Taking flight
Above/featured: Departures information in English, French, and Chinese: YVR Vancouver airport – 1 Jul 2014 (6D1).
Once upon a time when I lived and worked on distant continents, I flew on many international transcontinental overnight flights to the accumulation of over 1 million miles in the air. A worldwide pandemic has forced not only air travel to a crawl, but also a rethinking about what long-haul travel in the context of climate change might look like in the future. For the time being, I consider here what it once meant to “take flight” with various images of planes as some time spent as occasional planespotter and images within airports as previous frequent-flyer.
As of posting, some planes in the following images have been decommissioned, retired, and/or dismantled for parts.
- Berlin Tegel, Germany: TXL airport
- CFB Comox, Canada: YQQ air base
- Dallas-Fort Worth, USA: DFW airport
- Frankfurt am Main, Germany: FRA airport
- Honolulu, USA: HNL airport
- Sydney, Australia: SYD airport
Berlin Tegel, TXL
• Berlin Tegel airport (IATA: TXL).
• Airplanes on descent and west approach to runway 26R/8L.
• TXL closed November 2020 with the opening of the new Berlin-Brandenburg BER airport.
Air Berlin Boeing 737-700 (D-AXHE) – 7 Dec 2014 (6D1).
Air France Airbus A321-200 (F-GTAH) – 7 Dec 2014 (6D1).
Flybe Embraer ERJ-175 (G-FBJA) – 7 Dec 2014 (6D1).
CFB Comox, YQQ
• Canadian Forces Base Comox, Comox Air Base (IATA: YQQ).
• Comox Air Show, in 2005.
US Air Force (USAF) Boeing B-52H Stratofortress (BD AF60-041) – 8 Aug 2005 (A510).
Centre: McDonnell Douglas CF-188 Hornet, serial no. 188719; Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 410 Squadron, 4 Wing Cold Lake. Plane retired 2011; delivered 2014 to Air Force Museum in Calgary, AB. Photo on 8 Aug 2005 (A510).
Canadair CT-114 Tutor Snowbirds: plane in foreground with serial no. 114009. Canadian Forces Snowbirds (431 Air Demonstration Squadron) – 8 Aug 2005 (A510).
Dallas-Fort Worth, DFW
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (IATA: DFW).
• DFW Founders’ Plaza, landside at the northwest corner of the airport.
British Airways Boeing 747-400 (G-BYGB) on final descent – 19 Nov 2011 (450D).
United Parcel Service (UPS) McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (N292UP) – 19 Nov 2011 (450D).
American Airlines Boeing 767-300 (N369AA) taxiing for departure – 19 Nov 2011 (450D).
China Cargo Airlines Boeing 747-400F (B-2426) taxiing upon arrival – 19 Nov 2011 (450D).
Facing south-southeast, from Founders’ Plaza – 19 Nov 2011 (450D).
Frankfurt am Main, FRA
• Frankfurt am Main international airport (IATA: FRA).
• Massive departures board in Terminal 1.
Departures board at FRA Terminal 1 – 10 Dec 2014 (450D).
“Where do you want to go?” FRA T1 – 10 Dec 2014 (450D).
“Where do you want to go?” FRA T1 – 10 Dec 2014 (450D).
Honolulu, HNL
• Honolulu international airport (IATA: HNL).
Japan Airlines Boeing 747-400 (JA8085) – 9 Dec 2009 (450D).
Sydney, SYD
• Sydney international airport (IATA: SYD).
• Inside a frequent-flyer lounge, before flight to Auckland.
Qantas International Business Lounge, SYD T1 – 9 Oct 2010 (450D).
Lower centre: Qantas Boeing 747-400 (VH-OJC). The yellow diagonal stripe is an internal reflection of lights within the lounge. Photo on 9 Oct 2010 (450D).
Centre: Air Austral Boeing 777-300 (F-ONOU, “Léon Dierx”) – 9 Oct 2010 (450D).
Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300 (9V-SWF) – 9 Oct 2010 (450D).
Emirates Boeing 777-300 (A6-ECX) – 9 Oct 2010 (450D).
I made all photos above between 2005 and 2014 with the following devices: Canon PowerShot A510 (A510), Canon EOS450D/Rebel XSi (450D), and Canon EOS6D mark1 (6D1). Acknowledgements go to Tina for LAPC no.144 in the week of 17-23 Apr 2021. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-kLA.
Fotoeins Fotografie 
15 Responses to “Taking flight”
Well you DO get around Henry! Interesting to see the different planes through the years. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi and thanks, Tina. The important thing here is that I *used* to fly/get around a lot more. That stopped for the most part when I returned to Vancouver 🤷🏻♂️ Not gonna lie though, I miss flying in business class and getting to hang out in the business-class lounges (American Airlines/oneworld). But after a long sleepless redeye flight, one of the most important things about those lounges is a long soak under a hot shower and fresh coffee afterwards. Sounds simple in principle, until such time I no longer have those perks 😭
LikeLike
I agree Henry, it makes quite a difference when one is paying out of pocket instead of an expense account LOL. I’ll admit on long hauls like China or Australia I still care enough to cover the cost out of pocket although sadly those trips have become far less frequent
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow. Great series. Great take on the theme. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, John!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just wow – so many planes and flights – you do fly (flew) a lot, Henry!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi and thanks, Ann Christine. Yes, the important thing here is that I *used* to fly a lot, which ended for the most part when I returned to Canada.
LikeLike
OK 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow, so many flights…you must be missing it right now so much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Teresa. I think what I miss most is getting to hang out inside the airport’s business class lounges (American Airlines/oneworld).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lucky you! I had been only one time!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow… what a remarkable series, Henry! I feel like to tke a flight…
LikeLiked by 1 person
oops, take a flight
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi and thanks, Amy. I’m definitely jonesin’ to get onto a plane again, but what’s a few more months to wait on top of the many that’ve been piled on? I can wait, though I admit that will be difficult as more people get back into the air.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Stay safe, Henry.
LikeLiked by 2 people