New York
By Chris Smith
Regular readers may recall that as little as ten years ago the pinnacle of my spotting trips were a few hours at Newcastle or Leeds/Bradford! Whilst I've spread my wings somewhat in the years since the furthest I've been prior to now is still Tenerife and only twice have I flown on widebodies, the first being a Monarch A330-200 - even then it was only a positioning flight from Gatwick to Manchester, then a trial flight on Norwegian's first 787 Dreamliner from Oslo to Gatwick. Whilst some people might consider New York or anywhere else in America for that matter to be a 'routine' destination, I have no idea if/when I'll ever get back having recently taken on my first mortgage and all of the expense that comes with it, so for me I have to assume this is a one-off 'trip of a lifetime'.
The break itself is not actually a spotting trip; it's my usual family November trip which nevertheless always yields a trip report on here and is normally just to London (again regular readers will recall my usual modus operandi is to fly KLM via Amsterdam, which is both laughed at and admired), but a milestone birthday in the family has resulted in an upgrade to a trip across the pond. Despite not being a spotting trip, every aircraft within my field of vision is going to be gold dust, and the real spotting will come from the journeys there and back which have been tailored to fully capitalise on the spotting opportunities available (with a huge thank you to Chris Hall/Gazelle Travel). Given the long haul nature of the flights, I was very specific about where I wanted to fly to, on which airlines, and what aircraft types - which sadly got in the way of my loyalty to Teesside as KLM and the wider Skyteam alliance whilst cheaper would have seen me flying less favourable types. My initial request was for a next gen widebody (A330N/A350/B787 etc) operated by a US carrier outbound to Charlotte to allow me to visit the Carolinas Aviation Museum (specifically for N106US the "Miracle on the Hudson" A320), followed by a BA A380 home from Boston, with connecting flights to/from any two of the three New York airports. Alas for various reasons this was not possible but I still managed to achieve four different US airports, two airlines and six different aircraft types - and all for cheaper than the lowest priced direct London-New York flights at the time of booking!!!
Day One
Thursday 5th December
Chris tipped me off a few weeks prior that my first outbound flight; BA1321 (SHT13C) had been upgraded to an A321 NEO (my first) and sure enough I watched on FR24 the night before as G-NEOU flew in for a night-stop. Dave Rose has previously reviewed the NEO as being notably more powerful than the CEOs, I figured this was a reference to the speed and takeoff acceleration, but it's more the takeoff distance - I was surprised how quickly we lifted. On a similar note, they're supposed to be a lot quieter along with Dreamliners and other next gen tech, which I never found to be the case, but now I realise it's not the decible level, it's that you don't hear them coming and once they've passed the noise dissipates much quicker.
Newcastle International
NCL / EGNT
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| EI-FXI | ATR 72-202F | ASL Airlines Ireland (FedEx Feeder) | |
| G-JZBJ | Boeing 737-800 | Jet2.com | |
| G-JZHP | Boeing 737-800 | Jet2.com | |
| G-JZHU | Boeing 737-800 | Jet2 Holidays | |
| G-JZHW | Boeing 737-800 | Jet2.com | |
| G-NEOU | Airbus A321-251NX | British Airways | My flight BA1321/SHT13C |
| G-UZHP | Airbus A320-251N | easyJet | |
| SX-ABQ | Airbus A321-231 | Olympus Airways | Stored |
Nice sunrise!
Arriving at Heathrow; my connection time was minimal at 100 minutes and I figured I would have to "manually" change terminals from 5 to 3, luckily the process was eased with an airside shuttle bus that must be a relatively new service. Connecting at Heathrow does not have the best reputation but I found it easy enough and I assume the owners are well aware and are taking steps to improve the process. Once I got to my gate, views were limited to my aircraft and one adjacent, so not a great deal of spotting done here.
