Friday Night Planes

So I decided to head over to Detroit Metro Airport tonight.  I saw that the planes were coming in from the south.  I was hoping that would give me a slightly different vantage point.

 N606CZ is an Embrear 175 which is operated by Compass Airlines under the guise of Delta Express.  This particular plane was coming in from Dallas Fort-Worth.  After spending almost an hour on the ground, this plane would end up heading to Louisville.  Louisville is the home of the Louisville Slugger.

 This CRJ-200 was coming from Stewart International in Newburgh, New York.

 N347NW is an Airbus A319.  Because FlightAware is being a little wonky, I'm not sure where it was coming from.

 Sadly, I can't read the tail numbers on this one.  But it is a 737 belonging to American Airlines.

 Flagship 3725 was a flight from Norfolk, VA.  It was flown by this CRJ-900.  After a couple of hours on the ground, it would head to Will Rogers World in Oklahoma City.

 This N932DN.  When I took this picture it was serving as Delta 1906 from Baltimore-Washington Airport.

 I would have to say that Southwest probably has some of the better livery out there.  Especially the livery that deviates from their normal style.  This have this plane which resembles the New Mexico Flag.  They also have one that looks like the Texas Flag.  I'm not sure if they have the Shamu plane anymore.  If they do, I would love to see it.

 An Embrear 175 belonging to American Eagle which is the commuter service of American Airlines.

 Another Southwest jet preparing to take off.

 And one coming for a landing.  Southwest is fairly unique amongst the carriers in that they only fly different versions of the 737.  I think that helps keep down maintenance costs because they only have to stock certain parts.  It probably also helps in training because theoretically a pilot could fly any one of their planes.  I've flown on them a couple of times and I was pretty impressed.

 This is another plane I can't track.  When I took this picture, it was supposed to be in Salt Lake City.  Since I'm not surrounded by Mormons, that was not the case.  Anyway, I suspect that is where it is heading.

 The Spirit in the sky.

 The 757 starts to make a move.

 An MD-80 belonging to American Airlines.  This is another one that was supposed to be somewhere else.

 The Spirit on the Ground.

 This Embrear 175 is flown by Shuttle Airlines in the guise of United Express.  It is on its way to Newark Airport.  I've flown into Newark a couple of times.  It is what I call a Navy Airport in that it is a pretty short landing and take off.  There is one of the runways that leads into water, so it kind of reminds me of an Aircraft Carrier.  Metro is what I call an Air Force airport.  It has nice, long and smoothe approaches.

 N942AT is a Boeing 717 belonging to Delta Airlines.  In this particular shot, it was arriving from Kansas City.

 And it applies the thrust reversers.  When you hear the loud sound of the engines when you land, this is what happens.  Flaps fold over the engines and work to reverse the thrust.  This helps in slowing down the aircraft.

 Not sure where this plane was coming from.  But it is a 737-900 which is the latest version of the venerable 737.

 N688DL is a 757-200 which came from Tampa, Florida.  Interesting bit of trivia, Tampa is the city.  Tampa Bay is the bay.  So technically the Bucaneers should be playing in water.

 After spending roughly 2 hours in the Motor City, this 757 would make it's way to Seattle.  Interestingly enough, she was built in Renton which is near Seattle.

 I kind of like this look.

 the plane turns towards the runway it would taxi on.

 Another shot of the 737.

 A three for one shot.

 N924DN is an MD-90 and in this shot it was taxiing towards takeoff.  It would head to Tampa.

 Another Southwest jet.

And one more shot of the 757, just because.