plane. After boarding we waited for de-icing to be finished, at our stand, and later proceeded to the runway. The flight was cold most of the way, the heating did not kick in sufficiently almost all the way to Hannover. The flight was full. Flying an Avro is always fun, the 2*3 seating gives sufficient space for all passengers. As Swiss slowly phases out all of their Jumbolinos I was happy to get it as an addition to my CS100 and 777 flights. The crew was kind and always with a smile on their faces. I have surely disembarked with a smile on my face.

EPWA 2017.02.09 Scandinavian retro

Yet another gloomy, dark, winter day in Warsaw. A sole exception the SAS retro A319. OY-KBO

OY-KBO

EPWA 2017.01.25 W6 A321 olympic bid

Wizzair based in Warsaw for some time its A321 painted in the Budapest Olympic bid livery. Not the best weather for spotting on the day I've chosen to catch it.
HA-LXJ

HA-LXJ

HA-LXJ

EasyJet A319 experience, 2017.01.08

08 January 2017
U24479 (1325-1540) LYS-KRK
G-EZEG Airbus A319

Returning home via Cracow. Easyjet to KRK and then LOT back to Warsaw. From the second sector there will be no entry. Checked-in well ahead, got some decent seats. After arriving at the airport with the tram I head to the furthest terminal, terminal 3 which at that time was under some reconstruction work to make all work better. Thus you have to walk quite a lot to get to the check-in area and later back to the gates area. Beside the gates there is a very small choice of shops and accessories in them. You can see that it's a rather low-cost terminal. The gates have a waiting area for passengers after they've been boarded. So we stand there like cattle waiting for the plane to be ready to take us on-board. An aspect I really detest when flying low-cost airlines in Europe. On board I get positively surprised that the seats do recline. Not much, but still. Legroom is as I expected. The better views (alps) are unfortunately on the other side. On the other hand we get a nice view of Cracow city on approach.
Overall, a low-cost flight - a low-cost experience. Not too comfy but gets you from A to B. Still, the reclining seat was a plus, one of the few... I did get what I expected, not much more, and a little less at Terminal 3 in Lyon.

HOP! for Air France operated by Brit Air CRJ700 experience, 2017.01.06

06 January 2017
A54527 (1755-1920) VCE-LYS
F-GRZH CRJ700

During a intra-european trip I chose to test HOP! for Air France operated by Brit Air and the CRJ700. As the flight departs after sunset, there will not be too much, well in fact none, photos from the flight itself. The flight is operated by Brit Air for HOP! for Air France. The seats are rather soft, with enough legroom. Engines being mounted at the rear make the last rows significantly louder comparing to the front ones. A good thing for most on the CRJs is that there is plenty of rows from which the views down on earth are not obstructed by the wing, engine or exhaust gases. The flight passes quickly, service is brief and small (but included) and we land on time in Lyon. A positive experience.

LO92 PEK-WAW 2017.01.02

The last segment of the Taiwanese journey. The final flight home.

02 January 2017
LO92 (0845-1130) PEK-WAW
SP-LRB Boeing 787 Dreamliner

After arriving the previous day from Taipei via Fuzhou I get a sleep at a local hotel, where I catch the shuttle to the airport at 6. That means I have plenty of time to check my bag in (luckily no queue and I am able to change my seat to one that suits me better) pass all the necessary controls and browse the shops. Then, when the sun rises I still have time to take some photos through the windows in the scenery of a rising sun. After using Beijing Terminal 3 yet another time I must say that it really is decent and rather hassle free. Spacious, various shops and restaurants, benches to rest, get a nap, lie down, quiet areas. and the air condition works quite well.
But back to the flight. We depart with a slight delay which, due to winds will grown a little bit during the flight. I'm lucky to get the seat next to me empty (seated in row 24). The service comes right in time. Around an hour after take-off. The food is pretty nice. The crew walks around offering a top-up. For a minus, the windows have been blocked in a dimmed configuration for most of the flight. On a day flight... not a red-eye one, a day one. C'mon! Anyway. Time passes by slowly, movies, reading, music, small naps and finally we arrive in cloudy Warsaw with around 30 minutes of delay.
Summing up, I am content of the flight in total. Of the entire trip as well.

MF8119 FOC-PEK 2017.01.01

Time to return home. Again via Fuzhou and Beijing (a night stop at PEK) with Xiamen Airlines.

01 January 2017
MF8119 (1600-1850) FOC-PEK
B-2992 Boeing 737-700

Transfer at Fuzhou. Easy, or not? At first, pick up your bag, enter China, get a stamp on your visa (one of the few airports that you need a visa to transfer at), pass customs, go to the check-in area, check your bag in, go through security, find something to do as no place accepts Visa cards. So I walked around, took some photos and waited for my flight. Unfortunately a swap occurred. They changed the planned 787 for a 737-700. Bad but could be worse, could be another 737-800 flight :P This is going to be a full flight, very few vacant seats. I get a family next to me. Lucky to have my earphones and the window so I can fly in relative peace. The food is the same, the views differ a bit as the sun hides and we land in dark Beijing. After arriving all I need to do is get to my hotel where I'll rest before taking my last flight the next morning.