Dave Anderson had loaned me his in-flight radio to listen to the pilots (short range only, ATC responses can't be heard), unfortunately this came with a consequence - I knew ten minutes ahead of the other pax that we'd gone tech! My ride over to Charlotte was A333 N270AY (AA733) and after push back and engine start, I heard the captain say "Ground, we have some error messages on our maintenance panel, we need to remain in position for a moment to resolve them", we then began to taxi briefly before another pause, I then heard "Ground, we've spoke to our ops, we need to return to stand to allow engineers to board the aircraft" - we were then directed to a remote stand allocated to us by ATC, the passengers none the wiser, until after ten minutes the captain finally confessed "Ladies and gentlemen, we are returning to stand as we have some readings in the cockpit that our outside of the normal parameters, we need to let our engineers board the aircraft and hopefully they will be able to fix the issues and we will be on our way". After somewhere between an hour to an hour and a half, during which the engineers appeared to test all of the aircraft control surfaces, the captain announced that all was sorted and we just needed a quick top up on fuel and we'd be on our way.
London Heathrow
LHR / EGLL
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| 9V-SKU | Airbus A380-841 | Singapore Airlines | |
| A4O-SF | Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | Oman Air | |
| A6-APC | Airbus A380-861 | Etihad Airways | |
| A7-APH | Airbus A380-861 | Qatar Airways | |
| B-KPA | Boeing 777-367ER | Cathay Pacific Airways | |
| D-AGWZ | Airbus A319-132 | Eurowings | |
| EC-NCM | Airbus A320-251N | Iberia | |
| EI-SII | Airbus A320-251N | SAS Scandinavian Airlines Ireland | |
| G-VLUX | Airbus A350-1041 | Virgin Atlantic Airways | |
| G-VYUM | Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | Virgin Atlantic Airways | |
| G-XWBC | Airbus A350-1041 | British Airways | |
| HZ-AK39 | Boeing 777-3FGER | Saudi Arabian Airlines | |
| JA841J | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | Japan Airlines | |
| N270AY | Airbus A330-323X | American Airlines | My flight AA733 |
| N27903 | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | United Airlines | |
| N27957 | Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | United Airlines | |
| N731AN | Boeing 777-323ER | American Airlines | |
| N757AN | Boeing 777-223ER | American Airlines | |
| N784AN | Boeing 777-223ER | American Airlines | |
| N839AA | Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | American Airlines | |
| N855NW | Airbus A330-223 | Delta Airlines | |
| OE-LBL | Airbus A320-214 | Austrian Airlines | |
| OH-LWE | Airbus A350-941 | Finnair | |
| VH-OQB | Airbus A380-842 | Qantas Airways | |
| VH-ZNA | Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | Qantas Airways | |
| VN-A870 | Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | Vietnam Airlines | |
| VT-ANA | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | Air India |
Charlotte is a dual civil-military facility, with the 145th Airlift Wing of the North Carolina Air National Guard based, operating C-17As which have recently replaced a fleet of C-130H, luckily I was able to bag all present during the taxi in, with one presumably out and about. In the end my connection time wasn't long enough to visit the museum, but I've since learned it has closed until 2022 pending construction of a new facility, so I may have dodged a bullet there. Picking Charlotte turned out to be quite a smart move; with a lack of international traffic I breezed through immigration, whilst my family who were on BA177/04A (G-CIVO) and DL002 (N831MH) both reported queues approaching two hours! I know we've just changed name, but I perhaps should have considered Raleigh-Durham over Charlotte just so I could have said I've been to the 'other' Durham airport!!
The distance between our flights
Due to the above mentioned tech problem, American Airlines assumed I missed my connection and removed me from my next flight, only to add me back on when that one was delayed too! I was on AA1370 (B738 N924AN) - my first flight on a two-class narrowbody (I thought they just pulled a curtain across to segregate the peasants).
I never quite got my bearings at Charlotte, the result being I logged only a fraction of what I actually saw.
