Tour of UPS air cargo in Spokane

[jrh]

Today I went with 15 students from the aviation club at my college to tour several places in Spokane, WA. We toured the control tower and a KC-135 at Fairchild AFB in the morning, then visited the control tower/tracon at KGEG (Spokane International) and the UPS air cargo facility at KGEG in the afternoon.

Everybody had a great time. On the way home, it was cool to hear a couple guys who had been working on their private licenses all year saying, "Man...I've gotta finish this license off!" It was definitely a motivating trip. Very cool to explore a UPS 767.

The famous Don Eikenberry (DE727UPS) helped us coordinate the tour with UPS and came out to help show us around the plane. For those of you who haven't met Don before, he's the guy in blue jeans and baseball cap in the pictures.

Don, even though I've told you before, I'll say it again...it was great meeting you, and many thanks for your help with the tour!

[n57flyguy]

Jelous!!! man, those things are beautiful aircraft. would truly be a pleasure to fly. Just a quick question though, how much cargo can that bad boy hold, never really thought about it, and its amazing that they can fly wiht all that in them. Awsome pics, thanks for posting.

[Dugie8]

Jeez, where are the -8s, a real mans airplane, wimpy little boeing. pffft

[Realms09]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

Jeez, where are the -8s, a real mans airplane, wimpy little boeing. pffft

Technically, -8s are Boeing too

[Dugie8]

Originally Posted by Realms09

Technically, -8s are Boeing too

Oh, it's on now, you better recognize! The DC-8 is in no way, shape, or form a boing. Boeing Corp, merely provides engineering and mx support for the airframe since the aircraft has outlasted its company.

....mumbles off about calling his beloved DC-8 a Boeing.....


20 bucks to anyone who can tell me the real meaning of DC in DC-8!!

[Realms09]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

Oh, it's on now, you better recognize! The DC-8 is in no way, shape, or form a boing. Boeing Corp, merely provides engineering and mx support for the airframe since the aircraft has outlasted its company.

....mumbles off about calling his beloved DC-8 a Boeing.....


20 bucks to anyone who can tell me the real meaning of DC in DC-8!!

The Boeing Douglas Corporation.

[DE727UPS]

Cool pics. I've never seen someone open that lower cargo door before. I was kinda in awe. That things as big as the main cargo door on a 727.

Someone asked me how you preflight a 767. Not much you can do except walk around looking for leaks, check the tires, and make sure all the big parts are there.

[DE727UPS]

"Just a quick question though, how much cargo can that bad boy hold"

I would think we usually bulk out before cargo weight is an issue. Of course, how much fuel you have is the big thing. The 767 can carry 161, 700 lbs of gas. I think the most cargo I've seen is 100,000 lbs.

[Dugie8]

Originally Posted by DE727UPS

"Just a quick question though, how much cargo can that bad boy hold"

I would think we usually bulk out before cargo weight is an issue. Of course, how much fuel you have is the big thing. The 767 can carry 161, 700 lbs of gas. I think the most cargo I've seen is 100,000 lbs.

Is that the -300 model??

[DE727UPS]

Yeah, -300ER

[PanJet]

It was a great tour Don! Thanks so much for everything!

[genkukov]

Thanks, Don. Your talk about the 767 taught me SOO much. It was really cool. Again thanks.
-Kukov

[bLizZuE]

Wish I could have seen it, I miss home.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Dugie8

Jeez, where are the -8s, a real mans airplane, wimpy little boeing. pffft

Real planes have slats...

[FlySooner9]

jrh.. im very interested in who you contacted to get these tours set up. I am planning on haveing an aviation club related event in the Dallas area this summer and would like to atleast try to set up some cool aviation things in the area. I know its extremely hard post 9/11 but would still like to atleast try. Thanks for any help you can give me. Also while im on this subject are there any Southwest , American, or American Eagle, oh and FedEx, or UPS pilots here i could talk to. Thanks again

[DE727UPS]

"UPS pilots here i could talk to"

Sure, what did you want to say?

I couldn't find an email for the DFW operation. 972-456-4774 in the phone number. I'd ask for the ACP's office or the secretary in flight ops. They are an especially nice bunch at the DFW gateway. Hope you can work something out.

[Bandit_Driver]

I should have dropped you a line last month DE727. I spent 2 days in SEA last month...Totally forgot you were out there.

[DE727UPS]

Spokane is easy to forget, unless you're an Air Force pilot...

[FlySooner9]

thanks for the contact DE727UPS

[jrh]

Originally Posted by Craig_Davidson

jrh.. im very interested in who you contacted to get these tours set up.

For the Fairchild AFB tour I contacted the Public Relations division of the base. I found their web site through Google. They were generally helpful, but be prepared for a bunch of government paper shuffling. They needed me to fill out a special tour request form, then send them a roster of all the people who would be visiting, then wait for a few weeks while they set everything up. The PR person on their end coordinated the tour with each area and sent us a detailed itinerary for the visit. Even though it took some work to set up, they were very organized and professional about it once we got there.

For the civilian tower/tracon tour at KGEG we contacted the control tower through their published phone number. Sometimes Google will be helpful ("Spokane air traffic control tower phone number") or the FAA's web site. If nothing else, you can call a Flight Service Station (1-800-WX-BRIEF) and ask a briefer for the number to whatever facility you want. When you call the facility, just tell them you have a group of pilots who would like a tour and most places are very helpful about helping you set one up.

In fact, that's a good lesson in general for setting up tours--just start calling around, explaining what you'd like to do, and ask to speak to whoever could help you. Our club has toured the Boeing assembly plant at Everett, the Clay Lacy FBO at Boeing Field, and Kenmore Air, a big floatplane operator in Seattle. In all of those cases we started by Googling them, calling their front desk number, and working from there. Sometimes it took a lot of phone tag, but it's surprising how willing to give tours most places are as long as you give them plenty of advance notice.

[PanJet]

Originally Posted by jrh

Our club has toured the Boeing assembly plant at Everett, the Clay Lacy FBO at Boeing Field, and Kenmore Air, a big floatplane operator in Seattle. In all of those cases we started by Googling them, calling their front desk number, and working from there. Sometimes it took a lot of phone tag, but it's surprising how willing to give tours most places are as long as you give them plenty of advance notice.

Don't forget, we were able to set up a tour with Seattle ARTCC as well, but weren't able to do it due to scheduling.

[FlySooner9]

thanks for the info folks.

[PGT]

pic#3...the kid in the green polo has a funny facial expression.

looks like it was a blast

[DE727UPS]

I think Pic#3, if you look closely, was we were all in awe of the forward lower cargo door on the 767. If you were there, you'd know what I mean...

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by DE727UPS

I think Pic#3, if you look closely, was we were all in awe of the forward lower cargo door on the 767. If you were there, you'd know what I mean...

..Is it a portal to "middle earth" or something?

Frodo Baggin's: "Oh Sam I thought I would never see you again,I missed you so much,promise you'll never leave me again,tell me I'll never again be without you Sam."

Sam Wise: "Oh Mr. Frodo I thought for a moment that you were lost to me forever to and that I'd never again have a chance to see you again. But I'm here Mr. Frodo and I'll never leave your side again. I'm here to take care of you forever Mr Frodo,you'll never be without me again."



...Yeah I just saw "Return of the King" for the 10th time! If you've seen it you know what I mean.