A week of firsts!! (Incl. BA A380, Air India B787)

Great work Scotty. Very lucky with the BA A380 and getting the Air India in decent light. Love that office 727 !

I did notice from the LHR spotters group movements they have been in for a few days now, and i also thought the 787 was going to be much larger…looked about same size as a 763 really …and as i was awaiting it the point i was shooting from was surrounded by buildings, to shoot i had to go on the van roof to see over one, anyways, with landers i could hear them for about 10 secs before they popped out from behind a building and i found the 787 i could hear LONGER than a BA 747, a DHL A300 and an A320…not so quiet liner 🙂 Yeah the A380 was the dogs for me too, was over the moon to see it trundle down the runway towards us!! (she was airborne at an earlier point than the A319/A320’s that took off)

Awesome. I never knew air india was sending 787’s to LHR now.

Super. The BA A380’s the “pic” of the bunch for me. Cant wait to go on one. Not sure im all that keen on the off white Air Inida 787 colour scheme. Some say the 787 is not all that big in the flesh.

As ever Scotty, a great selection of pics. I think that the BA 380 looks a treat, if only the crest was a little bolder. That new tail livery on the American still reminds of Cubana. I’m surprised at seeing the AI 787 at LHR.

Ahh..yes seen that before, yeah its very smart..i have passed it a few times went right up to it last time but weather was poor, but indeed everything is in place (apart from a big hole where it joins the building) and yes best day EVER for me at XFW, was pretty much nonstop, there are still more that i aint posted from there.. I gather the Air India 787’s are now regular at LHR…Thanks

Excellent set there Mr Animal 🙂 think you need a navigator on some of your trips 🙂

Excellent shots – you were very lucky at Finkenwerder, and the Air India at LHR was a very nice catch as well.

Very interesting to see the 727 being used as an office. There’s an ‘interesting’ video of the fuselage departing Southend by road on its way to Denmark… Very nice that they put it back together…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqD5Bplk9gE

Then i ended up at LHR this morning, where i caught my “First” United lump in Continental colours:(Just too early in the day for a decent shot)

Then 5 mins later another “First” my first time seeing an American Airlines B773 AND first time seeing the new colours!

And then by the time i wandered round to the hill for 09L a “Second”!!

And finally… while waiting to get loaded i knew the Air India Boeing 787 was inbound and just managed a couple of shots of my “First” time ever seeing a 787 (Except for seeing a bit of the Qatar LHR gate guard one)

Phew… some few days, got literally thousands of shots to work on, i wont bore y’all with too many, but after 6 days in a van…time for a bath methinks “first” !:love-struck:

Arrived at HAM late afternoon in cloudy skies, at another “First” for me, first time visiting this excellent vantage point at the Coffee n Fly cafe right beside rw15/33

Came back here early next morning in pouring rain, still shot a few which will follow on another post….so, found my job had been cancelled and was ordered to hang around Hamburg in waiting, decided (reluctantly after my last visit a few weeks back when NOTHING happened in 6 hours!!) to head for Finkenwerder… and very glad i did too, upon arrival i seen one of the BA A380s (now 3 built) running its engines, the spotterspark was absolutely heaving, so hoped maybe one would move…. anyway…
Another “First” the first time this new EZY A320’s (G-EZWJ)engines had been powered up..fire engines stationed to its rear

Next “First” my first time finally seeing a sharklet equipped airbus.. this will be EC-LVT

Next “First” for me…. seeing a helicopter tow a banner at least 20 times the size of the chopper!!!

The chopper was so slow, the Germania A319 had to circle till the chopper was clear enough!! (note the new “Wheeltug” sticker applied

“First” time seeing a Sichuan A319

“First” time seeing a Mandala A320

And then….. “First” time seeing a BA Airbus A380 (G-XLEA) take to the skies.. at this point you couldnt move on the Spotterspark terrace

Denmark!! only stopped off for a minute at Aarhus (nigh on impossible shooting there so just got the gate guard for the Danish AF here….

Then,…. not a first, but a first in decent light ..this ex Dan Air Boeing 727 is an office extension for this building

Next… Germany

Next after a hard slog i found myself in Stavanger:




The “Spotters Platform!!”

Last port of call in Norway was Kristansand where i would catch the ferry to Denmark:
Unfortunate weather….

Another “First” first time seeing this airline, sat in a very hard place to shoot.. apparently it goes into LCY

Next Denmark………..