Another Plane While Cruising At 33,000, Wow!

9V-SPK · Thu Dec 06, 2001 12:07 am

Not really necessary 33,000 but ever get to catch another plane below/above the plane you are onboard while cruising at a......height?Impossible for you guys to stare out of the window for every minute so...how many planes have you caught into your eyes?

I remember i saw quite a number of planes but only could identify 2 while i was cruising at a quite high attitude, one was a UA B747 on my way to Singapore on SQ, couldn't really get a glimpse of the exact model as the plane was just like a bullet!

However this August on SQ B744 from SIN to HKG, got my second glimpse of a Japan Airlines MD-11 J-Bird around 25,000 metres (While my SQ flight was around 30,000 metres and above)!Was really surprised as i really got to look very clearly at the J-Bird and it was on the left side of the SQ plane, should be heading for Singapore or either Kuala Lumour according to its course.And it looked so close!Also it was my very first time i could look at a plane so carefully and patiently (Though it lasted only for...5 seconds while cruising at such a high speed!A Never-Can-Forget-Experience!

Share your experiences, i'm sure it'd really be unforgettable!At least for me...it really makes me feel so lucky to get another glimpse of another plane flying at a cruising height.Afterall...the sky's so big! Laugh out loud

Best Regards

El Al 001 · Thu Dec 06, 2001 12:15 am

On my way to EWR last July, while I was in the cockpit of an LY 777, somewhere over the Atlantic, an LH 742 captain called us for a 'premission' to pass us... Big grin

After few min' we saw the 747 passing us from the right side, he was faster than us in only 40 km/h, that was AMAZING!!!

Mike

CHRISBA777ER · Thu Dec 06, 2001 12:16 am

Saw a NW DC10 streak past in the opposite direction whilst on BA 742 LHR-BOS, must have been about five hundred feet above us, and about two miles off to the right, but it was a distincive plane , so there was no question it was what it was

CHRIS MORGAN

GRZ-AIR · Thu Dec 06, 2001 12:19 am

This february I sat in the Jumpseat of an Md-80 when ATC called us that we were gonna intersect with a KLM 747 and that we should descent because it would be easier for us to do that than for a heavy 747 . A few minutes later only a couple hunderd meters away directly in front of us the 747 crossed us. As this was over the ocean , no city lights and it just looked wonderful. The KLM captain called us later and thanked us ! Quite an experience !

Have nice day ,

Patrick Smile

steman · Thu Dec 06, 2001 12:39 am

Hey 9V-SPK,
I imagine you mean ft and not meters when you say 25,000 and 30,000, otherwise you would be able to see the International Space Station from your window at that height

Ciao

Stefano

TurbineBeaver · Thu Dec 06, 2001 1:07 am

Gundu,

MAN, 30,000 meters? What's it like up that high, I take it you were in the concorde!?!??!?

TB

gkirk · Thu Dec 06, 2001 1:11 am

30,000m is about 90,000ft!! FL900!!

VS744 · Thu Dec 06, 2001 2:02 am

on a MON A300, saw a BA 320 hurtling towards us about 1-2 miles off the right side. It just appeared out of the clouds and was gone in a flash...it made me realise that if another plane his us, we'd be wasted!

On a VS 744, I saw a US Airways A330 on apprach to LGW

on a BMI 321 I saw a Ryanair 737-800 on approach to DUB, and then in a stack for LHR, a BA A319, 757, 744, and a United 777.

On departure from MCO I saw 2 southwest 737's at about FL100 - FL150

Racers22 · Thu Dec 06, 2001 2:24 am

30,000 meters is 99,000 feet!!!

ILS · Thu Dec 06, 2001 2:28 am

I swear that this is true.

I was on a CO 733 back in 1996 from Louisville-IAH. The weather was terrible. It was about a 5:00 PM flight. We climbed to a lower altitude than normal for our temporary cruise at about 17,000 feet and we deviated into Tennessee. The weather was that bad. But, you could still see some light. At this altitude I swear I saw a silohueted figure of an ATR. It was the scariest thing I have ever experianced. I did not know what happened, but I saw it right out my, the silohouette maybe only 150 to 200 feet to my right.

