Regular Simple Flying readers may remember that, in late 2021, the NFL's Arizona Cardinals made headlines by acquiring a Boeing 777 to make the logistics of flying to their away fixtures easier. This was a welcome relief, with the Cardinals being one of the league's most well-traveled teams. With the new NFL season on the horizon, we thought we'd look at the latest with this jet.
Last season's usage
We'll start by reminding ourselves how the Cardinals put the 777 to use at the back end of last season, after acquiring it in December 2021. The first game that the team traveled to onboard its twin-engine widebody was its 30-12 loss at the Detroit Lions on December 18th. After a couple of weeks' rest, it was back in the skies.
The next assignment for the aircraft, which bears the registration N867DA, was a trip from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Dallas/Fort Worth, which took place on January 1st, 2022. The following day, the Cardinals defeated the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 25-22, before flying back to Phoenix on the 777 that very same evening.
Having clinched a playoff spot with an 11-win regular season, N867DA got its first taste of playoff action when it transported the Cardinals to Los Angeles on January 16th. FlightRadar24.com shows that it made this short hop in under an hour. The next day, the LA Rams ended the Cardinals' season with a 34-11 defeat, and, after returning to Phoenix, N867DA then went to Marana for storage.
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Back in action
Having arrived in Marana on January 18th, N867DA then spent five months on the ground. It returned to the skies on June 18th for what appears to have been a pair of circular test flights, before going back to Phoenix the following day. It then made a round trip to Washington-Dulles, flying out on June 22nd and returning three days later. After this, it re-entered storage in Marana.
However, this storage period was somewhat shorter, with the aircraft returning to Phoenix just over six weeks later. This allowed it to be in position for a flight to Cincinnati yesterday, transporting the Cardinals to the location of their first preseason game. The fixture will see them face the Cincinnati Bengals this evening.
Later this month, the team will end their preseason with an away game against the Tennessee Titans on August 27th. As such, planespotters in the Nashville area may well want to keep their eyes peeled in the preceding days!
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About the aircraft
It is worth noting that, while N867DA offers a convenient and comfortable way for the Arizona Cardinals to travel to their away fixtures, it isn't exactly a new jet. Indeed, ch-aviation.com shows that this particular Boeing 777-200ER is 20.51 years old, having initially entered service with Delta Air Lines in March 2002. Upon leaving Delta in November 2020, it has amassed 81,867 hours in 9,040 cycles.
What do you make of the Arizona Cardinals' private Boeing 777? Have you seen it in person since it began flying to the team's away matches? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!