Palmdale Plant 42 - PMD

[gfydad]

Thanks!
Would've been nice, but the clouds were actually better today for an all-white aircraft. But were not that wonderful for the C-130's bank today.

[gfydad]

Three nice angles on NASA 809 from this morning including catching the strob in the first one. 

Also Pt Mugu P-3  341

[gfydad]

One for today...

[SkyBaby]

Anyone gonna go catch the 747-8I coming in about a half hour?  Time right now is 9:41 am.  I freaked when I saw this and can't make it..   I'm gonna pray it's still there later today as I might be able to go then. 

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/BOE440

[nmcbride]

Dammit.    One I have been waiting to see.

Wonder when it's leaving.

[nmcbride]

It's a different 747-8i than I have seen in pics elsewhere.    Couldn't get a good view.   They had it tucked in at the Boeing facility pretty well.   The sun and glare were bad looking for it from 40th East, so no pics at all. 

NASA's Sofia and DC8 were out late in the day as well.

[SkyBaby]

I've been checking flight aware several times a day since she arrived and I have yet to see when she's leavin.  That's a good sign for me.  I'm hoping at some point today or tomorrow, I can get down there and see her.  That's one I'm waiting to see, too.  When I have pictures of that gorgeous new Boeing, I will have completed my goal of shooting all of Boeing's newest airliners.  This is the first time I've every tracked the development and flight testing of a new airliner. 

[raptorf22]

I think there is a red one and a blue one right?or is there another one?

[nmcbride]

I didn't think so.

Could be this guy...

A7-HHE Qatar Amiri Flight Boeing 747-8KB(BBJ) - cn 37544

[SkyBaby]

Here's registration info on the one in PMD.  I recommend on bookmarking this site cuz it keeps detailed records of all of boeings test and delivery flights. 

http://boeing-test-flights.blogspot.com/2011/07/n5020k-a6-pfa-b747-8z5-bbj-uae.html

[nmcbride]

I guessed the wrong Middle Eastern government...

Did not realize there were for -8i's flying already.

[747classic]

The 747-8I, presently stationed at PMD, is the fourth produced 747-8 intercontinental and the third active test aircraft for the 747-8I program.

The aircraft is added to the test program to speed up the test pace, is not testwired and used at PMD for high intensity radio frequency (HIRF) tests. So, probably not much flight testing.

Data : L/N 1440 - 747-8Z5 , RC003, serial number 37500, BBJ customer Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight (Presidential Flight Authority) , white livery, test registration N5020K, future  registration A6-PFA, selcal code MR-DQ , will be delivered "green" to a modification center in 2011,  F/F June 30, present location KPMD.

The third 747-8I/BBJ (L/N 1439 - 747-8KB , RC002, serial number 37544, BBJ customer Qatar Amiri Flight , registration  A7-HHE, also in white livery, is stationed at the Paine Field (KPAE) flightline, without engines.

The other two 747-8I test aircraft are dedicated, fully test wired aircraft.

For more 747-8 background info :
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/5115314/

[phantomphan1974]

Thanks for all that info.  Pretty interesting stuff.

[SkyBaby]

Wow pretty cool!  Thanks for the info!!  I was just able to drive by and get a look at her.  Couldn't stop and shoot of course.. 

[gfydad]

Nice variety today...