Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR

Post Reply
  • 1
  • 2
 
The777Man
Posts: 6163
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 1999 4:54 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:01 pm

Quoting tgocean (Reply 43):
The new livery makes it very difficult for us spotters to read the N-number when the aircraft is parked at the gate. Its new lower position is hidden by the wing. Dang! My last trip (SFO - SNA) on an A-319 was the first in more than a decade that I completed without bagging the hull number. Other than that, a nice looking bird.
Quoting skipness1E (Reply 44):
Fleet number hould also be on the nose wheel if that's visible, the reg can be gotten from that.

On the UA smart phone app., if you check flight status, you will also get the fleet number for the mainline UA/CO aircraft. It works a two days back and two days into the future as well.

The777Man
Top
 
tu154
Topic Author
Posts: 367
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:37 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:16 pm

I Just worked a/c 2029, an IPTE B777 from IAD to ORD. (In the battleship grey colors.)

The captain thinks the grey scheme should be gone in a few weeks, and that a/c may be the last mainline plane in battleship grey.

It really is amazing how fast they are repainting UA mainline jets. The B concourse in ORD was full of "New" UA A320's and a few 737's...While the C side was mostly "new" B767's.....
Top
 
icanfly
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:10 pm

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:49 pm

For me personally United's "Blue Rising" livery is one of the most beautiful in the world - light and fresh and the lustrous blue shades evoke those of the sky and the sea. I recently flew on a United 744 with that livery from SFO to SYD and as day broke over the Pacific a few hours out of SYD, the contrast of the blue painted engines against the first rays of sun was breathtaking!
Top
 
Beardown91737
Posts: 899
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2011 10:56 pm

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:28 pm

Quoting icanfly (Reply 52):
For me personally United's "Blue Rising" livery is one of the most beautiful in the world

Some day in the near future, we won't be able to see it on an active aircraft anymore. I am not looking forward to that. With the aggressive repaint schedule, the rumor that there would be a new fresh unified brand is quickly fading. At least the Battleship scheme is gone. SInce 1993 it has always felt like UA's attempt to copy New Coke.

The blue rising was something we should have seen more of and should still be seeing. For now in my opinion the best current paint scheme belongs to US.
Top
 
Dornier328Jet
Posts: 106
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2006 5:43 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:45 pm

I was at ORD over the holidays and I spotted what looked like a 763 in the battleship scheme. I have a picture I took with my phone and on second look I guess it could have been a 772, but it's hard to tell because of the distance. It was a cool picture though. I got the battleship, blue, and post-merger schemes in one shot. Personally I loved the grey colors, probably because I grew up with them. I liked the rainbow scheme too, but I wasn't a fan of the blue tulip. I actually prefer the globe to the blue tulip. I wish UA had done something new, though. The white schemes are getting boring.
Top
 
N960AS
Posts: 436
Joined: Mon May 01, 2000 3:46 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:47 am

Quoting icanfly (Reply 52):
For me personally United's "Blue Rising" livery is one of the most beautiful in the world - light and fresh and the lustrous blue shades evoke those of the sky and the sea. I

I'm with you there. That scheme was a winner, Saul Bass' iconic tulip, restyled by Pentagram....was really an A+. I see the poster merger planes and I still think, "that's not my airline."
Top
 
User avatar
United_fan
Posts: 6719
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2000 11:11 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:53 pm

At least whoever is painting the new colors is having better luck with adhesion. I remember seeing whole sheats of paint stripped off.
Top
 
FX1816
Posts: 545
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 8:02 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:23 pm

Quoting United_fan (Reply 56):
At least whoever is painting the new colors is having better luck with adhesion. I remember seeing whole sheats of paint stripped off.

Many are being done here at Leading Edge in Victorville. Most nights we work one in one out around midnight. Most of the aircraft that come into VCV are 752's and 772's. For some reason one night I though I saw 772 in the data block and called it a heavy, it was just a 752 but the pilot did say thanks!

I personally like the CO livery, they seemed to do a good job of keeping it clean so it would continue looking nice. I for one will not miss the battleship grey though but I will miss the blue one they have now. Too bad they wouldn't just go back to painting ALL the A/C into the Saul Bass colors, that would be amazing!!

FX1816
Top
 
A388
Posts: 8256
Joined: Mon May 21, 2001 3:48 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:13 pm

I haven't read the explanation of why the new UA chose to keep the CO livery and only change the name to United. Was the CO livery more popular or stronger domestically and internationally that made the new UA decide to do away the UA livery and keeping the CO livery?

A388
Top
 
FX1816
Posts: 545
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 8:02 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:17 pm

Quoting A388 (Reply 58):
I haven't read the explanation of why the new UA chose to keep the CO livery and only change the name to United. Was the CO livery more popular or stronger domestically and internationally that made the new UA decide to do away the UA livery and keeping the CO livery?

