Paine Field September 29

Hainan Airlines B-2728 and a LOT Polish Airlines 787 at the fuel dock this morning.

Boeing flightline.

Paine Field September 28

RC025 Lufthansa D-ABYF ready to begin a taxi test before first flight.

RC601 AirBridgeCargo VQ-BGZ departing on a photo flight.

Sunrise at Kilo South.

Hainan Airlines B-2728 at the fuel dock.

Paine Field September 27

AirBridgeCargo VQ-BGZ did a taxi test this morning then went back to the Boeing ramp.

ZA463 Qatar Airways A7-BCL taxis to 34L for a B1 flight.

The Boeing north gate was closed for construction work today, WE272 Thai Airways HS-TKL had to back taxi and do a 180 at AA before departing to Portland for painting.

HS-TKL arriving in Portland. Photo by Russell Hill.

Please help to keep our blog going full time.

ZA461 Qatar Airways A7-BCB taking off on a test flight.

ZA263 Ethiopian Airlines ET-AOR returning from a test flight.

Boeing flightline.

Paine Field September 24

NAS Whidbey Island was fogged in this morning, some VAQ-129 EA-18Gs and an EA-6B diverted to Paine Field then left in the afternoon when the weather improved.

Boeing flightline.

Time to pay for our web hosting again.

United Airlines 787 Delivery

UAL7708 N20904 10 miles south of Paine Field on a delivery flight to Grant County Airport. The 787 departed KMWH in the afternoon and flew to Boeing Field.

Paine Field September 21

ZA288 United Airlines N20904 was flown on a test flight this morning. There were rumors on a popular aviation forum that N20904 was on its way to Houston Saturday morning, as of 1930z September 22 the 787 is still on the Boeing Everett flightline in stall 109. Technicians did some VHF radio and selcal checks at 2010z.

N20904 in stall 109 September 22 at 2100z.

RC579 Atlas Air N852GT departing on a functional check flight.

WE159 Air China B-2033 ready to takeoff on a C1 flight.

ZA263 Ethiopian Airlines ET-AOR was scheduled for a C1 flight today, engines were started then shut down at 11:00 A.M. due to a maintenance issue.

ANA JA816A was moved from the fuel dock to the compass rose this afternoon.

Paine Field September 19

Members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace enter the 40-25 during a rally this morning at the Boeing Everett factory to protest Boeing's contract offers.

There was an initial engine run this afternoon on Hainan Airlines 787 B-2728.

B-2728 at the fuel dock September 11.

ZA461 Qatar Airways A7-BCB back from a test flight this morning.

There was another flight to Moses Lake this afternoon.

ET-APS delivery flight to EBLG.

ZA264 Ethiopian Airlines ET-AOS taxis to the Boeing ramp after an EWA flight. Scheduled for a ferry flight to San Antonio for painting on Thursday.

Boeing flightline.

Paine Field September 18

ZA178 Japan Airlines JA824J was flown on a customer flight today.

BOEFAM M-SFAM landed and went to one of the ATS hangars.

WE204 Emirates A6-EGZ departing on a functional check flight.

ZA288 United Airlines N20904 back from a B6 flight.

WE159 Air China B-2033 back from the Portland paint hangar. Photo by Royal S. King.

Ilyushin II-2M3 Shturmovik Debut

The Flying Heritage Collection's Russian Ilyushin II-2M3 Shturmovik (IL-2) will make its debut flight Saturday, September 15th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The IL-2 type aircraft is the single most produced military aircraft design in all of aviation history.  It operated close to the ground, attacking enemy tanks, trucks, and troops near the front line. The job was dangerous and though the IL-2 was heavily armored, many of the planes were lost in battle. As Germany threatened western Russia, Soviet factories moved east to ensure new IL-2’s arrived to take the place of recent casualties.

The FHC's IL-2 is the only flying example in the world! It was originally constructed in Kuybyshev in mid-1943 and was assigned to the 828th Attack Aviation Regiment on the lower Karelian Front. On October 10, 1944, the plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire while attacking an airfield and crashed near the Titovka River. The plane was discovered in a nameless lake by searchers scouting the area with a helicopter in 1991. As part of its debut, the IL-2 will be joined in the sky by the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, which is already on display at the FHC.

Free parking is available outside the Flying Heritage Collection at Paine Field, 3407 109th Street SW Everett, WA.

Paine Field September 12

VT544 DHL G-DHLH back from a C1 flight.

Cargolux LX-VCF delivery flight to Sea-Tac Airport.

ZA263 Ethiopian Airlines ET-AOR begins a B1 flight.

Paine Field September 11

LAN Airlines CC-BDH at the compass rose.

ZA263 Ethiopian Airlines ET-AOR was scheduled for a B1 flight today, engines were started but then shut down after a few minutes. The 787 did not make it on to the runway today.

Boeing flightline.

Hainan Airlines B-2728 at the fuel dock.

Paine Field September 10

ZA288 United Airlines N20904 was flown on two test flights today.

Boeing flightline by Royal S. King.

WF035 Emirates SkyCargo A6-EFH begins a taxi test before a B1 flight.

Ethiopian Cargo ET-APS back from a test flight.

Paine Field September 7

ZA135 ANA JA815A back from a test flight.

Our old friends Dreamliners 16 and 22 were moved from the South Ramp to Kilo South this afternoon.

* * * * *

Air India 787 VT-ANH was delivered from Charleston on Friday, here is ZA236 at Paine Field on January 25, 2012 ready to begin a taxi test before a B1 flight: