Part 3 in my series of PlaneSpotting from Alaska continues with more great aircraft departing Anchorage. As I’ve said earlier, ANC is a major global cargo hub so there is a wide variety of great planes to see and appreciate.

Asiana's 747F begins take-off roll

Polar 747F taxis to Runway 33 "Kilo"

Asiana 747 Freighter

A VERY classic and rare DC-6 from Evert's fleet...but look closely, she think's she's a 747!

NCA 747F takes off for Japan

UPS MD-11 prepares to land on 7L

Asiana's 747F enters runway 33 "Kilo"

Panalpina's New 747-8 Freighter

I love this one.......

You can barely see the Panalpina 747-8F behind the Evert's DC6!

And for the finale of Part 3, this Polar 747-8F gets ready to enter runway 33 “Kilo”. I think this may be the best photo I’ve ever taken of an Aircraft and it’s surroundings…..

If you haven’t seen the first 2 parts of my PlaneSpotting Alaska posts, here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2.

This installment of images from my PlaneSpotting in Anchorage has some great shots. I was lucky to hit a “honey hole” today and had a confluence of near perfect weather and great aircraft. I spent about 7 hours today watching them come and go and am happy with what I came away with. I’m especially happy that I did not have a Moose incident today (unlike yesterday!). Please click here to see Part I of “PlaneSpotting Alaska”.

I find that as I visit more and more airports for the purpose of PlaneSpotting, I find each has certain characteristics that makes it different from any other. Hong Kong has global long haul aircraft coming and going all day along with unique Asian liveries not available outside the region. Frankfurt of course has Lufthansa which makes it my favorite. Singapore has potential, but is not PlaneSpotter friendly (especially with the green tinted glass in the terminal). Los Angeles is fantastic, with 2 great vantage points which is rare for such a large airport. If I had to give an award to each airport that I visit, Anchorage would get the award for BEST SCENERY. On a clear day, the mountains that sit behind Anchorage set a dramatic backdrop and gives photographers a great chance to come away with some fantastic images. I would not be disappointed.

As I sort through about 1100 images from my 2 days an Anchorage, I’ve picked several that I think are worth sharing. With the amount of photos taken, there will be a part 3 and part 4 in the coming days. In addition, thanks to my wife who gave me a GoPro mini HD video camera, I’ll have videos to share showing some of the departing cargo “heavies” as well.

Early morning ERA Alaska departure (yes, the same as from the TV show)

Asiana's Freighter breaks the morning's silence.....

A pair of Polar 747 types....one 744 and one 748F

A morning arrival by a UPS 767

Asiana 747 Freighter

Another view of the Salmon livery

Fedex Freighter

UPS 747F

A fitting aircraft for Alaska in the winter: Polar's 747F

Evert's Freighter

A classic Boeing 737

Plenty of these around Anchorage!

Korean Cargo 747

A closer look....

Polar's 747F taxis to the Cargo Ramp after arrival

A UPS 767 taxis for takeoff on runway 33 "Kilo"

Evert's DC-6 - One of my favorite images from the "shoot"

Stay tuned, they get a bit better……

PlaneSpotting Alaska, hmm sounds like it should be a reality TV show…..but I digress……

On my first day in Anchorage, I spent most of the daylight hours (9:45a sunrise!) “spotting” cargo airliners at ANC. Anchorage serves as a bridge for air cargo that is transported between Asia and the Americas making it one of the world’s busiest Cargo airports. Additionally, Anchorage serves as a major hub for cargo that is distributed regionally which gives a spotter the rare opportunity to see aircraft and airlines that are unique to this area.

The day started out cloudy but conditions deteriorated a bit by mid-afternoon when the snow started to fly leaving 2 or inches of fresh powder on the ground. This created a minor challenge for taking pictures, but I think I captured some decent images despite the weather.

Not long after settling into my spot, I was welcomed by a Moose who I think was as surprised to see me as I was to see her. Before I had a chance to grab a few shots (I had to make sure she was not going to charge), she bolted off into the brush behind me. Knowing that Moose can be confrontational, I high tailed it out of there and went off to find spots that were somewhat more anti-Moose. No need to become a casualty.

I spent several hours at various spots parallel to runway 33 which is the primary runway for cargo departures and on a clear day the runway has beautiful mountains that act as a backdrop to departing aircraft (that was not the case today!). During my spotting, Airport Police regularly stopped by to see how I was doing and offered advice on vantage points. ANC has a 2 layer security perimeter where one set of fences allows for the public to enter “restricted” areas, giving people a great from row to runway 33 and 15. I got the sense that they enjoy visitors and understand us “Avgeeks”. After telling one of them about my Moose encounter, he gave me his cell phone number in case the Moose came back and made a nuisance of herself — apparently I am not the first one to run into a Moose in this area.

