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.

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

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

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.

EPWA 2016.09.16 Corsair B747

Charter season at its best! A Boeing 747 visiting Warsaw. There is only one queen of the skies!

F-HSUN

EPWA 2016.07.10 E-4B departure

It arrived before most delegations, departed after most of them. The E-4B took a very nice turn on the taxiway before departing from runway 33. Additionally two C-17s came in for some transports.

75-0125

EPWA 2016.07.09 NATO departures

After the middle of the night arrival of the Air Force one, I hoped for a daylight departure. Couple more minutes and that wouldn't happen. Quite nice weather gave the opportunity for some decent photos of most departing delegations. Various planes, various liveries, all of them not a daily sight.

T.22-2

82-8000

EPWA 2016.07.07 Azerbaijan and USAF (E4-B, C-32)

Preceding the NATO summit in Warsaw, some of the equipment was brought in earlier. Delegations arrived at different times and dates. On the 7th of July came in, apart from other, the delegation of Azerbaijan (with a Boeing 767, an Airbus A319 and a Gulfstream G200), and United States Air Force arrived with an E4-B, a C-32. Additionally some pictures of other traffic in the light of a setting sun.

75-0125 and SP-LRB

4K-8888

EPWA 2016.05.22 Kalitta 747

Some cargo charters visited Warsaw during the month of may. One of them was this Kalitta 747 freighter.

N745CK

OK-TVS

EPWA 2016.05.21 Atlas Air 747F

An evening departure of an Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F from Warsaw. Accompanied by a usual LOT Dreamliner at that time of the day.

SP-LRF

N418MC

Amsterdam spotting, day 1. 2016.05.14

After arriving earlier that morning from Warsaw, picking up my bag, I headed to the viewing terrace first. A couple of shots over there while waiting for my friends to arrive. When Robert, Mike and Simon got to the airport I met up with them and we headed off for some approach shots. Later, after a brief lunch stop when the sun wasn't well situated we headed for the Polderbaan. My first time spotting in Amsterdam and that was amazing! There we spent a couple of hours taking some classic, great shots. The weather was very chimeric. One moment pure sunshine, the other clouds all around. Wind like hell, and later came the rain. Finally we left the spot and drove home. A couple of first for me, a couple of shots I'm very happy about. The highlights: surely the cargo 747s (both -400 and -8s), the rotations of all heavies (747, 767, 777, 787, A340, A330) - phenomenal! The DHL A300. Unluckily the MD11 of Martinair was not given to us that day and it was one of our highlights on the 'to do' list.
So I ended the day with my first 748 shots, and that plane, I must say, has so much power! It's even better live then I thought!

PH-BFL rocketing out of the Polderbaan

VQ-BRH

EPWA 2016.02.12 El Al Cargo

Yet another cargo charter. This time a dull, white Jumbo jet operating for El Al. I was prepared for a 33 departure, then the light conditions would have been fantastic. Unfortunately the crew asked for a 29 departure thus my photos ended up being back-lit. Anyway, no risk, no fun.

4X-ICB

Iran Air 747SP IKA-KUL

It was time to leave Persia. Destination: Kuala Lumpur. After dinner at the Iran Air maintenance facility we head back to the hotel, take a quick shower, grab our luggage and take a taxi to IKA. At least those who fly this evening to Malaysia. STD is at 2055LT. We arrive at the airport around 1900 hours so we have plenty of time to check-in and some shopping before the flight.

Iran Air Maintenance Facility

After flying to and from Mashhad in the morning and before my flight to Kuala Lumpur in the evening we visited the Iran Air maintenance facility where we had the chance to get inside a F100, A320 and an 742 on maintenance. Additionally we get a chance to meet some of the people that work there, chat with them about the machines, work and their hopes for the future. We spend there a couple of hours.

