Deadhorse Airport (Prudhoe Bay), Alaska

Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse Airport services the Prudhoe Bay oil field, the largest in the United States. The airport, lodging, and general store are located at Deadhorse on the North Slope of Alaska. It is the unofficial northern terminus of the Pan-American Highway. A few tourists, arriving by bus after a two-day ride up the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks, come to see the tundra, the Arctic Ocean, and the midnight sun, staying in lodgings assembled from modular buildings. The permanent population is only around 2,000 people, but thousands of transient workers fly in and out of here for their very high paying jobs in this harsh environment above the Arctic Circle. Many work 12-hour days, 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off, commuting from as far away as the Lower 48. The airport is served with passenger service by Alaska, Frontier Flying Service, and ERA. Alaska’s Boeing 737-400 Combi’s are a unique feature here. Alaska operates from a unique terminal/cargo facility (complete with lodging for employees) that the airline constructed in 1998. Also as of note, virtually the entire passenger load are male workers. The 6,500 foot asphalt runway is the only paved road for hundreds of miles. Note that it is raised 10 feet above the tundra on gravel.

Situated on the Chukchi Sea at a latitude of 71.29°N, the airport is the farthest north of any in US territory. It has one asphalt paved runway (6/24) measuring 6,500 x 150 ft. The 6,500 foot asphalt runway is the only paved road for hundreds of miles. Note that it is raised 10 feet above the tundra on gravel. Passenger flights are operated by Alaska to Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Prudhoe Bay. Alaska operates from a unique terminal/cargo facility (complete with lodging for employees) that the airline constructed in 1998. Their 737-400s and 737-400 Combis are the largest aircraft to operate from here. Era Alaska operates from here as well to other far flung communities.

Memphis International Airport is most known for being the home of Fed Ex’s “Superhub”. It was an original hub of Southern, Republic, Northwest, and finally Delta until the hub was downsized in March of 2011. This move was widely expected following Delta’s 2008 merger with Northwest which made Memphis somewhat redundant to Delta’s Atlanta hub. Unusual for a city of its size but due to the SkyTeam Alliance which Delta commands, Memphis features a daily non-stop flight to Europe (Amsterdam). However, the future of this flight is under question. The main terminal ticketing hall, opened in 1963, is quite striking and reminiscent of airports in Saudi Arabia in my view. There are three terminals: A, B (the original 1963 terminal), and C with B being the largest and home of Delta. Terminal A with 23 gates is home to AirTran/Southwest and Delta. Terminal B has 42 gates on 2 concourses and his home to Delta though many gates are unused. Terminal C with 18 gates is home to the remainder of the airlines at Memphis: Air Canada, United, American, and USAirways. Unique to Memphis and of particular note to BBQ fans is the number of BBQ restaurants located throughout the terminal. You can never leave MEM and feel like you’ve had an excellent tour of Memphis’ most famous cuisine. The airport has 4 runways with a massive amount of night operations, owing to Fed Ex.

Delta's DC-9 Series 50s, most dating back to the mid 1970s, are the oldest airliners in frontline service as of 2011. Many date back to North Central, Republic, and Northwest. They are being retired as the new 737-800s and 900s and used MD90s from China come into the fleet with final retirement due in 2012. The webmaster was fortunate enough to fly on one of these DC-9 Series 50s in 2011 in the twilight of their years. These tough Douglas birds are still a thrilling and comfortable way to fly. Interestingly, Delta has outfitted these with Wi-Fi. As of 2011, there were 29 remaining in the fleet.

ASA operates Delta CRJ-900s with 10 First Class seats and 60 economy seats. Delta's CRJ-900s are used for Delta Connections flights and have a range of up to 1700 miles. The CRJ900 is a stretched 76-90 seat version of the CRJ700, which is a radical departure from the CRJ-200 not just a stretch. It entered service for Delta in 2007.

Alaska’s 737-200 gravel-kit equipped “Mud Hen” Combis which dated back to 1981 were replaced in 2007 by the 737-400 Combis. They carry 72 economy seats in the back half of the cabin. The 2 cargo igloos are up in front with a freight loading door. They are typically utilized within Alaska and on flights to Seattle and Portland. These photos were taken on a Summer 2011 flight from Barrow to Anchorage.

