Time lapse videos are fun. Retro airline liveries are also fun. Put the two together and you have yourself a winner.
This video was created to celebrate LOT’s 85th anniversary. The Embraer E-175 is painted in the livery that the airline used from 1945 to 1973. It took 12 days and almost 53 gallons of paint to get the job done.
I have previously shared in the trip in great detail on a previous story, but I haven’t yet shared my video. Although the back of the plane is quite something, I was more interested in being able to sit in the flight deck during takeoff and again during landing. I have never had that experience before in a large jet and what else can I say other than… it was amazing.
Yes, my trip was almost a year ago, but I got held up with the video – at least I get to spread the BBJ love! My only regret is not wearing the top hat in the flight deck – maybe next time.
On March 31st, Saudi Arabian Airlines (aka Saudia) started service between Riyadh and LAX using a Boeing 777-300ER. The aircraft, which was only five months old, is configured with 24 seats in First Class, 36 in Business, and 245 in Guest Class (aka economy).
The flight will operate three times per week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The flight will originate in Riyadh (RUH) with a stop over in Jeddah (JED) before continuing to LAX.
’œSaudia’s inaugural flight to Los Angeles is a manifestation of our continued efforts to expand our global reach to better service our valued customers,’ according to Chief Executive Officer and Director General Designate, Mr. Abdulaziz Alhazmi. ’œThe services to LAX, following our launch to Toronto, Canada in October last year and the resumption of our flights to Manchester, UK, are just some of the components of this initiative to claim our rightful place among the world`s leading carriers.’
LAX is already a melting pot of different airline liveries, but it is always great to add another.
The Boeing 727 first flew in February of 1963 and has been a work horse ever since. Even though it is hard to find these bad boys still flying, there is one airport in the US where they show up every once in a while, some in some interesting configurations: LAX.
This video, from SpeedbirdHD, shows off some of the different Boeing 727s that are still flying and visiting Los Angeles International Airport. The plane still has some life left in it!
Sammy1Mason recently posted a great video that breaks down the awesome procedure of attaching a banner to an aircraft. The process starts with the aircraft already in flight, and the banner waiting for it on the ground. The banner is attached to a cable which is suspended by two vertical poles parallel to the runway.
To pick up the banner, the pilot must “dive” towards the poles in pretty dramatic fashion. Just before snagging the cable, the pilot must then pitch up to reduce speed as the banner is dragged into the air. Once everything is hooked up, the banner trails the aircraft by about 300 feet. Attaching the banner may not be as difficult as snagging the arresting cable on an aircraft carrier, but it sure looks like it takes some time to master.
While the process to attach the banner to the aircraft is pretty awesome, the process to get it back on the ground is pretty simple. The pilot lines up with his intended target and releases it, hoping the wind doesn’t force it too much off course.