GOT · Thu Dec 06, 2001 2:32 am

I flew GOT-LPA in April this year and I think it was the first time I saw another plane from cruise level. The first was a little RJ, probably a CRJ, not sure of which airline, but it might have been Tyrolean. It was flying below us, and from the moment I saw it until it had crossed our course it was only a few seconds.
The second a/c I saw this trip was a Hapag-Lloyd 737, outside the coast of Africa. It was headed in the other direvtion, a bit below us, and it was really cool, because it seemed so fast when we met.
Last time I saw another a/c like that was a flight to ARN. On final for rwy 26 I spotted two or three planes ahead also on final for 26.

GOT

pilatus · Thu Dec 06, 2001 4:41 am

The most interesting aircraft I have ever spottet while flying was only minutes after having left the european mainland for the transatlantic flight. I was aboard a BWIA Lockheed Tristar when I spotted a Air France Concorde on the right hand side of us!! I even could recognize the AF colours on its tail. I'll never forget that.

Another time i spottet a Delta Boeing 767, also while flying over the Atlantic on a Swissair DC-10, and last year, I was aboard a Delta B767, I spotted a Swissair A330 crossing our way about 500 mtrs above us.

This year I spottet a JAL 747, about 500 mtrs below us. I think this aircraft was descending to CDG.

brains · Thu Dec 06, 2001 4:49 am

About six years ago I was aboard a DL MD-88 from ATL to SRQ and I saw another DL MD-88 perhaps 2000 feet above and 500-1000 feet off the left wing. We stayed in "formation" like that for probably 10 min. Until we started our descent into SRQ. It was beautiful to be cruising at 30-35,00 feet and to be able to study an aircraft in cruise like that. It hasn't happened since except for fleeting glimpses of other aircraft close to airports at much lower altitudes.

UAL_777_Pilot · Thu Dec 06, 2001 5:08 am

I am a 777 Pilot for UAL , We have "permission to pass" come up pretty often , when you are in the cockpit , you can obviously see more aircraft then you could siting in the cabin . When we are crusing I see the most aircraft around EWR-LGA-JFK . Also crusing over ORD , or ATL provides a nice array of aircraft.

9V-SPK · Thu Dec 06, 2001 5:49 am

NAh if i really mean Metres....well probably this would go to the Space Aviation discussion!Nah of course i mean feet...
Sorry for the confusion, dididn' make that clear.

Best Regards

svenvdm · Thu Dec 06, 2001 6:14 am

In summer 1996 while on an LH 744 HKG-FRA somewhere over Eastern Europe I saw Qantas Wunala Dreaming zoom past in the opposite direction to our right about 1000f below us. That was the best in-flight spotting I ever did.

On the same flight I also got to sit in the cockpit and a Thai 744 came almost directly towards us and passed us to the left. Great vapor trails!

I usually look out the window when I listen to music and over Europe or Southern China I observed quite a couple of other planes in our vicinity. Same thing for transatlantic flights going in the same direction.

Great topic!
Sven

Guest · Thu Dec 06, 2001 6:16 am

I have seen many... I saw a KC135 dragging F16's once over Montana.

Its really cool seeing a plane going the opposite direction! 1000mph! (With close rate). Its sweet.

EGGD · Thu Dec 06, 2001 6:34 am

Flying BRS-AMS i see alot of aircraft arriving/departing London's airports.

I even took a photograph at 2000mm equivilent, of an aircraft leaving the runway at LHR, it sucked though Sad

Regards

Dan

Ikarus · Thu Dec 06, 2001 7:13 am

Well, there was that time I saw another Virgin Atlantic 747-200 out of another VS 742 flying parallel to us for almost 10 minutes.... (one on its way to Newark, the other to Dulles)

And when flying between London and Munich or Salzburg, you fly past Brussels, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt. My own personal record of "other planes seen during flight" on that route is 14. Out of which 8 were close enough to identify type, 3 close enough to identify type and airline.

On a recent Ryanair flight, we passed above a slightly slower Buzz 146 (presumably heading for DUS or FRA) - it was pretty close. On the same flight, a Lufthansa A310 shot past in the opposite direction a bit farther away, followed by a LOT 737 a few minutes later.

