nwafan20
2008-03-27, 03:28 PM
Well, thanks to the Baltimore/Washington spotter group member Rafal, Nick and I were hinted that ANA was bringing in the Star Alliance 773 this morning (we caught the regular colors the day before, I will post the shots from the other days later). Now, we couldn't miss that! So we packed up and headed out to IAD and got there around 15 mins. before he touched down. There were several other spotters there. There was Balt/Wash members Rafal and Bryan (more about him later), and 3 British spotters who were recording tail numbers.
Finally, ANA came in, we shot some pictures of that and some other planes till around noon. Nick and I mentioned that we were going to take the bus and subway to National to go spotting there, and Bryan offered to drive us there since he was going to go anyway. We obviously accepted this offer and we were off to National.
At National we had a GREAT day! At National Nick, myself, and Bryan were met by another Balt/Wash spotter who I can't remember the name of. They were using runway 19 and thus River Visual 19 approach. This is the one where they have to avoid the White House and Pentagon by flying down the Potomac River making sharp banks along the way.
There is a GREAT park on the approach to 19 where the planes are literally 20 feet above your head, it was awesome! Some idiots were flying kites in the approach path to 19 and Bryan just called up airport ops and told them about it and a cop was out there in 5 minutes. I tell ya, it is incredible the relationship that group has with the airport authorities!
Unfortunately we missed the first Frontier A320 (Frontier operates 2 A320's, both go into DCA) by 10 mins (we saw it on approach), as it was like 45 minutes early, so I had to settle for a slightly backlit ground shot of it. The other one I got a pretty good shot of.
We also caught 4 US Airways special schemes; Star Alliance, Pittsburgh Steelers, Allegheny, and my personal favorite PSA!!!!
On to some shots:
IAD:
ANA Star Alliance 777-300ER
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608011-1.jpg
Sun Country
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608024-2.jpg
Korean 744:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608058-1.jpg
some biz jets:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608045.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608121.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608135.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608161.jpg
DCA shots:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608187.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608190.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608212.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608221.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608227.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608237.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608334.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608338.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608334.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608338.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608450.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608511.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608529.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608570.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608580-1.jpg
DL new colors 757:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608495.jpg
Frontier:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608317.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608619-1.jpg
US Airways special schemes:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608537.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608485.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608439.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608669-1.jpg
As a bonus, we all got a laugh out of this guy walking a whole bunch of dogs:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608514.jpg
Finally, ANA came in, we shot some pictures of that and some other planes till around noon. Nick and I mentioned that we were going to take the bus and subway to National to go spotting there, and Bryan offered to drive us there since he was going to go anyway. We obviously accepted this offer and we were off to National.
At National we had a GREAT day! At National Nick, myself, and Bryan were met by another Balt/Wash spotter who I can't remember the name of. They were using runway 19 and thus River Visual 19 approach. This is the one where they have to avoid the White House and Pentagon by flying down the Potomac River making sharp banks along the way.
There is a GREAT park on the approach to 19 where the planes are literally 20 feet above your head, it was awesome! Some idiots were flying kites in the approach path to 19 and Bryan just called up airport ops and told them about it and a cop was out there in 5 minutes. I tell ya, it is incredible the relationship that group has with the airport authorities!
Unfortunately we missed the first Frontier A320 (Frontier operates 2 A320's, both go into DCA) by 10 mins (we saw it on approach), as it was like 45 minutes early, so I had to settle for a slightly backlit ground shot of it. The other one I got a pretty good shot of.
We also caught 4 US Airways special schemes; Star Alliance, Pittsburgh Steelers, Allegheny, and my personal favorite PSA!!!!
On to some shots:
IAD:
ANA Star Alliance 777-300ER
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608011-1.jpg
Sun Country
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608024-2.jpg
Korean 744:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608058-1.jpg
some biz jets:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608045.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608121.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608135.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608161.jpg
DCA shots:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608187.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608190.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608212.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608221.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608227.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608237.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608334.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608338.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608334.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608338.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608450.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608511.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608529.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608570.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608580-1.jpg
DL new colors 757:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608495.jpg
Frontier:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608317.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608619-1.jpg
US Airways special schemes:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608537.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608485.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608439.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608669-1.jpg
As a bonus, we all got a laugh out of this guy walking a whole bunch of dogs:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/nwafan20/IAD-DCA-32608514.jpg