≡

What to do in Seattle? Check Out These Aviation Must-Sees

By

I have grown up in the Seattle area and have made great use of all the aviation-related things around town. I have been lucky enough to experience quite a bit of aviation awesomeness and wanted to share what you might want to do if you come to visit Seattle (or if you live here). If you ever are going to visit or live in the area and ask, “What aviation stuff can I do in Seattle?” hopefully this an help provide you with some answers.

This is just a partial list and I am only adding things that I have been able to check out first hand. I will continue to grow this list and add more over the coming months. No, I am not getting any kick-backs from any of these places, I just want to share some of these great experiences with other aviation like-minded folks.

Although I am writing this as a blog, I will permanently have an Aviation in Seattle page linked on the left side of the blog.

If you have a suggestion I haven’t covered yet, please contact me and let me know.

FUTURE OF FLIGHT
LOCATION: Mukilteo, WA (map)(website)
BASIC INFO: Learn about aviation’s past, present and future. There is a Beechcraft Starship hanging from the roof, a Boeing 747 tail and entire Boeing 727 cockpit you can play around in. After checking it out, be sure to go on a Boeing tour since they share the same building.
TIP: Don’t miss the roof top Strato Deck where you can get amazing photos and videos of brand new Boeing airplanes taking off. Check FlightAware.com to time your visit to watch something exciting like a Dreamlifter or new Boeing 747-8 taking off or landing.
REVIEW: To learn more and see photos, check out my full review of the Future of Flight done in November 2009.
BOEING FACTORY TOUR
LOCATION: Mukilteo, WA (map) (website)
BASIC INFO: This is a must see. Go inside the Boeing Factory and see where Boeing makes their new 747-8, 787, the 777 and 767. From being in pieces to rolling out of the factory doors, see planes in all phases of being built. Unfortunately Boeing does not allow any cameras on the tour, but it gives you more opportunity to absorb everything.
TIP: Stay close to your tour guide. They are a wealth of information, challenge them with your most difficult questions.
PHOTOS: During Aviation Geek Fest for 2009 and 2010 Boeing took photos inside the factory for us. Feel free to use these to show your friends & family what you got to see: Aviation Geek Fest 2009 or 2010.
MUSEUM OF FLIGHT
LOCATION: Tukwila, WA (map) (website)
BASIC INFO: The history of flight, information and artifacts on Space, a section about World War I and II aircraft and tons of amazing aircraft on display is what welcomes you at the Museum of Flight. You will definitely need to take at least half a day, maybe a full day to enjoy everything available.
TIP: Do not miss the Air Park outside which houses the first Boeing 747 (The City of Everett), a Concorde, an old Boeing 707 AirForce One and more.
REVIEW: Check out my review of the Museum of Flight from September 2010.
HELICOPTER TOUR OF SEATTLE AREA VIA SEATTLE HELITOURS
LOCATION: Seattle, WA (map) (website)
BASIC INFO: Getting an aerial tour on a helicopter of Seattle is a great experience. From buzzing downtown to hovering at Snoqualmie Falls, you won’t regret this tour.
TIP: If you fly when it is warm, they can take off the doors and you get a real sweet ride.
REVIEW:  This is my review of Seattle Helitours Seattle area tour done in March 2010.
SEAPLANE TOUR OF SEATTLE VIA KENMORE AIR
LOCATION: Seattle, WA (map) (website)
BASIC INFO: Kenmore Air runs the second largest seaplane operation in North America and the biggest in the US. Although they have scheduled flights all around the northwest, they also offer a special scenic flight around the Seattle area. Definitely do not miss this unique aerial tour of Seattle.
TIP: Passengers are able to sit in the co-pilot’s seat. Ask your pilot if you can sit up front and bring your camera.
REVIEW: I was lucky to take this seaplane tour on a sunny day in February 2010.
SEAPLANE FLIGHT UP TO THE SAN JUANS VIA KENMORE AIR
LOCATION: Seattle, WA (map) (website)
BASIC INFO: If flying around Seattle is not good enough for you, take it to the next level. Enjoy a sea plane ride up to the San Juans and make an amaing weekend or just fly up to Friday Harbor, walk around for the day and fly back.
TIP: You can fly a land aircraft one way and seaplane back as I did, but I suggest going seaplane both ways since you fly lower. Like with the Kenmore Seattle tour, try to sit up front in the co-pilot’s seat.
REVIEW: Take a look at my flight on Kenmore Air up to the SanJuans and back in August 2010.
SPOTTING AT PAINE FIELD
Location: Everett, WA (map)
BASIC INFO: What better place to spot than Paine Field? Check out a new Boeing 777, 747-8, 767 or 787 Dreamliner take off for the very first time. You might also get to see the unique looking Dreamlifter take off or land (but there is normally at least always one there parked). It is exciting to see these large aircraft wait their turn while smaller Cessna 172’s take off and land. You can drive around Paine Field and get quite close to different aircraft in different locations. The best part is this is totally FREE.
TIP: Make sure you get up on the Strato Deck at the Future of Flight to get a great view. It is important to stay off Boeing’s property. There are lots of places to get photos and view the planes up close without getting a visit from Boeing Security.
MY VISITS: Although I have been to Paine Field so many times and only live minute away, it never gets old. Going up to check out a special event or just to hang out to see what is new is always a fun time. Check out some of my visits and photos of Paine Field.

Classic Photo: Pan Am Boeing 747-100 Maid of the Seas

By

Pan Am Boeing 747-100 Maid of the Seas N739PA

Pan Am Boeing 747-100 Clipper "Maid of the Seas" N739PA

Reader David C. sent me this photo of a Pan Am Boeing 747-100. He is in the process of digitizing his photo collection and came across this beautiful aircraft taken in August of 1984 in Rome. This is not just any Boeing 747-100, but Clipper “Maid of the Seas,” registration number N739PA. This aircraft was operating as flight 103 on December 21, 1988 from London to New York when a bomb went off killing all 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 people on the ground. Due to crashing in Lockerbie, Scottland the incident has been referred to as the Lockerbie Bombing. The Clipper Maid of the Seas was only the 15th Boeing 747 built.

