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.

EPWA 2016.08.27 Summer morning

I wanted to take advantage of the clear skies and sunny weather and take some morning arrivals shots. A plan is always good up to the moment when it stops being plausible. After two arrivals as planned on runway 11, one of the departures reported a heavy tailwind and all was switched. Back to the rather usual 29 ops. I planned to stay only around 1 hour but ended up almost 4. Nevertheless I'm happy about the outcome. Oh, and the MD11 which usually doesn't fly on Saturdays but because its flight got cancelled the day before it did on that day.

SP-LNB

EPWA 2016.08.20 An124 departure from runway 11

Due to some works in progress, runway 15/33 was closed. Thus the An124 visible in the last entry when it was supposed to depart we've been wondering whether or not will it wait for the longer runway to open or use the shortest one available for departures in Warsaw. They did not wait and what a sight it was!

UR-82029

EPWA 2016.06.23 A little closer (and the MD11)

Thanks to the kindness of Warsaw Chopin airport and "Warsaw Spotters" who organized an entry to the other side of the fence for a group of spotters. At first, we've been transported near the glide slope antenna of ILS for RWY 33. As 11/15 have been in use we had the ability to take some pictures from a closer distance than usually of departing aircraft.
Later on, after the MD-11F arrived, we've been transported close to where it's usually unloaded, loaded and prepared for its departure. We took turns in walking around the plane. Time passed by and after 9 pm the plane was almost ready for departure. All looked fine, push-back, engine start and... and the plane had to return back to its stand due to some issues on board. As our time limit at the airport we had to go, and satisfy ourselves with what we got. It was a truly phenomenal evening in some great company.

SP-LLF

N286UP

LO270 AMS-WAW 2016.05.16

May, the month when the weather isn't too hot yet, but ain't too cold either. A great month for traveling around western Europe. This year the plan was for a quick visit in Paris, as a tourist, and even quicker visits in Prague and Amsterdam, as a spotter.

16 May 2016
LO270 (0705-0900) AMS-WAW
SP-LIN Embraer 175

After a exhausting weekend in the Netherlands including some spotting, sightseeing and short nights it was time to return back to Warsaw, back to the daily routine.
After arriving early at the airport I drop my bag off and walk out for a photo with the famous "I amsterdam" monument and back to the terminal building. The queues for security were enormous and slow-moving. Thus, having 5 minutes until boarding time I got let in through the fast-track and after a walk (at a fast pace) I get to the gate (at the very end of the terminal) where, after two minutes, boarding starts. We board through a bridge over the technical road beside the terminal, down the stairs to the apron and up to the plane. The rest of the flight is smooth and pleasant. The cabin crew is fantastic and the flight passes at a glimpse of an eye. The flight is on time. In Warsaw greeted by some smiling ground crew (must say nice to be back with such a welcome). Quickly pick up my bag and head home for a quick change and on to the University. I was supposed to fly with my friends Robert and Mike but due to some misorganisation we did not book the same flights...

My plane is almost ready for passengers to board

LO265 WAW-AMS 2016.05.14

May, the month when the weather isn't too hot yet, but ain't too cold either. A great month for traveling around western Europe. This year the plan was for a quick visit in Paris, as a tourist, and even quicker visits in Prague and Amsterdam, as a spotter.

14 May 2016
LO265 (0725-0935) WAW-AMS
Embraer 175 SP-LIF

Saturday, one should perhaps sleep in, but no. A morning flight is to catch. The day before my friends took the same flight and now I was to join them in Amsterdam. A good aviation weekend was on the horizon! No queues to drop my bag so with that done quickly I head to the security, 10 minutes and it's behind me. A walk to the nearby gate, having more than enough time I get in touch with the guys is Amsterdam and we polish the details of how we meet up. Seated in row 18 I have plenty of space. The rear of the plane is basically empty today. The weather isn't fantastic in Warsaw and neither it showed to be in Amsterdam. Nevertheless the flight is smooth and pleasant. After landing we taxi past some nice planes and end up at a remote stand. A short bus ride, a little longer wait for the bag and of I go to see the viewing terrace. When the time is right I meet up with Robert, Mike and Simon and we head for some spotting action, first at one of the approaches and later the Polderbaan for departures. Photos from that are available here.
This was yet another flight with LOT after which I have nothing bad to say about my experience en-route.

After pushback from our gate. Preparing for taxi to runway 15

EPWA 2016.04.26

Yet another day at work. This time the extraordinary aircraft was a Ukraine Air Force Antonov 30. Apart of that a photo of a soon-to-be-painted into the Small Planet livery A321 (ex Aeroflot) and a Helvetic Airways A319 accompanied by a E75 being pushed back.

EPWA 2016.04.17 Volga Dnepr Il76 arrival

Cargo traffic is not the main traffic here at Warsaw. Sometimes something bigger will arrive. This time it was a Volga-Dnepr Ilyushin 76. It then spent the night in Warsaw and departed the next day. Here a couple of shots of RA-76511 arriving in Warsaw.