Chicago Midway is Chicago’s 2^nd major airport behind O’Hare. Midway was the principal airport for Chicago until the 1962 opening of O’Hare. From 1962 until the late 1970s it was only sporadically used until the arrival of Midway Airlines. Southwest began service in 1985, becoming Midway’s #1 carrier following the 1991 shutdown of Midway Airlines. Since then, Midway has become Southwest’s number one station. Midway is also served by Delta, Frontier, Southwest merger partner Air Tran, and Toronto based Porter Air. During the early 2000s, discount carrier ATA had major operations here until it wound down service in an arrangement with Southwest in 2007 before shutting down in 2008. In 1993, The Chicago Transit Authority launched an orange line elevated train to downtown. Midway has 43 gates on 3 concourse with A&B being home to the dominant Soutwest and B being used by other airlines. In 2001, a new ticketing and baggage hall was built on the opposite site of Cicero Avenue from the original terminal and current concourse. Passengers use a bridge over Cicero to get to their gates. In contrast to O’Hare, Chicago Midway International Airport ranked third amongst large airports in the nation for "Best On-Time Arrival Rates" in June 2007.

United, O’Hare’s number one hub carrier and Chicago hometown airline, operates from Terminal 1. Continental moved from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 in 2010 as part of its merger with United Airlines. Lufthansa flights depart here from here as well. The new Terminal 1 designed by Helmut Jahn, which was built between 1985 and 1987 on the site of the old international terminal. Terminal 1 has 53 gates spread over 2 concourses: B and midfield C which is connected by an underground tunnel. The tunnel is the most iconic part of ORD with its neon tubing and surreal music and neon installation “Sky’s The Limit” designed by Michael Hayden. Even at nearly 25 years of age, Terminal 1 is one of the most modern facilities at ORD. Its design has held up well.

Terminal 2 houses USAirways, Air Canada, and Delta. Delta moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 in 2009 in order to align its operations with merger partner Northwest Airlines, who once operated a hub here. United Express operates from here as well. There are 28 gates spread out over Concourse E and F. In the past, Terminal 2 (concourses D, E and F) served United, Ozark, Braniff, Eastern, Northwest (former hub carrier), Continental and Piedmont. This is the most dated of terminals at ORD with much of it dating back to 1962.

Terminal 3 houses the American Airlines hub (ORD’s #2 hub carrier), as well as departing flights for certain oneworld alliance carriers such as Iberia and unaffiliated domestic low-cost carriers such as Alaska, JetBlue, Virgin America, and Spirit. Terminal 3 has 80 gates on four concourses: G, H, K, and L. Concourse G primarily houses American Eagle operations, while concourses H and K house American mainline operations, and concourse L, the previous home of Delta, now primarily houses low-cost carrier operations. It was remodeled around 1990. In the past, Terminal 3 served former ORD major carrier TWA and Air Canada, and Concourses H and K served American, former hub carrier Delta and North Central.

All international arrivals at O'Hare (excluding flights from destinations with U.S. border preclearance) are processed at Terminal 5, which also handles most non-US carriers and certain domestic low-cost carriers. Terminal 5 has 21 gates on one concourse: Concourse M. It is across the airfield from Terminals 1, 2, and 3 is connected by a tram service. Terminal 5 opened in 1993. There is no Terminal 4 at ORD used for airline services but instead the airport’s facility for CTA busses and ground transporation.

The 737-800 has been part of America's fleet since 1998. In 2011, AA ordered an additional 200 737s, some with the New Engine Option, along with 260 Airbus A320s.

American has 106 domestic and 18 internationally configured Boeing 757s. American intends to replace them with Airbus A320 & A320neo, Boeing 737–800 & 737RE beginning in 2014 with the 757 Domestic's first to leave the fleet.

American has 47 Boeing 777-200ERs in its fleet with 7 on order. In 2009, American became the first US carrier to fly Boeing 777-300s when it took delivery of 2 for flights initially to India. The 777s began replacing the MD-11s in 1999.

This building was the world's largest cantilever construction. It was built in 1974 for National Airlines. It is now used by American and American Eagle. Its ramp is used for most of AA's aircraft parking when they're not at the gate.

The final addition to Miami's North Concourse, the exclusive home provence of American Airlines, opened in late 2010. This section completes this massive project which began in the early part of the decade. The North Concourse was the subject of major cost over-runs, delays, and controversies when American Airlines initially managed the problem. The new airport director and his team turned the troubled project around when its construction was recaptured by Miami Dade County. It resulted in the temporary closure of Terminal A for over 2 years, and the demolition of Terminals B & C.

