Boeing 747-8s at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport



The 747-8 is the largest airplane made in the United States. It is the longest airliner in the world. It is 18 feet longer than the 747-400 and its wing span is 13 feet wider. Its upper deck is 160 inches longer than the upper deck of the 747-400. It is ten feet longer than the Airbus A380 and the Zeppelin NT Eureka.

See the locations where I have photographed Boeing 747-8s in Google Earth.

October 14, 2011

747-8Z5 International N5020K arrived at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport as Boeing Flight 440 at 4:29PM on October 14, 2011 after a 7-hour 12-minute flight that took it as far east as Indiana. It first flew on June 30, 2011. It will be delivered to Abu Dhabi Ameri Flight as A6-PFA. Its construction number is 37500.

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011 Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K on approach to land on Runway 30 Right.

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011

Photography Prints This photo is available a prints as large as 24 inches by 36 inches.

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011 747-8Z5 N5020K sat on a taxiway on the east side of the airport for just an hour.

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011 747-8Z5 N5020K back-taxied on Runway 30 Right.

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011 The shape of things to come? Hypotheitcal full length double-deck 747.

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011 The stretched model.

Flip a switch in the cockpit, the upper deck extends rearward and the fuselage stretches for additional seating capacity.

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011 747-8Z5 N5020K took off from Runway 30 Center at 5:34, just a few minutes before sunset, on a 2-hour 32-minute flight back to Paine Field in Washington.

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011

Boeing 747-8Z5 International N5020K, Mesa-Gateway, October 14, 2011

Photography Prints This photo is available a prints as large as 24 inches by 36 inches.

July 30, 2011

747-830 International N6067U arrived at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport as Boeing Flight 021 at 2:13 PM on July 23, 2011 after a 4-hour 50-minute flight that zig-zagged across the western US. It first flew on April 26, 2011. It will be delivered to Lufthansa Airlines as D-ABYE. Its construction number is 37826.

747-830I N6067U made a two-hour fifteen-minute test flight at 8:58 PM on Thursday, July 28 and a four-hour fiftyeight-minute test flight at 5:05 PM on Friday, July 29.

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011 These pictures were taken on the morning of Saturday, July 30.

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011 747-830I N6067U taxies out to the approach end of Runway 12 at 4:17 in the afternoon under a threatening sky. Gusty, hot wind blew across the runways and towering cumulonimbus clouds loomed overhead..

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011 A microburst from a nearby thunderstorm kicked up a dust storm that rolled across the aiport.

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011 The dust cloud enveloped the 747-830I as visibility approached minumums for take-off. I could feel grit in my teeth and dirt blew into my eyes. The dust blew away and then the 747-830I disappeared in a heay rain. Lightning began striking near the airport.

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011 The 747-830I taxies back to mid-field in the rain.

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011 Boeing 747-830 International N6067U kicks up spray as it starts rolling on a mid-field departure from Runway 30 Center into a thunderstorm at 4:33 PM.

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011

Boeing 747-830 International N6067U, Mesa-Gateway, July 30, 2011 Boeing Flight 021 returned to Boeing Field in Seattle.

N6067U is a standard Boeing test registration that has been applied to many Boeing jetliners.

737-8EH Short Field Prototype N6067U on approach to Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on March 15, 2006. It was subsequently delivered to Brazilian airline GOL TA as PR-GTA.

June 10, 2011

Plain vanilla 747-8KZF N6009F made a touch-and-go landing at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 11:07 AM on Friday June 10. It will be delivered to Nippon Cargo Airlines as JA13KZ. Its construction number is 36138. N6009F is a standard Boeing test registration that has been applied to many Boeing jetliners.

Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 N6009F on approach to land on Runway 30 Center. It took off from Paine Field at 7:58 AM PDT and flew down the Pacific Coast to San Diego. A planned side trip to Tucson was skipped on its way to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway. Smoke from several wildfires has produced a thick haze and reduced visibility.

Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 N6009F lifts off from Runway 30 Center.

Photography Prints Boeing 747-8KZF N6009F Mesa Gateway Airport June 10 2011: You can buy prints as large as 24 inches by 36 inches or 5-ch by 7-inch greeting cards of this photograph.

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011

Boeing 787-8 N6009F, Mesa-Gateway, June 10, 2011 The 747-8F rapidly climbed to cruising altitude and headed north to Wichita, Kansas, Miot Air Force Base, North Dakota and Alberta, Canada. It returned to Paine Field at 4:00 PM PDT.

September 2, 2010

The third Boeing 747-8 prototype N50217 returned to Mesa Gateway Airport for hot weather testing on Saturday, August 28, 2010. It made on etest flight on Wednesday, September 1 and departed for Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale, California on Thursday, September 2 when the air temperature was 107 degrees F. The 747-8 is the largest airplane made in the United States.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway Boeing 747-8F N50217 preparing for departure at 2:45 PM MST on September 2.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway Boeing 747-8F N50217 kicked up a cloud of dust as it started rolling down Runway 30 Center at 3:04 PM.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway Boeing 747-8F N50217 lifted off about 5,000 feet along the runway.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Photography Prints You can buy prints or greeting cards of this photograph.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway At 250 feet long, the 747-8 is the longest airplane other than the Antonov An-225 Mriya.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway Boeing 747-8F N50217 circled to the right and headed for W291 in the Southern California Offshore Complex before returning to Palmdale.

