WestJet’s Magic Plane Coming To YXS
WestJet’s magic plane will arrive at YXS this morning. Photo courtesy WestJet
Prince George, B.C. – You might want to load the kids into the family vehicle and head out to the Prince George airport for a very special arrival today.
WestJet’s “Magic Plane” is schedule to arrive at YXS from Vancouver at about 10 this morning and will be on the tarmac for approximately half an hour before a 10:36 take-off for the return trip to the coast. The “Magic Plane” is a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a one-of-a-kind custom paint job featuring Walt Disney’s most famous character, Mickey Mouse, on both sides of the tail in a scene from the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
The plane, a collaboration between WestJet, WestJet Vacations and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, had its inaugural flight in December, 2013. Over the next five years it is scheduled to fly more than 400,000 people a total of eight million kilometers.
Comments
We didn’t need the extended runway to land this,
contrary to what the PG Airport would like to have us believe.
Wonder what they are paying WestJet to bring it here?
This plane is in WestJet’s regular “fleet” so is in service wherever WestJet wants it to be, the airport did not pay to bring it here.
Nice advertorial.
Having just come back from Disney in September, I can confidently say the Magic and the shine have definitely faded from Disneyland. The facility itself is still top notch, it’s the crowds that make it not so magical. I’ve been there in the height of summer before (Sept was my 6th visit to the Magic Kingdom) but I never experienced anything like this.
We found out afterwards that in 2008, Disney started offering Annual Passes on a monthly payment plan. Their Annual Pass holders usually plateaued at around 100,000. Now they have over a million Annual Pass Holders, all trying to get their money’s worth.
If you go, be prepared to queue for long periods of time.
Glad to see your still so very positive BCracer
Nowhere in any memo’s have I ever seen that the runway was expanded for 737s because they could already land here if you can find your source BCracer I am more than willing to listen
also the original runway could handle a 747 landing here The PG airport is one of 26 airports in Canada designated as an emergency landing for 747s and as such was required by transport Canada to have a fire crew on site 24/7
With the runway expansion the runway can now handle every known aircraft that currently flies today and it was specifically designed with Cargo planes in mind of which 30+ cargo planes have thus far landed at the airport for test runs and the PG airport has signed several carriers as a Tech Stop which can readily be found on many newspapers and on PG airports website all you need to do is look
Dearth….please help me out. I’m looking and looking for info on the 30+ cargo plane test runs and the signed up tech stop carriers. I can’t find anything. Thanks.
Actually the runway expansion had nothing to do with aircraft Landing and more to do with taking off. A fully loaded 747 requires 2 miles of runway to lift off.
I am quite positive there dearth…
and you didn’t get the tongue in cheeck about the runway.
I can’t find anythi gon those 30+ cargo planes either.
So far as I know not one plane that has landed in PG since the lengthening of the runway needed the extension.
and it is a pretty plane….
but I still think there was a monetary reason it is arriving here ….beyond regular airfares ….
but I may be wrong, wouldn’t be the first ime..probably won’t be the last, enjoy the pretty blue plane
Answer the question bcracer was the runway lengthened for the 737 or not? Do you still believe the airport payed Westjet considering contrary information? Actually it was Westjet that paid the airport.
Quick and dirty, most 737-800s produced require a minimum runway length of 8181 feet at maximum takeoff weight and all require a minimum 148 feet width.
The next step will be taking out few flight seats at the back of airplane and replace them with small carpets and calling it the magic carpet experience with the flight crew all dressed and named after Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie/Jenni :)
seamut, I just found it a little strange that it came here ….and no I don’t believe the runway was lengthened for the 737, I think it was lengthened for a pipe dream that will probably never come true.
I don’t think there have ever really been any intention of usng this aircraft in pg on a regular basis… when was the last time flights out of Pg had between 162 to 189 passengers, the capacity of this aircraft?
I can’t remember it….
but if they have the people to move on a regular basis, then I suppose they will need this size plane ….
I won’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen.
but if it happens…great!
Dearth. I watch the newspapers on a regular basis, and also the website for YXS and have never seen anything to indicate that 30+ Cargo Jets landed here for test runs. Nor have I seen anything to indicate that YXS has signed any tech stop agreements.
So. The onus is on you to back up your statements with some facts. If in fact what you say is true, then you should be able to guide us to where this info is.
On the other hand in a small town like Prince George, with a limited number of planes landing and taking off, plus all the money spent on the runway expansion, any arrival of a cargo plane, or any signing of a tech agreement would be big news. Something like the Russian Anotov 124 that landed to pick up a few helicopters, and the Southern Air 747 that was enticed to land here a few years ago, but never returned.
Palopu……I politely asked Dearth to back up his/her statement…..but I think we both know the real answer.
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