On my most recent flight (Virgin Atlantic SFO-LHR) I saw the BWIA Tristar shoot past rather close and below us in the holding pattern above Heathrow, and a BA 747. Same this summer, when a BA 744 was in front of us in the hold for LHR (I was in a BA A319)

I have started taking my camera with me on all flights, always set to Zoom level of 200mm (the maximum which still gives acceptable pictures through plane windows - at least acceptable by my personal standards) and to keep it on "manual focus" at max distance at all times. I've probably got 20-30 photos of 10 different planes taken in the air, but unfortunately all of them are too far away for airliners.net standards....

What I found really great was parallel approaches in CDG and IAD and ORD. Too bad I never had my camera with me back then....

Regards

Ikarus

serge · Thu Dec 06, 2001 7:18 am

"Impossible for you guys to stare out of the window for every minute so..."

I disagree... I stared out the window for the entire flights (except for a 5 minute bathroom break Big grin

) from PHX to DEN and DEN to BIL. Awww, the sunrise is beautiful! I got some photos I will post on my site once I develop them, if they are nice enough I'll submit them... Big thumbs up

But after all of that staring, I only saw 3 or 4 contrails while cruising!

This summer I was on a flight from MSP to BDL and I saw a MD-80 descending on the left... thats the most recent one I can think of.. Besides in a Cessna 172 following a Big Sky Metro III's approach down to ISN.

...Serge

donder10 · Thu Dec 06, 2001 7:21 am

Have seen from the ground that many flights pass next to each other over London.

H. Simpson · Thu Dec 06, 2001 7:41 am

I remember in july 1999, I saw a Manadrain 747-400 at FL350 cruisng 2,000 feet below us(NW18 HKG-NRT-JFK) i guess the plane was going to land at HKG, but I was definitly an experience when you see a HUGE 747 crusing opposite direction at 800mph. later I saw a Qantas 747 too, but I don't know why it comes from North.

my second experience was in 2000 which I fly from LGA-YYZ, our AA FK100 was at FL310 and a United 757-200 pass under us at about 4,000 feet below, with it's contrail and sunrise, I was the most beautiful scene I ever saw!

mike Smile

Ikarus · Thu Dec 06, 2001 7:42 am

Sometimes you can see up to 4 planes heading for LHR from Hyde Park and some of the bridges across the Thames (2 in the pattern, one about to join and the plane following that one in the loop), and occassionally even one more plane heading for LCY (in the opposite direction). London Skies are busy....

Regards

Ikarus

PdG · Thu Dec 06, 2001 8:43 am

On my flight from Vienna to Washingotn DC with an OS A330 we could see a second plane on the PTV.
The cabin crew told us that it was a second Austrian Airlines A330 going from Vienna to New York which started a few minutes before us.

We had them on our monitors for abaut 2 and a half hours (!) - either below or in front of us.

FLY777UAL · Thu Dec 06, 2001 9:19 am

Anytime I'm on approach to Narita from the West Coast, there's always a line of at least five VISIBLE aircraft from your seat both before and after you. Fun to watch them make the exact same turns as you did...it's like everyone's tied to a rope!

F L Y 7 7 7 U A L

TWA902fly · Thu Dec 06, 2001 9:26 am

When I flew ORD-SLC this summer on June 24 UA 727, I saw a NW A319 pass under us diagonally, listening to channel 9 , it was MSP-COS. Also a Southwest 737 was above us in the other direction flying SLC-MCI.

very busy sky that day. and we were following UA 1733 ORD-OAK about 15 miles ahead of us all the way from ORD.
twa902 chicago

Guest · Thu Dec 06, 2001 9:49 am

On a KLM Boeing 747-400 recently, I was flying at 36,000 feet in the air when I looked out the window and saw what looked like a USAF Stealth Fighter or B-2 Bomber!!! The aircraft was deep black in color, and had distinct polygonal shapes that outlined it. I was a bit far away from it, but I could definetely tell that it was no ordinary F-16 or Harrier. It sure was a magnificent sight to see!

fly_emirates · Thu Dec 06, 2001 10:14 am

I was flying on duty on Emirates airlines in aflight to heathrow on a 777, and then this huge BA 777 passes in intersection to us from the right side! wow

777gk · Thu Dec 06, 2001 10:20 am

I have seen tons of aircraft from what I like to call "The Highest Office in the World". Mostly GA traffic on our descent, and a lot of commercial around my home base, EWR.