A388

Just a guess but I think it may have been done this way to get the UA name on all of the A/C quickly without having to repaint the whole fleet. It was much easier to replace the Continental titles with United titles. This way basically half the fleet would already be painted after the name change. I know that UA had a larger fleet than CO but I think you get my point.

FX1816
Top
 
Northwest727
Posts: 379
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:38 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:53 pm

Last time I flew UA (September, 2011), I had connecting flights on OO, and both CRJs were still in the battleship livery, very worn and in dire need of a repaint. I think one of the two A320s I flew also had the battleship livery, the other the blue/white scheme.
Top
 
warden145
Posts: 539
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 8:36 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:02 pm

Quoting The777Man (Reply 50):
On the UA smart phone app., if you check flight status, you will also get the fleet number for the mainline UA/CO aircraft. It works a two days back and two days into the future as well.

Is there any chance UA's going to extend this capability to the website version? I'm checking UA flights all the time on the computer for my job, but I don't yet have a smartphone...
Top
 
captainstefan
Posts: 338
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 7:53 am

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:26 pm

Quoting tgocean (Reply 43):

The new livery makes it very difficult for us spotters to read the N-number when the aircraft is parked at the gate.

Agreed. Single biggest reason I don't like the Continited livery.

Quoting United787 (Reply 47):
Where can you get that information?

I stumbled upon the DOT's BTS, which keeps track of every US domestic flight's on time performance, delays, reasons, etc including the reg. of the aircraft. Just have to know the date, route and flight number.

bts.gov/xml/ontimesummarystatistics/src/dstat/OntimeSummaryDepatures.xml

Only downside is it takes a couple months for them to post the data.
Top
 
User avatar
atcsundevil
Moderator
Posts: 6130
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:22 pm

RE: Last Of The UA Battleship Grey Livery

Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:55 pm

Quoting A388 (Reply 58):
I haven't read the explanation of why the new UA chose to keep the CO livery and only change the name to United. Was the CO livery more popular or stronger domestically and internationally that made the new UA decide to do away the UA livery and keeping the CO livery?

CHEAPER!! Both fleets are about the same size and mix of narrowbodies and heavies, except one fleet is all in one scheme (and in good condition) and the other fleet is in limbo between two schemes about 50/50, and most of the older scheme is peeling and faded. Instead of full repaints for a new livery on about 700 airplanes, they took the cheaper route. At least they're stripping to bare aluminum during the repaints and doing it right -- US didn't for some of them when they rushed though to finish up, and some of their recently painted airplanes look like crap because the old scheme is showing through. Not to mention it saves about 300+ lbs by stripping the old paint.

At least the scheme will be consistent throughout the fleet (a norm for CO, a first for UA) and all the airplanes will look clean and new.
Top
Post Reply
  • 1
  • 2

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ANA787, BAVol, Bluebird191, BOEING777EK, BW985, capejet, CDGIAD, ChicAAgoFanBoy, ChicagoAlex, CONTACREW, CriticalPoint, December17, deltaSEAalsaka, derek0aa, docmtl, drgmobile, ekte, Fex180, FGITD, Harry1301, Hash00, ilive4planes, itripreport, JohanTally, Jos227, jpiddink, juan21, kitplane01, KLASM83, kngkyle, LambertMan, Lennundus, LH779, LHUSA, LovePlanes74, matthew11, Montana, mooseofspruce, NameOmitted, Nils75cz, notdownnlocked, PA815, PhilInBRN, PHLspecial, planecane, retiredmx, Sascha81, schernov, SLCaviation, slowrambler, Speedbird2155, stl07, swacle, Theseus, Tolbs, TUGMASTER, TWAGuy, tyatoth, vandoc, voxkel, Want2fly, warpedreality, yhu, yowflyboy, ZaphodHarkonnen and 317 guests

Popular Searches On Airliners.net

Top Photos of Last:   24 Hours  •  48 Hours  •  7 Days  •  30 Days  •  180 Days  •  365 Days  •  All Time

Military Aircraft Every type from fighters to helicopters from air forces around the globe

Classic Airliners Props and jets from the good old days

Flight Decks Views from inside the cockpit

Aircraft Cabins Passenger cabin shots showing seat arrangements as well as cargo aircraft interior

Cargo Aircraft Pictures of great freighter aircraft

Government Aircraft Aircraft flying government officials

Helicopters Our large helicopter section. Both military and civil versions

Blimps / Airships Everything from the Goodyear blimp to the Zeppelin

Night Photos Beautiful shots taken while the sun is below the horizon

Accidents Accident, incident and crash related photos

Air to Air Photos taken by airborne photographers of airborne aircraft

Special Paint Schemes Aircraft painted in beautiful and original liveries

Airport Overviews Airport overviews from the air or ground

Tails and Winglets Tail and Winglet closeups with beautiful airline logos