My Aviation Journey
For as long as I can remember, my single most āpassionā outside of living life itself has been aviation - specifically, commercial aviation. There is something mystifying about being 5 miles up in the sky, at times completely removed from civilization, traveling at 600 miles per hour, seemingly defying what we think is possible in the daily confines of our lives rooted in slow-moving space-and-time. The best way that I can describe it is that ā it resonates with me in a way that makes me feel connected to something greater.
Iām still on the journey to determine what my adult ārelationshipā with aviation is. I love it and it will always be my passion - but what will that look like? Will I proactively engage with it and pursue my private pilotās license certificate (I have taken ground school training thus far)? Will I work on the corporate side of the commercial aviation industry and become a subject-matter-expert on a niche that particularly interests me? Or - will I keep my passion simply for what it is - a moment of bliss when Iām up in the air, staring out the window in awe and peace for hours on end while everyone else struggles to sleep uncomfortably? That is all still TBD for me - but for now - Iām enjoying the ride :) Enjoy it with me through some moments captured below.
Aviation Photography
These are by no means āprofessionalā or high-quality photos - they are just some shots I snapped on my 250mm DSLR that I liked :)
āBe advised - company traffic 50 feet above you!ā
UA 747-400 cleared & rolling for takeoff RWY 28L and 757-300 on short final 28R
28L, 28R, Taxiway Foxtrot ā> Echo
SFO has 4 runways - 2 sets of parallel runways, one set perpendicular to the other. Runway 28L and R are the longer two, and as such, are often used for heavy aircraft departures. The normal landing pattern also brings in all landing traffic through the 28ās.
With taxiways to both the left and right of 28L and R, there are 4 āstripsā on this peninsula. This lends itself to a high volume of aircraft movement in a dense space. While effective in streamlining operations, it has (albeit rarely) caused confusion. See this article and ATC recording on an Air Canada incident where, at night, it was lined up to land on taxiway C.
Matching liveries
An Emirates A380 lands on 28R while China Eastern taxies for takeoff. CESās āGreenland Groupā livery, aimed at promoting clean energy, mirrors that of Emirates in this photo.
DLH454 Super
Lufthansa flight 454 landing from Frankfurt on a day with scattered showers (hence the color contrast - a rare moment of sun). As of 2023, Lufthansa flies this route on the 747-8 - one of few airlines to still fly the 747 (albeit the newer version). DLH has also brought back some 747-400s into their global routes - a rare treat for those with slow to accept the global movement to twin-engine aircraft.
āHold Short 28Lā
A Virgin Atlantic A340 holds short of 28L just before receiving departure clearance.
While I have no rational explanation as to why (engineering, interior specs, passenger experience, type of routes), I have always found the a340 to be my favorite. The a340 is now functionally extinct and will be viewed as an artifact of the 1990-2010s aviation era.
This photo was taken right before the construction of the Salesforce tower, which now stands much taller than the rest of the SF skyline.
