I left home a few minutes later than I had hoped, took my four year old daughter. Was planning to drive around to the west side of the runway after driving around the north end of the airport. I turned off of 19th Street onto Aero Drive, and I saw it off in the distance. It's so big, I though I didn't have enough time to continue driving, so I parked under the flightpath on Aero Drive (with a bunch of other people, and quite a few pulled over on Airport Trail too). Stood there and waited for 2-3 minutes, probably could have made it to the west side.
But then again, I doubt that you could get much closer to the plane then where we were standing. However, you can't see the plane actually touch down from where we were. We heard the flap noise though.
The WestJet 737 that followed immediately after the Antonov looked like a tiny Cessna.
Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
Exp:
Just got home from work....was able to watch the 225 land from about 300' away (looked like it was moving in slo-mo), watched it taxi onto apron 2 and then were able to drive right up to it.
One word......unbeleivable.
The thing is so bizarrely large it looks like it is not real.
Was able to stay long enough to watch the nose flip up and then the front end kneel down and then the ramp come down. I counted at least 14 members of the flight crew who flipped down the last legs of the ramp. There was a 300 ton crane standing by to unload 6 flatbeds full of natural gas plant equipment. There were at least 4 film crews and 10 photographers along with 100's of YYC employees all taking it in.
The enormity of the thing was really put in perspective when the Nolinor cargo also came onto apron 2 (its a 737) and was completely dwarfed by the 225.
I believe when it departs it will have to go Juliet/Victor to Juliet and then depart South over the city.
When i left the crew was doing some maintenance so perhaps the departure was delayed, but last i was told was a 15:15 ETD.
Just an incredible piece of engineering and technology.
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