Yet another angle
As usual, I'm amazed! I shouldn't be probably, but I am. Yes, it's MSP as Joe said between the F and E concourses. They used to go by colors too; I think that these were the gold and red concourses, but I've forgotten. Mark, I easily see how you could have thought MEM as the streetside approach to MEM has a similar look. The DC-9 is a -50 series or specifically a -51, the last of the DC-9's before the Mad Dog (MD) series took flight. This aircraft 770NC was delivered new to North Central Airlines in March of 1977 and is no longer with the airline, although we have some 40 -50's still flying. After proudly displaying "Herman" on its tail, it went on to serve Republic and Northwest Airlines, but I'm unsure if it ever wore a Delta livery. I have many hours logged in this aircraft and like Bob, can faintly see a faded Herman through the now Red Tail. Sarah was correct in her aircraft assessment and as Devan pointed out, the easiest way to identify a -51 is by the strake located beneath the Captains and FO's windows. I think the MD's have these strakes too, but earlier DC-9's don't.
By the way, I didn't know about the font here and its connection with Lincoln Int'l in the movie AIRPORT. I'll have to watch for that the next time that I see it. Thanks.
Nice work!
Rand
Whew! And apparently, they are still stock inside.
ReplyDeleteNo glass panels or GPS here.... "unable direct xxx"
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Northwest-Airlines/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-9-51/1608313/M/
Oh .. by the way:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.airliners.net/photo/Delta-Air-Lines/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-9-51/1661266/M/
So it's still flying, unless they reused the N-number for a different aircraft.
Hi Rand:
ReplyDeleteDid you know that we hace a NW DC9 section in Mexico City? I discovered it some time ago... and finally get an image of it. Hope you like it...
http://momentosdeaviacion.blogspot.com/2010/04/dc9-de-northwest-en-mexico-northwest.html
Take care... best regards...
Miguel
Rand
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched the movie in awhile, but the signage I remember is during the opening credits of the movie. It shows the front of the terminal with the fake "Lincoln" sign. Might be another shot later of the ramp side one after the 707 gets stuck in the snow.
Devan
770NC is still flying, unless something changed in the last two weeks. I had the pleasure of riding her ATL-CLT. No Herman on the tail though. Just a Widget.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this info, I looked on the Delta fleet list before publishing my latest comment and didn't see her. Glad that she's still here though.
ReplyDeleteRand
Gatwick - Taxiing to pass under or taxiing past the air bridge.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the Scenes in Airport were filmed at MSP. My dad knew a couple of guys who were extras in the movie and he always pointed them out in the tower scenes. I remember Dean Martin insisting on using 29L as it was longer. The runways were originally labeled 29/11 L and R, but were changed to 30/12 L and R in the late 1990's.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYes, it certainly is Gatwick! Were you there in the 757 recently, Rand?
ReplyDeleteJoe
Mark and Joe are correct, this is Gatwick. After landing we'd been given a taxi clearance that would have brought us around the jetbridge. I asked if we could taxi under it and ground control complied, but said I'd have to hold short for a few moments while another aircraft pushed. The perfect opportunity! Last summer we flew 757's from DTW to Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Gatwick and for a very short time Brussels. It was a great summer of European layovers.
ReplyDeleteRand
Looks like a lot of fun Rand! I love heading over the pond, especially to LGW and AMS.
ReplyDeleteJoe
I don't know where you're going, but you're obviously originating somewhere in the Far East, probably China, which I'd say means a long-haul primary route to a large gateway. Or at least a large international airport.
ReplyDeleteI miss the old NWA low-digit flight numbers, like 3, and 7, and in this case, 9. Somehow, they seemed classier than "2345", or some other anonymous three or four digit flight number. The former gives the imagery (well, to me) of the best the airline has to offer in their biggest mainline a/c, whereas the latter tends to evoke images of a multi-stop puddle jump in a 30 year old DC-9. Nothing against 30 year old DC-9s, mind you. Nor, for that matter, 40 year old DC-9s.
Bob
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSalt Lake City to Narita?
ReplyDeleteCaptain Rand,
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm saying Seoul to Narita.
Couple reasons. That looks like a 757 leg based on the current DL schedule, and you're a 757 captain. Also I say you're originating in the Far East because of a)the look of the little trucks outside, and that it's b)Seoul because of the look of the characters on the signage.
Bob
I suspect this might be your trip home from a Asia trip - Narita to Salt Lake City?
ReplyDeleteNarita to Guangzhou, when CAN used to be a NW/DL destination.
ReplyDeleteLaurie got it!! Yes, it's Northwest 9 from Narita to Guangzhou, China.
ReplyDeleteRand
What a shame that you cannot fly NRT to CAN anymore. My family in SFO would meet me at NRT (from MSP) and we would together travel to CAN. It was SO convenient for everyone. My parents are originally from the area, about 2 hrs southwest by car. My folks had to run from the Japanese during the war, and then run from the Communists before being allowed to emigrate. I still have family in the area. Now with Delta in command it is harder to get there from here (anywhere). I'll probably end up having to go through Atlanta...
