My Determination to Capture “The 6”

Every summer I seek out a mission.

For Detroit Aviation Photography, this one is personal.

Recent aviation reports have pointed toward Delta Air Lines beginning the early retirement of a select group of Boeing 717s, specifically six consecutive aircraft: N943AT through N948AT. These aircraft were expected by many to remain around longer, but with age, maintenance cycles, and fleet planning all catching up, it appears this group may be moving toward the end of its Delta career sooner than expected.

For me, that instantly turned into a project.

Not just another photo project.

A historic one.

The Boeing 717 has become one of my favorite aircraft to spot. It is not the biggest jet at DTW. It is not the newest. It does not have the flash of an A350 or the brute presence of a 777. But the 717 has character. That rear-engine, T-tail look gives it a completely different personality from almost everything else on the ramp. It is a true link to the DC-9 and MD-80 family, and every time one comes through Detroit, it feels like a piece of airline history is still working for a living.

That is what makes this summer important.

I am calling this series “The 6.”

The target aircraft are:

N943AT
N944AT
N945AT
N946AT
N947AT
N948AT

As of now, I already have several of them in my DAP catalog. N945AT, N946AT, and N948AT are already captured in some form, with N945AT and N948AT standing out as stronger candidates for the final collection. But this is not just about checking boxes. For a project like this, “I have it” is not good enough.

I want the right frame.

I want clean light, good angle, sharp detail, and a photo that represents the aircraft properly. These jets deserve more than a rushed record shot. If this is going to become a historic DAP series, each aircraft needs to earn its place.

The remaining targets are the ones that will drive the hunt: N943AT, N944AT, and N947AT. N946AT is also on my radar for a stronger final image if the opportunity comes. That means this summer will involve a lot of tracking, a lot of checking arrivals, a lot of watching Delta’s B717 rotations, and probably a lot of last-minute runs to DTW when one of these tails shows up.

My strategy is simple:

Track the tails.
Watch the schedules.
Be ready when they come to Detroit.
Shoot them every chance I get.
Do not settle for average.

If one shows up in clean morning light, I want it.
If one rotates in stormy Detroit weather, I want it.
If one taxies past with that classic 717 stance, I want it.
If I only get one chance before retirement, I need to be there.

This is exactly the kind of project that defines Detroit Aviation Photography. It combines the chase, the history, the catalog work, the tail-number discipline, and the emotion of knowing that these aircraft may not be around much longer.

The 717 is not just another Delta narrowbody to me. It is a working piece of airline history, and “The 6” may represent one of the final chapters for this group of aircraft.

So this summer, I have a mission.

Capture all six.

Build the series.

Preserve the moment.

And if I can complete it, “The 6” will become one of the most meaningful certified collections in the DAP archive.

Aircraft, Atmosphere, and Authenticity.

That is the mission.

And this summer, the mission is the Boeing 717.