RA-76511

EPWA 2016.02.25

Just another morning shift at work. For the start some beautiful contrast and light play. Later on some cold winter white light during the day. Only at the end did gray clouds arrive taking the sun away. So did Lufty's Die Maus (D-AIRY).

SP-LIA

SP-LIA

LO785 WAW-TLL 2015.12.04

After the bankruptcy of Estonian the government of Estonia formed a company that in cooperation
with Adria took over the network after Estonian. As Adria doesn't have the resources to do it with their own metal they wet-leased different machines (an BAe ATP from Nextjet, a couple Fokker 100s and Embraer 145s for different routes from different airlines). So I decided to go and try catch the ATP on a international sector. Combining it with some sightseeing in Tallinn and a short stay in Stockholm throughout the weekend sounded like a good plan. It later expanded with a couple of flights on a smaller BAe, the J32. The trip started on Friday and ended after around 48 hours with a flight back to WAW from ARN.

04 December 2015
LO785 (1135-1415) WAW-TLL
SP-LIM Embraer 175

To be honest, a flight like any other. Typical quality Embraer flight with LOT. Zero problems at check-in, dropped my bag without any queue. Boarding proceeded smoothly and quickly. Tallinn is rather cloudy and a little rainy today. After a windy approach, bumpy landing and quick deboarding we still have to wait for the bags. My first impression of the airport is very positive (and it will only get better the next day). As I'm in no rush I slowly walk towards the baggage belts taking pictures of the little traffic that there is. If you'd forget, Christmas is just around the corner!
Seated in seat 18A

EPWA 2016.01.08 Snowfall!

Sudden snowfalls are never fun for ground staff at the airport and often are a signal of many delays. But for a photographer? On the contrary! This gives an opportunity to get some new compositions.

HA-LYL

HB-JVG

EPWA 2015.12.27

Today we had a visit from a Turkish Airlines A321 in the special livery "Discover the potential". Hard conditions for spotting.

TC-JRG

EPWA 2015.11.25

Early autumn morning. The sun has nicely risen and illuminated the morning departure wave in Warsaw. Today mostly LOT planes, mostly E-jets.

SP-LNB

EPWA 2015.09.16 B77F Etihad Cargo & Trade Air F100

Last year we had a Etihad cargo triple seven visiting WAW, this year the story repeated. Twice even, with some horses this time. Coincidentally the day of the Etihad departure a Trade Air Fokker 100 operated a charter to Warsaw. Both arr and dep.

9A-BTD Trade Air F100 departure

A6-DDC departing

LO333 WAW-CDG 2015.06.19

June is the month of the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget. After a couple of years I finally got the possibility of flying for it. As the name says it takes place in Paris, so I had to get there somehow. My money went to LOT Polish Airlines. To Paris Charles de Gaulle with LO333 and the return on LO332 but each flight will have its own entry.

19 June 2015
LO333 (1940-2205) WAW-CDG
SP-LIB Embraer 175

I arrive at the airport as usual, one hour before departure which gives me at this time of the day enough time to drop off my bag, go through security and have a little walk around for some photos. Boarding starts as planned and we arrive with a bus to the plane. Everybody boarded rather quickly and so we managed to depart more or less on time. The flight itself was rather smooth, no special sights or events. Just another great flight on a Embraer with LOT. In Paris we docked at a jetway at Terminal 1 and I proceed on to the baggage claim. The tunnels that take you to them are fantastic. You get a long moving sidewalk which goes both up and down. Later you find yourself in a area with multiple slides going different directions through tubes. After claiming my bag I head for the train that will take me downtown. And so my three days in Paris start. What will they bring? You'll see in the next entries.

2014.04.05 LOT Retro

Yesterday (04 April) LOT revealed its new paint scheme. SP-LIE was painted in a livery from the '50 of the previous century for LOTs 85th anniversary. The first things that came to mind when I saw photos of it where the KLM and Malev retro liveries. I liked it. Classy, very classy! The plane was shown in the early afternoon. First flight, 1900LT to MUC as LO375/376. The next day (that'd be today) it also started of with MUC as LO351/352 than OTP as LO641/642 and in the evening BRU as LO231. This was already know yesterday.
First, I headed for EPBC, to have one or two flights. Cool, but first the winch has to be in working order... Fixing it took us around one hour, great now we can get on with flying (in the meantime fuel had to be bought as well). Let me skip further. My first and only flight of the day departed at 1:20pm and took 4 minutes. It was a strange flight, mostly because of a chain of mistakes I made. I was not prepared for what happened during the flight, never mind, I got what I wanted, took off.
An hour later I had to get going as I planned to catch SP-LIE returning from Romania. It really is photogenic. Let me just show you the plane so you can decide yourself. Simply look at the crane in the front!