Shenzhen Airlines' B-5105

Our October edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" features Shenzhen Airlines' 737-97L, B-5105 (c/n 33646, l/n 1764), seen above departing Runway 8R on its delivery flight in August 2005, in the original livery.

B-5105 was originally delivered in August 2005. In late 2008, it repainted in to the current livery. In October 2017, it was sold to Xiamen Leasing, and leased back. B-5105 continues to fly with Shenzhen.

HNL RareBirds At SEA

My wife and I took a Christmas trip up to Seattle, and flew its hometown airline, Alaska Airlines. Here were the photos I managed to take at both HNL and SEA.

N590AS (c/n 35687, l/n 2478, f/n 590) was the 737-890 we rode on to SEA, as ASA860, seen above at Gate 14 prior to departure. It was recently outfitted with the Split-Scimitar Winglets.

While waiting for our coffees, Japan Airlines' JA616J (c/n 35813, l/n 954) taxied in to Gate 24 as JAL786. This flight is normally operated by 787-8s.

The North half of Sea-Tac International Airport is dominated by Alaska Airlines. The North Terminal (above) five Alaska 737s, including N793AS (c/n 28888, l/n 2990, f/n 793), a 737-490 and N586AS (c/n 35189, l/n 2393, f/n 586), a 737-890.

At Gate C9, was N585AS (c/n 35683, l/n 2385, f/n 585), another 737-890.

N407AS (c/n 41731, 4278, f/n 407), a Split-Scimitar Winglet equipped 737-990ER being pushed out from Gate C17.

We were blessed to get a photo of N706AS (c/n 28894, l/n 3050, f/n 706), Alaska's Disneyland / Make-A-Wish 737-490 logo jet, seen parked at Gate D2.

N315AS (c/n 30019, l/n 1218, f/n 315), a 737-990 is seen above parked at Gate D1.

This 737-890, N531AS (c/n 35199, l/n 3287), was our ride back home to HNL. Surprisingly, we landed on Runway 8L just before midnight, when most arrivals after 20:00HST land on Runway 4R.

Six 737 Airframes In Derailment

A train carrying six 737NG fuselages, and components for 747s, 777s, and 787s, from Wichita, KS to Renton, WA, derailed at Rivulet, MT today. Of the six 737 airframes, four were dislodged from their train beds, and three fell along the banks of the Clark Fork River. It is not known at this time which line numbers, nor airlines, were assigned to these airframes.

The photos do show those at the river bank are 737-800s and a 737-900. Upon closer at one of the photos, it appears that the line number on the fuselage is 50__.

Here are the affected airframes:
5030 | N8643A | 42524 | Southwest Airlines | -8H4
5031 | HS-DBR | 43420 | Nok Air | -86N
5032 | N8644C | 35973 | Southwest Airlines | -8H4
5033 | N955NN | 31199 | American Airlines | -823
5034 | B-1971 | 39904 | Xiamen Air | -85C
5035 | B-1972 | 37620 | Shenzhen Airlines | -87L

Further details in this Aviation Week article.

Photos of the derailment from Seattle's KING5.

Shenzhen's B-5103

Our May edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" features Shenzhen Airlines' 737-97L, B-5103 (c/n 33645, l/n 1760), which stopped through HNL in August 2005. It's seen above taxiing to the Anderson Aviation ramp, where it overnighted. This airframe was the second-to-last of the -900 series airframes built, before the launch of the current -900ER variant. B-5103 is also seen in the original Shenzhen livery.

In January 2009, B-5103 was painted in the 2009 variation of the 2007 (& current) Shenzhen red/gold livery, and remains without Blended Winglets.

One distinguishing feature that differentiates a -900 from a -900ER, as in the above photo, is that there is no exit door between the aft door the overwing pop-up escapes.