American was the exclusive user for the time being of Concourse E which is divided between "High" and "Low" gates by a train. These terminals were built in the mid 1970s and first used by Eastern. American has since moved over to Concourse D.
Iberia operates 17 Airbus A340-600s which carry 342 passengers (42F/300Y). They entered service in 2004. At one time, Iberia operated a mini-hub at Miami but now flights are confined to Madrid and Barcelona.

Aserca Airlines (Aero Servicios Carabobo) is an airline based in Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela. It operates domestic and regional scheduled services to destinations in the Caribbean, Central America and the USA. Its main base is Arturo Michelena International Airport, Valencia, with a hub at Simón Bolívar International Airport, Caracas. It operates 6 ex-AA MD-80s.

This MD-82, N248AA, flew for American from 1984 until 2009. In July, 2011 it was transferred to Aserca in Venezuela.

AmeriJet Boeing 727-231 N905AJ was delivered in 1980.

Founded in 1985, Centurion Air Cargo is a cargo airline with its headquarters in Building at Miami International Airport. It operates all-cargo services to Central America and South America, serving 16 scheduled destinations. It specializes in carrying seafood, vegetables, flowers and horses to and from Latin America. Currently, Centurion flies 4 MD-11F's.

The final addition to Miami's North Concourse, the exclusive home of American Airlines, opened in late 2010 with the former Concourse A and American Eagle facility at the western end of the 1.3 mile long concourse. This section completes this massive project which began in the early part of the decade. The North Concourse was the subject of major cost over-runs, delays, and controversies when American Airlines initially managed the problem. The new airport director and his team turned the troubled project around when its construction was recaptured by Miami Dade County. It resulted in the temporary closure of Terminal A for over 2 years, and the demolition of Terminals B & C.

AeroSur S.A. is the private flag carrier airline of Bolivia along with the state-owned airline Boliviana de Aviación. It is headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra with its main base of operations at Viru Viru International Airport, Santa Cruz. It was established in April 1992 to take advantage of the deregulation of Bolivia's air transport, and started flying on 24 August that year. After the bankruptcty of Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano in 2007, AeroSur became the largest airline in Bolivia and its main rival is currently Boliviana de Aviación. The airline currently operates 7 domestic destinations and 10 international destinations across The Americas and Europe. AeroSur is currently undergoing a rapid expansion and it plans to open new international routes by 2011.

In 2010, it replaced its old aircraft by acquiring five new ones: 3 Boeing 737-300, 1 Boeing 737-400 and 1 Boeing 767-200ER in addition to the incorporation of one Boeing 747-400 leased from Virgin Atlantic Airways and for 2011 it is expected the acquisition of two Boeing 737s more. It is known for its flamboyant paint schemes which often coincide with destinations such as this 767-200 "Sharko" and the 747-400 "Súper Torísimo" which flies to/from Madrid.

courtesy: Wikipedia

AeroSur S.A. is the private flag carrier airline of Bolivia along with the state-owned airline Boliviana de Aviación. It is headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra with its main base of operations at Viru Viru International Airport, Santa Cruz. It was established in April 1992 to take advantage of the deregulation of Bolivia's air transport, and started flying on 24 August that year. After the bankruptcty of Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano in 2007, AeroSur became the largest airline in Bolivia and its main rival is currently Boliviana de Aviación. The airline currently operates 7 domestic destinations and 10 international destinations across The Americas and Europe. AeroSur is currently undergoing a rapid expansion and it plans to open new international routes by 2011.

In 2010, it replaced its old aircraft by acquiring five new ones: 3 Boeing 737-300, 1 Boeing 737-400 and 1 Boeing 767-200ER in addition to the incorporation of one Boeing 747-400 leased from Virgin Atlantic Airways and for 2011 it is expected the acquisition of two Boeing 737s more. It is known for its flamboyant paint schemes which often coincide with destinations such as this 767-200 "Sharko" and the 747-400 "Súper Torísimo" which flies to/from Madrid.

courtesy: Wikipedia

Delta, Continental, COPA, Air France Caribbean, and Alitalia are the major operators from Concourse H. With the exception of the "Headhouse" gates at the end of the concourses, this is a very modern facility which was rebuilt on the late 1990s.

Gate 17 on Concourse J is the 3 jetway gate at Miami. As of 2011, this is the only gate being used for the Airbus A380. Lufthansa inaugurated A380 service from this purposely designed gate on June 10, 2011. The 3rd jetway was added for the A380 upper deck. Until the A380 replaced the Boeing 747-400, this gate had 2 jet bridges.

