Boeing 787 in First Choice livery. Photo from NewPlane.com
Preview what the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will look like in different airline liveries (scroll down a little bit for the custom liveries). From Aeroflot to VLAC.
It is great seeing the different designs in 3D on the computer screen, but I can’t wait to see them in person (of course you can already see ANA’s livery on the 787).
If the Boeing 787 liveries don’t distract you enough, you can also check out the new Boeing 747-8 Highlights page via Boeing.
Thanks to Sandy at the Future of Flight for finding this!
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Looks like the unruly passenger got his shirt back on in time for the police to escort him off the plane.
Just getting drunk, unruly, and causing a flight to divert just doesn’t seem to do it for me anymore. Well a Virginia resident, Muhammed Abu Tahir is taking it to the next level. He was on Air Tran flight 39 from Atlanta to San Francisco and decided to have a few (and by a few I mean five) airline-sized bottles of wine. Anyone having that much wine is mostly going to use the lavatory at some point.
Tahir seemed to enjoy being in the lavatory, but wanted to be a little more comfortable. He took off his shoes and socks and placed them outside the door. He later opened up the door and flight attendants could see he also took off his shirt and was shaving. At this point the crew felt it would be in the flight’s best interest if Tahir sat back down.
This is where Tahir had a decision to make. Either he sits down and provides a fun story the flight attendants to tell later or he makes a big deal out of it and causes a diverted flight and gets arrested. Unfortunately Tahir didn’t choose wisely. He become aggressive and refused to leave the bathroom. Flight attendants enlisted passengers to stand guard outside the bathroom with fire extinguishers while the crew blocked the cockpit door with a drink cart. Tahir was still in the bathroom when the flight finally landed.
The pilot decided to make an emergency landing at Colorado Springs and F-16’s were scrambled to help escort the flight. The flight landed with no other incident and Tahir got to make some quick friends with law enforcement. and might see some jail time.
No word if he got his AirTran miles for flying from Atlanta to Colorado Springs.
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Image: KDVR
Why would this Boeing 747 need a 5th engine?
This is not a photo shop, but a photograph of a Qantas Boeing 747-300 with a little extra cargo — a 5th engine.
When a Qantas airplane needs a replacement engine or to have one worked on, sometimes they will attached the 5th engine onto a Boeing 747 and fly it without power to its destination.
This ends up being more cost effective for the airline. The 5th engine will limit the 747’s performance (not that it is known for its sporty maneuvering already), but it provides no additional safety risk.
There is also a photo of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 with a 5th engine.
People on Twitter are sharing other airplanes with additional engines:
* Lockheed L1011 Tristar thanks FlyingPhotog
* Boeing 720 thanks apgphoto
* DC-8 thanks TxAGFlyer
* Pan Am Boeing 747 thanks Skippyscage
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What's left of American Airlines Flight 331 that crashed in Jamaica
I normally keep a nice little collection of stories I consider blogging. Sometimes I get too busy or other stories pop up and I just delete the ones that don’t make it to the blog. Even if these aren’t the most timely, I still think they are interesting and wanted to share:
* Amazing Photos of American Airlines Flight 331’s Boeing 737 that crashed in Jamaica (via NYCAviation). Flight Global talks about how the pilot was advised to use a different approach.
* US Department of Transportation finds Virgin America is a US Citizen (via Seattle PI). Some were accusing Virgin America as not following the rules to operate as a US company. As long as they make some changes they are in the clear.
* United Airlines has Unlimited Baggage Plan (via Flight Wisdom). For $249 per year, you and your closest 8 friends, on your same reservation, get to check up to two bags per trip for free. For the frequent traveler, this can be quite the savings. Read more.
* Boeing joins in study of potential biofuel source (via the Seattle PI). Boeing is working with others to find a viable saltwater-based plant for a more environmentally friendly jet fuel.
* Pilot rehired after gun discharged on plane (via Today in the Sky). Pilot’s gun went off during flight, he got fired, he fought it and US Airways hired him back on.
* Inside the Emirates A380 First Class shower (via Gadling). Take a close look at an airborne luxury most will never be able to afford. It might only be a five minute shower, but that can make all the difference on a very long flight.
* U.S. airlines set record for on-time flights in November (via Dallas Morning News). Almost 89% of flights in November were considered on-time. That is great for airlines and for passengers.
* California’s Surplus Chihuahuas Airlifted To New York (via NPR). Too many unwanted dogs were showing up in California and Virgin America flew them over to the east coast where nice homes were waiting for them. Thanks Selena for the tip!
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July 29, 1975 just arriving from JFK to Antiqua - then on to St. Marten. Capodilupo as a child on his first flight on "Marcella". Photo from David Capodilupo
On Thursday I posted a photo of a static display Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727-100 N8160G at the Future of Flight and asked “What’s wrong here?”
Most of you guessed correctly: the logo and font were wrong. You can check out the before and after-photo to see the change. As I was doing research on the fixed logo, I found the story was much more interesting than I expected.
My research led me to David Capodilupo who has been following N8160G almost his whole life.
Capodilupo first flew on N8160G in July of 1975 (that is him and the plane in the first picture). He fell in love with the tri-engined “whisper jet” and started a life-long relationship with the plane. After his flight he would purchase different airline models and make them look exactly like N8160G by painting the “160” on the nose.
He had a hard time following the plane through most of his life since there was not an easy way to do so. About eight years ago he was able to track her down and see she was flying for FedEx as N124FE. FedEx had named her “Marcella.”
Capodilupo in front of N8160G at the Future of Flight. Notice the "160" on her nose.
Most Boeing 727-100’s were being retired and scrapped by the early 1980’s, but since Marcella was a 727-100 Quick Change (meaning she could quickly be converted to a cargo carrier), she already had a large cargo door built into her side, allowing her to have a second life with FedEx.
Marcella flew with FedEx from November 1981 until October 2003. In December 2003 she had her last flight from Oakland to Paine Field in Everett, WA where she was to have her front end preserved and displayed in the Future of Flight.
Capodilupo told me it was hard to be sent photos of Marcella being cut up, however he was happy she would find a loving home with the Future of Flight, instead of being sold for scrap.
After Marcella was set up in the Future of Flight, Capodilupo flew out from Boston to visit her. He was very excited to reconnect with the same plane that first flew him as a child in 1975. Once he saw her, his joy turned to disappointment when he noticed the logo and Eastern font were incorrect.
For years Capodilupo has been making his own models (and what airline enthusiast wouldn’t want this 6′ Eastern L1011 model he made in their living room?) and since most model companies didn’t make the Eastern logos properly, he would create his own. Faced with a similar problem, but on a little larger scale, Capodilupo told the Future of Flight “I will fix this.”
He donated his own time and money to put the graphics and logo properly on Marcella and of course the “160” back on the nose. He is not quite done with Marcella. Can you tell a difference between the two pictures still? The one from 1975 has a black tip on the nose and the current one does not. Capodilupo is hoping to help fix that during a future visit to the Seattle area.
Marcella doesn’t only live on at the Future of Flight. Some of her parts are also being used to restore the first Boeing 727 (which is interesting enough for its own blog in the near future). Hopefully pieces of Marcella will be back in the air in the next few years.
Additional information:
* More photos of Capodilupo and Marcella on my Flickr
* Photos of N8160G on Airliners.net
* Photo of Marcella in silver Eastern Air Lines livery
* My blog on the Future of Flight with more pics of Marcella
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