jetBlue Tribute NYFD

jetBlue recently announced and presented their latest special scheme - a salute to the New York Fire Department.  After it was recently released, it has started making its trips around the stations of jetBlue.  Today, October 26, 2013 was the turn on Fort Lauderdale.  It great light, she made presence well known around the area.  A stunning aircraft - well done jetBlue.

Edit 10/27/2013 - added a couple more pictures that I have edited of this beauty.

Some more time spent behind the camera lens.....

Good weather - and even better biz-jets!

It was another nice Florida sunny but not too hot day today, so I went and spent my lunchtime checking out what was around.  Apart from the usual suspects, it turned out to be biz-jet day today!

These Citation CJ3's are growing on me.  A friend of mine flies one and says they are wonderful to fly - they just look so compact but I bet inside, they are luxurious.

A very interesting foreign visitor - the ride of former Formula 1 racer Rubens Barricchello.  It's been seen a few times in Fort Lauderdale - I'm not sure if he has home in the area to visit.

 The charter Learjet 45 of National Jets approaching it's home base.

A Brazilian-based Citation Sovereign.

I saved my favorite for last.  The Gulfstream G650 of Carnival Cruise Line and Miami Heat basketball team owner Mickey Arison.  This registration used to belong to a Bombardier Global Express, but that was sold and replaced with this glorious Gulfstream.  The Global Express used to be my favorite biz-jet, but, it has now been replaced by the G650 - I just love the lines on this aircraft.

Some more time spent behind the camera lens...

Finally - some good weather!!!

The long, wet, dreary summer in South Florida is finally coming to an end I hope.  There have been some opportunities of late to spend a little time at lunch time at the viewing park at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and a chance to hone some skills back up in preparation for the winter season that will this year hopefully include the new Air Transat Boeing737-800s, the introduction of the international service by Norwegian - although that looks as thought it will start with Airbus equipment as they have been having some issues with their new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, but - those hopefully be a thing of the past soon as well.

So, onto the latest catches.

This Air Jamaica color scheme is still wonderful to see around ,even though on a couple of their jets, it now has Caribbean Airlines titles.

This departure was a very noisy one - a Mexican Government Lear 28 - you can tell it's older, it is officially still designated as a Gates Learjet!

This is something we don't get in Fort Lauderdale a lot at all - Falcon Air Express - although, seeing as it went to Aruba a couple of times in a few days, we were wondering in the area if it was filling in for Tiara Aruba Airlines.

Wing flex on a Saab SF340B!!  Silver Airways, which was originally Gulfstream International, and their colorful Saabs are based in FLL, this one heading to Key West

And finally, the flying box car - a Shorts SC-7 Skyvan - from FLL-based GB Airlink.  This plies the cargo trade between Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas on a daily basis.  This must have been a test flight, as it didn't use it's GB Airlink callsign and after take-off, went onto downwind, base and final legs before landing and heading to the hangar.

Hopefully, this weather will stay like this for the foreseeable future - I've missed getting out of the office during lunchtime a lot!!

Some more time spent behind the camera lens!!

Stop the presses!!!!

After one of the worst summers for photography, it appears as though the weather is turning - I was able to actually get out to Ft Lauderdale today - pictures to follow - but - I can't wait for the fall/winter season to start!!  The blog will hopefully be alive!!!

Lots of time behind the camera lens coming - I hope!!!

A picture not aviation related

South Florida weather has basically - sucked - for the last few weeks - very very few chances to get to photography anything aviation related.  But - sometimes the weather does play into our hands photographically - and - on Sunday it did.  My son came running into the living room - to tell me about this spectacular sunset outside.  That is was - a mixture of all colors and hues.  I loved it so much, I sent it to a local TV station and it was shown on the late news.

So - some time was spent behind the camera lens at least....

Fort Lauderdale Airport Landmark Demolished

For anyone that has visited Fort Lauderdale, be it by air, sea or land, the sight of the smoke stacks at the Florida Power & Light (FPL) plant at Port Everglades is usual.  The 4 smoke stacks and their accompanying blue boiler building have been part of the horizon for more than 40 years, the original construction of the plant happening in the 1960s.  FPL announced several months ago that it planned to demolish the plant in order make way for a new greener and fuel efficient plant.  Tuesday July 16, 2013 was the designated date and 6:45am was the designated time – have the plant imploded before the rush of the day started.  At precisely 6:45am on a cloudy day, with all air and land traffic halted around the area, the first of the powerful explosions sounded and the plant began to fall – the blue boiler buildings first followed by the 4 stacks.  In just over 40 seconds, the plant was razed to the ground – that familiar sight on the horizon used for navigating in and around Fort Lauderdale gone forever.

 The final standing of the complete plant

The boiler buildings begin to fall

The boiler buildings falling

One of the many powerful explosions brings down the boiler building

The blue boiler buildings are gone

The first stack falls

The second stack falls

The third stack falls

The fourth and final stack falls

The plant is demolished

It's a pity that it was cloudy when it happened - but - lucky that it was a little cloudy - a couple of hours later, we got lots more rain and darker clouds!

Some more time spent behind the camera lens.

Valle Grand Canyon Airport (40G) - What a surprise!!!

On a recent trip to Nevada and Arizona with the family, we were heading towards the Grand Canyon when we happened on this airfield and took a couple of minutes to have a look at the aircraft on view outside Planes of Fame.  I was surprised to see these few outside - would love to explore this the next time we are in the area - but - the Lockheed Constellation L-1049 info states it's in flyable condition - I'd love to take a ride on that!!!  But - here are the few I managed to shoot in the few minutes we stopped there.

 What a great surprise this was!!