Air Canada To Add Service From YYC

Air Canada will add winter seasonal service from YYC (Calgary, AB, Canada) to both HNL and OGG using 763s.

Here's the link to the Air Canada press release of the official announcement.

Ryan International's N526NA

Ryan International Airlines' 757-236, N526NA (c/n 24796), is in town from LEX (Blue Grass Airport, Lexington, KY), via IWA (Mesa Gateway Airport, Phoenix, AZ) as RYN6709.

N526NA was on lease to AeroSur in 2008, and continues to wear remnants of the AeroSur livery.

RYN6709 brought back female prisoners that were being housed in a prison in Kentucky ... Star*Bulletin article link.



***Update 08.18.09***
N526NA returned to IWA as RYN6710.

Omni Air's N342AX

Omni Air International's new 767-328ER, N342AX (c/n 27136), paid a visit to HNL as OAE901 from ATL, and left for LAS as OAE902.

N342AX was originally delivered to Air France as F-GHGJ, then went onto Air Holland as PH-AHR, and Zoom as C-GZMM.

A big mahalo to team member Aeros for taking the above photo of N342AX at Gate 16.

Xiamen's B-5459

The newest addition to Xiamen Airlines' 737-85C(W) fleet is B-5459 (c/n 35057). It's making it's trans-Pacific island-hopping delivery flights as CXA5459, and is overnighting on the AirService Hawai‘i ramp.

Sorry, no HNL photo ...

CO To Add NAN

Continental Airlines, through its Continental Micronesia arm (CS/CMI), will be adding service between HNL and NAN beginning December 18, 2009 using 737-824(W)s.

Seen above is CO/CS's N25201 (c/n 28958), their 737-824(W), outside the HNL CO hangar, as it awaits repairs to the port side engine, which was removed.

NOAA's N49RF

NOAA's Gulfstream G-IV N49RF is in town to keep tabs on Hurricane Felicia.

Pionair Convair 580

This Convair 580 of Pionair arrived on 8/1/09 around 130 and left on 8/3/09. This aircraft has a long and interesting history. It started its life as a 440 but eventually converted to 580 status in 1960. It served General Motors Corporation from 1959-1995 as N5124 then registered as N8124. It was then sold to Cypress Jetprop Charter in 1995 and entered the Canadian registry as C-GTTE. A year later it was sold to Kelowona Flightcraft Aircharter and leased to Air Chathams in New Zealand. It was once again registered as ZK-KSA. It was leased out and flew for King Soloman and Reef Air-Peau Vava'u Airways. In 2006 it was registered as VH-PDV and flew for Pionair.

It is seen here presumably on its way to the mainland U.S. fate unknown. Sorry for the poor quality as it was taken with my phone.

Omni Air Gets New Livery

World Airline Gallery News reports that Omni Air International is changing their colors with the introduction of the 767-300.

No word was given on when their 757 or DC-10 fleet will receive the new colors, though word is that the DC-10 will be replaced by the 763s.

Lion Air's PK-LGK

Lion Air's PK-LGK (c/n 35728), a 737-9GPER, is due @ HNL around midday ... the tech stop should last only a few hours as LNI1.

Sorry, no HNL photo ... though Drewski2112 got one at BFI.

HNL RareBirds Goes Twitter!

HNL RareBirds has joined the social networking site, Twitter.com! Blog headlines will be "tweeted" alongside the blog entries with direct links.

Visit the official HNL RareBirds Twitter Page.

Magazine Back Issues

I have back issues of Airways from 2000 to 2006, and Airliners from 1996 to 1999 for sale.

Price for the Airways are: $8 / copy

Price for the Airliners are: $6 / copy

If you are interested, please drop me an email ...

Southern Air's N752SA

Southern Air's N752SA (c/n 21255), "William Neff", a 747-228F, paid a visit to HIK from DNA (Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan), via UAM (Andersen AFB, Agana, Guam) today, and it continued on to SUU (Travis AFB, Fairfield, CA) as SOO801. N752SA is seen above departing from the "Reef Runway".

