As you can see from a previous post, I live in very close proximity to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. The most unique aspect of this airport is that it is on the coast but at the same time, surrounded by many different communities. There is always a place to spot for almost any situation. Last time I chose to photograph taxiing aircraft. On this occasion, I chose to focus on aircraft that were on final approach.
All of these photographs were taken right underneath the final approach flight paths. This is a Continental Airlines Boeing 737. My favorite feature of this airplane is the hamster-cheek engine shape. As you can see, the air intake or inlet for the engine is not a perfect circle like most other aircraft engines are. The original version of the 737 (737-100) and its follow up variant (737-200) had smaller (albeit louder and less fuel-efficient) engines that were positioned directly beneath the wing. When Boeing decided to re-engine their 737s, they ran into a little bit of a problem. The 737 design (based on the earlier 707) already sat very low to the ground. The larger engine made ground clearance an issue. Boeing and their engine supplyer for the 737 solved this problem by moving the engine forward of the wing instead of directly underneath. Then, in order to increase ground clearance, they moved the gearbox to the sides of the engine instead of putting it directly at the bottom (which gives the engine its unique shape). This low ground clearance for this airplane is an advantage to any airline that operates it. It is so low that ground and ramp crews at airports are able to easily reach up and open cargo doors. They can easily interact with the fuselage of the airplane instead of spending extra time bringing in equipment that brings them up high enough. This really increases turnaround time.
This aircraft is a JetBlue Airbus A320. It is the direct competitor to the Boeing 737 in the commercial aircraft market. It looks like a pretty average aircraft. It does not really have any notable features that really stand out on the outside. However, for a domestic short to medium haul aircraft, it does have a slightly more spacious interior than the 737. It is for that reason why an airline like JetBlue opts for this aircraft instead of the 737. Although the 737 is a cheaper aircraft to operate, JetBlue does have flights that go from coast to coast. For example, JetBlue flies from Boston to destinations like Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose. They use their A320s on routes like these ones. For the shorter domestic routes, they will use their Embraer E190s more often (although A320s are also used on these shorter routes as well). They want their passengers to be more comfortable when flying long distances. Some people say that the 737 feels a little less comfortable on those longer routes. One reason for them to fly JetBlue is to have that "comfort." However, "comfort" can mean something totally different to others. Many people instead choose to fly Southwest Airlines, a direct competitor of JetBlue. Southwest operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet. Since the 737 is a more economical aircraft to operate, Southwest is able to offer much cheaper fares than JetBlue. Southwest passengers choose them for the "comfort" or "piece of mind" knowing that they saved much more money on what would have been the same route.
To finish off this post, I give you this American Airlines Boeing 757. This photo was taken as the sun was going down. I really like how the sun shines off of its silver fuselage and how the winglets make the wing look more elegant (not all 757s are equipped with winglets). In a way, I really don't want to write about this, mainly because there is really nothing I can say about this airplane that is going to do it justice. I feel that whatever I say will just not be enough and I will leave something out. However, I feel as though I should try. The 757 is and has been a workhorse in so many airline fleets. Delta Airlines alone operates more than 140 of them. United Airlines and Continental Airlines together operate 158 of them. It is invaluable because of its versatility. It has been constantly pushed to its limits and has always seemed to deliver. Whether it be a short, medium, or long, domestic route, or a transatlantic flight, airlines can always count on it to handle the job. There are a few things that make this airplane special, other than the reasons I listed above. For one, it was designed in tandem with the Boeing 767, a longer range and widebody aircraft (757 being a narrowbody single aisle aircraft). The systems on these two aircraft are, for the most part, identical. This gave (and still gives) airlines the advantage of being able to have pilots certified to fly both aircraft. For example, if you were licensed to fly the 757, you became automatically licensed to fly the 767, and vice versa. Another thing about this aircraft is that it is one of the longest, if not THE longest, single aisle passenger aircraft in service. It allowed for more passengers to travel on popular short to medium domestic routes than the 727 and because of its economics, increased revenue for its operators. The 757 is also known to produce higher amounts of wake turbulence than other aircrafts. Because of this, air traffic controllers have to make sure other aircrafts hold a little longer before taking off or landing behind one. You can actually hear its wake pass over you about 10 seconds after the aircraft passes over head. I am not a frequent flyer, but most of my flights have been on this airplane.
As you can tell, my favorite subjects so far are birds and airplanes (apparently things that fly) and I enjoy sharing what I know about them with everyone. If you have any questions, suggestions, or want to share something I might have missed, feel free to comment or email me.