Tomorrow I head back to the same spots but with the forecast of better weather I hope to capture images that will show just how beautiful the landscape is up here.

For now, here are a few of the better images from today. The range of Cargo Airlines is wide– everything from FedEx, Korean, Asiana to Everts Air Cargo and their classic DC-6 were on display today. There were a handful of cancelations and “no shows” today so I suspect tomorrow I’ll see additional carriers.

You can see more of my PlaneSpotting posts from airports around the world by clicking here.

As part of my 2013 travel objectives, I’m looking to fly 8-10,000 revenue miles each month to reduce the stress involved with renewing elite status this year. Last year, I had procrastinated until the 3rd and 4th quarter and had to hustle to get the miles together. As part of this “master plan” I’ve also committed to introduce new destinations in addition to my normal runs. Don’t get me wrong, there will be several runs to Germany and Slovakia for obvious reasons but along the way I’ll be expanding my horizons….literally.

So the obvious choice for January is of course……… Anchorage, Alaska (ANC).

Most people that I’ve shared this with reply with a blank stare that says nothing less than “you are a master idiot”. Sure, maybe if I lived in the southern part of the USA, I would agree….it would be a fairly dumb move. But for someone who lives in Michigan and is regularly subjected to sub-zero wind chills and feet upon feet of lake effect snow, a trip to Anchorage actually provides a respite from Michigan winters. Anchorage is fortunate to be at the receiving end of a Pacific Ocean current that brings relatively decent winter conditions to Anchorage, no different than most northern US states such as Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, etc.

At the core of my decision to go to Anchorage later this month was for the plane spotting opportunities. Anchorage’s Ted Stevens International hosts a proverbial WHO’s-WHO of cargo aviation. Everything from classic DC-6′s and Curtis Wright C-46′s to the mammoth Antonov AN-225 can be observed at fairly close range. ANC is actually very “plane spotter friendly” with several vantage points that provide a variety of dramatic photos opportunities. All I need is a little cooperation from the sun for the 5-6 hours of daylight ANC receives a day this time of year along with battery powered long-johns and I should come back with fantastic images.

I was able to build a routing that will yield 9000 elite qualifying miles for the cost of a 6000 mile fare. At the end of the day, I’ll wind up spending 4.3 cents per mile (including elite bonuses) which is not exactly a bad ratio considering where the marketplace is as far as fares are concerned. Not to mention I get to come home and stick a magnet on Anchorage on my World Travel Map that hangs in my office and call it horizon expanded.

The routing:

At this point, I have a fairly blank canvas as far as what else I’ll do in Anchorage. I do know that the Alaska Air Museum is a must see destination, but outside of that I’m out of ideas. If anyone has experienced Anchorage (especially in the winter) and can offer advice on things to see or do, please let me know!

This is my second installment from my time spent plane spotting in Hong Kong last week. If you missed Part One, you can see it HERE.

Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A330:

Air Macau’s Airbus A321:

Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 747F (Freighter):

Hong Kong Airline’s Airbus A330:

United’s Boeing 747:

Thai’s Boeing 747:

Singapore’s Airbus A330:

Shenzen’s Airbus A320:

Korean’s Boeing 747:

Polar’s Boeing 747 Freighter:

South African’s Airbus A340:

The following pictures were taken from the SkyDeck Observation Area located in Terminal 2, next to the IMAX theater. You’ll notice a bit of grain to these photos. It was later in the afternoon with very hazy and foggy conditions and not many pictures made the cut to be posted. It was a challenge to say the least!

DragonAir’s Airbus A330 Special 20th Anniversary Livery:

ANA’s Boeing 767:

Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A340:

Ethiopian’s MD-11F (Freighter):

Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 747-8F Freighter:

The next 2 were a couple of bonuses. The first one is a Cathay Pacific 747-400 parked just inside the fence near the Maintenance Facilities, near the “HAECO” bus stop for the S52 line.

The second one is one I captured from the bus going back to Tung Chung after my plane spotting session. It’s a classic DC-3 in historic Cathay Pacific livery parked in “Cathay City” at the airport.

I was in Hong Kong this past weekend and of course anytime that I am there I make time to watch airliners come and go. This time I went off the beaten path a bit and found a good spot just behind the CASL and HAECO aircraft maintenance facilities. This spot gave me a great vantage point for Runway 7L and 7R arrivals. 7L is used primarily for Passenger arrivals and 7R is used primarily for Cargo arrivals. I spent about 3 hours at this position and was able to catch the Canadian Prime Minister’s A310 arrive for an official visit as well as a newly unveiled promo livery by China Eastern as it advertises the Xinhaunet.com news website.

