# Chartered United 747 at BWI



## Ryan (Jun 25, 2013)

Since there are some United/Airplane buffs here, I thought some would appreciate this.

Living just 6 miles from BWI, watching airplanes fly over isn't unusual around here - but a few weeks ago, while standing at the local ice cream joint enjoying a tasty treat I saw a 747 fly low overhead lining up to come in at BWI. Now that IS unusual, so when I got home, I checked it out, through a combination of Flightaware and United's website figured out that the aircraft in question was N194UA, and that it arrived at BWI from IAD, just across the river in Virginia.

My curiosity fully awake, I started looking at flight histories, and it appears to be chartered by the US Government, as a lot of the airports it called on were Air Force bases (and there's a decent military airlift component here at BWI. Setting alerts for the flight number and tail number, I got a feel for the plane's schedule, and saw that it did seeming routine positioning moves from IAD to BWI on Tuesday evenings (most of the time after sunset) before a late night/early morning departure for Rammstein AFB.

As I was leaving work tonight, I got the email alert I was waiting for. A flight plan had been filed for UA1891, scheduled into BWI at 8:20, about 30 minutes before sunset. GAME ON!!!

When I got the alert (by frantically refreshing) that the flight had left on its 22 minute odyssey, I was nearly home from Alexander's rugby practice - I told him we were going to make a pit stop to see something cool. BWI has a very nice park/viewing area right at the threshold of runway 32L, which is the usual runway for landings (and was in use tonight). Firing up the LiveATC app on my phone, I heard the tower warning departures that there was a "747 heavy, down low crossing your path", so I knew that time was running short. The flight got cleared to land just as we were pulling into the parking lot - just enough time for us to bail out of the car and start taking pictures (he had already gotten my camera bag from the back seat and swapped lenses for me).

15 seconds later, it was all done and both of us were exchanging high fives and acting like fools, and awesome (step)Father and (step)son moment.

That thing was HUGE, and right there!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rstavely/sets/72157634332945146/


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## PRR 60 (Jun 25, 2013)

That is VERY cool!!! Great pick-up, and great shots.

Your mention of the BWI spotters parking area brings back fond memories. Our daughter lived for a while in Glen Burnie. Just after she moved in, my wife and I came down for a visit. We went out to dinner at Arundel Mills (DuClaw), and on the way back she said we were going to take a detour: that she had a surprise for me. That surprise was a stop at that parking area for some plane spotting. What a great location. Nothing like that at PHL. We raised he so well (sniff, sniff).


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 25, 2013)

Memories are made of this! Priceless! :wub:


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## RampWidget (Jun 26, 2013)

Great spot, Ryan! (And great photos too) - Thanks for sharing this


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## fairviewroad (Jun 26, 2013)

I'll echo the comments of others: Great story, great photos!


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 26, 2013)

I've ridden on several UA 744's. Is this one unique in some way beyond the charter operation? SAT gets heavies from time to time but never from UA and never involving scheduled passenger services (barring emergency ops). Most of our heavies are either air freight (DC10/MD11) or maintenance (you name it). It was previously possible to drive your car deep into the maintenance areas on a public street. Unfortunately the street was privatized a few years back and that was the end of my local plane spotting days.


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## Ryan (Jun 26, 2013)

Not really, other than the nonstandard paint job (the plane was leased to Atlas for a while, so they just painted over their lettering and added the "United Charter") and the fact that BWI doesn't ever really see 747's (except on Tuesday nights for a while).


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## railiner (Jun 26, 2013)

Nice shots....thanks for sharing!  I wonder how long it's been since 'Friendship Airport' saw 'Friendship' 747's on a regular basis? Way back in the 'Friendly Skies' days, I suppose... 

As for that short 'positioning' flight.....I recall years back when you could find several short flights in the OAG. UAL used to have one from SFO to OAK. And yes, you could buy a ticket for just that segment.... Another 'shorty' they ran was from Norfolk to Newport News....there were probably a lot more. There may still be some around today, but don't know where offhand.......

PS.....here's a link that will bring a lump in the throat of all UAL fans.......


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## Texan Eagle (Jun 26, 2013)

railiner said:


> As for that short 'positioning' flight.....I recall years back when you could find several short flights in the OAG. UAL used to have one from SFO to OAK. And yes, you could buy a ticket for just that segment.... Another 'shorty' they ran was from Norfolk to Newport News....there were probably a lot more. There may still be some around today, but don't know where offhand.......


A month or so back, a United 744 coming from Hong Kong was forced to land in San Jose (SJC) due to fog at SFO. A few hours later, the flight took off, with passengers, to make the short hop from SJC to SFO, that must have been one amazing trip to do on a 747, though the passengers would have been mighty pissed by then, having tolerated a 15 hour trans-Pacific flight on United.

As for short flights, United Express operated scheduled SFO-Monterey flights- 77 miles, just a little shorter than EWR-PHL flights of 80 miles.


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## jis (Jun 26, 2013)

Ryan said:


> Not really, other than the nonstandard paint job (the plane was leased to Atlas for a while, so they just painted over their lettering and added the "United Charter") and the fact that BWI doesn't ever really see 747's (except on Tuesday nights for a while).


This one was actually slated to be retired. Then the Atlas lease came up, and when it got back from that, has been retained for Charter usage. It is not used in commercial service any more.
United has been drastically scaling back use of 747s. They are now used only out of SFO. The cut back is because of reduced reliability of these old birds I am told. That is why they operate only out of their maintenance base now.

I have flown on a good dozen or so of United's 744s, mostly trans Pacific, but out of New York or Newark when they used to fly such. Usually using FF miles in BC upstairs. I even flew two FC round trips to Singapore from SFO via HKG. Haven't flown in them after they got lie flats.

Great pics Ryan!


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 26, 2013)

Short Flights? How about Fort Worth Amon Carter to Dallas Love?(Before DFW) Don't think they even put the Gear up, just Took Off and went into Landing Mode! This used to be a Common Occurence, JFK's last flight on Air Force One was from FTW-DAL!!!!

Mexico used to have a lot of Flights like this also, one time in the early 70s I flew San Antonio-Nuevo Laredo-Monterrey-San Luis Potosi-Mexico City-Acapulco-Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta-Manzanillo on the same Mexicana DC-10 ! Cheap Flight, IIRC it was $56!!!


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## trainman74 (Jun 26, 2013)

Devil's Advocate said:


> I've ridden on several UA 744's. Is this one unique in some way beyond the charter operation?


In addition to the paint scheme, I believe this one was never upgraded with the lie-flat seats in first/business.


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## chakk (Jun 27, 2013)

TWA had several regular flights between San Jose and San Francisco. I often took the evening flight from SFO to SJC, sitting in the far back of the plane (typically a 727 or 707) on the left side to enjoy the view of the bay as the plane cruised at an altitude of about 5,000 feet down the Peninsula to land, about 15 minutes after taking off.


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