Coulson Flying Tankers brings Martin Mars to Long Beach

Back in June 1997, Coulson Flying Tankers brought Martin JRM-3 Mars (c/n 9267) C-FLYL "Hawaii" down to Long Beach and landed in the channel next to the Queen Mary.

At the time the company I believe was trying to win a fire fighting contract with either Los Angeles County or CAL Fire for the upcoming fire season and Long Beach Harbor was the best location for the aircraft to demonstrate her capabilities.

In the second photo, you can see Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina (c/n CV-560) N322FA "Scarlet" in the distance behind the Martin Mars operated by Airborne Fire Attack who was also performing demonstration flights for both fire agencies. The company was local with the PBY being based at John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA/KSNA).

Sadly the aircraft was written-off a short time later on August 1, 1997 on San Vicente Reservoir in San Diego County. The crew was performing a water scoop and while doing so the nose gear doors opened causing the aircraft to flip. Both pilots were injured but survived the accident.

(Photos by Michael Carter / Aero Pacific Images)

(Kodachrome K64 Slides)

VASP MD-11 (48413/488) PP-SOW

Captured on short final to Rwy 24R at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on November 10, 1997.

Delivered to the carrier on Valentines Day February 14, 1992, she served with the carrier until finding her way to Varig as PP-VQL on May 12, 2000.

Following her conversion into a cargo aircraft in 2005, she went into service with Lufthansa Cargo as D-ALCO flying for the German carrier until being WFU on December 21, 2013.

Ferried to Tulsa International Airport (TUL/KTUL) on January 23, 2014 she sat in storage until sadly meeting her fate and being broken-up at Tulsa sometime in 2014 from what info I can gather.

(Photo by Michael Carter / Aero Pacific Images)

(Kodachrome K64 Slide)

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-5H4 (25318/2121) N519SW

Is captured sporting a special Christmas livery ***(Reindeer on aircraft nose and small Elf just behind forward door)*** in December 1991 at an unknown airport.

The aircraft was delivered new to the carrier on September 17, 1991. Following 21 years of service with Southwest Airlines she was retired on June 12, 2012 and has since presumably been broken-up.

(Photographer Unknown / Kodachrome K64 Slide)

(Michael Carter Slide Collection)

Tao Domestic Airlines (TDA) MD-81 (48071/1004) JA8469

Deploys the thrust reversers as it arrives at Osaka - Itami International (ITM / RJOO) on April 4, 1982.

(Photo by K. Murai / Kodachrome K64 Slide)

(Michael Carter Slide Collection)

Air China Airbus A350-941 (c/n 217) B-1083 ex F-WZNU

Air China Airbus A350-941 (c/n 217) B-1083 ex Airbus F-WZNU, sports the special livery "Beijing Expo 2019" at Frankfurt Rhein-Main International (FRA / EDDF) following her arrival on an unknown date.

(Photo by Udo Schaefer / Fujichrome Provia 100 Slide)

(Michael Carter Slide Collection)

Emirates backs away from Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Emirates appears to have made good on speculation that it might scrap plans for an order for 40 787-10 Dreamliners from the Boeing Co.

According to the Emirates Group 2018-2019 annual report, the deal no longer appears among its fleet and future orders information as it did the previous year.

Bloomberg reported in February that Emirates was considering such a move in favor instead of potentially ordering more of Boeing's coming 777X.

The deal for the 787-10s, the largest variant of Boeing’s Dreamliner family, was worth $15.1 billion at list prices when it was announced at the Dubai Airshow as an order commitment.

However, the order was never announced as having been finalized.

Had it come to fruition, the order would have meant new production work in Wichita, where Spirit AeroSystems Inc. builds the complete forward fuselage and other components of the 787 for Boeing.

Still on the books at both Emirates and Boeing, however, is the carrier’s order for 150 777X and its options for 50 more.

Spirit builds the forward fuselage structure and other components on that aircraft.

(Daniel McCoy - Wichita Business Journal)