One of Qatar’s two 0neworld 777s viewed from the window of a QR A320 – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
A few days before departing for Warsaw, I had a stark realization – I actually had no reason to be in Poland other than a milage run. Polish Christmas is not what we are familiar with here in North America. Indeed, the idea of potentially-radioactive Belorussian carp as my main feast for such a joyous occasion caused me some dismay. I admit, there are plenty of amazing things to do in Poland (including two great military and aviation museums) – just not on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Both days, the entire country – including the trains – more or less grinds to a halt.
Now, I could have spent a couple of days in a hotel in downtown Warsaw, and maybe gone shopping before my return home. But practicality is not, and never will be, how I solve problems. My original goal was to fly on Biman’s DC-10 from Kuala Lumpur back to Dacca, but I couldn’t make the times work. After a call with my usual travel agent (who has come to understand that I have a flare for the weird), I discovered that I could, within the window of my original British Airways fare to and from Poland go on a day trip to Singapore! I also had another goal – could I do it for a similar cost to a week of peak rate hotel time at a luxury hotel in Warsaw? Thanks to Polish currency (3 Zloty =1 USD) I could, and what an itinerary I booked!
We at AirlineReporter have always been fans of Qatar Airways; it was high time I found out what the fuss was about, starting with their Airbus narrow-body fleet. To say the least, I was excited. I had heard nothing but great things about Qatar’s business class from our other staff members. I am, probably, the harshest and most pedantic critic on the AirlineReporter staff. If you are already bored of the article, I can summarize my experience with QR in one word. AMAZING! If you are interested in why, please do continue.
Southwest Boeing 737-700 taxing at KPAE
In the summer, my wife and I were planning a Christmas trip to Disneyland with our two toddlers (ages 2 and 4). We were looking to get out of cold Denver for the holidays, and had visited Disneyland in December a few years ago and thought all of the decorations were really cool. We decided to pull the trigger in late summer and I went work booking our travel.
I’m a very loyal United Airlines flyer, being Denver-based, and try to fly them exclusively. However, flights to the Los Angeles-area at Christmas, even months in advance, were ridiculously expensive. I’ve also recently come to grips with the fact that, having a newly-two-year-old daughter, four airline tickets really start to add up. So, I looked at the options on Southwest Airlines (WN) and was shocked – less than $200 round-trip for direct flights between Denver (DEN) and Orange County (SNA), which was less than half the cost of other options. I had never booked myself on WN, but couldn’t pass up the huge cost difference, especially for such a short flight. (Note – since I booked my “first” WN flights, I actually ended up flying on them to the Bahamas on a short-notice trip).
The Spirit of 12s Boeing 747-8 Freighter taking off at Paine Field – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
The Spirit of the 12s Boeing 747-8F has been pretty popular, especially by tracing a 12 using their flight path. Tomorrow, Saturday the 1st from 11am to 1pm, it will be on the ground next to the The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour where you take photos and cheer on the Seahawks.
There will be a special Seahawks rally that starts at noon (arriving by 11:30am is suggested) and then fans will be able to file past the specially-painted 747-8F and take photos. Admission to the rally and taking photos are free. If you like the Seahawks and you like airplanes, this might be your thing.
A special flight path for a special plane – Image: FlightAware.com
The left-hand side of the freshly-unveiled Seattle Seahawks Boeing 747-8F – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter.com
To those of us in the Seattle area, it comes as no surprise that everyone has been pretty excited that the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl.
The right side of the Boeing Seahawks aircraft – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
Boeing, being one of the largest corporate sponsors of the Seahawks, has decided to join in. How they showed their support is exceptional.
It started with a surprise email from the Boeing media department this morning asking if we could attend an event at 2:00pm today. We could, and it ended with the reveal. We would have been on the ramp longer, but unfortunately, it was not only pouring rain but also deceptively cold.
The Seahawks aircraft grand reveal from Building 45-01 – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
Since I haven’t much to say – other than that I am in awe of the amazing effort undertaken and speed with which Boeing was able to get this top secret project completed – allow me to share some Seahawks-related 747-8 facts straight from Boeing.
The loudest Seahawks game is 38 times louder than the 747-8 is on departure. I know it may not seem that way numerically, but sound pressure is a logarithmic measurement.
Nothing like having a special scheme elevator hanging over your head Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
Also, I am told that a 747-8F can carry roughly 121 million individual Skittles candies (if that makes no sense, it’s explained here). This is a sight I would love to partake in at some point.
For reference, N770BA used to look like this:
N770BA prior to its new role – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
If you were wondering, this aircraft will be flying around the Seattle Area as a part of its test program. This aircraft, despite its stunning new livery, is still part of the Boeing test fleet. Of all the aircraft to paint, this one makes the most sense. No angry customers, and the opportunity to play with a blank canvas. It may just so happen that while the aircraft is painted like this, and prior to the Super Bowl- that this test routine will have some deviations from the norms. For example, do not be surprised if one of the tests Boeing performs over the next few days is “How does it look near the Space Needle?”.
If you haven’t caught the new WestJet #MagicPlane livery, you are in for a real treat. It is a complicated design that was not an easy task to complete. This time-lapse video above demonstrates the painstaking steps it took to bring this design to life.
The completed #MagicPlane livery (reg: C-GWSZ). Photo: WestJet
According to WestJet, “The special livery is designed to tell a story from tail to nose. It starts with Sorcerer Mickey, prominent on the aircraft’s tail, with magic stars coming from his hands. The magic stars swirl around the fuselage and past the wings, culminating with fireworks over the Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World.”
BONUS: Alaska Airlines Unveils its Latest Disneyland Scheme
It took a total of 26 workers, using 36 different colo(u)rs, 24 days working around the clock to make the paint scheme work. Now that is dedication, but we think it paid off. Check out some more photos, plus some magic in the interior:
