The Wandering Disciple

The rebirth of the Blueprint livery by JetBlue Airways captures the airline’s innovative spirit, transforming a modern Airbus into a flying design sketch that celebrates the artistry behind aviation. With its intricate technical markings and blueprint-style lines stretched across a deep blue fuselage, the aircraft feels like a concept brought to life—symbolizing both the airline’s forward-thinking identity and its roots in creative disruption. As JetBlue continues to evolve its fleet and branding, this revived livery stands as a bold reminder that every flight begins with an idea, meticulously drawn and ultimately realized in the skies. Taken: May 20, 2026 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

A brand new Airbus A321neo flown by United Airlines lands at Southwest Florida International Airport. This landing marks the first visit by a United A321neo at RSW. The particular plane still sports a new plane smell as it has only been in revenue service for about a week.  The new engine option or NEO, is a redesigned A321 featuring a more efficient engine resulting in a smaller carbon footprint and a more comfortable cabin giving passengers a better in-flight experience. The A321neo launched in December 2023 and will be expanding as United has ordered 130 aircraft.  Taken: January 11, 2024 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

A pair of Boeing 737 Max 9's sit on the north ramp after being grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration. On January 5th, an Alaska Air Max 9 had a door separate from the fuselage resulting in a cabin decompression event and an emergency landing by the aircraft. Upon investigation, the FAA determined this was a dangerous condition effecting all Max 9's and forced the grounding of all Max 9's until the condition can be resolved by Boeing.  The Max aircraft is the latest next-gen aircraft made by Boeing. The aircraft while technologically advanced has had its share of problems. This is the second system wide grounding of the Max fleet. The previous grounding order effected the Max 8 series and the TCAS system failure that resulted in two crashes overseas.  Taken: January 8, 2024 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

The air traffic control tower shines bright against a painted sky as the sun rises over Southwest Florida. The new tower stands as a welcome beacon over the airport greeting travelers with a light show as they arrive into Fort Myers.  Southwest Florida International Airport is the gateway to the southwest side of Florida's Gulf coast. The airport connects over 10 million passengers a year to destinations throughout the United States, Canada, Germany and Cuba.  Taken: January 4, 2024 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

Lynx Flight 655 touches down at Southwest Florida International Airport on the inaugural flight from Toronto. The Canadian carrier will provide four flights a week from Southwest Florida to Canada using the Boeing 737 Max aircraft.  Lynx Airlines is a ultra low-cost carrier based in Calgary. Founded in 2022, Lynx provides services to 18 destinations in Canada and the United States.  Taken: December 1, 2023 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

An Avelo flight pushes back from the gate at Southwest Florida International Airport ready to take a plane full of passengers on their travel adventure. Avelo will be taking us on our next travel adventure as we prepare to embark on a trip to eastern Pennsylvania.  Be sure to check back in the coming weeks as we bring fresh content from Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Harrisburg and more.  Taken: November 3, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

An Avelo Airlines flight taxis to the gate at Southwest Florida International Airport showing off its colorful tail in the Florida sun. The airlines connects Southwest Florida with three destinations; New Haven, Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington DE.  Avelo Airlines is a relatively new low cost carrier servicing the United States. Founded in April 2021 from the former Xtra Airways, Avelo's fleet of 15 Boeing aircraft service 34 destinations. We will be taking our first flight on Avelo in July as we fly from Fort Myers to Wilmington for our Mid-Atlantic vacation.  Taken: May 8, 2023 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

In the aviation community, special liveries represent paint schemes that are not the primary look for an airline.  They can provide spotters with an adventure to try and see each special livery the airlines have to offer. Special liveries are used to spotlight corporate sponsorships, special events, aviation/airline milestones and even the history of an airlines. This special livery is JetBlue's retro livery.  While JetBlue is a rather new airline when it comes to the history of commercial aviation, this airline pays tribute to the golden era of aviation.  To honor this special livery, I photographed it in black and white to further enhance the retro look.  I believe this is the first black and white photo I have published so I hope you enjoy it.   Taken: May 3, 2023 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

  The Medal of Honor is the highest military honor bestowed upon heroes who displayed "Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty". Awarded by the President in the name of Congress, over 3,500 heroes have been recognized since the inception of the honor in 1863.  To honor these heroes, American Airlines released Flagship Valor. Dedicated to recognize the Courage, Sacrifice, Integrity, Commitment, Patriotism and Citizenship of these heroes, Flagship Valor was unveiled by American Airlines in March 2022 to be a flying memorial to Medal of Honor recipients.  Taken: December 12, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

A Hawker Hunter buzzes Runway 6 at Southwest Florida International Airport during a sunny December afternoon. The warm late Fall/winter weather of the Sunshine State makes for great flight training over the Gulf of Mexico and every once and a while one of the aircraft will make a pass at RSW during the sortie.  This Hawker Hunter is flown by Airborne Tactical Advantage Company a defense contractor that flies as an adversary during training missions. The civilian cadre of pilots fly foreign military aircraft like this former Swiss Air Force Hawker Hunter.  Taken: December 6, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

Fort Myers, Florida: This week marked a spotting milestone of sorts for me.  Since entering into service, the Airbus A220 has been making its way into the market and there are four potential airlines for me to photograph the A220 from an airport within close range of my home.  I have already photographed the A220's of Breeze, Delta and JetBlue.  This week I was able to get number four when Air Canada brought in their A220 on the Montreal flight.  In addition to the Air Canada A220, here is a look of everything I saw this week around RSW: 94-7319 – Lockheed C-130H Hercules (US Air Force)  168437 – Boeing P-8 Poseidon (US Navy)   C-FEWJ – Boeing 737 Max 8 (WestJet)   C-FJQL – Airbus A321 (Air Canada Rouge)   C-GMZY – Airbus A220 (Air Canada)   N48RF – De Havilland Twin Otter   N60AJ – Learjet 60  N117DU – Airbus A220 (Delta Air Lines)   N200WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines)   N258SN – Boeing 747-400 (Western Global A...

An American Airlines Boeing 737 cuts through some low clouds on approach to the airport. As is passes through the clouds, it leaves behind some vapor trails in the sky.  The aerodynamics and heat of the aircraft combined moisture and cold air of the clouds result in artwork in the sky. They range from the wingtip vortices seen here on this approach to the contrails often seen streaking across a clear blue sky.  Taken: November 23, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

Fort Myers, Florida: It may have been a short holiday week at work but there was no shortage of activity in and out of the Southwest Florida International Airport. Western Global flew home another 747, National Airlines flew in a 757 for a charter and the highlight of the week was the duel 767 diversions thanks to Miami being fogged in on Wednesday morning. Here is a look at what I saw this week at RSW:  C-FUMF – Boeing 737-800 (WestJet)   C-GHPD – Airbus A321 (Air Canada Rouge)   CP-2881 – Boeing 767-33A – (Bolviana de Aviacion)   N122DU – Airbus A220 (Delta Air Lines)   N151UW – Airbus A321 (American Airlines) N157AA - Airbus A321 (American Airlines)   N203BZ – Airbus A220 (Breeze Airways)   N268WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines)   N313SB – Boeing 737 Max 8 (American Airlines)   N319CM – Boeing 767-338 (Amerijet International)   N334SM – Boeing 737 Max 8 (American Airlines)   N356KD – Boeing 747-400 (Western Global Airli...

A Lufthansa Boeing 747 lands at Southwest Florida International Airport as weather prevented them from landing in Miami. When showers or storms prevent landing at the destination airport, the flight heads into a holding pattern to wait for the weather to clear. However sometimes, they do not have enough fuel left to hold or they depleted their reserve fuel forcing them to divert to a nearby airport that can handle their aircraft.  This Lufthansa flight was headed to Miami International Airport from Frankfurt, Germany. It encountered storms over the airport in Miami where it attempted to land at Miami and weather did not cooperated so it headed to Fort Myers to refuel and return to Miami when weather improved.  Taken: May 16, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

A crash truck and airport operations hold short of Runway 6 at Southwest Florida International Airport while an aircraft makes an emergency landing. Airport fire fighters are always standing by at a moments notice to handle a wide variety of emergencies from a slip and fall in the terminal to an aircraft emergency.  Airports with regular commercial service have a dedicated airport fire department at the ready to respond anywhere on the airport in minutes. This dedicated fire service is known collectively as ARFF, meaning Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting.  Taken: May 9, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

A swallow-tail kite flies over the skies of Southwest Florida, a sign that summer is almost here. These raptors are commonly found in South America but spend the summers in Florida for breeding.  The swallow-tail kite is easily identified by its forked tail. The tail and wing structures allow the kite to glide effortless for long distances.  Taken: May 6, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

A crew of firefighters from the Lee County Port Authority Fire Department conduct a training burn at Southwest Florida International Airport. Today is International Firefighters Day and we recognize the brave men and woman that keep us safe. International Firefighting Day was first observed on May 4, 1999. Following a fatal Australian brush fire in 1998 that killed five firefighters, an international movement was started by JJ Edmondson to honor firefighters. Since then, International Firefighters Day was held each year on May 4th to pay tribute to firefighters across the globe. Taken: October 24, 2019 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

Check out the shades on this United Airlines Boeing 757. For the second day in a row, United Airlines has sent a Her Art Here livery aircraft into Southwest Florida International Airport. Her Art Here is a promotion from United Airlines which spotlights female artists by showcasing their artwork on the aircraft. Created by San Francisco artist Tsungwei Moo, Her Art Here California features the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, palm trees and sunglasses. (Photo: November 17, 2021)

New York is proudly represented on a United Airlines Boeing 757 on approach to Southwest Florida international Airport. Part of the Her Art Here art initiative by United Airlines, the artwork created by Corinne Antonelli features the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and New Jersey's Red Mill. The aircraft is one of two aircraft designed by women artists to spotlight women in the arts. (Photo: November 16, 2021)

Planespotting is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. Inspired by the famous Forrest Gump quote and modified by to fit Thursday's surprise at RSW. Weather in Tampa on Thursday forced the diversion of several aircraft to neighboring airport. While Southwest Florida International Airport is no stranger to weather diversions, this divert marked the first visit of the new airline to Southwest Florida. Founded by former JetBlue founder David Neeleman, Breeze began operations in May 2021. The airlines serves 16 cities with focus cities in Tampa, New Orleans, Norfolk and Charleston. (Photo: September 9, 2021)