Before a plane arrives in Portland, there are hints an #avgeek can use to anticipate if it's probably a brand new green plane... Boeing-owned, coming from an airport with a Boeing factory, either Everett Paine Field #KPAE (777 & 767, soon Max10) or Renton Municipal Airport #KRNT (737). Then the flight path can be a big hint that the test pilots are putting a never-before-flown aircraft through the "test card" checklist. So it isn't exactly a direct route. 😀
#aviation #avgeek #business #travel
Boeing sends new planes for painting in Portland as extra capacity beyond what their paint hangars in the Seattle area can handle. At Everett #KPAE they can paint new 777s & 767s (and formerly 747s) on field before first flight. As needed, some fly unpainted to PDX for painting. And new 737s fly out of Renton #KRNT either to Boeing Field #KBFI in Seattle or to Portland #KPDX for paint. #aviation #avgeek #business #travel #PNW
Today I spotted a brand new Boeing 737 MAX8 arriving from Renton #KRNT on its B1 flight (first flight of the aircraft from the factory with Boeing test pilots) at Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX Runway 28L. As it went by I saw United globe livery on the already-painted rudder. So after this plane gets out of Boeing's Portland paint hangar, United test pilots will probably fly it on its 2nd flight. Assuming tests pass, United will pay for it & take delivery. #aviation #avgeek #business #travel #PNW
Before a plane arrives in Portland, there are hints an #avgeek can use to anticipate if it's probably a brand new green plane... Boeing-owned, coming from an airport with a Boeing factory, either Everett Paine Field #KPAE (777 & 767, soon Max10) or Renton Municipal Airport #KRNT (737). Then the flight path can be a big hint that the test pilots are putting a never-before-flown aircraft through the "test card" checklist. So it isn't exactly a direct route. 😀 #aviation #avgeek #business #travel
While bicycling around Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX, I explored bike-accessible locations to get pictures of planes. As expected, there's limited parking near the airport. So some spots need a bike to get to. These views are along the Columbia River (other side of the levee from Runway 28R/10L), at the end of 28R/10L and in the Cascade Station shopping center between the short final for both 28R & 28L. #aviation #avgeek #cycling #Portland #KPDX #PNW
Today I spotted a brand new Boeing 737 MAX8 arriving from Renton #KRNT on its B1 flight (first flight of the aircraft from the factory with Boeing test pilots) at Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX Runway 28L. As it went by I saw United globe livery on the already-painted rudder. So after this plane gets out of Boeing's Portland paint hangar, United test pilots will probably fly it on its 2nd flight. Assuming tests pass, United will pay for it & take delivery. #aviation #avgeek #business #travel #PNW
Also on today's bike ride, after not getting to an ideal spot in time for the green/unpainted 737MAX (and just getting some still shots from the bike path), I was in place at the airport for the British Airways 787-10 which arrived soon afterward. #aviation #avgeek #Portland #KPDX #PNW
While bicycling around Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX, I explored bike-accessible locations to get pictures of planes. As expected, there's limited parking near the airport. So some spots need a bike to get to. These views are along the Columbia River (other side of the levee from Runway 28R/10L), at the end of 28R/10L and in the Cascade Station shopping center between the short final for both 28R & 28L. #aviation #avgeek #cycling #Portland #KPDX #PNW
Sometimes a perceptive #avgeek can tell which airline an unpainted new plane will be going to. The rudder gets installed already with final paint because the paint hangar can't get inside the mechanism with out disassembling it, which they don't want to do. Unless it's a special livery, this looks to me like it's going to Singapore Airlines.