A couple of cool selections from my years-

-Braniff Calder 727, 1970s while working a DC-10
-CO Max 777 over the Atlantic, 2001 while working a 764, we were with him for nearly 20 minutes
-Space Shuttle, 1997, on 757 approach to FLL
-BA Concorde in Supersonic flight, 1980s, we were chugging along on a 747 from LGW, when out of about the 11 o'clock position, a delta-winged plane streaked across the sky, later confirmation proved it was BA.
-Delta MD-11, 1993 or so, very low level, maybe 1500 above and 1.5 miles to our port.

Here are some interesting pics I have found.

Click for large version

Photo © Michiel Jas
Sept. 11 turnaround

Click for large version

Photo © Larry Gill

Click for large version

Photo © Ivan Rodriguez

Click for large version

Photo © Erik Frikke
Tally Ho!

Click for large version

Photo © Kevin Palko

EGGD · Thu Dec 06, 2001 10:23 am

Well, there was that time I saw another Virgin Atlantic 747-200 out of another VS 742 flying parallel to us for almost 10 minutes.... (one on its way to Newark, the other to Dulles)

You mean like this:

Click for large version

Photo © Robert Holbach

hhehe

Regards

Dan

KROC · Thu Dec 06, 2001 10:33 am

I got a nice deal on a plane ticket, and I was able to take leave and fly home on Christmas Eve. And well, as you can guess, I saw Santa Claus on his round the world delievery adventure. It was definatly a sight to behold, and one I always remember on the holidays!

Guest · Thu Dec 06, 2001 10:33 am

Hey what a coincidence! I was on a plane once on Christmas eve, maybe even the same Christmas eve you were flying.. We hit his fat ass. Had to make an emergency landing in Yellowfork Woods, Canada. Big thumbs up

rapo · Thu Dec 06, 2001 10:40 am

On a Boston bound flight out of Frankfurt in a USAir 767-200 a few years back, we were followed, and after 2 hours, passed by a LH A340 of all planes. He was also cruising about 1000 ft below us. Our guy must've left the gear down.

rapo

goboeing · Thu Dec 06, 2001 11:19 am

Probably the coolest thing I've seen from a plane as far as other traffic was while I was in a BA 777 last December. We were coming from PHL(flight 68) and there was a "snowstorm" in London. It turned out to be 2 inches of wet slush. Anyway, we were holding over Ockham VOR while the runways were being plowed and we circled for about 25-30 minutes. After 10 minutes or so of seeing Gatwick, then Heathrow, then Gatwick, then Heathrow, and so forth every turn, all of a sudden another BA777 appeared DIRECTLY under us. It must have been the minimum separation, because I could see which windows were closed and which weren't. Every time we made the right turn, there it was, same speed, same track aroud. There was also a 744 ahead of us. It was incredible, and the F/O came on and pointed it out after a few laps around. Then I realized it was the one with the cool black and white tail job, I picked up the safety card, and there it was!(G-RAES). So I was looking at a picture of the plane, and I was staring at it out the window! I counted 8 other planes in the orbit at different positions and altitudes. What an awesome view.

Nick/PHL

CVG777 · Thu Dec 06, 2001 12:31 pm

I was in an AF A343 last December flying CDG-ATL and about 4.5 hours into the flight I opened my window to see a KLM 767-300ER flying about 500 feet below us and just off to our right. It was an amazing sight that I watched for about an hour before my aircraft finally flew past it. Yes the A340 was actually flying faster than another aircraft. Smile

blink182 · Thu Dec 06, 2001 1:08 pm

I have seen several. Probably the best I've seen was while we were crossing the atlantic in an AA MD-11 LGW-DFW. I looked out my window, probably about 2 miles, away, there was a KLM 767. We probably stayed with them for about 20 min or so, it was really cool!.
rgds,
blink182

jmhLUV2fly · Thu Dec 06, 2001 1:46 pm

Consider this for a second, when you look out the window while in flight and see a United 747 zoom by ever so fast, consider for a second if you were on that United 74 and you were looking out and saw the plane you are presently on zoom by also. I say all this to point out, when you are flying it doesnt seem like you are moving very fast, like almost standing still, then when you see a plane go by, you say dang that plane was moving, but in reality if you were on the other plane looking at the other, your plane is moving just as fast or maybe even faster. Your both really halling tail.
JMH

paulc · Thu Dec 06, 2001 4:32 pm

On a CX 747-4 LHR-HKG a few years ago - it was over China and I was taking a few pictures of the ground etc - as I was doing this a Gulf Air 767 passed through the viewfinder just at the right time - I was pleased to see it was in the picture when I got them back a few weeks later

