Kansas City INTERNATIONAL Airport - 2 to 6th October 2014

[acklington]

This is the new replacement airport for Kansas City, commonly called KCI, about 12 miles north of the city. It is a massive site with at least four runways (I lost count).

I'm pleased with my first photo of it;

No I wasn't on the flightdeck. This was taken from a passenger seat, landing on another runway at right angles. It was a Canada Express (Air Georgian actually) CRJ C-FWRR from Toronto Pearson.

As we turned off the runway I could see another aircraft on finals behind us, so the 300mm zoom was got ready, which is no mean feat on a CRJ - the cabin windows are set very low, and are quite small. So with much contortion, and much complaining from SWMBO, here is the result;

Alaska 737 N461AS, taken from C-FWRR

There wasn't much parked near us as we docked, just;

United Express CRJ N780SK, again taken from C-FWRR

The KCI terminals (x3) were designed to a TWA specification for "100 feet from aircraft to kerbside". Which severely limits photo opportunities as you get rapidly ejected landside! [The design was also a disaster when enhanced security requirements were mandated, and TWA left completely!]. So I only managed one more photo that day;

Delta 757 N699DL

Drove back on the 5th October to have a poke around, and first up was;

UPS DC-10 (MD-11?) N255UP at the air cargo terminal

The Terminal C aprons had 727s, 737s, and SaaB 2000s parked off-pier;

Roush Fenway 727 N422BN in racing team colours, with alongside it;


sister 727 N727NK, same team

Beyond were two 737s of Miami Air, N738MA and N739MA;




Further along the apron / docked at Terminal C were four SAAB 2000s, all in the same racing team colours;

N508RH

N509RH

N511RH

N519JG

Next (after a long drive via the freeway) was the maintenance/scrapping area, full of interest;


Boeing 737-200 N500VP (the reg in gold on the rear fuselage)


Behind it, and no clear photograph, was a B767, clearly ex-Quantas. All I could find on it was a letter 'E', and after much web surfing it turns out to be VH-ZXE, retired in 2013. It wasn't retired to Kansas City, so must have been ferried in later.


Even more obscure is this 737-200, N791JM. This reg does not come up on the web, so anyone any ideas?


Evergreen B747 N485EV, apparently still in good condition


UT Air 767 VP-BAL (ex N68160)


UT Air 767 VP-BAB (ex N76151). It has full UT Air tail logo, and the front fuselage is not painted out, rather it was some sort of flimsy sticky sheet, thus also covering the cabin windows.

More to follow in PART TWO ...............

[Beemer]

Acklington. N791JM 737-290C Jet Midwest c/n 22577. ex N730AS, HC-CFY,  HK-4702. Owner/operators CV Cargo, Servientrega, Icaro Express. All info from my database, I am not that knowledgeable. Regards Beemer.

[jonascon]

Nice photo's looking forward to seeing some more! -Jon

[northbynorthwest]

Ok, all those Rosch Racing Team aircraft and the Miami Air 737 would have been at Kansas City due to a Nascar race at the Kansas City Speedway. Likewise, many of the corporate jets at Kansas City Downtown Airport were there for the same reason. I have seen that Embraer 145 at Atlanta in amongst the Rosch aircraft when there is a race at the Atlanta Speedway.

I agree about the terminal building at the Kansas City airport being a disaster for present day security requirements. I fly through there frequently - through as in connecting - and rarely have to leave the Delta gate area, so I don't have to deal with the scrunched up areas where they shoehorn security. They really need to knock those terminals down and build a new functional terminal in its place.

I have seen all the aircraft in the former American Airlines maintenance area while on landing roll a few times, so very nice to see those great pictures. The Evergreen 747 is a recent addition.

[acklington]

Many thanks Beemer and NorthbyNorthWest for the info. I was obviously lucky to have been there when a Motor Race meet was on, and it demonstrates that visiting your local USA airport is to be recommended if there is a motor race circuit nearby.

PART 2

Continuing the former TWA maintenance area at KCI, I then went to the apron fence line on the other side of the big hangar. This was much more of a scrapping area;


Fokker 100 N14040 in ex AA colours. There is an interesting ex-Belleair something behind it, but this was all I could see of it.


Beyond were two ex AA B767s, the nearest being N319AA


This United Express (Republic) Q400 made a nice photo, but the reg wasn't visible.

That was it for the 5th Oct, and we returned on the 6th to fly on to Boston. The departure lounge windows are good for photography although the views are quite narrow, with airbridges either side. So it was a case of finding the best window, and then waiting with camera ready as aircraft appeared suddenly. There was nothing much special to be had that morning, just the usual mix of domestic airlines, as follows;




N195WQ

N424YX

N559AA

N405YX, N601WN, and N12195

N802MD

N934FR

N755EV

N961DN

N961DN again. Take-offs were nicely placed for photos, albeit with a high failure rate of the camera autofocus through glass.

N8836A

N247WN Southwest are the largest operator at KCI, and most of their 737s now have wifi on top, and a few have the "free bags" logo, as here.

And finally, our transport to Boston, N463WN. Somehow, despite being at the airport very early (for photos), we were the last to board, so no window seat. Humph.

That's all for KCI, thanks for looking.