Airbus A320 engine

Tehran Aviation Museum

After the morning flights to and from Mashhad on the Pouya Air Antonov 74 our group headed to the local aviation museum. The facility isn't very big but does contain a couple of nicely preserved planes (if we can call it preserved, not much seems to have been altered from their flying days). They are in possession of a couple of 747s, a L-1011, two ex-Royal family 727s - those would be the nicest plane on stand. What was more, we have been granted access inside the L-1011 and one of the 727s. I do not want to know how much bacteria were flying around us and later in us after those two visits. Both of the planes have been nearly intact from the times they have arrived at the museum. At the entrance/exit there is a map of the museum with a key to where do what planes stand, some descriptions are quiet funny

Paris CDG pre-flight spotting LFPG/CDG 2015.06.23

Yesterday we returned with Robert home pretty late, the night was not going to be very long. Before ending our day we packed our suitcases and checked-in for our flights back home. He was bound to depart in the morning (7am-ish), my flight was 3 hours later. The plan was easy, we drive to the airport, I return the car to the rental service and he goes for his flight. Meanwhile having a couple of hours to spent I decided to walk around the airport and perhaps take some pictures. I couldn't leave my bag anyway before check-in for my flight opened. My conclusions after the morning? Terminal 3 has nearly no spotting opportunities, Terminal 2 is hard and not many spots, Terminal 1 is on the other side pretty nice. Open air, planes very close and so on. Most of the pictures where taken from T1. For more info and pictures of the terminals visit my entry about LO332.

F-RAJB

9K-AME

Paris CDG spotting LFPG/CDG 2015.06.22

Monday came quickly. Three nights in Paris have passed since my arrival. During that time I've been at Le Bourget for the Air Show and at Orly airport for some spotting. This was supposed to be my last day in Paris, after the night I had to catch the flight back home. So we decided, together with my friend, to go for a little spotting at CDG - which is the main airport in the Paris metro area. After planning nearly everything out before arriving to France we knew that the distances were huge and without a car it would be nearly impossible to get some decent results. We did rent a car the day before (it was needed at ORY) and had a schedule of what arrives or departs when so that we could have a chance of catching everything (or at least most of the things) we came here for, which was: Air Tahiti Nui A340, LaCompagnie 757, the Air France 747s and A340s, UA/AA 757s and other plane+livery connections that are usually unavailable in Warsaw. To the "cooler" things we got I could add: FedEx 777s, UIA 767, TK A330, SAS retro jet, Egyptair 777, Air Transat A310 and more! Well, I can't say I am disappointed with the results. Although the weather was from the poor kind, in the morning full overcast, and later during the day rain came so we started spending more and more time in the car :P (of course lets add the trips for food to nearby villages).
Overall, Roissy offers a wide range of pretty good spotting locations, but to get to them easily you need a car transport. There are, more or less, a couple of parking spots in the area of mosts of the spots. If you are interested in a decent guide check this spotterguide out. It did help me out with a couple of problems. And remember about the permit, we did encounter a check during our stay.
Have a look what came out of my camera:

F-HPJD

F-HBLA

Orly spotting and the Concorde; LFPO/ORY 2015.06.21

After a day at Le Bourget I went for a full spotting day at Orly. The second biggest airport in Paris. The highlights I wanted to get were a couple of different charter planes (like Air Caraibes or Corsair), some African airlines (like Air Algerie or Royal Air Maroc) and of course the Cubana Ilyushin 96 and the Open Skies Boeing 757. So before the trip, together with my friend, we did some research about where to spot, about at what time do the planes we wanted to catch land or depart. Apart of those gems, which we did manage finally to catch, there is a tonne of Air France planes (but not as much as at CDG) and Transavia. A pro tip: getting around without a car would be time-consuming and tiring. The distances between spots are not small so if you would decide to spot on foot, you would be rather stuck at one place only for most of the time, or would loose some of the planes during moving from a spot to another. So we did rent one that morning, which was a great thing to do! After a good day we wanted to see the Concorde standing next to the airport. Luck wanted that the man responsible for the complex, which it was part of, saw us and invited us inside. He gave us a private tour around the Concorde, which was, frankly A-MAZ-ING! The complex is called Musée Delta and is currently struggling with some land problems. The museum is open every Wednesday and Saturday between 2pm and 6pm and has a entrance fee of 3€. I strongly recommend visiting it during your stay in Paris! A fantastic place it is!

PS. Yes, the heat haze did some harm to a couple of the pics - sorry for that

Emir of Dubai and his Boeing 747

At the start of June 2015 the Emir of Dubai, the vice president and prime minister of the UAE Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum visited Warsaw for a couple of days. The main reason was business talks. As it frequently happens, together with his arrival, some private jets had to arrive so all the people that needed to come could do so. And so, his highness arrived with a Boeing 747-400 A6-MMM and from the cooler things there was a 737BBJ registered as A6-AIN. He arrived on the 7th of June and departed two days later.

A6-MMM departing from the wet runway