Ben's Air Blog

A Trip Through Micronesia Saving the best for last - this was my biggest aviation adventure of 2018: the United Island Hopper .    

Saying Goodbye to the Queen of the Skies On November 7, 2017, United Airlines flew its last passenger 747 flight after 47 years of service.  As an aviation enthusiast in San Francisco (SFO), it was a sad day.  The iconic Jumbo had been a staple at SFO ever since I started plane spotting there.

There is something prestigious about seat 1A.  Sure, anyone can grab that seat this day and age when flying on an all-economy or regional airline.  But for someone like me who grew up in the 70s watching jumbo jets flying overseas – seat 1A was something special.

Farewell to the Brasilia On May 5, 2015, SkyWest Airlines retired its last Embraer 120 Brasilia, known lovingly by those that work on them as the “Bro”.  According to airfleets.net, the Brazilian Air Force is now the largest Brasilia operator with 19 aircraft, followed by Swiftair in Spain with 10 aircraft.  The end has most certainly come for the this once-mainstay aircraft that served small towns and communities throughout the United States as an important link to hubs to the rest of the world.

Trip Report:  Flying on United’s Inaugural Day of Boeing 787 DREAM)LINER Service  

--> Flight :  UA595, San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX) (337 miles) Aircraft Type :  Boeing 777-222 (ER) Aircraft Registration :  N794UA (built in October 1997) Scheduled Departure - Arrival Time :  8:21 am - 9:47 am Actual Departure - Arrival Time : 8:20 am - 9:50 am Actual Flying Time :  53 minutes