Ikarus · Thu Dec 06, 2001 6:55 pm

EGGD: Aw, common, and I was doing my best to restrain myself from that! Big grin

Anyways. If 777gk can put up a list of inflight photos, may I kindly point out one of the photo albums in my userprofile, which is a bit more complete in its scope of coverage of all airliners.net amateur air-to-airs? The ones shot by photographers flying on regular passenger airliners, surprised to see another plane outside?

BTW: One of my older and more detailled memories, dating back to when I was 5-7 years old, was being in a shopping mall in Toronto or Calgary after having flown there just a few days before, and looking into the window of a photo shop. The one-hour-photo machine was in that window, and you could see each and every photo being developped, dropping out of the machine. The pictures I saw being developped at that very moment filled me with unimaginable envy: A series of air-to-air shots of a plane, evidently taken by a passenger. I was soooo envious of the guy lucky enough to have seen it! At that time, I would always have to sit in Middle Seats (we never picked window seats in my family).

Regards

Ikarus

eg777er · Thu Dec 06, 2001 7:28 pm

How cool is this....

I was in the cockpit of a Gulf Air A330-243 en route LHR-BAH. As we were flying over Turkey, an aircraft (it was eventually turned out to be an A340) was heading right for us, on the same track but in the different direction.

As it was night, the Captain said 'let's see if he's awake' and briefly turned on all the strobes.

1 minute later, we recieved a corresponding light show from the other aircraft.

Made my day!

OO-VEG · Thu Dec 06, 2001 8:43 pm

On an EZY737 AMS-GVA I saw a United Airlines B777 crossing our way over us. It was nice to see just before sunset so the plane was beautifully lighted by the sun.

TonyBurr · Thu Dec 06, 2001 10:49 pm

A few years ago I was flying the BA Concorde LHR-JFK. Looking out the window and ahead, to the left and below I could see a "speck" in the sky. As we moved at an incredible speed we caught up to, flew above and passed a 747. It made me realize how fast the Concorde flew that we were able to catch up to and pass a jumbo like a 747!

ATA L1011 · Fri Dec 07, 2001 12:22 pm

On a charter L1011 from JFk to Gatwick at about 39,000 ft over the atlantic we caught and passed a USAIR A330. He was cruising about 1,000 feet or so below slightly to the right.

blink182 · Fri Dec 07, 2001 12:41 pm

Another experience I had real recently was in an American 767-300 LHR-ORD, we were starting our descent and the clouds were still a few thousand feet below us. I saw a JAL 744 intersecting paths with us, it also looked like it was descending. When we landed, we saw a JAL 744 sitting at the gate at about 9 am as we were taxiing into the international terminal. I like to think those 2 sightings were the same plane.

Also, we were descending into LHR when I saw what was probably an A320 about a thousand feet below us(still over clouds). It was really weird thinking that if that airline served the US, it would be with big jets. The morning light was too bright for me to identify the airline, it was pretty much a black shadow.

rgds,
blink182

rgds,
blink182

wn700driver · Fri Dec 07, 2001 5:30 pm

I think the niftiest thing I've ever seen as a passenger was aboard a BA742 inbound for LAX, in the early autumn of 1987. From the top of our inbound approach (somewhere over San Bernardino, or maybe Fontana), we ran parallel to a PA741. I knew this was a 747-121 series as it was close enough aboard to distinguish that it had only two pax windows in the upper-lobe. I remember waiting to see if it would pass us or perhaps the other way round, but it never did, eventually landing on the northern set of runways as we took the southern. Incindentally, watching another great AC approach and land as we did provided an amazing viewpoint to the entire approach/arrival evolution, and is what turned my interest toward aviation. Prior to that, I had never even considered making a living as a "driver"...

Cheers

shamrock104 · Fri Dec 07, 2001 9:45 pm

In 1996 when travelling on a CSA 737-500 from LHR to PRG in the morning somewhere over mid-germany i saw a Cathay Pacific (New Colours) 747-400 flying at very close range just below us

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