June 21, 2010.

The third Boeing 747-8 prototype N50217 made its first visit to Mesa Gateway Airport for hot weather testing on Monday, June 21, 2010.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway N50217 made four touch and go landings and then parked on the back side of the airport. It was at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport for eight days and was scheduled to make two flights.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Photography Prints You can buy framed prints and greeting cards of this photograph.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway 747-8 N50217 parked on the back side of the airport to test its systems in the Arizona heat.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway Northrop T-38A 68-8204 based at Holloman Air Force Base took off shortly after the arrival of the 747-8.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Photography Prints You can buy framed prints and greeting cards of this photograph.

Boeing 787-8 N7874, Mesa-Gateway

Photography Prints You can buy framed prints and greeting cards of this photograph.



Giant Jet Airplanes

  First Flight Wing Span Length Wing Area (ft2) Gross Weight (lbs) Engines
Boeing 777-9

2018

235ft 5in

251ft 9in

5,025

775,000

2 × 105,000 lb General Electric GE9X-105B1A
Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch

2018

385ft

238ft

?

1,300,000

6 × 56,750 lb Pratt & Whitney PW4056
Boeing 747-8 Jumbo Jet

2010

224ft,07in

250ft,02in

5,960

975,000

4 x 66,500 GEnx-2B67
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

2009

197ft, 03in

206ft

3,501

545,000

2 x 71,000 lb General Electric GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

2009

197ft, 03in

186ft

3,501

502,500

2 x 64,000 lb General Electric GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000
Airbus A380

2005

261ft,10in

239ft,06in

9,100

1,235,000

4 x 84,000 lb RR Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP-7200
Boeing 777-300ER

2003

212ft,07in

242ft,04in

4,700

775,000

2 x 115,300 lb GE90-115B
Airbus A340-600

2001

208ft,02in

247ft,01in

4,729

811,300

4 x 56,000 lb RR Trent 556
Boeing 777-200

1994

209ft,01in

199ft,11in

4,605

545,000

2 x 74,000 lb PW4074, GE90-75B, or RR Trent 875
Airbus A330-300

1992

197ft,10in

208ft,10in

3,892

507,000

2 x 51,590 lb GE CF6-80E, PW4000, or RR Trent 700
Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet

1988

211ft,05in

231ft,10in

5,650

833,000

4 x 45,000 PW4062 or GE CF6-80C2B1F
Antonov An-225 Mryia

1988

290ft,00in

275ft,07in

10,280

1,300,000

6 x 51,590 lb DT-18T
Antonov An-124 Ruslan

1984

240ft,00in

227ft,00in

6,760

890,000

4 x 51,590 lb DT-18T
Tupolev 160 Blackjack 1981 182ft, 09in 177ft, 06in 3,660 606,000 4 x 50,900 lb NK-321
Lockheed C-5A Galaxy

1968

222ft,08in

247ft,10in

6,200

769,000

4 x 50,000 lb GE TF-39
Boeing 747-100 Jumbo Jet

1968

195ft,08in

231ft,04in

5,500

850,000

4 x 50,000 lb P&W JT9D
Antonov An-22 Antheus

1965

211ft,04in

189ft,07in

3,713

550,000

4 x 15,000 shp Kuznetsov NK-12MV
North American XB-70A Valkyrie

1964

105ft,00in

189ft,00in

6,297

530,000

6 x 33,000,lb J-93
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

1952

185ft,00in

157ft,07in

4,000

450,000

8 x 8,000 lb J-57
Convair YB-60

1952

206ft,05in

175ft,02in

5,239

410,000

8 x 8,000 lb J-57




More Mesa Gateway Airport displays

Mesa Gateway Airport The former Williams Air Force Base is now known as Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. In addition to serving as a civil airport, it is frequently visited by military aircraft taking advantage of its limited traffic. Several pilot training schools operate at the airport. Allegiant Air provides passenger service to airports around the country on a fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-83s. An air tanker base occasionally hosts fire fighting tankers. Boeing has a test facility for hot weather tests and Advanced Training Systems Incorporated refurbushes Douglas A-4 Skyhawks.





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Boeing Prototypes

2020 Calendar

You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Boeing Prototypes.

Lockett Books Calendar Catalog: Boeing Prototypes

Lockett Books Calendar Catalog: Boeing Prototypes

A dozen photos of Boeing Prototypes. Aircraft pictured include:

367-80 Stratoliner N70700, MASDC, Arizona, November 12, 1973,
#1 747-121 N1352B, Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, June 18, 1973,
#2 EC-137D Airborne Warning and Control System 71-1408, Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, June 18, 1973,
#1 757-200 F-22 Avionics Testbed N757A, Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, February 13, 2006,
#1 767-200 Airborne Surveillance Testbed N767BA, Victorville, California, June 17, 2005,
#1 717-200 N717XB, Palmdale, California, September 24, 1999,
#1 737-900 Prototype N737X, Edwards Air Force Base, California, November 2, 2000,
#1 737-8EH Short Field N6067U, Santa Barbara, California, March 15, 2006,
YAL-1A Airborne Laser 01-0001, Boron, California, March 29, 2005,
#3 747-8F N50217, Mesa Gateway Airport, Arizona, June 21, 2010,
#3 787-8 N787BX, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Arizona, March 12, 2012,
#4 737-8 Max N8704Q, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Arizona, September 25, 2016.

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