N752SA was originally delivered to Air France Cargo as F-BVPR in March 1976, and acquired by Southern Air in April 2004.

Hainan's B-5481

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of its second 737-86N(W) in the past four days. B-5481 (c/n 35649) is making its trek across the Pacific from BFI today.

B-5481 is seen above taxiing to the Castle & Cooke Aviation ramp.

China Southern's B-5427

China Southern Airline's B-5427 (c/n 35377), is the airline's newest 737-71B. It arrived this morning from BFI, and continues across the Pacific as CSN527.

Last JAL 747 Classic flight pictures

Here are some pictures from the last JAL Classic flight.


After the crew prepared the aircraft for the flight, they came out to the gate and posed for pictures as a group and with passengers. (BTW, the banner in the background was made by yours truly using pictures of the 747-100, -200, and -300 taken at HNL. I used many pictures I personally took, but did get a couple of pictures from je89_w and from work).

This is the lei made by the Passenger Service section and draped over JA812J by the Maintenance Engineers, who can be seen at the bottom securing the lei.


This banner was held by the JAL employees as they waved goodbye to the aircraft and passengers.


JAL employees waving goodbye to the aircraft and passengers during pushback.


JA812J slowly making its way past Gate 27 during pushback.


JA812J taxiing out for takeoff.

At the gate, there was live Hawaiian music and hula, photo opportunities with JAL employees, and as mentioned above, with the crew. Each passenger was given a hand-made card with an origami crane inside when they entered the gate area and a postcard during boarding. Many of the children were also stickers of the 747-300. The proclamation by the Governor was read by the state's Tourism Liason, Marsha Weinert.

Air China's B-5436

Air China's newest 737-86N, B-5436 (c/n 36813), is making its way across the Pacific as CCA58, and has completed its first leg from BFI.

Japan Airlines Retires 747-300 Fleet

Japan Airlines flew its last 747-300 revenue flight today as JO73. The 747-300 fleet was assigned to the JALWays arm of JAL, which flies most of the Hawai‘i flights, since the DC-10-40 fleet was retired a few years ago. This signals the end of the "747 Classic" (-100, -200, & -300) with the JAL passenger fleet. The 747-400s will continue serving Hawai‘i, even though JAL is reducing that fleet by 10%, and may see more 777-200s in the future.

JA812J (c/n 23612) was the 747-346 that was selected to fly JO73, according to the folks at JAL, was to be draped with a lei before departure. A proclamation by Hawai‘i Governor Linda Lingle (R), that today be "Japan Airlines Classic Jumbo Jet Day".

Unfortunately, I could not make today's ceremony, but a big mahalo to the folks at Japan Airlines for the information they provided.

Hainan's B-5480

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of B-5480 (c/n 35648), a 737-86N(W), which completed its BFI-HNL leg this afternoon. The flight, B5480, was originally scheduled to arrive this morning, but was obviously delayed.

B-5480 is seen above taxiing to the Castle & Cooke Aviation ramp with a rainbow in the background.

N910SF

A DC-10-10 used by Raytheon USA, N910SF (c/n 46524) has made a stop at HNL. The former American Airlines wide-body was purchased by the US Government, for the Missile Defense Agency, to use in testing missile defense systems. It's also known as the WASP - Widebody Airborne Sensor Platform.

The left side has an opening in the forward fuselage for the test systems.

There was a truck with armed security guards near the DC-10, as well as those flood lights to keep the aircraft secure. I'm surprised that this aircraft did not park at HIK.

N910SF was here a few years ago on test missions, and proceeded to taxi to HIK after landing on Runway 4R.

QantasLink's C-FXAZ

QantasLink-Eastern Australia is taking delivery of their new Dash8-Q402, C-FXAZ (msn 4263). It's making its tech stop at HNL after its flight from CCR.

C-FXAZ will be registered as VH-QOS when it arrives Down Under.