David C. wanted to share this photo as a dedication to all those that lost their lives that day.

Explore more:
* Washington Post story the day after the incident
* Photos of N739PA before the crash
* Garden of Remembrance to remember those that lost their lives
* More about the victims

Guide to Getting a Good Seat Flying on Southwest Airlines

By

The new Southwest interior with new seats and carpeting. Photo by Southwest Airlines.

These tips will help you find the best seat on a Southwest flight – Photo: Southwest Airlines

Love it or hate it, Southwest Airlines has a unique seating process. Where most airlines will assign you an exact seat, Southwest gives you a boarding number and you can choose any open seat on the plane. Some enjoy choosing who they sit next to, but others don’t like the added anxiety of not knowing where you will sit until you are on the plane. I wanted to run down some ideas on how to get the best seat possible on a Southwest Airlines flight. They have seemed to work out pretty darn well for me over the years.

If you haven’t flown Southwest before, it can be a little confusing. When you check in, you will get a boarding letter – A, B or C – and a number – 1-60. A1 is the best and C23 (on a 737-700) / C55 (on a 737-800) is the worst. No matter what number you have, there are ways to improve where you sit — unless you are last to board.

Lufthansa First Airline to Use BioFuel on Passenger Flights

By

Lufthansa Airbus A321 (D-AISE) coming from Hamburg.

Lufthansa Airbus A321 (D-AISE) coming from Hamburg.

There have been quite a few airlines testing out different biofuels, but none that have run biofuels on a long-term basis during scheduled passenger service. Starting in April 2011, Lufthansa will start a six month trial using an Airbus A321 on scheduled flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt using biofuel.

Only one of the A321’s engines will be using a 50-50 mix of biofuel and normal aviation fuel. They hope to use this six months to see how the use of biofuel will affect maintenance and engine life. The A321 will have a unique set up since it will only fly this route and only be fueled in Hamburg. Normally aircraft are used on different routes and can be fueled at almost any airport.

During the six month trial, Lufthansa expects to save about 1,500 tons of CO2 emissions. ’œLufthansa will be the world’s first airline to utilize biofuel in flight operations within the framework of a long-term trial. This is a further consistent step in a proven sustainability strategy, which Lufthansa has for many years successfully pursued and implemented,’ said Lufthansa Chief Wolfgang Mayrhuber.

This project, that Lufthansa is calling “burnFAIR,” is being funded in part by the German government. The government is investing about $3.3 million (2.5 million Euros) into the project, where Lufthansa is investing about $8.7 million (6.6 million Euros). The goal is to find a viable alternative to standard aviation fuel that can power  airlines around the world with less emissions and be sustainable.

The use of biofuel is one element in a four-pillar strategy aimed at reducing overall emissions in air traffic at Lufthansa. Environmental goals can only be achieved in the future with a combination of various measures, like ongoing fleet renewal, operational measures such as engine washing and infrastructural improvements. Cheers to Lufthansa taking this next step, I will be very interested to see how it works out.

More on the topic:
* Alaska Airlines and Boeing work on BioFuels
* Air New Zealand tries out biofuels

Source: Seattle PI/Lufthansa Image: Thomas Becker

Want Some Airline Humor? Check Out This Blog

By

Check out this blog for a little mis-information humor.

Check out this blog for a little mis-information humor.

If you don’t care about facts and like a little humor with airlines and the local Seattle area, then you should check out The Airline Blogger blog.

This local anonymous blogger recently started sharing his mis-knowledge recently and lives in the Seattle area. He is blogging anonymously, but I know the guy. I can assure you that he literally knows nothing about aviation and I think he actually believes most of what he is posting.

From talking about the DreamLifter being the new comet rocket (it’s not, obviously) to taking really really bad photos with fences in the way . He tells me getting the fence makes it “real”… but I think more like “real” bad.

The man behind this blog let me ask him a few questions to try and learn where he is coming from:

AirlineReporter (me): Who are you?
TheAirlineBlogger (TAB): Who am I? That is such an open question. Who are you?

Me: Why are you writing this blog?
TAB: I have found myself asking question after question trying to understand planes and the airline industry.  After hanging out around airline nerds listening to them discuss the crazy things they hear when non airline people share their ideas on the industry, I figured I could stop asking questions and start making assumptions and possibly provide a little amusement along the way. I have found that a lot of “real” media people don’t need to check facts and can say whatever they want, so why can’t I?

Me: You live by Paine Field?
TAB: “By” is relative compared to most people in the world who enjoy planes I live near by. As a kid I lived the first 12 years of my life 2 miles from Paine Field. My elementary school mascot was the “Flyers” because we were so close to it. Today I live “by” Paine Field compared to someone in Jersey, but not “by” Paine Field like I did when I was younger.

Me: Are you afraid people might think your information is valid?
TAB: What do you mean? Are you saying you believe the content in my blog is not valid? As far as I am concerned everything I am blogging is valid. If it is on the internet, it has to be true right?

Me: What is your favorite plane?
TAB: My favorite plane is SpaceShipFour, yea outside of myself, Burt Rutan, Paul Allen and Sir Richard Branson not many people know about this fine craft. It is slated to be the first full orbital commercial airliner. While not practical it should be a blast to ride in. I hope to keep my readers up to date on this project as more details are leaked to me from my “inside source”.

I have found a lot of his stuff to be quite entertaining. Let’s see if he can keep it up.