This is a photograph of a United Airlines Airbus A320. This particular airplane was part of the original United fleet. When I say "original," I am referring to the fact that this plane was not acquired through the merger between United and Continental Airlines (Continental Airlines had an all-Boeing airplane fleet). The post-merger livery for United got a lot of flack from airline enthusiasts, many wondering why United conceded so much of their identity to Continental. To an extent, I can see why there would be some frustration (especially since I do fly United whenever I fly). However, the "United" logo type on the side does look very nice and the blue and yellow globe logo that United adopted is not that bad as I thought it would be. 
All American Airlines's airplanes are immediately recognizable. Their silver livery with red, white, and blue stripes is really and will always be one of a kind. In this instance, this AA Boeing 757 is taxiing for departure during the late afternoon. It really is a nice sight when you can see that sun shining off its silvery surface.
Time to go international! This monster is an Airbus A330 from Air One. Air One was the main competitor of Alitalia before their merger in 2009-2010. It still retains its logo and livery and is considered to be the leisure subsidiary of Alitalia. These A330s were designed by Airbus to compete against the very popular Boeing 767 (a staple of long distance domestic, and transatlantic flights). This particular aircraft is just turning off of the taxiway onto the active runway for take off. A few features of this picture that stood out to me immediately were the curvature of the wings and the heat coming out of the engines.
There can be no better way to finish off a post with the "Queen of the Skies" herself. The Boeing 747 is and will always be the most iconic and revolutionary airplane ever created. This particular 747 belongs to Air France, taxiing to the active runway to take off for Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris. It is immediately identified by the quad engines and the double deck hump towards the front near the cockpit. The 747 has undergone changes over its 40+ years of service but has always managed to keep its distinctive shape and curves. Previous models of this aircraft include the 747-100, 200, 747SP, and 300. The current model pictured above is the 747-400. One reason for the 747's distinctive "hump" is for flexibility. Boeing also planned to design this airplane as a cargo aircraft. They figured that if they move the cockpit up higher, they can have room for a massive nose hatch to load and unload cargo through. By keeping this design on the passenger version, they kept the door open for it to be converted into a freighter. The 747 has long dominated the VLA (very large aircraft) market but has recently been eclipsed by the new Airbus A380 as the largest commercial airliner on the market. Boeing has since launched a new variant of the 747 called the 747-8 Intercontinental. It is scheduled to enter service with three airlines at the end of 2011 to ensure that the "Queen of the Skies" will continue to fly.
Logan International Airport in Boston, MA is one of the 20 busiest airports in the United States and handles over 25 million passengers per year. It is so close to the city and surrounding communities which is very convenient for airline enthusiasts. It ranks as the 12th busiest airport in the United States based on international traffic, so you can always catch some good shots of the larger aircrafts arriving and departing.
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