Photo-a-Day (Monday, 17th October, 2011)
Boeing 747
Photo: John Williams (Nikon D50 with Nikon 70- 300 Lens)
That looks low...there isn't an airport near Wigan is there ?
One doesn't see four engined planes much where I live, the airport runway is too short.
Good pic, by the way.
Its a Virgin
Alan, Wigan is a main route into manchester for aircraft coming in from the Mersey when runway 23L and 23R are in operation. Manchester doesnt see much Jumbo activity a few Virgin orlando flights. A380 from Dubai once a day and a Cathay Pacific Cargo once a day. Most flights are at around 5000 ft when transiting over Wigan.
Manchester to Las Vegas route, on Sundays and Thursdays, uses these planes.
The Manchester to Barbados on a Monday was the same type of aircraft !
Thanks for the info Jamie, intresting
This is about the only 4 engine we get in the low level through Wigan into Manchester all the rest are twins (see July for the Virgin A330 and the Airbus Beluga the later goes into Harwarden)we do have a lot at high level including A380s Air France and Lufthansa plus various other airlines and the the types include A340s 747s and the Antonov AN124
An amazing photo, John.
I once saw a 747 come out of the fog when I worked in Toronto and just under the flight path. It came overhead and away through the fog and it was carrying the space shuttle on it's back...!!!
Just a thought. Is it a 747 or is it a A680??? Great shot.
Ken,
It's a 747 - see here for more info on flight paths and live flight radar tracking - www.flightradar24.com - I have a home based antenna and receiver that I share with this website so the data I know is very acurate!
Jamie
Did the new Easyjet A320 G-EZUI all orange livery pass through Wigan on Saturday I was on my way to Liverpool Airport and seen it in the distance heading west but it did not land there I believe it is in Manchester 3 days a week
Mick, you don't see many virgins in Wigan these days
john,
doenst look like it according to this ( http://data.flight24.com/airplanes/G-EZUI/ ).
One to keep an eye out for! my radar box wasn't on on saturday so got no history data for that day so cant be 100% sure. :-(
Fred Mason, did you work on Carlingview drive .
Yes it is a 747. You can tell my the 4 engines and the double decker atthe front of the plane.
This is normally for the Manchester to Orlando route. The other routes use the airbus.
Not true Gareth, the Man - Las Vegas uses the 747!
Todays data from the outbound vegas flight:-
Airline: Virgin Atlantic
Flight: VS85
From: Manchester, Manchester (MAN)
To: Las Vegas, McCarran (LAS)
Aircraft: Boeing 747-4Q8 (B744)
Reg: G-VTOP
Hex: 400677
Altitude: 27450 ft (8367 m)
Speed: 524 kt (970 km/h, 603 mph)
Track: 337°
Squawk: 7014
Pos: 55.0067 / -2.9901
Jamie cheers for that did not realise that Virgin did a man to las vegas direct route.
Gareth I went on the Virgin Atlantic, Manchester to Vegas flight about 6 weeks ago. Superb, only took 9 hours, and only just over 8 hours coming back.