Un Avion Francais et Quelques Autres

I took three years of French in High School but I haven't used it much since then so I'm a bit rusty.  Thank God for Google.

 Delta 2128 Heavy cleared for landing on 21L.

 Flight 2128 was a Boeing 757 that arrived from Orlando, Florida.  Fun fact, both Disneys are in Orange County.

 A CRJ 200 taking off for Evansville, IN.

 This Airbus 320 was heading for Duluth.  After landing at Duluth, it continued on to Minneapolis.

 I can't make out the tail number on this on, so I'm not sure of the flight number or flight information.

 This Airbus 319 was heading to Windsor Locks, CT when I took this picture.  At one time, Windsor Locks was home to the Dexter Corporation which was the oldest corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  It was formed in 1767 as the C.H. Dexter and Sons Company as a grist and saw mill.  It grew into a company that made long fiber papers and chemical laminates.  In 2000, it was faced with a hostile takeover, so it was split into three companies to prevent that.  Windsor Locks was also home to a lock at one time.  Anyway, back to the aircraft, it then flew back to Detroit and as I type this is on its way to Nashville, TN.

 I can't make out the tail number on this 747 but I'm guessing that it is headed to somewhere in Asia.

 This aircraft is operated by Air Wisconsin under the US Airways Express livery.  I don't have the FlightAware information about this flight though.

 Delta 132 Heavy taking off for Amsterdam.  In the morning it will return to Detroit and repeat the process.  This particular aircraft is an Airbus A330.

 At the time I took this picture, this Boeing 717 was on its way to the Cherry Capital International Airport in Traverse City, MI.  After spending 40 minutes on the ground there, it would turn around and return to Detroit. 

 this plane would then fly down to San Antonio and will return to Detroit in the morning.

 This Air France Airbus A340 arrived from Paris, France.  Paris of course is home to the Eiffel Tower.

 I was not expecting to see this plane coming in, so this was pretty cool.

 As I write this post, this plane is on its way back to Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris.

 I can't make out the tail number for this Spirit aircraft.  I'm pretty sure it's an Airbus A319.

This Airbus A319 was landing from LaGuardia Airport in New York City.  The land for LaGuardia was originally used as the Gala Amusement Park which was owned by the Steinway family (of the piano fame).  In 1929, the park was razed and converted to a flying field named after Glenn H. Curtiss.  Later it was named North Beach Airport.
The effort to develop it into a commercial was started by Fiorello LaGuardia after a TWA flight to Newark Airport but his ticket was stamped as New York.   He demanded that his plane be flown to Bennett Field which was actually within New York.  He urged the city to support an airport within its limits.
American Airlines began with a trial service to that same Bennett Field but Newark worked out better because of its proximity to Manhattan.  Expansion of the North Beach Airport began in 1937.  Part of it had to be built on a metal reinforcing framework to be the required size.  On October 15, 1939, it was dedicated as the New York Municipal Airport and officially opened for business on December 2 of that year.  Of course there were detractors.  The airport received it's current name in 1947.
Sometimes it is referred to as USS LaGuardia because of the short runways and the fact that it is surrounded by water.  In July of last year, a plan was announced for reconstruction of the airport.

Another Friday Night Watching the Planes Go By

 So I decided to go planewatching after work tonight.  It was a pretty nice night and I am hoping that this means that spring is finally here.  I will be cautiously hopeful though because you never know.

  This is an Airbus 320 operated by American Airlines.  According to one of the flight tracker apps, she is on her way from Phoenix.  It looks like she spends most of her time in Phoenix.

 I think this is the business jet version of the Canadian Regional Jet.

 This particular aircraft is an Embrear 175 which is a Brazillian company.  This particular model had it's first flight in 2002 and there have been over 1000 built since this.  This aircraft was on it's way to Philadelphia when I took this picture.  As I post this, it is heading to Columbus.

 This is an Airbus 330 owned by Virgin Atlantic.  In fact, this particular plane has appeared on this blog before and I think it was taking the same flight that time.  In two hours from the time I post this, this plane will be at Heathrow Airport.  I'm not sure where it will go from there but if the flight tracker is any indication, it could go to Scotland, Washington-Dulles, Atlanta Hartsfield or John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.  Eventually she will work her way back to Detroit.

