Saturday 10 October 2015

Las Vegas Airport August 2015

Welcome to the United States of America!


Let's start with Air Force One. 24th August 2015 after we landed in Las Vegas I noticed current US President Barack Obama was onboard that plane it arrived before our Thomas Cook flight landed making the airspace clear. This lovely classic aircraft SAM 28000 is a Boeing VC-25 part of Boeing 747-200B it first flew in May 19th 1987 & first entered service in  August 23rd 1990. First president onboard that aircraft at the time was George H. W. Bush while he had 3 years left of presidency when he got elected in 20th January 1989, then Bill Clinton, George W. Bush then current president Barack Obama. According to the United State Air Force this classic aircraft will be retired after the next US president next year when Obama retires from presidency. This aircraft will be replaced by Boeing 747-8.
Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 taken 25th August 2015.
 As we wait for our tourist bus I spotted Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 on final runway 19L from either London Gatwick or London Heathrow, UK. I on't know the registration as the camera can't pick it up when zoom in the image.

American Airlines Boeing 737-800 taken 25th August 2015.
Same situation with Virgin Atlantic this time in different location. I was by the Las Vegas Sign where I noticed when it was 7 miles towards the runway was American Airlines Boeing 737-800 if you remember I saw American Airlines Boeing 757-200 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland last year.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 taken 26th August 2015.
The best part for aviation photography is in Stratosphere (if you have a good camera) Southwest Airlines seems to be a Boeing 737-800 in old livery on final runway 19L I recommend visit Stratosphere for a fee you'll be 1,149 ft high! it's good to see aircraft arriving in my opinion.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 taken 27th August 2015.
New livery of Southwest Airlines! the paint is almost blue with red in the middle & stripe yellow on top the tail it's similar if you compare to Emirates. What do I think of the new livery in person? in general it looks pretty cool much better than the old livery. Important thing about Southwest Airlines it's very similar to Ryanair their destinations and fleets (well only Boeing 737-800 for Ryanair). Southwest Airlines have 121 Boeing 737-300 due to retire in 2020, 12 Boeing 737-500 due to next year, 460 Boeing 737-700 23 in current order and 98 Boeing 737-800 23 in current order. Boeing will deliver 30 737 MAX 7 in 2019 and MAX  8 in 2017.

31st August 2015 

Virgin America is an American airline provide low-fare, high quality service and better flight connections within the United States. It first started on August 2007 by British founder of Virgin Sir Richard Brandson. The main hub for Virgin America is San Francisco and Los Angeles, California 99% travel domestic the only international flight Virgin American go is Mexico.  






Air Canada Rouge is a new Canadian leisure airliner parent by Air Canada Vacations Group. The fleet has 20 Airbus A319's and 14 Boeing 767-300ER 15 more are on order. Airbus A321 are due to deliver before Christmas this year. This aircraft C-FYJP is one of the older Airbus A319's new to Air Canada in 1997. Canada is the next North American Continent to visit in my travel list around 2017.




Another Virgin Atlantic shot in Las Vegas! the main British airliners in Vegas are only British Airways and Virgin Atlantic then Thomas Cook Airlines only in the summer season. G-VLIP Boeing 747-400 new to Virgin Atlantic in 2001 could say it might be a later Boeing 747-400 aircraft been built.



And finally United Airlines. This is also one of the older Airbus A320's most European Airlines have withdrawn them for scrap so it's amazing USA and Canada still operate these old A320's. This aircraft N406UA was new to United Airlines in 1994 arrived in Las Vegas.

did not add British Airways Boeing 777 on this because I done a blog when G-VIIO caught fire before departing Las Vegas so I made the clear on that blog. 



And finally British Airways. I done the blog what happen to this Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Little story what happen if you seen my incident blog, British Airways flight BA2276 reg: G-VIIO from Las Vegas, USA to London Gatwick, UK the aircraft caught fire before take off. G-VIIO was new to BA in early 1999 almost 17 years old in couple of months, after the incident the aircraft is still stored in Las Vegas no plans for the future. An update from British Airways it will end flights to London Gatwick on 25th April 2016 so it will be Virgin Atlantic. You can also go from London Heathrow, UK with British Airways.