Charlotte Douglas International
CLT / KCLT
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| 00-0172 | Boeing C-17A Globemaster III | US Air Force - 156th AS / NC ANG | |
| 01-0197 | Boeing C-17A Globemaster III | US Air Force - 156th AS / NC ANG | |
| 92-3294 | McDonnell Douglas C-17A Globemaster III | US Air Force - 156th AS / NC ANG | |
| 93-0602 | McDonnell Douglas C-17A Globemaster III | US Air Force - 156th AS / NC ANG | |
| N114UW | Airbus A320-214 | American Airlines | |
| N118US | Airbus A320-214 | American Airlines | |
| N127UW | Airbus A320-214 | American Airlines | |
| N155UW | Airbus A321-211 | American Airlines | |
| N258PS | Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200ER | American Eagle (PSA Airlines) | |
| N403YX | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | |
| N423YX | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | |
| N507AE | Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER | American Eagle (PSA Airlines) | |
| N512AE | Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER | American Eagle (PSA Airlines) | |
| N547NN | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | American Eagle (PSA Airlines) | |
| N556UW | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N563UW | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N580NN | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | American Eagle (PSA Airlines) | |
| N586UW | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N608NN | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | American Eagle (PSA Airlines) | |
| N624AE | Embraer ERJ-145LR | American Eagle (Piedmont Airlines) | |
| N710PS | Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER | American Eagle (PSA Airlines) | |
| N732US | Airbus A319-112 | American Airlines | |
| N744AX | Boeing 767-232(BDSF) | ABX Air | |
| N748UW | Airbus A319-112 | American Airlines | |
| N836AW | Airbus A319-132 | American Airlines | |
| N912NN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | |
| N916US | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N917UY | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N924AN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | My flight AA1370 |
| N966AT | Boeing 717-2BD | Delta Airlines |
Due to the delay, it was dark when I landed at Newark which once again led to disasterous spotting results. The weather had also been poor with heavy rain all day and the pilot repeatedly warned of a turbulent flight but it was quite smooth in the end. I got a good luck at a FedEx ramp that was just bursting into life, so I went on FR24 and claimed everything that was 'pinging'.
New York Newark Liberty International
EWR / KEWR
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| N118FE | Boeing 767-3S2ERF | FedEx Express | |
| N123FE | Boeing 767-3S2ERF | FedEx Express | |
| N525FE | McDonnell Douglas MD-11F | FedEx Express | |
| N796FD | Boeing 757-222SF | FedEx Express | |
| N858FD | Boeing 777-FSRLRF | FedEx Express | |
| N890FD | Boeing 777-FSRLRF | FedEx Express |
Day Two - Four
Friday 6th December - Sunday 8th
December
The below was logged whilst wandering around Manhattan, whilst I couldn't tell my left from my right at Charlotte, I very quickly acquainted myself with traffic patterns here; I could see LaGuardia arrivals regardless of runway in use as they pass up either the Hudson river or East river, I could see Newark 22 arrivals or 04 departures and were they not blocked on FR24, I'd have made a couple of runway 19 or 24 departures out of Teterboro from the observatory at the top of the Empire State Building. I only noted two JFK inbounds, both whilst on Liberty Island and still trailing too. Also on Liberty Island some US military helicopters - a couple of Black Hawks and an Apache - headed toward USS Intrepid where a Pearl Harbour rememberance event was taking place, alas I couldn't prep my camera in time! A number of helicopters go up and down the Hudson daily, some show as blocked but they're the same ones day in day out. A trip on the New York Water Taxi took us by the heliport, but sods law it was empty!
The USS Intrepid was not the best of experiences - I took ill whilst on board and had to work really hard to keep my motivation up. Despite missing a deck out due to the aforementioned illness, I seem to have bagged everything. There is loads of space on and around the Intrepid for further aircraft exhibits and I was surprised they haven't found more aircraft to retire to here.
