AUSTIN | ABIA Updates - Page 49

Austin1971 · #**961** Posted **Oct 31, 2013, 3:36 PM**

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GoldenBoot · #**962** Posted **Oct 31, 2013, 9:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Doesn't appear Aeromar will be serving Austin very long. In the first week alone they canceled several flights because of very poor bookings.

Darn...but, it's Aeromar. And it's a small plane. If I were going to MEX from ABIA, I'd take another airline over Aeromar. Having said that, a flight to MEX serviced by Aeromexico utilizing a B737 might have done better.

KevinFromTexas · #**963** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 6:11 AM**

There are two tower cranes at the airport. I guess these are working on the garage expansion, or no? I took some pics this evening. I'll have to edit, upload and post them tomorrow.

LoneStarMike · #**964** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 5:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

There are two tower cranes at the airport. I guess these are working on the garage expansion, or no?

Yes. Here's some photos I took on October 28 (that really, really foggy day.) You can see the cranes in a couple of the photos.

Terminal East Infill Project from curbside:

Terminal East Infill Project from curbside:

Terminal East Infill Project from inside the terminal. (Sorry for the glare) You can see the cranes for the CONRAC garage on the far left.

Cranes for the CONRAC garage from inside the terminal:

The AeroMexico flight:

KevinFromTexas · #**965** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 6:38 PM**

These are the cranes I was talking about. They're full sized tower cranes. I first noticed them at Riverside and 71. One of them is about 200 feet tall.

LoneStarMike · #**966** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:02 PM**

^^I think those must also be for the CONRAC Garage:

Renovated restrooms open in ticketing; Cranes land for CONRAC
October 28, 2013

Quote:

Two tower cranes are being installed this week as vertical construction begins on the Consolidated Rental Car Facility (CONRAC). The 125 and 164 foot cranes will be used to build the structure including columns, beams, and pouring of floors. The cranes will be on site through spring 2015 and will be relocated throughout the project. Pier work continues as 268 of about 400 concrete piers have already been buried 66 feet deep. The piers will support the 1.6 million square foot, five-level, cast in place structure.

sammyk · #**967** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

The AeroMexico flight:

Aeromar, not AeroMexico. Sorry for the nitpick!

KevinFromTexas · #**968** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 9:19 PM**

Well, I was way off on the height of that tallest crane. Kind of hard to tell with little to compare it to.

The ATX · #**969** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 9:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Well, I was way off on the height of that tallest crane. Kind of hard to tell with little to compare it to.

164' is not too far off from 200' - especially when there are no structures with a known height nearby.

LoneStarMike · #**970** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 9:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyk

Aeromar, not AeroMexico. Sorry for the nitpick!

Not nitpicky at all. You're right. That's what happens when I'm in a hurry and haven't had enough coffee yet.

That particular day, I only saw 14 in the waiting area of the gate for the Aewromar flight, but the flight was delayed due to the fog, so I guess there could have been more passengers elsewhere in the terminal.

Also noticed that Delta has completed the move from Gate 3 to Gate 4.

Austin1971 · #**971** Posted **Nov 4, 2013, 4:55 PM**

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Austin1971 · #**972** Posted **Nov 5, 2013, 7:54 PM**

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GoldenBoot · #**973** Posted **Nov 5, 2013, 10:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Here they come......

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW8368/history/20131105/0052Z/EGSS/KAUS

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW8368/history/20131105/1700Z/EGPK/KAUS

Austin1971,

With your knowledge of ABIA...do you know if there will be more charter flights (domestic and international) arriving and departing from ABIA for this year's F1 event vs. last year's?

Also, would you be able to provide us with the schedule of the larger aircraft (for photo opportunities)?

Thanks!!!

GoldenBoot · #**974** Posted **Nov 5, 2013, 10:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Here they come......

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW8368/history/20131105/0052Z/EGSS/KAUS

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW8368/history/20131105/1700Z/EGPK/KAUS

How long will these big guys be on the ground?

Austin1971 · #**975** Posted **Nov 5, 2013, 11:29 PM**

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KevinFromTexas · #**976** Posted **Nov 6, 2013, 12:51 AM**

Last year there were two 747s that were on the tarmac at the cargo area for most of the day. We went out to my sister's in Del Valle in the afternoon and they were both sitting there. Later that night at like 1 am, one of them had left, but the other one was still there.

There was also another 747 parked on the tarmac last month, I'm guessing for another race.

One of those 747 flights that Austin1971 posted is a 747-8. That plane is 250 feet long and has a 224 foot wingspan. So its length is more than double the width of Congress Avenue. The 747-8 is the 4th largest plane in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/747-8

GoldenBoot · #**977** Posted **Nov 6, 2013, 7:08 PM**

I had a late meeting downtown last night...so I decided to drive out to ABIA and watch the British Airways World Cargo B788 land around 8:50 last night. It was pretty cool seeing that big guy on the ground at ABIA.

LoneStarMike · #**978** Posted **Nov 7, 2013, 5:22 PM**

I don't see the actual press release about September traffic being released yet, but ABIA has posted the

Aviation Activity Report

Total September passengers were 785,983 - up 9.59% from September of 2012.

Total Y-T-D traffic was 7,441,800 - up 6.09% from the same period in 2012.

jngreenlee · #**979** Posted **Nov 7, 2013, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

I had a late meeting downtown last night...so I decided to drive out to ABIA and watch the British Airways World Cargo B788 land around 8:50 last night. It was pretty cool seeing that big guy on the ground at ABIA.

Do you have a recommendation for the best place to watch from?

the Genral · #**980** Posted **Nov 7, 2013, 10:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jngreenlee

Do you have a recommendation for the best place to watch from?

If you go to the end of Golf Course Rd, west off 71 just passed the east airport exit, if I remember correctly, there is a viewing area with paved parking and picnic tables near the 9000 foot runway. Best times are after 6am to around 10:30, for a few hours after noon, and then anytime after 7. Its a really cool vantage point where you can sometimes see simultaneous landings and takeoffs between the 2 runways, but you will miss the planes on the ground using the long runway. I like to catch the evening coming and goings, less highway traffic, less small aircraft like single engine, and you can see the stacked line of lights from incoming aircraft, up to 6 on a clear night. I haven't been there in years but I imagine its still there unless it's been removed for expansion projects. Perhaps austin1971 can verify this. I wouldn't mind going back especially now that the weather is cooler. They built this area to discourage parking and viewing along the road or private property which is dangerous and can get you ticketed by APD.