Credit to @JetTip@avgeek.social for the first hint that a Boeing-owned plane might be on the way to Portland from Renton, which I inferred as possibly new. #aviation
Also on today's bike ride, after not getting to an ideal spot in time for the green/unpainted 737MAX (and just getting some still shots from the bike path), I was in place at the airport for the British Airways 787-10 which arrived soon afterward. #aviation #avgeek #Portland #KPDX #PNW
I bicycled to Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX for a closer view of this unpainted Boeing 737 MAX8. Coming from Renton WA #KRNT where the 737 final assembly line is, I suspect this was the very first flight of this aircraft, known as the "B1" flight since it's the first flight done by Boeing test pilots. (A later pre-delivery flight with customer test pilots is called the "C1" flight.) Boeing has a paint hangar in Portland so some new planes fly here on B1 to get painted. #aviation #avgeek #PNW
Sometimes a perceptive #avgeek can tell which airline an unpainted new plane will be going to. The rudder gets installed already with final paint because the paint hangar can't get inside the mechanism with out disassembling it, which they don't want to do. Unless it's a special livery, this looks to me like it's going to Singapore Airlines.
Credit to @JetTip@avgeek.social for the first hint that a Boeing-owned plane might be on the way to Portland from Renton, which I inferred as possibly new. #aviation
I bicycled to Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX for a closer view of this unpainted Boeing 737 MAX8. Coming from Renton WA #KRNT where the 737 final assembly line is, I suspect this was the very first flight of this aircraft, known as the "B1" flight since it's the first flight done by Boeing test pilots. (A later pre-delivery flight with customer test pilots is called the "C1" flight.) Boeing has a paint hangar in Portland so some new planes fly here on B1 to get painted. #aviation #avgeek #PNW
During my trip to Australia, I switched my devices and apps to show metric units (Celsius, km, etc). Get the whole experience, right? I don't mind since I can convert most common imperial⇔metric units in my head anyway. That's except for temperature since °F & °C don't have the same zero - I often use a converter app for that. After I returned home, it took almost a week to find all those settings and change them back. 😀
I posted a YouTube video with narrated photos/videos from my trip to #Australia in late Jan / early Feb 2025. Thanks to friend & colleague @Leighton@avgeek.social for acting as my local guide. Among sightseeing spots: Blue Mountains, Sydney Bridge Climb, Australia Day concert & fireworks in Sydney, Australian Parliament House in Canberra, Melbourne CBD, Great Ocean Road & Naracoorte Caves. Also Portland VIC, since I live in Portland OR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BZrHoR4Dv8 #aviation #travel #roadtrip #avgeek
4 weeks ago my adventure to #Australia began. I've been back almost 2 weeks now. It was a fun and memorable trip. I had my first flights on an A380 outbound and 787 on the return trip, both of which can mostly only be found on the longest international flights such as this. I visited New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia, including Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. https://avgeek.social/@ikluft/113868608754632970 #aviation #travel #avgeek
During my trip to Australia, I switched my devices and apps to show metric units (Celsius, km, etc). Get the whole experience, right? I don't mind since I can convert most common imperial⇔metric units in my head anyway. That's except for temperature since °F & °C don't have the same zero - I often use a converter app for that. After I returned home, it took almost a week to find all those settings and change them back. 😀
While @Leighton@avgeek.social was driving, we both witnessed from #Melbourne a fireball meteor on January 28. Due to being on the road, we didn't have good enough direction info to make a report. I recall I looked at my watch and it was 2057 local time (AEDT), during local twilight. But apparently enough people had info to report and AMS eventually posted it. It had to be one of the longest-lasting meteors I've seen. https://fireball.amsmeteors.org/members/imo_view/event/2025/575 #asteroid #meteor #fireball #astronomy #LowFlyingRocks #Australia
4 weeks ago my adventure to #Australia began. I've been back almost 2 weeks now. It was a fun and memorable trip. I had my first flights on an A380 outbound and 787 on the return trip, both of which can mostly only be found on the longest international flights such as this. I visited New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia, including Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. https://avgeek.social/@ikluft/113868608754632970 #aviation #travel #avgeek
Ian Kluft ✅
✈
️🎈
🌋