Dreamlifter N780BA in Everett. Photo by Brandon Farris.
This past week I have traveled all over the place from Anchorage to Miami and even in Seattle a little bit. Something that was awesome while traveling to all of these places was the fact that I got to see three different Boeing Dreamlifters. It all started on Sunday when I got treated to N780BA coming into Everett.
Dreamlifter N718BA in Anchorage. Photo by Brandon Farris.
The next day I was taking a day trip up to Anchorage for some spotting and was treated to N718BA making a fuel stop on its way to Paine Field.
Dreamlifter N249BA in Miami. Photo by Brandon Farris.
And finally on Friday, while on the ramp tour in Miami I got to see N249BA being towed around the airport making it the third different Dreamlifter I had seen in a mere week!
The Dreamlifter is a transport aircraft that flies Boeing 787 parts around the world to Paine Field and Charleston, similar to the Airbus Beluga. Some might not see it as the most eye pleasing aircraft but it gets the job done one day at a time!
This story written by…Brandon Farris, Correspondent.
Brandon is an avid aviation geek based in Seattle. He got started in Photography and Reporting back in 2010. He loves to travel where ever he has to to cover the story and try to get the best darn shot possible.
At 2:15pm on Tuesday 12th March, Boeing 747 Dreamlifter N718BA (operated by Atlas Air) took off from Paine Field heading towards Nagoya, Japan for a scheduled pick up of structures and assemblies for the 787 program. Shortly after departure during the climb out process, the Dreamlifter declared an emergency.
N718BA lands at Paine Field in Everett (not on the day in question) – Photo Mal Muir.
Doug Alder with Boeing communications told AirlineReporter.com, “Shortly after leaving Everett on a routine flight to Nagoya, Japan, the crew of a Boeing Dreamlifter received an indication of a potential problem with the hydraulic system. The crew made a decision to return to Paine Field in Everett. Following standard procedures, the crew dumped fuel to reach maximum landing weight.”
As you can see from the Flightaware logs there was a number of circuits done over the Puget Sound area while the aircraft was dumping fuel and then once at the safe landing weight, the Dreamlifter returned to Everett.
At Paine Field the Dreamlifter made a low pass so that Boeing & Paine Field staff could verify the landing gear had been properly deployed. Once verified the Dreamlifter went back around again and landed safely. After landing the aircraft started undergoing a safety inspection by Boeing.
The video above of the low pass and landing was taken from the Stratodeck by the Future of Flight. You can also check out KING5 News with additional photos and video of the incident.
The Dreamlifter landed safely on the ground, no one hurt or injured. Boeing confirmed that this is not the first time the Dreamlifter had to land prematurely. There have been other events like bird strikes or a cracked windscreen, which are seen in standard flight operations.
This story written by…Malcolm Muir, Lead Correspondent. Mal is an Australian Avgeek now living and working in Seattle. With a passion for aircraft photography, traveling and the fun that combining the two can bring. Insights into the aviation world with a bit of a perspective thanks to working in the travel industry.@BigMalX | BigMal’s World | Photos