Xiamen Boeing 737 experience MF880, 2017.01.01

Time to return home. Again via Fuzhou and Beijing (a night stop at PEK) with Xiamen Airlines.

01 January 2017
MF880 (1125-1300) TPE-FOC
B-1966 Boeing 737-800

For the flight from Taipei Taoyuan airport I get a pretty new 737 with the Boeing Sky Interior. This time I'm seated in row 62, but before I get to the plane I walk around the general area a little bit. Eva Air really has a thing with Hello Kitty :D There ain't much opportunities for spotting from the terminal so I do some small duty free shopping and head for my gate. The seats on this new plane don't differ much from the ones on the older sibling. While we taxi we pass by some nice planes, unfortunately on the other side so I only get a chance to catch them when on the runway. The flight is smooth, the food exactly same as on the inbound journey. On the approach we are able to see some nice lens-like clouds over the hill tops. And that would be it, yet another transfer at Fuzhou. Unluckily they swapped the planned 787 for a 737 on the next flight. But that in a separate post.

Taipei Songshan spotting TSA/RCSS 2016.12.31

Taipei Songshan airport is located in the city, with convenient access to the MRT it's very easy to get to. It offers mostly domestic flights and flights to Japan (apart from other international destinations). TSA has a pretty decent viewing terrace located over the domestic terminal thus most of the traffic you'll witness at the gates is the same all time round. Uni Air ATRs, FAT MD80s, Mandarin Ejets. The runway is visible in the background so you may also observe some taxi ops and departure/arrivals. Unfortunately you look out through glass windows which may be a problem during rainy or very sunny weather.
At the place there are a couple of benches, charts with information about aviation and the local traffic, lavatories and there is also a fast food bar where you'll find something both to drink and to eat. And the wifi is free.
After some time the heat haze got too strong for me to even want to look at it thus I've decided to leave. The traffic forecast wasn't very optimistic either for the next 2 hours. I believe that that could be a great spot for some night pictures!

B-16821

FE28 MZG-TSA 2016.12.30

After successfully getting to Magong from Kaohsiung with Daily Air and their Twin Otter I had some time before my flight back to Taipei. Time for lunch, some peaceful thinking and well, visiting the airport inside out. Finally I could check-in for my Far Eastern Air Transport flight to Taipei Songshan.

30 December 2016
FE28 (1835-1925) MZG-TSA
B-28025 McDonnell Douglas MD83

The MD80 series was on my 'to do' list. Having the luck that some still do fly on Taiwan I knew that I must get on one. Almost easy booking on-line with FAT with a short notice (absolutely not a problem on Taiwan, the fares area rather stable). Only thing left was to get a good seat. 33 is great! It was dark during the entire flight, which being in addition short, didn't give too much time for proper photo shooting. The sound of the engines right behind the window, the spool up, mmmm, honey for my ears. All topped up with a very nice co-passenger and a pretty decent view on the Taipei 101 on arrival.

Inside the MD83

Daily Air Twin Otter KHH-CMJ-MZG 2016.12.30

During my trip to Taiwan I had to get on one of the island hopping flights. At first I thought I'd get on a Dornier 228 but a Twin Otter isn't too bad after all. As they don't operate in Taipei I had to choose a destination that would nicely fit with all the scheduled times. After all I decided to fly from Kaohsiung to Qimei and on to Magong with Daily Air and return to Taipei from Magong with Far Eastern Air Transport and their MD80 (a separate post will come for that). I took to THSR from Taipei to Kaohsiung, hopped on the MRT and arrived at KHH with tonnes of time to spare. So I walked around, took some pictures until finally, one hour before departure I could check-in and proceed through the security area. The waiting area is general for all flights and the 'gate' shows up moments before boarding. We area taken to the plane by bus, seats are assigned I get on my cosy 1C with the best view in town. My head nearly touches the ceiling and my bag sits at 1D. Awesome flight with glances into the paperwork, the FMC and other visible systems. The pilots surprised to learn that I'll be flying with them on the next sector, I disembark, grab some fresh air, wait for the plane to be loaded, papers filled out, the crew to rest and well, I had to check-in for the flight at the local check-in desk. The terminal looks sufficient for the needs of the locals. No belts, everything is manual. Unluckily the weather was gloomy and windy, which after all was a good thing because I did not regret the short stay. I'll have to return one day for a walk around the island.
On the second sector I sit in the fifth row, behind the wing. The only thing I want is for the plane to land in Magong. Wind and the size of the plane together with our low altitude come together for some pretty solid turbulence. Unlucky that there is a storm nearby. Lucky that the flights did even depart. The day before all Daily Air flights have been cancelled due weather.

Overall, I may surely recommend flying those short hops around on those tiny machines. I am still am after the Do228 though ;)