The $1.6 billion South Concourse J opened in August, 2007 to a successful launch. Unlike the trouble plagued North Terminal project, this expansion came in somewhat close to budget and opened on time. This project, beginning construction in 2002, is the first major expansion of the Central Terminal Building since it was built in 1959. Many airlines have relocated from the CTB including Delta, United, USAirways, Air Canada, LAN, Lufthansa, Air France, and other Sky Team and Star Alliance carriers. Some of these are temporary occupants, particularly the One World carriers, until the North Terminal is completed. The facility is beautiful but the Ticketing Hall is darker than I expected despite the glass facade.

Korean flies all freight services to Seoul via Dallas/Ft. Worth and Anchorage from Miami. There are no passenger flights by Asian carriers currently at MIA. Cathay is the other Asian cargo carrier here.

One World Alliance affiliated, LAN is considered one of the most successful and best long-haul carriers in all of Latin America. Based in Santiago, Chile, LAN has a number of subsidiaries around Latin America. Their planes often spend the day at Miami between their morning arrivals and late night departures back to South America.

Lufthansa Boeing 747-430 "City of Baden" is one of the very oldest 747-400s flying. D-ABVC was delivered in 1989. On June 10, 2011, Lufthansa replaced the 747-400 with the Airbus A380 on its Frankfurt flights to and from Miami. Airbus became the first operator of the A380 at Miami when MIA became LH's 3rd US gateway to receive the A380 behind New York JFK and San Francisco SFO. At Miami, LH's 747s and A380s operate from the airport's only 3 jet bridge gate, J17.

This DC-10-30F was first delivered in 1975 to Sabena. It was converted to a freighter for FedEx in 1992 before being sold off in 2004.

SBA, formerly Santa Barbara Airlines, is now Venezuela's number 1 airline. It began flying in 1996. SBA operates a mixed fleet of 757s, 767s, DC-9-30s, and ATR42s from its Caracas and Maracaibo hubs.

Until completion of the Port of Miami Tunnel in 2014, the service tunnel that travels underneath MIA is the only tunnel open to vehicles in Miami-Dade County and 1 of only 2 in South Florida.

Airchive took an excellent Ground Tour of MIA in May of 2011. We also were given great shots of Air Force One and the C-117 by Miami Dade Aviation Department.

LH’s seven A380s are configured for 8 First Class, 48 Business Class, and 420 economy seats, a 59% increase over the 747. Every airline that introduces an Airbus A380 into service thus far has used the aircraft as a platform to innovate and one-up its competition, especially in the premium cabins: witness Emirate’s showers and Singapore’s private First Class Suites. Lufthansa, renowned for its efficiency, if not service and cabin innovation, used its A380 to remind the world why it the German carrier is considered world class. The German flag carrier’s innovative A380 features include a First Class only boarding lounge (connected via its own jetway) in Frankfurt, the first airliner in the world with a humidified cabin of 25% which reduces the affects of jet lag and fatigue (beating the Dreamliner to the punch), special side-wall and cabin sound insulation making it the quietest First Class cabin in the world, Luxurious First Class lavatories twice the size of typical lavs with washing and changing facilities separate from the washrooms, a new concept in First Class called “Privacy On Demand” with a flexible privacy screen with which first class passengers can determine the amount of privacy they desire, and a new on-demand, and a new interactive IFE in all classes complete with first-to-Lufthansa external cameras. Even economy class boats a new slimmer seat which increases seat pitch by an additional 0’5” feet giving them more legroom at knee level.

Federal Express Museum at Memphis Global Hub

Federal Express Dassault Falcon 20 Freighter - N332FE

The Dassault Falcon 20, built from 1963 to 1988, is a French built business jet but is best known in the United States as the original backbone of Federal Express. The company started overnight operations on April 17, 1973 with fourteen of these jets that connected twenty-five cities in the United States. That first night, 18 packages were carried. Services included both overnight and two-day package and envelope delivery services, as well as Courier Pak. It is seen at the Federal Express Museum at its Memphis Airport Global Hub. The very first Dassault Falcon 20C delivered to FedEx (N8FE) is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution. These were used by FedEx until the early 1990s.

Owing to its mainly overnight operations at the Memphis World Hub, Fed Ex tours here are at the unusual hours of 11:15PM and 1:00AM 5 nights a week when the hub is active. For info, contact call 901-369-3468. No photography is permitted on the tour but there is a mini-museum at the tour meeting location at the Greenway Building at 3040 Independent Rd. in Memphis. There are a few displays here and an original Dassault Falcon 20 Freighter.