This is part 1 of 3 from this location as I had captured dozens upon dozens of arrivals. Conditions were hazy, hence the gray backdrop for most of the photos but that is not unusual for Hong Kong at this time of year. In upcoming posts over the next few days I’ll have additional pictures from this spot along with photos from the SkyDeck Observation area located on top of Terminal 2.

Cathay Pacific 747 Freighter

EVA Air 777

Juneyao Airlines A320

Aeroflot A330

AirAsia's A320

Asiana's A330

China Airlines A330

China Airlines 747-400

China Airlines 737-800

China Eastern A320

China Southern 737-300

China Eastern A330 with new Xinhuanet.com livery

Cathay Pacific A330

Cathay Pacific 777

This next one is one of my favorites. It’s an A300 flying under an Air HongKong Cargo / DHL joint venture livery. Along the way it must have gotten it’s nose cone damaged as it’s wearing a replacement from Cathay Pacific. I actually like this look, it gives the aircraft a bit of a beak.

Air Hong Kong Cargo / DHL A300

This is the Canadian Air Force Airbus A310 that the Canadian Prime Minister was on board during his tour of Asia. In this photo he is arriving from Manila to take part in Remembrance Day activities that celebrate the cessation of hostilities at the end of World War II.

Canada's Air Force A310

Here is the last installment of my Plane Spotting while in Frankfurt last week. Most of the photos came from the Observation Deck located in Terminal 2, which gives a great vantage point for east and west bound takeoffs and landings. Along with Los Angeles International, Frankfurt is one of my very favorite airports to watch airline traffic. The fact that Frankfurt is primarily filled with Lufthansa traffic gives it an edge over all others!

The Queen Of The Skies prepares for departure later in the day.

An Asiana 747-400 arrives from Seoul-Incheon

Lufthansa's newest 747-8i prepares for departure

The 747-8i would depart right behind the arrival of the A340

A DHL Cargo Freighter parked on the cargo ramp

A beautiful retro-liveried A320 taxis to the runway

Departing for Lisbon, Portugal

Bound for Kuala Lumpur

Lufthansa Cargo's MD-11 prepares for it's flight to India

If you missed parts I and II of my Frankfurt am Main plane spotting session, you can find them here:

Frankfurt am Main Plane Spotting Part I

Frankfurt am Main Plane Spotting Part II

As promised here is the second installment of my Plane Spotting from Frankfurt from a few days ago. After spending quite a bit of time with Lufthansa’s Social Media Team, Cargo and other events I have quite a bit of great information to share with you over the next few days. For now, enjoy the photos!

This is a contender for my best photo taken of a Lufthansa Aircraft......

Yes, still BMI and still in Star Alliance Livery!

A beauty of an MD-11

JAL arrival from Tokyo Narita

Beijing Bound Beauty

Next Stop: Beijing

After spending a few days in Slovakia, I flew into Frankfurt earlier this afternoon and had a chance at a couple of hours of plane spotting from the Observation Deck located in Terminal 2 at Frankfurt. I was delayed in arriving in Frankfurt so it cut into the time I had for viewing but I still came away with a decent number of photos.

After capturing some 600+ images I’ve started narrowing down some of my favorites. I’ve posted them below in no particular order. Part 2 will becoming up in a day or so after I’ve had a chance to filter through more photos. There are some gems coming up in the second batch. Enjoy!

Departing for Paris (CDG)

One Of Many Lufthansa Arrivals

An A321 Parked At A Remote Ramp

Next For Takeoff

Eurolot Departing For Warsaw

A Beautiful Boeing 777 Arrives From Tokyo

Touchdown.......

And Taxi To Her Gate

Arriving From London Heathrow

Lufthansa Cargo's MD-11 Preparing For Departure

LOT Arrival From Warsaw

Over the past few days, I’ve started the daunting task of organizing my planespotting photos. After consolidating all my files, directories, sub directories, flash drives, external drives, etc, etc, I’ve come to realize that I have 6200 photos. The next step is to sort by Airline, then aircraft type, then tail number, then location and date of sighting and ultimately come up with an index of my photos. I have to thank digital photography. This would not have been possible 15-20 years ago with traditional film. To have the collection that I have today, it would have taken me approximately 172 rolls of film. Factor in film development costs, planespotting would have cost me a fortune. Perhaps one day I’ll set up a website that will be a gallery of all my photos, like my own Airliners.net or Planespotters.com. But I digress.

My first project was to sort through and organize my 2000+ Lufthansa photos. I’m no where near done with their final sort, but I did scan through all of them and “set aside” some of my favorites that I’ve included here. Being that 95% of my travel either takes me to or through Germany, it’s easy to see why there are so many LH pictures. Not all of them are perfect (actually no photo can ever be perfect!), but I think I’ve done a fairly reasonable job in capturing some decent shots of some great aircraft.

