Air Koryo Ilyushin Il-62M (P-881)
Air Koryo was founded in 1954 and is based out of the Sunan International Airport in North Korea. It is fully government owned. Since North Korea is not a lot of people’s friends around the world, they fleet is a bit aged. They have IL-62’s, Tu-154’s, Tu-204’s, Tu-134 and a few others. They are currently in the process of trying to modernize their fleet with additional Russian-built aircraft (and doing better than Aeroflot). Air Koryo’s TU-204 was the first one to be exported out of Russia.
Their livery looks just like you would expect a communist government-run livery to look. Drab with gray and of course red. Even though simplistic, I can’t help by love a Russian built aircraft with classic communist-looking livery on it.
Thanks Matthew D for this livery idea!
Image: foo_fighter_spotting
Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 777-200 (SV7679)
I think this might be the largest airline I have done a livery of the week on. Normally I try to find smaller or unknown liveries (with special legacy liveries here and there). But seeing (online) a photo of a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 just motivated me to share, I love it!
The simple tan up top and blue and gold tail. I don’t know why but I just really enjoy the over all look.
The airline was founded in 1945 with one DC-3 and now currently has a fleet of 114 aircraft. The original DC-3 was a gift from American President Franklin D Roosevelt to King Abdul Aziz. The airline flies to over 75 destinations around the world and is based in Saudi Arabia.
Some other aircraft types with the livery:
* Boeing 747SP
* Boeing 747-400
* MD-11
* Don’t think it looks as good on a smaller MD-90
* Check out this amazing E-170 at night with the tail lit
Image: Flyg
Omar Air Airbus A330-200 (A40-DA)
Twitter follower @DavidMSaga pointed out that two airline liveries look very similar. A Pacific Flyer Airbus A310-300 seemed to have copied the livery of Omar Air.
Some airlines will have similar, simple liveries, but these two were too similar. Some research shows that this Airbus A310 was leased to Omar Air. When the lease ran out, it was leased out to a few different carriers, keeping the Omar livery.
Looking at photos on Airliners.net, I am pretty sure the name and logo on the A310 on Pacific Flier’s website is just photo-shopped on.
Pacific Flier was created in 2008 and is based in The Republic of Palau and flies to Manila in The Philippines, Guam, and Brisbane Australia. They only have the one Airbus A310 on lease.
Oman Air is a bit bigger, having a fleet of about 21 aircraft and it flies to 36 destinations. It was founded in 1981 and is based out of Muscat International Airport in (wait for it) Oman. Its claim to fame, in March 2010 it became the first airline to offer phone calling, text messaging and Wi-Fi internet on select routes.
Image: Globespotter
American Airlines Boeing 757 (N679AN) with Astrojet livery.
Last weekend I talked about American Airline’s retro Astrojet livery on a Boeing 737. At the time I did not realize the Astrojet livery was also on a Boeing 757.
Looking around I found a few more photos of the Astrojet livery from back in the day. Check out these photos: the livery on a Boeing 707, a magazine ad with a Boeing 707, a Boeing 727 (see the BAC1-11 in the background?), a full image of a BAC1-11, and a Convair 990.
Thanks Chris!
Image: PHLAirline.com
How many of these airline liveries did you get correct?
You guys are crazy…crazy good. I really worked hard to try to make this the hardest one possible. With the first ultimate livery challenge, eight smart folks got them all right. This time only six got it, so I am on the right track! Here are your answers (click to see the full image):
#1 Onur Air Airbus A300 – photo by egcc
#2 Armavia Airlines A320 – photo by World Famous Airlines
#3 Air Pacific Boeing 747-100 – photo by dasdad54
#4 Cyprus Airways Airbus A319 – photo by Thomas Becker
#5 East African Airlines VC-10 – photo by Manfred Groihs
#6 Odyssey International Boeing 757 – photo by Savvas Garozis
#7 OrenAir Tupolev TU-204 – photo by osdu
#8 Faucett Peru McDonald-Douglas DC-8 – photo by Savvas Garozis
And these fine folks are the best of the best with airline liveries:
* Alfred T
* Gordon W (@GordonWerner)
* Kevin F (@TxAgFlyer)
* Ben W (@BenjaminWhalen)
* Patrick O
* Chris J
Even though who replied first didn’t matter, I did put them in order of when I got them. Alfred is out of control, he submitted his answer 2 hours and 32 minutes after I posted the challenge…amazing. I was not expecting this many people to get these right, so I am working on prizes, but each person will get a prize, just like they did last time.
I got some partial answers and those even really impress me. I don’t know how I will make this harder, but I am going to. Alfred…you have been warned :)!