Photos of the Week: Taking a Break

In November, we featured American’s updated Allegheny Airlines heritage jet shortly after the airline re-introduced the livery onto an Airbus A321.

Since then, the aircraft painted to represent the Pittsburgh-founded airline has been busy operating flights throughout American’s massive network. Per flight tracking site FlightRadar24, the Allegheny jet’s destinations this week included Florida, Cancun and San Francisco.

But even very busy airplanes need a break. At Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT), Matthew Swetoha snapped a photo of the Allegheny jet parked on a hardstand among other American aircraft during a pretty morning sunrise.

At major hubs, airlines sometimes pull planes out of the flight rotation for the day, parking them on remote stands to free up valuable gate space. These aircraft can serve as spares for other flights to mitigate potential delays, only requiring a quick taxi or tow from remote parking to the gate.

In Matthew’s photo, a contrail can also be seen from an airplane cruising at altitude. Charlotte, N.C., lies underneath the flight path between Pittsburgh and Florida — and can sometimes be seen from the air, for those passengers lucky enough to catch a glimpse.

But the real highlight provided by views from out the window? A rainbow! On a Southwest flight, Miranda Piccolino was incredibly fortunate to snap a picture of one while descending into Florida. We hope Miranda and other passengers on the flight were brought some extra good luck during their trip to the Sunshine State.

Thanks, Matthew and Miranda!

Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. We love them! Keep them coming — you can click here for submission guidelines.

A Southwest flight passes a rainbow while descending into Florida. (Photo submitted by Miranda Piccolino)