More of LH's D-AIHF

Here are a couple more shots of Lufthansa's D-AIHF while parked at Gate 25.

Clay Lacy N724CL

Beginning this month, I'm starting a new series called "HNL RareBirds Classics". It will be photos taken with my film point-n-shoot before I switched to digital. I might throw in a few of the early digital shots as well.

In this month's edition of HNL RareBirds Classics, is a photo of the Clay Lacy 727-051, N724CL (c/n 19121). It was here in May 2001. It's seen above wearing special logo decals for the U2 "Elevation" tour, and the "Elevation Air" titles in the cheatlines. The jet was here, though the band was not.

19121 was originally delivered to Northwest Airlines in May 1966 as N475US. It went to the Fuerza Aerea Mexicana (Mexican Air Force) as TP-02 / XC-UJB in September 1977. It was then acquired by Los Angeles Kings (NHL) owner Bruce McNall for use as a team charter jet in March 1990 as N299LA. It was then acquired by Clay Lacy in March 1995, and re-registered as the current N724CL in May 1997.

Note the American Trans Air (ATA) L-1011 parked at Hardstand 5 in the background.

Several Classics were posted during the Boeing workers strike in 2008.

Ryan International 757-236

This Ryan International Airlines operating as RYN6709, a Boeing 757-236 (c/n 24794, l/n 278), crosses Runway 4R as it arrives on the south ramp from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA/KIWA). RYN6709 returned to IWA with prisoners being transferred to prisons in AZ the next day.

*** Update 01.21.11 ***

N526NA returned to HNL with more inmates as RYN6710 from IWA. It will then fly to GRK (Robert Gray Army Air Field, Fort Hood, Killeen, TX) as the same flight number later today.

N526NA has been painted in the current Ryan International livery. In of our photos from August 2009, 526 had a hybrid livery after coming a lease to another airline.

China Orders 200 Boeing Airliners

China announced today that they are purchasing 200 Boeing airliners, comprised of 737s and 777s, to be delivered between this year and 2013. The deal is worth US$19Billion.

That means we will see most (if not all) of those 737s stop through HNL as they are delivered from BFI. No airlines  were disclosed, but suffice it to say that it would be the state-owned airlines that will benefit from today's order.

Boeing's press release.

Lufthansa DLH2572

Lufthansa (LH/DLH) is bringing in a charter flight from MUC (Munich International, Germany) as DLH2572. The flight is being operated with an A340-600, D-AIHF (msn 543). It will return to MUC as DLH2573.

DLH2572 coursed 6,991 nautical miles, and took 14 hours and 48 minutes to get from MUC to HNL.

The above photo, courtesy team member HawaiiTravelDeals, shows D-AIHF taxiing on Taxiway Z to its gate after arriving on Runway 8L. They also provided a link to Welt, a German online publication detailing the flight.

This photo shows D-AIHF from across the airport, clearing Runway 8L.

The Tsuru Returns To JAL!

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, JAL is bringing back the tsuru (crane) logo with an updated typeface sometime after March 2011. The tsuru will make its return after a three-year hiatus, when Landor Tokyo changed the corporate image to represent the red sun, and the last of the JAL fleet was repainted to its current livery.

In the 2006 photo above, shows the last version of the JAL tsuru logo. No word was given on what the the rest of the livery will look like. JA602J currently wears the "Endless Discovery" decals with the current livery.

The JAL press release of their new corporate image.


This is the blog's 1,200th post!

ANA's JA622A Is The 1,000th 767

Final assembly has begun on the 1,000th Boeing 767 (all series), and Line Number 1000 has the distinction of going to JA622A (c/n 40567) of All Nippon Airways - ANA, a 767-381ER. 

Will there be a special decal on JA622A to note the achievement? 

Hopefully, after its delivered and enters service, JA622A will pay a visit to HNL from one of the ANA flights from Tokyo's two airports.

News link from the Airline Reporter blog on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer website.

Hawaiian Adds Seahawks Logo

The National Football League's Seattle Seahawks logo has been applied to Hawaiian Air's 767-3CBER, N588HA (c/n 33466), "‘Iwa", for the Seahawks road trip to Chicago to face the Chicago Bears in Sunday's National Football Conference's Divisional playoff game.

The helmet logo decal is placed below the forward set of windows.

Garudaʻs PK-GFM

The first new Asia-bound 737NG delivery of 2011, crossing the Pacific Ocean, goes to Garuda Indonesia's PK-GFM (c/n 39920, l/n 3518), a 737-8U3, which is flying as GIA8011, and will make its overnight stop at HNL.

Photo courtesy team member je89_w.

***Update 01.29.11***
PK-GFM was painted in the 1961-69 retro livery after completing its delivery flight.

JAL To Upgauge HND Flight

A search of the JAL schedule shows that the Haneda flight, JL80/89 will upgauge to a 777 for the Summer 2011 schedule, which starts March 27. This will be a 2-class 777-200ER, with the older Skyluxe business class seats. No word on the Winter schedule, since it is not available.

