EDI-AMS Edinburgh Scotland-Amsterdam Schiphol, Netherlands G-EZYP Boeing 737-33V, Easyjet Sched : 0610-0850 (AMS is +1 hour) Actual : Push 0620, Take off 0631, land 0832, gate 0840 Flight time : 61 minutes Easyjet flight cost 45 pounds (about $65 US roundtrip), usual low cost fare, really good value. This trip was specifically a photo trip, and although the viewing terrace at Amsterdam is open again after 911, we picked up a rental car and drove round to the Martinair hangars, to get take off shots. The following were highlights, in full sunshine: 4X-AXK 747-200F of El Al cargo LY-BAG 737-300 Lithuanian AL 9V-SPQ 747-400 Singapore G-EUOG A319 British AW (recent delivery) PH-BXS 737-900 KLM (they are looooonnng) PH-MCF 747-200 Martinair to the hangar, shot with a 40mm lens!! N408MC 747-400 Atlas Air in full Emirates SkyCargo colours OK-WGF 737-400 CSA 9V-SVB 777-200ER Singapore (on the daily AMS-JFK flight I think) 9A-CTG A319 Croatia ET-AJS 757-200 Freighter Ethiopian AL (the second time I've seen this at AMS and its still a stunning aircraft.) PH-XLI ATR42 KLM exel 9M-MRJ 777-200ER Malaysian 9K-AND A340-300 Kuwait AL B-16405 747-400 EVA Air TF-ATX 747-200F ex-British AW, all white top, Cathay grey belly, no markings, now operated by Air Atlanta on subcharters. B-18753 747-200F China AL Cargo, again a 40mm shot!! TC-JFM 737-800 Turkish SX-BKN 737-400 Olympic AW N76153 767-200 Continental AL (the first fat 767 I've seen of COA) F-OHGB A320-200 Royal Jordanian OD-AGP 707-320C of TMA Cargo ****The first time I've seen one of these babies in years, and the first TMA I've seen in their new scheme - the old one was better but such a joy watching a seven-oh lift into the sky again.***** B-HXD A340-300 Cathay PH-NLZ Metro II of NLR in all orange scheme PH-DBB 757-200 of Dutchbird - gotta be one of the most original schemes of recent years. Taking the car round to the landing runway: (Amsterdam has no fences here, only canals to prevent intrusion onto airport property.) SU-GBW A321-200 Egyptair, with new style blue tail, and Egyptair titles removed. G-UKTK ATR72 of KLM UK, repossessed from defunct Gill Aviation, who went bust in 2001. Aircraft still in basic Gill colours. Then a two hour drive to Dusseldorf in Germany. Sched : n/a Depart : 1730 Arrive : 2000 Equipment : Ford Focus 1.4 litre Estate (That's a station wagon to the US boys) :-)) Cheapo motel at 40 euros for two people (about $20 each). Dusseldorf, for the uninitiated, is probably one of the finest airports for spotting and photography. It has two terraces, one at the main terminal, and an even better one at the second terminal, which is also at the railway station. Provided aircraft are using the prevailing runway, the terrace overlooks the holding point, and a 737 can be photographed using about a 120mm lens. Noted on this cold and damp Saturday were : TC-SKC 737-800 of Sky Airlines (Turkey) D-AHFF 737-800 with winglets in new "sickle" style Hapag Lloyd colours D-ALPA A330-200 in "classic" LTU colours - I understand they experimented with a new style scheme before going back to the original colours. D-ALTD A320-200 in "trial" LTU scheme TC-ONK A300 Onur Air D-AERH A330-300 LTU LZ-LCX TU154M Bulgarian Air Charter (these guys are still rare in Western Europe) I-EXMA EMB145 Alitalia Express, later EXMD and EXMO. G-UKHP BAe146-300, Buzz (part of KLM UK in their disgusting yellow scheme) D-AMAJ Bae 146-100 of WDL, which is leased to Deutsche BA, and is in a hybrid WDL/BAW flowery tail scheme. TC-ONJ A321-100 Onur Air OH-LVA A319 Finnair SP-LGH EMB145 of LOT - a classy scheme IMHO D-ABAT 737-800 Air Berlin, with 2 others, again with winglets N130QS 737-700 BBJ of Netjets D-AHLZ A310-200 in old Hapag Lloyd colours N653UA 767-300ER of Untied, the Star Alliance one!! Z3-ARB MD81 of Avioimpex of Macedonia (Yugoslav Republic) - they had been reported as being down the toilet but this jet was on the move with pax. SU-GBV A321-200 of Egyptair, new colours SX-BBU 737-300 of Aegean-Cronus, Greece Return leg via Amsterdam to Edinburgh, UK: EZY863, G-EZYK, 737-33V, Easyjet Sched : 2205-2240 (-1 hour time difference) Push : 2200 Take off: 2214 Land : 2222 Gate : 2227 Flight time : 68 minutes Departure was behind a Polar Air Cargo 747-400, wind was gusting to 50kts, so take off was a little hairy, if extremely short. Jim