ReplyDeleteMcCarran
ReplyDeleteYup. I agree with Bob.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed... truly!
ReplyDeleteRand
Why? The name of the photo is LAS.jpg. :)
ReplyDeleteNot that anyone would need to cheat. The tower is pretty distinctive.
The airplane is an MD-82 by the way.
Since I don't get to travel much, I had not seen this tower and had to search a lot of on-line photos to find another picture of it. Bob slid in while I was searching. I am going to LAS in early June for business. (SCX, not Widget, sorry Rand!) Does anybody know of a good place at LAS to take pictures of aircraft or the tower?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Tim G in MN
Actually, I was going to guess Billy Mitchell because of the Midwest plane. While Tim G and I were busy Googling tower pictures (I knew it was a race between you and I, Tim G, and I'm frankly surprised I beat you), I happened to see this distinctive tower is obviously nowhere near Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know some of the pictures are labeled with information that could be used to cheat. I found that when I was trying to zoom in on that DC-9 at MSP to see if I could read the N number (you must have a better monitor than I do, Sarah).
Hey, for what it's worth, the CAN picture was labeled "china" (I think) and I still guessed SEL. No fun to cheat on a contest that's just for fun (or is the Captain Rand prize patrol in fact on the way with the big plywood check?!?!?!). I will admit I spent more than five minutes trying to find an old flight schedule to figure out NWA009 itinerary however...
OK, I admit to being a bit of a Ludite... although I'm learning. Where do you see or find the name that I've attached to the photo?
ReplyDeleteRand
It may vary by browser ( I use firefox ). When I right-click anywhere in the blog post, a popup offers "view page source". It's in there. Easier, right click on the photo, select "view background image" which gets a page with just the picture. If you "save image as.." from there, the default is LAS.jpg.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm a nerd. Don't rub it in.
On 2nd thought... it could be an MD-81 or -82. Can't really tell. I don't think it's a -88.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this info, I see what you mean. I now know to throw a curveball when labeling my pics. WATCHOUT!!!
Rand
Off to work tomorrow.
I can't see those tags for the header pictures in IE. Guess I'll have to start using Firefox if that's the way you guys are gonna play! Bob, I came up with SLC to Narita by using FlightAware and NWA Flt 9 came up as that. It doesn't add up with the other clues in the picture you mentioned though, so I was kind of jumping the gun. I would have had you on LAS but the boss came in to ask me a question...
ReplyDeleteThanks for entertaining us Rand!
Tim G in MN
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteNerds rule (and I should know).
Tim G,
Gotcha there, not at work today. I could sense a disturbance in The Force, that must have been when your boss walked in.
Captain Rand,
Yes, thanks for continuing to throw peanuts to the kids. More please!
Bob
Looks like this picture was taken back before the gate merge at LAS with Delta. ;)
ReplyDeleteJoe
It was Joe, notice that I'm shooting past an NWA A-320 winglet. I'm guessing that this shot is probably three or four years old.
ReplyDeleteRand
Inbound HNL?
ReplyDeleteLooks like your inbound to HNL, about to join the MAGGI3 Arrival at APACK.
ReplyDeleteJoe
Approaching HNL - Nav point AUNTI (24.721390, -155.263100)
ReplyDeleteYes inbound to HNL but not yet on the MAGGI3. Mark, how far am I from AUNTI? and... whose leg is this, mine or my FO's?
ReplyDeleteRand
218NM from AUNTI and I think because CMD is on the right, it's the F/O's leg.
ReplyDeleteExactly right! You can tell that the FO is flying too by the fact that my altimeter is a little off. The flying pilots altimeter is always exactly on, but the other can be off a little.
ReplyDeleteRand
By the way Mark, the blog is looking great!!
ReplyDeletehttp://amateuravphoto.blogspot.com/
Rand
Ah, great! A question asked at my lunchtime and no-one has jumped all over it yet.
ReplyDeleteA Cactus A320 photographed from taxiway charlie on the way to rw 26 at PHX.
These days they're in US Air colors, but they kept the "Cactus".
Wow, THAT'S local knowledge to be able to identify that picture so specifically! I've wondered where the Cactus came from when I'm listening to ATC. Now it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteTim G in MN
Tim,
ReplyDeleteYou can Google "airline call signs" and get a list of the ones used on ATC. I don't know if this one is current and complete, but I see it has Cactus:
http://www.atcmonitor.com/callsigns.html
If you like listening to ATC and you haven't tried it yet, listen in on ATC ops during the Oshkosh airshow at the end of July. I grew up listening to Chicago ATC and compared to that KOSH arrivals when they're really busy is like ORD approach control at 5PM on a Friday on hyperdrive. The controllers sound like auctioneers, with an occasional "Nicely done, thanks!" or "Welcome to the show" thrown in.
Bob
I thought for sure that I'd get at least two days out of this one. The only reason I know where it is, is because I took the shot! I don't journey to PHX often, but Sarah is dead-on.
ReplyDeleteRand