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| Friday 6th December | |||
| N11187 | Embraer ERJ-145XR | United Express (Commutair) | ex EWR |
| N106HQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | ex LGA |
| N154AA | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N206MH | Bell 206L-3 Long Ranger III | Meridian Helicopters LLC | |
| N31416 | Cirrus SR22 | Private | |
| N315PQ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | Inbound LGA |
| N322DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N351LH | Eurocopter AS350B2 Squirrel | Liberty Helicopters | |
| N396DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N418WN | Boeing 737-7H4 | Southwest Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N4553F | Gulfstream American AA-5B Tiger | Private | |
| N56101 | Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II | Private | |
| N638NK | Airbus A320-232 | Spirit Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N726H | Bell 206L-3 Long Ranger III | GM Leasing Co LLC | |
| N834AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | |
| N838BP | Robinson R44 Raven | Spitzer Helicopter LLC | |
| N8837B | Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | Inbound LGA |
| N98ZA | Bell 407GXP | 98ZA LLC | |
| N965UW | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | American Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| Saturday 7th December | |||
| A6-ECC | Boeing 777-36NER | Emirates | ex EWR |
| C-FEJL | Embraer ERJ-175-200SU | Air Canada Express (Sky Regional Airlines) | Inbound LGA |
| C-FLSS | Airbus A320-211 | Air Canada | Inbound LGA |
| C-FLWK | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | Air Canada | Inbound LGA |
| C-FRQM | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | Air Canada Express (Sky Regional Airlines) | Inbound LGA |
| C-GHLU | Boeing 767-36NER | Air Canada | OTT |
| C-GITY | Airbus A321-211 | Air Canada | Inbound LGA |
| N13113 | Boeing 757-224 | United Airlines | ex EWR |
| N133EV | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | Inbound LGA |
| N202JQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | Inbound LGA |
| N2142U | Boeing 777-322ER | United Airlines | ex EWR |
| N217MH | Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger IV | Meridian Helicopters LLC | |
| N239J | Cirrus SR20 | Private | |
| N247JB | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | JetBlue Airways | Inbound LGA |
| N263SY | Embraer ERJ-175-200LL | Delta Connection (Skywest Airlines) | Inbound LGA |
| N269JJ | Cirrus SR20 | Private | |
| N276HS | AgustaWestland AW139 | Private | |
| N277CH | Robinson R44 Raven II | H1 LLC | |
| N318DA | Cirrus SR22T | Private | |
| N324PQ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | ex LGA |
| N326US | Airbus A320-211 | Delta Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N340NW | Airbus A320-211 | Delta Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N347CM | Boeing 767-323ER(BDSF) | Amerijet International | ex EWR |
| N349PQ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | ex LGA |
| N385DZ | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | ex LGA |
| N40JA | Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II | Jersey Aero Club | |
| N419YX | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | ex LGA |
| N5215A | Mooney M20J-201 | Perkin Marketing LLC | |
| N570JB | Airbus A320-232 | JetBlue Airways | ex EWR |
| N57111 | Boeing 757-224 | United Airlines | ex EWR |
| N645RW | Embraer ERJ-170-100SE | United Express (Republic Airways) | ex EWR |
| N6735M | Cessna 210M Centurion | Private | |
| N68891 | Boeing 737-924ER | United Airlines | ex EWR |
| N691FE | Airbus A300F4-605R | FedEx Express | OTT |
| N69829 | Boeing 737-924ER | United Airlines | ex EWR |
| N7159H | Bell 206L-3 Long Ranger III | Premier Rotors LLC | |
| N71924 | Cessna TU206C Skywagon | Private | |
| N733FD | Airbus A300F4-605R | FedEx Express | ex EWR |
| N7679S | Sikorsky S-76C | Associated Aircraft Group | |
| N7736A | Boeing 737-7BD | Southwest Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N805AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | Inbound LGA |
