Airbus A380 in Chicago IL

[NukeGM]

Missed getting shots in the air but got a few of it on the ground.

[NukeGM]

1st shot could have been better but all I had with me was a 70-200 and I had to shoot thru a fence to get this.

[Fade2]

These are nice shots .
Do you work at the Ohare Airport?
You were one of the lucky ones to get that close.
Anyone that stoped around the airport during the landing was ticketed and/or towed!
That sucked because I wanted to get a couple of shots of it landing!

[Fade2]

Question, was the wing span really 100 yards wide?

[Nidz]

I heared on Australian TV that it's owned by Quantas and as of yet no American airlines have placed any orders for them yet. Wonder why not.

[Bandit 00C5]

Question, was the wing span really 100 yards wide?

261 feet

[NukeGM]

These are nice shots .
Do you work at the Ohare Airport?
You were one of the lucky ones to get that close.
Anyone that stoped around the airport during the landing was ticketed and/or towed!
That sucked because I wanted to get a couple of shots of it landing!
Nope I don't work at the airport. I weaseled my way back into the cargo terminal area and asked a Chicago cop if could take some pics and he said yes and told me where I could park. See there are some nice Chicago cops out there :D

[NukeGM]

I heared on Australian TV that it's owned by Quantas and as of yet no American airlines have placed any orders for them yet. Wonder why not.
The one that stopped in Chicago is owned by Luftansa. Ohare will need to reinforce the taxi bridges they have to handle this planes weight. Not sure if this will be anything regular in the future so I really wanted to see it. Bummed out about missing the landing, I set up on the biggest runway at Ohare but an hour before it landing they changed runways :cry:

[kaitanium]

1st shot could have been better but all I had with me was a 70-200 and I had to shoot thru a fence to get this.

sweet shot but should have done a panoramic!

[peacock]

Bet you wished you were part of that crowd up close:p

[BoySpot]

Both planes in the US were owned by Airbus. No airlines have taken delivery yet. Lufthansa used one for some route proving work and Qantas were getting the publicity out of the other as they will be flying in to LAX. One of those aircraft will be refurbished before delivery (to another airline) and the other is a test aircraft and always will be.

The forecast of its status as a white elephant is a little premature. Still around 150 on order and aircraft projects last decades - not a few years. Let's wait and see.

Rob

[ZekaG]

Nice shots. It's one BIG plane... Now let's see how it does here in US.

[Merlin Driver]

Between the weight of the 380 and width of the wings, a lot of the airports can't support the weight on the taxi ways, moving in and parking would be fun. Then there is the calf scramble of getting everyone off and on. They can only go to the larger airports.

Lynn

[mdmedicgod]

I plan on being up close and personal with the A380 tonight at Dulles. Its a 2100 local arriaval. So know flight shots. However, plan on getting extended exposure ramps shots...

[mogearnotalent]

awesome shots

[RTRIDER]

Any UK guys here?? Well the Airbus A380,#MSN004, will be flying over Rolls Royce in Derby at around 11.30 am tomorrow, Monday 26 March. It is a salute to the people that make the Trent 900 engines at the Sinfin plant, it's gonna fly by at 1,500ft. I am going to try and make it, but best laid plans, mice, men etc.......

[Captain Mantastic]

yea, but my question is, if you are at ohare.. where are you and 500 other passengers going to wait to get on that thing? They have some decent sized areas to handle the 747 and 777, but nothign that big... also, it will take an hour to board/unboard that thing... i think boeing is definately going the right directly with the 787 dreamliner...

[NukeGM]

yea, but my question is, if you are at ohare.. where are you and 500 other passengers going to wait to get on that thing? They have some decent sized areas to handle the 747 and 777, but nothign that big... also, it will take an hour to board/unboard that thing... i think boeing is definately going the right directly with the 787 dreamliner...
Yeah I have doubts of this plane being a hit in the US.

[BoySpot]

I think the US is not the market this is targeted at. Even the 747 does not have a big role with the US airlines compared to things like a 777. This aircraft will be focused on a few airlines that have really high density routes, often with two 747s following each other around. Those routes are for airports large enough to handle A380s anyway. It's not like they will be the ony aircraft at those places. The debate between the A380 and the 787 is a strange one. It's not like there is only space for one or the other. The 787 will develop more point to point services and the A380 will deal with the high density routes that already exist and continue to grow.

[Captain Mantastic]

BoySpot, i think you are right. i used to fly 330,000 miles a year for my old job, and rarely did we use a 747. the denver-chicago, denver-LAX, LAX to chicago and the other higher volume flights were usually taken care of with the 777. I usually fly united and thus a majority of my flights were on Airbus 319 and 320's. with the random canadair regional jet thrown in. Like the 747 cargo jet, i see the 380's role in the US much the same... FedEx and UPS as their main customers... i just wish AB would fail because the french (and other countries) have put so much into it... i know the US has helped Boeing stay afloat, but for a "private" company to compete with that conglomerate is still pretty impressive.

besides the second exit row window seat on the 319 the 777 is my favorite and most comfortable plane to ride in. especially when i had 1000's of miles of upgrades and would fly business or first class on the 777.

*and no, i dont work for Boeing or any airline related field... i design and sell wastewater treatment equipment and plants

[BoySpot]

Wow, did the French upset you somehow?

[Captain Mantastic]

just a little...but this isn't a discussion on political views