Maurice B. Quirin has been a landscape and transportation photographer since 1972. He's a member of the New Hampshire Aviation Historical Society and National Railway Historical Society. Mr. Quirin is co-author, with Edward W. Brouder Jr., of Manchester's Airport: Flying Through Time (ISBN 0-9721489-9-X). Mr. Quirin also worked as a freelance editor and anchor for The Wall Street Journal Radio Network and was news director at WBNS radio in Columbus, OH.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A Sunny Day for a Special Boeing 757 and Aviation Museum Grand Reopening

   Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, was a pleasant change from the prior dreary Wednesday that saw the first arrival in Lexington, KY, of Allegiant's nonstop service from Las Vegas.  Below, Flight 440 is on short final to Runway 22 at Blue Grass Airport.  Look closely and you can see the Rolls Royce turbofans spinning on N902NV.  You can click on each photo for a larger version.


   The first arrival of AAY440 on Runway 22 at LEX rolls out just after touch down.


   My friend and veteran commercial pilot Rand Peck says "the seven-five is the most beautiful, the most elegant airplane I've flown."  The big 757-200Q hangs a left onto Alpha 3 and joins Taxiway Alpha to head towards the terminal ramp.


   N902NV pulls into Gate Bravo 3 at LEX, joining Delta Connection Bombardier CL-600-2B19 N801AY on the terminal ramp. 


   While activity is going on inside the terminal and on the passenger ramp, visitors to the Aviation Museum of Kentucky are getting a treat at the museum's grand reopening in former hangars occupied by TacAir, the fixed-base operator at Blue Grass Airport.


   Among the attractions on the museum ramp are P51D Mustang "Hurry Home Honey" (413586) and Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 Lockheed Hercules "His Eminence" (#1235) of the 123rd Air Wing "Thoroughbred Express" series named after Kentucky Derby champions.


    By now, both the Delta Connection CRJ and our sunny Allegiant 757 are about ready to taxi from the terminal to Runway 22.


    Now Allegiant Flight 441 (AAY 441) awaits taxi clearance from Blue Grass Tower as the Delta push tug is detached from the 757.


    Airtran Flight 1250, a Boeing 717, from Orlando is on short final to Runway 22 as AAY 441 gets taxi clearance to the same runway from the tower.


  A few minutes after taxiing past the Blue Grass Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Center, AAY441 will receive clearance to takeoff from Runway 22.

   
    It's off into the blue yonder for this beautiful 757!


    Good luck in Vegas.

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