RDU International Airport

[RDUairport]

Yea I know the picture of the concorde that your talking about. It came in to celebrate the opening of runway 23R/5L. My dad actually got video of it but misplaced it and I never got to see it... The picture that I'm sure your talking about was on rdu.com a few years ago, but I haven't seen it lately. If you email the airport authority they may be able to email the photo or give you a link.

Also today a Boeing 757 came in insteand of the MD-11... so if you are going to try to catch it make sure you check flightaware.com first. I thought I saw that an MD-11 was coming in today but I guess I was mistaken.

[ERJ170]

Also today a Boeing 757 came in insteand of the MD-11... so if you are going to try to catch it make sure you check flightaware.com first. I thought I saw that an MD-11 was coming in today but I guess I was mistaken.

UPS usually only flys in one aircraft for the weekend and then it usually stay the entire weekend. but, there is usually an aircraft already there that does not fly out on Fridays leaving 2 ROW (Remaining over weekend). Perhaps the MD11 stayed for the weekend? If I was in town, I would check...

BTW... the word on the street is that LAX will halt from Jan 7 - Mar 7 (when it may resume), but I guess gas prices has taken a casualty.

Another question.. does anyone know if RDU has started using the GA Terminal for charters on a permanent basis or not? Are the charters currently handled there just sports or are they vacation charters too? I think that was the perfect use for the building and I have repeatedly sent them emails telling them that it would be good for that reason (you know, since its not actually used by GA). I'm glad they listened to me at least!

Edited December 8, 2007 by ERJ170

[RDUairport]

Just incase anyone is interested there is an Atlas Air Boeing 747-200 at RDU today. It's flying for UPS from Louisville. If you'd like to check to see what aircraft are coming into and flying out each day go to www.flightaware.com and search krdu. Gotta love this time of the year.

[Redman84]

When is this taking place today?

[RDUairport]

Yes the 747 has come in for the last three days. It arrives at RDU between 0450 and 540 in the morning and departs around 1000 to 1030 in the evening. There is another one landing this morning around 450 that I plan to catch so I'll try to snap a few photos. I got some photos of the one on Wednesday that I'll post latter for all to see. This will probably be the last one coming in because they will most likely not bring one in over the weekend, so try to catch it sometime today if you have the time to go out and see it. It'll be parked on the North Cargo ramp. You can see it from the observation deck overlooking 23R/5L.

[Redman84]

I went out there yesterday to take a peek. It was sitting just behind the fence between the UPS and DHL cargo areas. Absolutely huge and absolutely an incredible airplane. Sure wish we had birds that size flying in and out of RDU on a daily basis. If you're saying it'll be out there again today, i may head back out there to take a few pictures of my own. Saw plenty of 747s at JFK in New York, but I think the only one I may have ever seen here was Air Force One on a few occasions.

[Subway Scoundrel]

I went out there yesterday to take a peek. It was sitting just behind the fence between the UPS and DHL cargo areas. Absolutely huge and absolutely an incredible airplane. Sure wish we had birds that size flying in and out of RDU on a daily basis. If you're saying it'll be out there again today, i may head back out there to take a few pictures of my own. Saw plenty of 747s at JFK in New York, but I think the only one I may have ever seen here was Air Force One on a few occasions.

Nothing like riding in the "HUMP" upstairs in Business Class on a 747. Only sits about 12 people and the area has its own bathrooms and assistant. Plenty high enough to look over everything at the airports. I have sat up there about 10 times. The 747s fly real nice for such a big plane.

The only issue I have with them is it is an aging fleet for the US airlines (I thiink they still sell many in Asia). I have been on them in other countries and while sitting at the gate, the whole plane just shuts down and then the Asian engineers come on board since many panels and the flight cockpit is in the hump and you can watch their face on rather or not they know what the problem is. I was on one flight and they keep walking by frowning and spent a good hour working on what ever is wrong. And there you are getting ready to fly for 13 hours over water and you can see it in the face of the mechanic that something is wrong.

If you get a chance and are in Seattle, go north to the plant where they make 747s. It is huge and a great visit. Amazing to see who is buying the 747s today. Many are Asian airlines and buying cargo 747s to haul back product to the US from Asia.

The 777 that flies into Londan from RDU is almost as big but but not as distinctive. It dwarfs the MD-80s that litter airports that fly American.

[Redman84]

Managed to take a few pictures while I was out doing some Christmas shopping today.

[RDUairport]

Great picutures. I took some earlier this week but haven't photoshoped them yet so maybe I'll post them up later. I also took a video of the 747 arriving this morning around 0600 and posted it on youtube. Its not good quaility at all but if you'd like to see it here is the link.

747 @ RDU video

[Redman84]

I managed to make it back out to RDU this evening to see the departure. Seemed to be quite a few others who were out there for the same reason because as soon as it took off and cleared runway 5L most people left just as I did. Quite amazing to see such a large plane just lift up and take off just like it was an Embraer 135 or any other small regional jet.

[RDUairport]

I'll see if I can get some information on this 747 that keeps coming in. I know it's a big cargo season but I'm wondering if there is anything else because this flight is usually an Airbus A300-600F and there is a big difference between these aircraft. The 747s have been coming in for the last five days so I'll what I can find.

Also I still don't have access to my photos because I'm with family so I'll try to get them posted soon.

[DanRNC]

Nothing like riding in the "HUMP" upstairs in Business Class on a 747. Only sits about 12 people and the area has its own bathrooms and assistant. Plenty high enough to look over everything at the airports. I have sat up there about 10 times. The 747s fly real nice for such a big plane.

Back in the day, the "hump" used to be a bar/lounge area. I was hoping when I flew to Switzerland this past summer, my Swiss flight was going to be on a 747 but I don't believe they fly them out of JFK or even have any in their fleet. Lufthansa, Swiss's parent company, was flying them though.

