This time-lapse from our friends at Jet Midwest offers a rare glimpse into the plane repainting process from start-to-finish. The clip begins with a Sun Country Boeing 737-800 (N804SY) landing at Kansas City International Airport. After a fast and furious time-lapse of less than five minutes, we witness what could easily be mistaken for a brand-new plane heading back to its home base in Minneapolis, MN (MSP).
At first, you see that the paint is noticeably weathered but still beautiful in its own right. In fact, I contend that the 12 year-old paint job, as-is, was arguably more attractive than a brand-new paint job with most of the larger airlines who sport “Eurowhite” liveries (can you tell that I do not like bland liveries?)
The paint scheme that Sun Country planes sport is what many AvGeeks would refer to as a “jelly bean” livery; i.e. at the very minimum, a brightly-colored plane. There is however some dissent in the community that argues a true “jelly bean” requires that each plane be slightly different, for example the historic liveries of Braniff seen below.
The first Boeing 787-9 moves to the flight-line at Paine Field. Image: Boeing
Previously, we have seen photos of the first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (ZB001) taken while dark out, but now we get to see the aircraft in the light of day.
Yesterday, the first 787-9 Dreamliner rolled out of the factory and was towed to the flight line, where Boeing will prepare the aircraft for its first flight later this summer. After the test flights are completed, the first 787-9 is expected to be delivered to Air New Zealand by mid-2014.
It can get pretty complicated why airlines will not allow electronic devices below 10,000 feet. This video tries to provide some serious answers.
This funny video from College Humor tries to answer some of those burning questions that many passengers have. You know what they say… there is always a little truth in humor.
NOTE: The “f-word” is used in the video at about the 1:55 and 2:35 mark. So probably don’t have it turned up too high if sensitive ears are around.
Bombardier CSeries Flight Test Vehicle 1 showing off its new paint job. Photo: Bombardier Aero
UPDATE – Sept. 2: FTV1’s first flight is now even closer. Late last week, Transport Canada awarded Bombardier’s first CSeries plane its Flight Test Permit. This clears the way for FTV1 to begin high-speed taxi tests, and ultimately fly for the first time.
ORIGINAL STORY – Aug. 23: Bombardier has dressed up its CSeries Flight Test Vehicle 1 (FTV1) in new “house” colors. After all, it’s always important to look your best when you’re going to a big party. And FTV1’s first flight certainly qualifies as a huge event for the CSeries’ program.
The new livery looks quite similar to the design we’ve seen in previous artist conceptions of the plane in the air. It has a white fuselage with blue tail and engine cowlings, and a cute little red tip on its nose. I’m thinking that the red is there to highlight the test plane’s air data probe, which won’t be on production aircraft. Be careful, you’ll put your eye out with that!
EAA AirVenture is more commonly known as Oshkosh – Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter.com
A rural middle-America town is transformed each year from small and sleepy to an #AvGeek mecca. That small town is Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the home of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Each year the EAA holds their annual ’œfly-in’ called AirVenture. But it is much more than just a fly-in; it’s a festival of flight.
The EAA started the ’œfly-in’ back in 1953, in Milwaukee. Soon afterwards, it outgrew that airport, and the show moved on to Rockford, Illinois. In 1969, the EAA had grown too large for Rockford and needed to find a new home. They settled upon Oshkosh and, although they started with no facilities, the all-volunteer force that the EAA has been famous for was able to get the site ready for the first show at its new home in time for the 1970 edition. The show has remained in Oshkosh to this day, and celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.
Most people refer to AirVenture as an ’œair show,’ and while there is a flying program each day, the show is so much more. The show feels like a small city and the attendance figures match that. In 2013, there were approximately 500,000 people in attendance over the duration of the show, along with over 10,000 aircraft. A phenomenal amount of people when you think about it, all crammed into the footprint of a regional airport.
