The fine folks of the airline industry work extra hard this time of year so that the rest of us can enjoy the holidays. As if that weren’t enough, some of them volunteer to help share seasonal spirit with people in need. As one example, United operates “Fantasy Flights” that bring children experiencing significant medical issues or other hardships to visit Santa at the North Pole.
We were able to join this year’s Fantasy Flight out of United’s Newark hub. Between pre-flight festivities, caroling onboard a decked-out 767, and watching the children meet Santa, it was one of the most heartwarming aviation-related experiences we’ve taken part in.
Read on for plenty of photos, videos, and a heavy dose of AvGeeky holiday cheer. Plus we’ll clue you in on how our crew made a trip to the North Pole happen.
An aerial view of Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport in Blacksburg, VA. Photo courtesy of BCB Airport
We usually cover specific events at airports, often relating to aircraft or airline events, but sometimes about milestones at the airport itself.
We’re going to try something new – profiling airports you may not know about, ones that have an interesting history or attribute.
First up will be Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport in Blacksburg, Virginia (BCB).
Why choose an airport that most avgeeks haven’t heard of, that’s well off the beaten path, and that doesn’t even have commercial service? Because of all those things. We love to learn, and places like these are often filled with fascinating tidbits of info and history.
Last month we had the opportunity to visit and tour BCB with the airport’s Executive Director, Keith Holt.
Looking down the 5,501-foot runway 13 at BCB airport
The airport currently boasts a jet-capable 5,501-foot runway, but that wasn’t always the case.
Virginia Tech has been around since 1872. The airport was founded in 1929 on land that was owned by the university, located about 1.5 miles from campus. Before that, aviators made use of either a nearby farmer’s field and an athletic field on campus (those old biplanes didn’t need a very long runway).
The airport officially opened in 1931. As World War II approached, the airport was designated a Civilian Pilot Training Program facility and an aircraft mechanic training facility, all to help the war effort.
Aerial photos of the airport from 1939. Photos courtesy of the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society
The heavy use from training aircraft was ruining the grass runway, so in 1941 a 2,850-foot paved runway was installed, designated 08-26. Over time, it became apparent that the runway was not optimally aligned with prevailing winds, so in 1966 what was then the 4,200-foot runway 12-30 was constructed; runway lighting was installed the following year. The original runway (08-26) was closed in 1985 and converted to aircraft parking.
A row of parked bizjets and private aircraft parked at the airport for a Virginia Tech football game
Since then, the airport has expanded even further, lengthening the runway, adding a localizer, DME, and GPS instrument approach and landing equipment, an automated AWOS weather system, and updated lighting.
Virginia Tech operates a turbomachinery and propulsion lab at the airport
We asked the airport’s Executive Director Keith Holt to describe what makes the airport unique and useful for the region: “BCB is an in-town destination. We are incorporated inside town limits and our property line directly borders the campus of Virginia Tech. Our location is central and convenient not just for visitors to the University, but also businesses and corporations doing business in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and the greater Montgomery County.”
An interesting and forward-thinking amenity at the airport is a charger for BETA Technologies electric aircraft, which Holt says have visited the airport
Holt said the airport has 42 aircraft based on site and 21,900 operations a year. “The most common aircraft are corporate jets, charters and light general aviation,” he said. “As an airport so close to a major university – sporting events and college graduations become a large event for the airport. For a recent football game, we had 59 arrivals just for the game,” he said.
Want to read more airport-related articles like this? Let us know in the comments!
A Philippine Airlines 777 received a water-canon salute upon it’s inaugural arrival as flight PR124 at SEA
On Oct. 2, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport added yet another international carrier and city to its service roster: Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) via Philippine Airlines (PAL).
The jet arrived after dark, allowing for some unusual and fun photo opportunities.
The 777’s red strobes made some great lighting effects as the jet passed beneath the crossed streams of water
Washington State is home to the United States’ fourth-largest Filipino population, and the route has been long-requested by travelers, according to SEA airport officials.
There were plenty of media and influencers invited to the inaugural event
For belly cargo on the new route, the flights will add up to 60 tons of cargo capacity every week to regional trade.
The now-current Philippine Airlines SEA schedule.
Seattle is PAL’s eighth destination in North America. The carrier already operates 46 weekly flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Toronto, Honolulu and Guam.
A nighttime water cannon salute is a relatively rare occurrence
Philippine will use Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the MNL-SEA route, with lie-flat seats in Business Class and meal service featuring Filipino and Western specialties.
Passengers and airport staff crowded the terminal windows as the jet arrived at its gate
The airline has nine Airbus A350-1000 jets on order, and airline officials have discussed hopes to further its US route expansion by adding Chicago, Houston, and Las Vegas in future years.
It’s always a treat to be up close to the giant 777 on the ramp
The new SEA flight provides connectivity via Manila to PAL’s extensive domestic and regional international network, including cities such as Cebu, Davao, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur.
The arrival gate had bannersAnd an area for an arrival celebration and welcome speechesThe obligatory landing-gear photo
Qatar Airways is best known for its Qsuite long-haul business class. But if you’re thinking of flying Qatar, remember that the airline operates a diverse fleet with multiple seat styles. So it’s important to be a smart shopper and know what you’re getting when you book.
We recently wrote about Qatar’s A320 business class, and we’ll be back later with a dive into Qsuite. But in this story we’re featuring one of Qatar’s other long-haul business class seats, which we flew on an Airbus A350-900 flight from Cape Town to Doha.
Read on for the full details. For those of you considering Qatar Airways for your future travel plans we outline how this seat stacks up against Qsuite. And for those of you just AvGeeking from the comfort of your homes we have all the window seat views and videos you could ask for.
As a US-based flyer, when I think of the big Middle Eastern airlines I think of epic long-haul flights on 777s, A380s, and other big planes. But can those airlines deliver a great experience on smaller single-aisle aircraft?
We got to find out on an A320 flight from Doha to Zanzibar on Qatar Airways, Skytrax’s best airline in the world for 2024. Over the course of the six-hour flight we got a close look at the airline’s narrowbody business class seat and “medium-haul” service style.
So what should you expect onboard a Qatar A320 compared with their 777s, 787s, A350s, or A380s? Read on to find out. And as usual we have some window seat views for you to enjoy along the way.