An A340 arrives in Los Angeles in the late afternoon

A 747-400 leaves Los Angeles bound for Frankfurt

A 747 parked in Frankfurt

Lufthansa's 747's usually dominate Frankfurt's landscape

A 747-400 leaves LAX and heads to Frankfurt - Coming soon the 747-8i!

The beautiful 747-400 continues climbing out from Los Angeles

An A380 lands in Houston (IAH) after a thunderstorm

The same A380 taxis to her gate at Houston

A 747 arrives in Frankfurt on an overcast morning

An Airbus A321 gets ready to taxi to a Frankfurt runway

An A330 arrives in Frankfurt (this specific plane once hit a United Express Jet and flew without one of her winglets!)

Airbus A321 arriving in Frankfurt

This A320 is arriving in Istanbul and would take us to Munich

This A319 would take us from London to Frankfurt

An A340 approaches her gate in Frankfurt

Another 747-400 in Frankfurt

Up close to an A330 in Frankfurt

An A330 in Frankfurt right before we boarded and flew to Detroit

The rare "Star Alliance" liveried A340 in Frankfurt

Another A340 taxis for take off in Frankfurt

An A380 parked in her hangar in Frankfurt

An A380 arriving in Frankfurt

An A321 heads for the runway in Frankfurt

An A380 pushes back from her gate in Frankfurt

A beautiful Retro Livery

Up close to an A340's starboard engines.

An A380 at her gate in Frankfurt

An A320 arriving at Munich

The same A320 in Munich

Parked in a hangar in Munich

Routine engine service in a spotless Munich Technic Hangar

Beneath the belly of a San Francisco bound A340

An A340 taxis to the runway at Munich

Up close to an A340's tail at Munich

An A340 at her gate in Munich

A happy passenger from Dusseldorf to Chicago

Right after deplaning in Frankfurt (from London)

The 747-8i is pushed back, ready for her inaugural flight

Lufthansa's New 747-8i sets to leave on her inaugural flight

The 747-8i seconds before taking off for Washington DC

One of Lufthansa Cargo's MD11s parked in Frankfurt

An A340 parked at her gate in Munich

The 747-8i in Washington DC a few minutes after I arrived. A fitting gate number!!

The 747-8i parked at her gate in Washington DC (IAD)

Before catching my flight to Singapore last week, I had several hours to pass at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). I had done some due diligence ahead of the trip (thanks to my friends on Twitter!) and came to realize that the airport is a planespotter “friendly” place. I had also visited HoustonSpotters.net to get advice and details and the information on the site is invaluable. In addtion to planespotting from the airport, there are some great vantage points just outside the airport that allow for great views of takeoffs and landings.

In fact it is so friendly that you are actually allowed to take pictures from the parking garages that over look the tarmac and runways. All that you need to do is to report yourself to the Airport Security office by calling 281-230-1300. They’ll ask for your name and license plate of your car (if applicable) and you’ll be set.

Rooftop of Terminal D/E Parking Building:

Plenty of room and friendly security makes this a favorite spot for planespotters.

A Great Front Row!

The airport is a major United Airlines hub so the majority of the traffic will be your basic 737s, 757s and regional aircraft. However, during a small window during the mid-afternoon hours a handful of international flights arrive which really makes things interesting between 1:30p and 3:00p.

During my planespotting, I spent some time on the roof top of the Terminal D/E parking building (until a Thunderstorm forced me inside), the 3rd floor of the United Club in Terminal E (perhaps the best United Club in the WORLD!) and airside in terminal D. Terminal D handles the International Air traffic making it the most interesting place to planespot. A nice feature about terminal D is that the glass does not have a noticeable tint to it, so your pictures come out well. I think my best shots came from my time in Terminal D.

PHOTOS FROM THE UNITED CLUB IN TERMINAL E (3rd Floor):

The United Star Alliance livery makes a rare appearance at IAH (bound for Tokyo)

Notice the crisp reflection on the wing

American Airlines arrival

No doubt about who the dominant airline is at IAH!

PHOTOS FROM THE ROOFTOP (Not many due to T-Storm!):

PHOTOS TAKEN FROM TERMINAL D (AIRSIDE):

A beauty arrives from Frankfurt....

Taxiing to gate

First time that I've seen a 747-400 Combi in person!

Push back from gate

Taxi to runway

If you would like to see my other “Planespotting” Posts, please use these links:

Planespotting from Singapore’s Changi Airport

Los Angeles Plane Spotting Part I

Los Angeles Plane Spotting Part II

Los Angeles Plane Spotting Part III

Lufthansa’s 747-8I Inaugural Flight

Lufthansa Aircraft Pictorial