After my post from earlier this month, one might suppose that I don't like the current trend of airline liveries. But as always, there's the exception that proves the rule, and this is it. Above and immediately below are Iberia's new colors on an A340-600. I apologize for the poor photos, but you get the idea.
And now, take a look at the livery that is being replaced by what you've seen above:
Eurowhite strikes me as an overdue return to airline dignity,
ReplyDeleteI am using this opportunity to express my continuous amusement at your mentioning of 'Boeing 777-200' (and also other types) without mentioning '-ER'. A-model 777s have never been all that numerous, and I suppose that from the point of ATC there is not much difference, but still... Of course, it is also possible I am taken in by Boeing propaganda, I mean, marketing!
ReplyDeleteI do not see the new Iberia colors as a 'definite improvement'. To the contrary, I think the new livery is stupefyingly bland. The old color-scheme was in warm colors, and the stylized IB on the tail showed you immediately which company the aircraft belonged to.
The new color-scheme, in addition to being Eurowhite, has probably the most generic looking font for the company name it is possible to use. As for the tail, there is nothing that immediately brings to mind 'Spain' or 'Iberian peninsula'. On closer scrutiny, the colors are the same of the previous livery, but omit the intermediate red. That is why there is nothing to associate the tail with the company. it is just a generic swoosh.
Patrick Smith, a pilot who wrote ( or blogged ) for Salon magazine, and later for Boston.com occasionally opined on airline liveries.
The Air New Zealand aircraft all look very nice, especially the All Blacks one. But it seems to be the only airline left which makes any effort to stand out.
The real classy outfits hardly ever change: KLM, Singapore, Air France, even Lufthansa. I especially liked the metal American scheme that is now being repainted.
In the last photograph of this article, focused on the ANZ 777, there is another one I dislike: the Air Canada 'toothpaste' livery.
The British Airways 'Landor' scheme remains much-lamented, as does the Delta Widget and the United Tulip.
One question on the third photograph, the one with the All Nippon landing ( original livery! ). The place of the former taxiway before the construction of E-8 is still marked with a yellow cross, despite taxiway shoulder markings and the whole area being painted green. Why is that?
--Filip
In the case of the B777 variants, to ATC they are transparent. As you point out, most of the B777s we get at LAX are some -ER or -LR model, but we don't necessarily know which. Our primary concern in the tower is whether the aircraft is a short- or long-fuselage model, as the longer B777-300s impose extra considerations on the runways and taxiways.
DeleteI agree that the IB on the old Iberia tail was nice.
The old E-8 is painted that way because, despite the green paint and shoulder markings, aircraft would still try to turn off there. This was more likely to happen at night or in wet conditions, apparently because the black paint over the old markings was more visible than the new markings. Since the addition of the yellow X (and some red lights at night), we've had no more trouble with pilots trying to turn at the wrong place.
I was wondering if you would know why many airlines choose the A320 family over the 737's? Granted 737 are plentiful, but many budget carriers around the world opt for the A320 for their short haul flights. Does it have to do with the higher profile of the jet? Can't be aesthetics.
ReplyDeleteSeveral of us in the tower have noticed the proliferation of Airbuses lately. On the north side, Terminal Two is about half Airbus users, while Terminal Three is almost exclusively Airbus. As to why, I imagine that it comes down to money -- airlines certainly don't consider aesthetics in their purchasing decisions. I wonder if US carriers are able to get discounted financing on Airbuses from the EU, just as foreign carriers are able to get discounted aircraft loans to purchase Boeings from the US. This has been in the news lately, as Boeing is in favor of the Export Bank, while Delta has been campaigning against it.
DeleteLOVE LOVE THE NEW 'IBERIA' COLORS..............TOOOOOO.......!!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you say the big difference the ATCs care about in the 777 family is the length of the fuselage. The -200LR and -300ER models have wingspans that are 13 feet wider, I guess that is not a concern when they are taxiing?
ReplyDeleteLooks to me like ANZ is trying to have their cake and eat it too with the 'semi-all-Black' paint scheme, they get almost the same buzz with less paint. I like it, though.
Maybe the smaller market at LAX is mostly Airbus, but once you go big it's mostly Boeing. The 330/340/380s are vastly outnumbered by the twin aisle Boeing products 747/767/777 and now 787s. I would guess there are more triple 7s than all 3 widebody Airbus jets combined (at LAX).
For a spotter such as myself, the big attraction at LAX is that it is the temporary home of more A380s than any other US airport.