ANA's Star Wars BB8 777 at Dulles

A short time ago, at an airport near, near DC...

Episode IAD
DISCOVERY AT DULLES

It is a time of celebration.  All Nippon Airways has been building up its fleet on planet Earth.  With three new jets, ANA has set out on a mission to unite Star Wars fans across the galaxy.

ANA has sent its most daring crew on a mission to Washington, DC.  Piloting a 777-381ER with droid BB-8, the crew unites a group of allies gathered on the runway welcoming their guests.

With daily service between WASHINGTON, DC and TOKYO, All Nippon Airways continues to connect opposite sides of Earth.  After a short visit, BB-8 races home aboard his 777, offering passengers Star Wars themed accoutrements, before heading to the next special appearance destination...

I wanted the "waving" photos to resemble the farewell photos from the 25th Anniversary Flight event in 2011; several of my photos from that event made it into USA Today.

As an aside, here is a photo of me on R/W 1C / 19C's hold-short with my "big lens."  That is smoke from the ARFF burn facility in the distance - in other words, a controlled fire at a training facility during an exercise.  Thanks again to Airport Operations for getting me around the airfield quickly and safely to make these photos possible!

Etihad at Dulles (January 2013)

Once again, Dulles welcomes a new international carrier to the Washington, DC area.  The United Arab Emirates has recently seen a boom of travel demand to DC and beyond.  Several months ago I covered the beginning of Emirates Airlines' flight service to Dulles, and just a few months later Etihad Airways, the official state sponsored airline of the UAE, has also established a travel route to Dulles, serving the Washington, DC region.  I was present for Etihad Airways to cover the welcoming ceremonies, as well as document examples of the luxurious amenities offered in Etihad's First and Business Classes.  I was also fortunate enough to meet and take a quick photograph of the United Arab Emirates' US Ambassador, H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba. The day began with some light snow accumulation overnight and into the morning.  Ground crews were actively clearing ramp areas, and de-icing aircraft prior to departure.

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The picture below was one of several photographs of mine distributed as Etihad's press release images.

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Aboard the Boeing 777, I met and photographed the United Arab Emirates' Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba.

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Guests were given demonstrations of the aircraft amenities to expect on a flight.  First Class passengers interacted with the aircraft's head chef.  Seats in First Class can be customized to either offer an ottoman, a guest seat for meals, or even convert into a bed for long flights.

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Business Class travelers also enjoy gourmet meals and many seating options to make flight more relaxing.

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All classes enjoy world-class flight staff and modern airline amenities to stay connected, comfortable, and entertained.  Even children have special gift bags to make airline travel more enjoyable.

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Some of my photos have been made available on Etihad's website alongside Etihad's Press Release.  The release and my photos have been distributed to travel and aviation media, where my photos have been published covering this event.  Stay tuned here for updates from more media outlets.  Click the image caption to go to the full articles.

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