| N833NN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | ex EWR |
| N858AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | Inbound LGA |
| N88359 | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | United Express (Mesa Airlines) | Inbound LGA |
| N906XJ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | Inbound LGA |
| N907JB | Airbus A321-231 | JetBlue Airways | ex LGA |
| N937AT | Boeing 717-231 | Delta Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N957JB | Airbus A321-231 | JetBlue Airways | Inbound LGA |
| N980AN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N988JT | Airbus A321-231 | JetBlue Airways | Inbound JFK |
| N995WS | Cirrus SR22 | Private | |
    |
|||
| Sunday 8th December | |||
| N162SY | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | United Express (Skywest Airlines) | Inbound LGA |
| N29906 | Embraer ERJ-145LR | United Express (ExpressJet Airlines) | ex EWR |
| N251WN | Boeing 737-7H4 | Southwest Airlines | Inbound LGA |
| N435AW | Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR | United Express (Air Wisconsin) | ex LGA |
| N5169E | Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP | TAS Aviation LLC | |
| N616UX | Embraer ERJ-175-200LL | United Express (ExpressJet Airlines) | Inbound LGA |
| N704AB | Diamond DA 42 Twin Star | Lidija LLC | OTT |
| N797PG | Dassault Falcon 2000EX | Aviation X LLC | |
| N935XJ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | Inbound LGA |
| Sunday 8th December - USS Intrepid | |||
| 59-1621 | Bell UH-1A Iroquois | US Army | |
| 60-6925 | Lockheed A-12 | CIA - Central Intelligence Agency | |
| 79-0403/NY | General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon | US Air Force | |
| 0327 | WSK-Mielec Lim-6bis | Polish Air Force | |
| 1308 | Sikorsky HH-19G | US Coast Guard | In restoration hangar |
| 1429 | Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard | US Coast Guard | |
| 4105 | Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PFM | Polish Air Force | |
| 09102/N-102 | Douglas XBT2D-1 Destroyer II | US Navy | |
| 128519/69-HU | Piasecki UH-25B Retriever | US Marine Corps | |
| 133566/100-AG | McDonnell F-3C Demon | US Navy | |
| 135868 | North American FJ-3 Fury | US Navy | |
| 141117/210-E | Grumman F-9J Cougar | US Navy | |
| 141884/5 | Grumman F-11A Tiger | US Navy | Blue Angels |
| 142833/512-AK | Douglas A-4B Skyhawk | US Navy | |
| 145550/102-AK | Vought F-8K Crusader | US Navy | |
| 147212/773-AD | Grumman E-1B Tracer | US Navy | |
| 150628/101-NK | McDonnell Douglas F-4N Phantom II | US Navy | |
| 157986 | Grumman YF-14A Tomcat | US Navy | |
| 159218 | Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra | US Marine Corps | In restoration hangar |
| 159232/601-NM | Hawker Siddeley AV-8C Harrier | US Marine Corps | |
| 162185 | Grumman A-6DSD Intruder | US Navy | |
| 53841 | General Motors TBM-3E Avenger | US Navy | Marked 53842/2 |
| 999734 | IAI F-21A Kfir C1 | US Marine Corps | |
| G-BOAD | Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde 102 | British Airways | |
| MM54461/7 | Aermacchi MB-339A | Italian Air Force | Frecce Tricolori |
| N34Z/TT | Beech T-34A Mentor | US Air Force | |
| N913NA | Northrop T-38A Talon | NASA | |
| OV-101 | Rockwell Space Shuttle Orbiter | NASA | "Enterprise" |
| Bell H-13 Sioux | US Army? | Cab only | |
| Grumman A-6 Intruder | US Navy | Cockpit only | |
_CS.JPG)
_CS.JPG)
Day Five
Monday 9th December
I was interested to learn that LaGuardia is being completely rebuilt in stages from top to bottom, after previously being considered one of the worst airports in the modern world! I had no issues and it was straight through security to the end of the B satellite which afforded me views of all movements, and everything on the biz ramp where until recently Donald Trumps pre-presidency jet, B752 N757AF, was stored here. JetBlue are by far the smallest operator with probably only 1% of all movements, yet they boast their own terminal away from the main complex. LaGuardia handles only domestic traffic, with the largest aircraft in common use being the A321.
