DC Roadtrip - IAD Pix

Not to have my earlier thread get too long with too many pictures, here are some from IAD. I spend most of a day at the Air & Space Museum facility there, and in addition to the stuff in the museum, there are great spotting opportunities.

The museum is located between the approaches to Rwy 1L & 1R. They have an observation deck, done up as a control tower. You have to shoot through glass, but you get to see things like:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD001.jpg

and

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD003.jpg

When you need a break from all that "old stuff" inside, head out to the parking lot:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD002.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD004.jpg

or something we don't see around NY much:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD015.jpg

Rafal told me to check out the parking garage, located between the departure ends of 1L & 1R, as they switch to departures after about 4:30. I headed on up, and sure enough around 4:30 - 5:00 they started departing that way. After a bunch of biz jets & RJs, I got to see some heavy iron, beginning with the KLM A330:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD005.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD006.jpg

Followed by the Air France 777-200:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD007.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD008.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD009.jpg

Next up was an Alitalia 767-300:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD010.jpg

UAL had some outbound stuff too, like a 777-200:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD011.jpg

Or how about a 744 defying the laws of gravity:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD012.jpg

Before leaving, I saw this taxi in to the "corporate" ramp - it's an RAF Bae 146. Seeing as how it was met by that "rent-a-car company" looking van on the right, plus the fact that the rooftop parking where I was at wasn't filled with British SAS troops, I assumed it wasn't HRH Prince Charles on board :shock:

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IAD013.jpg

Again, many thanks to Rafal for all the great info on spotting at DCA & IAD, and for putting in a good word with the weatherman - it was mid-70s and sunny for most the week I was down that way.

Nice pics! Love that last UA B744 shot...outstanding.

Mike

Very nice

thanks for sharing...I really like the second one.