***Update 01.14.11***
Although the JAL website says that the online schedule is only available for the next 8 months, it does pull up flights past that. A search on October 31, the start of the winter schedule, and other dates in November still show JL80/89 as a 777. However, this can change as the winter schedule is finalized.

ANA still is showing A 767 in their schedule for the summer for both HND and NRT flights. For the winter, the HND flight is not showing, but the NRT flight does show. Not sure if this means anything.

As for Hawaiian, according to this interview from the Japan Times, the 767 is supposed to be flying the route for the first 6 months then changing to the A330. However, the 767 is still showing through the 11 months available to book flights.

Hawaiian Eye

Korean's New Horizon of Korea

In town today was Korean Air's "new horizons of Korea" special paint to promote South Korea's bid as the host to the 2018 Winter Olympics. HL7752 (777-2B5ER, c/n 34211) was seen at Gate 29, it was being serviced for its return flight as KAL54 to ICN.

Pyeongchang, South Korea is competing against Annecy, France and Münich, Germany to host the 2018 Winter Games. The winner will be announced on 06 July 2011. 

Hawaiian Launches ICN Service

Choo ka (Congratulations)!

Hawaiian Airlines launched service between ICN and HNL with the inaugural flight leaving HNL today. N592HA, "Hunakai", a 767-3CBER (c/n 33468) made the flight with over 100 people on-board. Included were Kahu Danny Akaka Jr, KHON reporter Marisa Yamane, and HA's Blaine Miyasato and Peter Ingram.

In the top photo, "Hunakai" is towed to Gate 34 while a Korean Air 747-4B5 taxies on Taxiway A to Runway 8R as KAL52 to ICN.

KHON's Marisa Yamane interviews Hawaiian Air's CFO Peter Ingram before the festivities. She and her camerman boarded the flight to do reports in Seoul.

Hawaiian music and hula were performed by the Hawaiian Air Serenaders to begin the festivities. Speeches were made by Hawaiian Air CFO Peter Ingram and Lt. Gov Brian Schatz.

A traditional Korean dance, "The Flower & The Honey Bee", performed by the Chum-Sa-Rang Dance Troupe.

Kahu Danny Akaka Jr performed a Hawaiian blessing before the flight crews, cabin crews, and passengers boarded HAL459.

Each passenger received a lei right before boarding "Hunakai".

Hawaiian Air, go mab seum ni da!

COMCO N226G

Here is a shot of an unusual visitor to HNL. This Boeing 757-23A, N226G (c/n 25491/511), is owned by a company called COMCO, which is owned by another company called L-3 Capital. It has reportedly done a lot of work for prominent defense contractor Raytheon (a longtime fixture at the Nevada Test Site and Area 51, Tonopah, NV) and the CIA.

Depending on whom you speak to about this aircraft, N226G is widely suspected of being one of two infamous "rendition planes." "Rendition", according to the conspiracy theorist, are the planes used to transport high value prisoners to supposed CIA prisons in other countries so they can be "tortured". The other COMCO 757-200 is N610G.

Alaska Launches BLI-HNL Today

Alaska Airlines launched service today between BLI (Bellingham, WA) and HNL as ASA897 using 737-890s. The return segment to BLI is ASA898. BLI is a an airport Canadians use to fly out of to avoid paying high airport taxes.

Nomads N727M At KOA

The Nomads 727-221Adv/RE, N727M (c/n 22541), was spotted at KOA today.

Mahalo to team member HawaiiTravelDeals for the photo taken with their cell phone.

Path Corp N505LL

N505LL (msn 415), a Dash8-315B, owned by the Path Corporation (Rehoboth Beach, DE), is making a tech stop at HNL.

The Dash8 was originally delivered to Saeaga Airlines (Malaysia) as 9M-EKA in 1995. In 1998, it was acquired by the Executive Aircraft Corporation as N600SR. In 1999, the Path Corp acquired the Dash8, and re-registered it as the current N505LL.

In June 2006, N505LL made a stop here as well, parking on the Bradley Pacific Ramp. As it was noted in that post, the Path Corp has been linked to the US's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).  It's also been noted on airliner forums that N505LL has added antennae to the crown of the fuselage (see above).

N722AZ at Kahului

What might be "The Godfather" of wild color schemes, Hollywood movie director and producer Francis Ford Coppola's Dassault Falcon 7X N722AZ (c/n 99), left OGG today, enroute to BUR.

N777FL at Kahului

One of the more colorful small jets making an exodus from OGG earlier today, was this IAI Gulfstream G150 (c/n 214). It's owned by Agnes Bridal (Ashland, OR) departing to SJC.

Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou!

The HNL RareBirds team wishes you all a Happy New Year! May you all have a blessed and prosperous 2011!

Delta's Skyteam 767-300

Delta's 767-332ER in Skyteam alliance colors. N175DZ (c/n 29696) is seen here after push-back as DAL607 to RJAA, Narita. Yesterday this aircraft was spotted here along with Japan Air's One World and ANA's Star Alliance 767s.