Edited December 22, 2007 by DanRNC

[DanRNC]

NetJets has narrowed its 2 locations down to RDU and Columbus.

[RALNATIVE]

NetJets has narrowed its 2 locations down to RDU and Columbus.

Getting them here would be HUGE for this area's business climate.

[Gard]

Here is a link to the Netjets news since a link hasn't been posted yet: http://www.wral.com/business/local_tech_wi.../story/2215792/

That would be a HUGE asset to the Triangle if they were to choose RDU.

[ChiefJoJo]

From the WRAL story: Evidence continues to mount that Raleigh Durham International Airport remains in the thick of the battle for an expansion project of NetJets.

I wonder what an "expansion project" would entail exactly. Are we talking about expanding an operations center in addition to offering additional flights? If they are were concerned about the public schools in Orlando vs RDU, one would assume they plan a decent base of operations with maybe a couple hundred employees (a total guess on my part). I would imagine NC will offer some sizable incentives to lure them here.

[vitaviatic]

It sounds like they are trying to leverage funding out of Columbus. (Anybody remember the Sears debacle years ago? They ended up "moving" from Chicago's Loop to Schaumburg after the dog and pony show subsided.)

Realistically, Columbus is in more of a straight line between Teterboro and Chicago (their two largest markets), and closer at that. (It's also a skip across the pond to Toronto.) RDU triangulates that line too much. I don't pretend to know NetJet's markets, but unless DC, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Miami have much greater pull than I think in their overhead, I would expect NetJets to take what they can get from Ohio and to stay put. If so, I would be pretty disappointed that a Buffet company would engage in such a sleazy tactic, a la Boeing. IMO, all that other stuff (schools, press leaks, etc.) are red herrings.

[Cary NC]

The article I read said that NetJets is looking to work with local universities. I wonder why. I mean I think that our three universities could easily compare to Ohio State in Columbus. Any thoughts of why they would want to work with the universities. I also think cost of living may be an issue. RDU is halfway between Boston and Miami and I think that bodes well for RDU. Not sure how vitaviatic knows their clientele but it sounds like they are a global company from their website. I am not sure what NetJets is planning to do. In the articles I am a bit confused because it says they wnat to build new buildings but other articles say that they are looking possibly to relocate the whole Operations center ( 2000 people). It will be interesting to see what happens. Supposedly the ante is up to $57 million from Ohio. I mean we can recruit with the best of them and our track record is obvious.

Just a random thought, how about throw in the whole Transpark in Kinston as part of the offer. Get it off the state gov't books and give it to NetJets. They should have done that with Boeing when they were looking at our state to build the 787 Dreamliner. Washington state had to give $1 billion in improvements to keep them from coming here.

Can't wait to see the result.

Edited December 28, 2007 by Cary NC

[plus2]

http://wral.com/business/local_tech_wire/news/story/2249767/

Netjets

Edited January 3, 2008 by plus2

[cthayes75]

Here is a link to the Netjets news since a link hasn't been posted yet: http://www.wral.com/business/local_tech_wi.../story/2215792/

That would be a HUGE asset to the Triangle if they were to choose RDU.

Yes, it is always good to give away our tax dollars to billionaires and their companies.

This is corporate welfare gone mad.

[Gard]

Yes, it is always good to give away our tax dollars to billionaires and their companies.

This is corporate welfare gone mad.

Correction, its the cost of doing business. You have to spend some to gain some, nothing in life is free. The Triangle wouldn't have half the companies it has with operations here without tax incentives of some sort that attracted them here in the first place. If we offered nothing in return, they would simply go somewheres where they would offer something. The bottom line at the end of the day that matters is that we get a return on our incentives through economic activity, jobs, etc.

[RDUairport]

I noticed that Delta has the RDU-LAX route discontinued on Jan. 7th... Don't know if this is for sure but it doesn't show up in the schedule after that date so it may be gone. Hate to break such news but it looks to be gone in a few days. They may pick it back up after the winter season.

[DanRNC]

^^Actually NC has some of the highest corporate taxes in the US. If anything incentives level the playing field for NC to attract business. If these incentives are used correctly they are worth it.

[Redman84]

Doing some of my own thinking about this, I've wondered where in the world would an operation of this nature go on the grounds of RDU. The only logical thing that I can come up with is over there near the National Guard station. But I know that some of that land does back right up to Umstead Park. I think it would be absolutely great for the airport and the area to have NetJets here. It sure would increase the air traffic around here, which at certain times of the day can seem staggeringly slow.

Edited January 4, 2008 by Redman84

[ChiefJoJo]

Yea I know the picture of the concorde that your talking about. It came in to celebrate the opening of runway 23R/5L. My dad actually got video of it but misplaced it and I never got to see it... The picture that I'm sure your talking about was on rdu.com a few years ago, but I haven't seen it lately. If you email the airport authority they may be able to email the photo or give you a link.

I was a little kid back then, and I was there when the Concorde came in. I actually got to step on the plane and take some pictures.

I noticed that Delta has the RDU-LAX route discontinued on Jan. 7th... Don't know if this is for sure but it doesn't show up in the schedule after that date so it may be gone. Hate to break such news but it looks to be gone in a few days. They may pick it back up after the winter season.

It's true, and it sucks. I took that flight a year ago to visit a friend out in LA... awesome to be able to arrive on the west coast in 5 hours. I think some felt that the schedule was not convenient enough.

The NetJets rumor is pretty interesting. I had no idea they were talking about ~2,000 jobs. Wow! Anything involving Berkshire Hathaway (parent company) is typically a top notch operation. We'll see...