My aircraft was E190 N950UW (AA2146), which fellow Teesside enthusiast Matt Falcus had flown on the same route back in 2015 - what are the odds! (The aircraft was still with US Airways Express and he flew the reverse leg). Like my American 738 a few days prior, the aircraft was configured with two classes - even more surprising given it is a regional jet. Incidentally, the larger E190s are operated by American Airlines and the smaller E175s by American Eagle, which does no favours for my OCD. The E190s are due to be retired by the end of next year.
New York LaGuardia
LGA / KLGA
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| C-FKIW | Boeing 737-7CT | WestJet Airlines | |
| C-FRQW | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | Air Canada Express (Sky Regional Airlines) | |
| C-GAQX | Airbus A319-113 | Air Canada | |
| N104DU | Airbus A220-100 | Delta Airlines | |
| N108HQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | |
| N129HQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | |
| N132EV | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N135HQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | |
| N14916 | Embraer ERJ-145LR | United Express (ExpressJet Airlines) | |
| N151AN | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N153AN | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N188US | Airbus A321-211 | American Airlines | |
| N197PQ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N209JQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N211JQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N213JQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N233JQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N240JQ | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N258JB | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | JetBlue Airways | |
| N260WN | Boeing 737-7H4 | Southwest Airlines | |
| N261BW | Gulfstream G-V-SP (G550) | Perryair LLC | |
| N291SY | Embraer ERJ-175-200LL | Delta Connection (Skywest Airlines) | |
| N297PQ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900LR | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N302DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N304PQ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N305PQ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N313DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N330NB | Airbus A319-114 | Delta Airlines | |
| N334NW | Airbus A320-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N336FR | Airbus A320-251N | Frontier Airlines | |
| N341NW | Airbus A320-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N348PQ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N357FC | Embraer ERJ-170-100SU | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N360DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N361DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N373JB | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | JetBlue Airways | |
| N376DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N377DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N386DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N390CA | Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER | Delta Connection (GoJet Airlines) | |
| N391CA | Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N47EG | Dassault Falcon 900LX | Wing & Rotor Transportation Holdings LLC | |
| N410UA | Airbus A320-232 | United Airlines | |
| N425QS | Gulfstream G-IV-X (G450) | NetJets International | |
| N427WN | Boeing 737-7H4 | Southwest Airlines | |
| N435UA | Airbus A320-232 | United Airlines | |
| N439YX | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | |
| N441WN | Boeing 737-7H4 | Southwest Airlines | |
| N441YX | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | American Eagle (Republic Airways) | |
| N507MJ | Bombardier CL-600-2C10 CRJ-701ER | United Express (Mesa Airlines) | |
| N538CA | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900ER | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N586RW | Gulfstream G-V-SP (G550) | Coca Cola Co | |
| N604UX | Embraer ERJ-175-200LL | United Express (ExpressJet Airlines) | |
| N617BZ | Dassault Falcon 50EX | Dem Fly Boyz LLC | |
| N626NK | Airbus A320-232 | Spirit Airlines | |
| N675NK | Airbus A321-231 | Spirit Airlines | |
| N697NK | Airbus A320-232 | Spirit Airlines | |
| N72UK | Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign | J C Land LLC | |
| N724AG | Gulfstream G-VI (G650) | Edan Limited LLC / FL Aviation Corp | |
| N80348 | Embraer ERJ-175-200LR | United Express (Mesa Airlines) | |
| N809MD | Embraer ERJ-170-100SU | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N810MD | Embraer ERJ-170-100SU | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N815AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | |
| N818MD | Embraer ERJ-170-100SU | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N819UA | Airbus A319-131 | United Airlines | |
| N824AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | |
| N827AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | |
| N831AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | |
| N833AY | Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N840AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | |
| N846NN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | |
| N850AE | Embraer ERJ-140 | American Eagle (Envoy Air) | |
| N8555Z | Boeing 737-800 | Southwest Airlines | |
