North American Airlines' N750NA

Our October edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" goes back to August 2005, with North American Airlines' 757-28A, N750NA "Deirdre Stiehm" (c/n 26277, l/n 658), seen above departing Runway 8L, on the airline's short-lived HNL-west coast scheduled flights.

N750NA was delivered to North American Airlines [NA/NAO] in January 1995, leased from ILFC. From February to May 2011, it was subleased to WestJet Airlines. After it came back to North American, it flew with the airline for another five months, when it was returned to ILFC, and stored at GYR. In April 2012, it was bought by FedEx, converted to freighter, and delivered six months later as N971FD "Darcy" (f/n 971). It continues to fly for FedEx.

North American N752NA & N755NA at OGG

We used to see North American Airlines 757s every day from OAK. Now, they only come here as charters. Shown above are N752NA (c/n 28174, l/n 865) and N755NA (c/n 30043, l/n 925), both 757-28As

NAO62 flew in from FOE (Forbes Field, Topeka, KS) and NAO66 flew in from MEM, both stopped off at OAK. NAO62 flew in the University of Kansas Jayhawks, and NAO66 flew in the University of Memphis Tigers for the Maui Invitational men's college basketball tournament going on in Lahaina, Maui.

DAL8908 brought in the Duke University Blue Devils from RDU.

ESPN's tournament preview.

WestJet Leases A 752 To Serve OGG & HNL

WestJet Airlines will be leasing a 757-200 from North American Airlines to provide flights between Hawai‘i (HNL and OGG) and the Canadian Province of Alberta (YYC [Calgary] and YEG [Edmonton]). The service will operate between Feb 12, 2011 and April 30, 2011. North American will be supplying the flight, cabin and maintenance crews.

WestJet's press release link.

North American at OGG

North American's 757-28A N755NA (c/n 30043) was at Kahului today before departing for SLC as NAO77.

Sorry, no picture.

N755NA - Barack Obama's Charter

US Presidential candidate Barack Obama (D) is chartering a North American Airlines 757-28A, N755NA (c/n 30043), and the jet has been painted in special colors for his campaign, with both his slogan and logo. Senator Obama (D-IL) was born in Honolulu, and graduated from Punahou School, and is here with his family to vacation, visit with family living here, and appear at a political fundraiser. It's sort-of a homecoming, and first visit to Hawai‘i since announcing his presidential campaign.

His flight was delayed for over two hours, as thousands waited at nearby Ke‘ehi Park, where Obama was to make an appearance at a rally put on by local supporters, before heading to his hotel.

I wanted to get a photo of the plane, and thought it had already arrived. According to camera crews, they said the flight was late. I found a vantage point where local TV camera crew were waiting, and was allowed to take photos of the arrival alongside them. I did not really care if I got a shot of Obama, I just wanted the plane, and I got it. The press corps exited the aircraft first, and in fact the Obamas' had yet to exit the aircraft when I left, which was about 20 minutes after the plane parked.

A special mahalo to the airport security staff for allowing me to get these shots.

Winter Island Visitors

Always nice to see a couple of our favorite liveries here in the warm December sunlight.

North American has been operating an "open jaw" charter; something like OAK-OGG-LAX. Seen arriving Thursday for the second time as NA4635; he didn't grab the localizer on the first try.


Westjet has added a seasonal daytime flight YVR-OGG-YVR. Seen landing Thursday as WJA922.

North American Airlines' N765NA

Half of North American Airlines' (NA/NAO) ten plane fleet are 767-300s, as N765NA (c/n 28098), a 767-306ER, is seen here departing Runway 8R. This 767 was formerly registered as PH-BZE while with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The majority of NA's service are charters (for both commercial and military), today was one of them as NAO401, HIK-RJOI (MCAS Iwakuni, Yamaguchi-ken, Japan).

The other half of the North American Airlines fleet are 757-200s, which used to have regular service between OAK and HNL.

NA 767-300

A North American 767-300 came in today. I don't think it had any pax on board, since it didn't parked at any gate when it landed. Here it is parked on the North Ramp:



This a/c was then followed by a United 747-400 several minutes later, which then taxied over to Hickam.

Update on N765NA, it was a former KLM 767, PH-BZE.