 This is an Airbus 330 which is currently serving as Delta Flight 98.  She is on her way to Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris, France.  After a flight of seven and a half hours, she will land in France.  From there, she will head to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport and then to the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

 Another Airbus 330 taking off from Metro Airport.  This one is on its way to Amsterdam.  From there it will head to Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport.

 An MD-88 which is one of the DC-9 variants.  This particular aircraft was on its way to Philadelphia and then it will head back here.  From here, it will go to Ft. Lauderdale and back.  If I recall, these are the workhorses of the Delta fleet.

 A Cessna Citation which at the time of this picture was on its way to Columbus.  It came back to Detroit and will head out to Salina, Kansas.

 A Boeing 737 on its way to LAX.

 Another Boeing 737 belonging to Southwest Airlines.  As I was taking this picture, this plane was on its way to Nashville.  From there it flew to Midway Airport in Chicago.  In the morning it will go from there to Bradley International in Connecticut.

 A Canadair Regional Jet owned by Delta Airlines.  At the time of this picture, it was on its way to Milwaukee (I think). 

 This is a Gulfstream 450.  Not sure where it's off to.

 I then went over to the Cell Phone Parking lot south of the airport.  I was pretty surprised at the shots I got.  This is a FedEx MD-11 coming in for a landing.

 I kind of like this shot.

 One more like it.

 I think this is a DC-9 variant.

I was trying to see if there were spots in the parking lot where I could get better angles.  This one wasn't too bad.  This was a Southwest 737.

On the Way Home

So it was time to make the trek back to Michigan.  I really enjoyed my stay in Duluth but like all vacations, it had to come to an end.  These are my pictures from on the way home.

 I wish I had discovered this road sooner.  When I came into town, I took a different road from the airport and didn't see this spot.  I tried to do a panoramic shot but it didn't turn out.  This gives a good view of the ore docks and the Blatnik Bridge.

 I also passed by a train staging area.  This must have been where I kept hearing the train whistles.

 Duluth Airport started in 1929 when the city of Duluth bought the land from Saint Louis County.  It was built with two 2,650 sod runways.  Originally it was known as the Willamson-Johnson Airport.  Regular air service started in 1940 with a Northwest Airlines link.  In 1942, the runways were paved.  The airport also serves as an Air National Guard Base.

 A shot of the front terminal.  This was built in 2012.

 This is a statue of a Tuskegee Airman.  I didn't read the plaque though.

 My plane to Minneapolis coming in.

 I ended up going through a different part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.  This tunnel kind of reminds me of a tunnel in Detroit Metro Airport.  There was fairly pleasing music being played.

 In the middle of the airport is a little mall.  It kind of takes care of all of your travelling needs.

 I kind of liked some of the mosaics on the floor.  This one looks like a map of the airports in the area.

 A few of the shops.

 Looking at the arrivals board.  This is a pretty busy airport.

 Another of the mosaics.

 One of my favorite parts of the airport...the Snoopy statues.

 Another one of the mosaic.

 I really like this one.

 A view of the mall from the other direction.

 A Frontier Airways Airbus 320.  I really like the tail art on these planes.

 I wanted a shot of downtown Minneapolis.  I kind of like the landed and landing planes.

 The MSP airport is also shared with the Minnesota Air National Guard.  This is a pair of C-130's.

 I think this is an Embrear.

 I think this is an Airbus 320.

 A Delta Boeing 757 taxiing to its sport for takeoff.

 I kind of liked the livery of this plane.  It reminded me of a throwback plane.

 A Sun Country 737 landing.

 An American Airlines 737 taxiing.

 The MD-88 that would take me back to Detroit.

 A closeup of the plane.

 A Delta plane landing.

 The control tower.

 The closeup of the cockpit of my plane.

 An Airbus 320 taxiing.

I took this picture because I figured it would be a good book end to my trip pictures.  I started with this picture and I might as well end with this picture.