| N868RW | Embraer ERJ-170-100SE | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N878NN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | |
| N8869B | Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N9029F | Airbus A319-115 | American Airlines | |
| N902XJ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N910AT | Boeing 717-231 | Delta Airlines | |
| N912XJ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N922US | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N926WN | Boeing 737-7H4 | Southwest Airlines | |
| N931AM | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N931XJ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N933AT | Boeing 717-231 | Delta Airlines | |
| N936XJ | Bombardier CL-600-2D24 CRJ-900NG | Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) | |
| N947UW | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | American Airlines | |
| N948UW | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | American Airlines | |
| N950UW | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | American Airlines | My flight AA2146 |
| N954WN | Boeing 737-7H4 | Southwest Airlines | |
| N957UW | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | American Airlines | |
| N958UW | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | American Airlines | |
| N959JB | Airbus A321-231 | JetBlue Airways | |
| N962WN | Boeing 737-7H4 | Southwest Airlines | |
| N967UW | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | American Airlines | |
| N976NN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | |
| N977NN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | |
| N982AT | Boeing 717-2BD | Delta Airlines | |
| N987AN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | |
| N995AN | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N995AT | Boeing 717-2BD | Delta Airlines | |
| N998JE | Airbus A321-231 | JetBlue Airways |
Once again, a delayed flight put me in Boston after dark, leading to another very frustrating spotting experience. I had a clear view of the biz ramp but couldn't read anything off, luckily Matt Falcus and Rob Smith were able to help me ID some of it, as well as the three FedEx on site. To compound issues, my BA B744 (G-BYGE - BA212/45B) was parked at the gate with the worst view. On the plus side, I did log a couple of the Cape Air fleet, a curious little operator, they have a 88-strong fleet of Cessna 402s, and four Britten-Norman Islanders, and the lot are due to be replaced by 96 Tecnam P2012 Travellers, and an unknown number of Eviation Alice - the first passenger carrying airline to operate an electric aircraft. It's a shame I didn't have longer here, the terminal experience was fantastic - I was the only passenger passing through security screening! My flight was also empty, if people were sat next to each other it's because they were family or friends, otherwise passengers had rows to themselves. The outbound American A330 flight was similar although not quite so sparse.
Boston Logan International
BOS / KBOS
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| 9H-TOO | Dassault Falcon 7X | Skyfirst Ltd | |
| A6-EVH | Airbus A380-842 | Emirates | |
| B-1132 | Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | Hainan Airlines | |
| C-GLQP | Bombardier DHC-8-402 | Porter Airlines | |
| EC-LZX | Airbus A330-302 | Iberia | |
| EC-MYA | Airbus A330-202 | Level | |
| EI-DUO | Airbus A330-203 | Aer Lingus | |
| EI-LRB | Airbus A321-253NX | Aer Lingus | |
| G-BYGE | Boeing 747-436 | British Airways | My flight BA212/45B |
| HP-1856CMP | Boeing 737-8V3 | Copa Airlines | |
| I-EJGA | Airbus A330-203 | Alitalia | |
| JA866J | Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | Japan Airlines | |
| N130AN | Airbus A321-231 | American Airlines | |
| N14249 | Boeing 737-824 | United Airlines | |
| N145FE | Boeing 767-3S2ERF | FedEx Express | |
| N176FE | Boeing 767-3S2ERF | FedEx Express | |
| N231JB | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | JetBlue Airways | |
| N306JB | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | JetBlue Airways | |
| N310DN | Airbus A321-211 | Delta Airlines | |
| N343QS | Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 | NetJets International | |
| N351JB | Embraer ERJ-190-100AR | JetBlue Airways | |
| N357FE | McDonnell Douglas MD-10-10F | FedEx Express | |
| N369NW | Airbus A320-212 | Delta Airlines | |
| N551AS | Boeing 737-890 | Alaska Airlines | |
| N555QS | Cessna 560XL Citation XLS | NetJets International | |
| N561JB | Airbus A320-232 | JetBlue Airways | |
| N580JB | Airbus A320-232 | JetBlue Airways | |
| N656GT | Boeing 767-281(BDSF) | DHL Worldwide Express (Atlas Air) | |
| N657JB | Airbus A320-232 | JetBlue Airways | |
| N68391 | Cessna 402C Businessliner | Cape Air | |
| N789JB | Airbus A320-232 | JetBlue Airways | |
| N801DZ | Boeing 737-932ER | Delta Airlines | |
| N802UA | Airbus A319-114 | United Airlines | |
| N8315C | Boeing 737-8H4 | Southwest Airlines | |
| N869RW | Embraer ERJ-170-100SE | Delta Connection (Republic Airways) | |
| N873NN | Boeing 737-823 | American Airlines | |
| N977JE | Airbus A321-231 | JetBlue Airways | |
| PT-MSZ | Boeing 767-316ER | LATAM Brasil |
Day Six
Tuesday 10th December
We arrived at Heathrow early - too early in fact - we had to circle for ten minutes until the nightly curfew lifted!! I parked myself at one of the gates and started logging but after the dizzying heights of American traffic, I soon got bored and food became more appealing.
London Heathrow
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| C-FITW | Boeing 777-333ER | Air Canada | |
| D-AIDL | Airbus A321-231 | Lufthansa | |
| D-AISO | Airbus A321-231 | Lufthansa | |
| D-AIUT | Airbus A320-214 | Lufthansa | |
| D-AIUW | Airbus A320-214 | Lufthansa | |
| D-AKNO | Airbus A319-112 | Eurowings | |
| D-AKNR | Airbus A319-112 | Eurowings | |
| EI-LRA | Airbus A321-253NX | Aer Lingus | |
| ET-AWM | Airbus A350-941 | Ethiopian Airlines | |
| F-GTAE | Airbus A321-211 | Air France | |
| G-EUXK | Airbus A321-231 | British Airways | My flight BA1326/SHT12H |
| G-NEOS | Airbus A321-251NX | British Airways | |
| G-NEOV | Airbus A321-251NX | British Airways | |
| G-NEOW | Airbus A321-251NX | British Airways | |
| G-TTNJ | Airbus A320-251N | British Airways | |
| G-VPOP | Airbus A350-1041 | Virgin Atlantic Airways | |
| HB-IOH | Airbus A321-131 | Swiss International Airlines | |
| HB-JCN | Airbus A220-300 | Swiss International Airlines | |
| HS-TUA | Airbus A380-841 | Thai Airways International | |
| JA839J | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | Japan Airlines | |
| N664UA | Boeing 767-322ER | United Airlines | |
| N684UA | Boeing 767-3CBER | United Airlines | |
| N721AN | Boeing 777-323ER | American Airlines | |
| N833MH | Boeing 767-432ER | Delta Airlines | |
| OE-LDG | Airbus A319-112 | Austrian Airlines | |
| OH-LXC | Airbus A320-214 | Finnair |
Newcastle was dire on return, nothing whatsoever on the Samson ramp, and only a HOP! E190 (actually "Air France Hop" now and back in mainline colours) and Loganair E135 at the terminal, with a few stored Jet2s and a sole easyJet parked on the remote stands. Many will be aware that BA have a dedicated stand at Newcastle, but for some reason we parked on the opposite side of the pier today and we were bussed around to the usual entrance. A Ryanair that followed us in parked nose-out on the BA stand.
Newcastle International
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| EI-DAH | Boeing 737-8AS | Ryanair | |
| F-HBLN | Embraer ERJ-190-100STD | Air France Hop | |
| G-EZGB | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | |
| G-SAJR | Embraer ERJ-135LR | Loganair |
Apologies for the questionable quality of some of the photos, I would normally bin some of them but given the rarity of the trip I need to have something to show for it. All in all a great holiday with a great spotting experience either side of it even if some of the above logs should be considerably bigger. Give me nine hours with IFE over two hours without any day! Once again thanks go out to Chris Hall, Dave Anderson, Matt Falcus and Rob Smith for their help as noted above. Back to MME-AMS-LHR next year!!