PW4000 Growl: United 777-200 Takeoff from San Francisco

Heading out on an afternoon domestic widebody run from San Francisco to Denver, seated in First Class with a great view of engine no. 2. United's domestic-configuration 777s (this particular example was appropriately registered N777UA) feature the old flat-bed seats from before the Continental merger, in a 2-4-2 layout with alternating forward- and rear-facing rows. It's a bit of an odd configuration, but it felt quite luxurious for a two-hour flight, and I actually kind of enjoyed getting to face backwards while flying—it was a different experience, and I appreciated not having to crane my neck in order to see the wing and engine.

It was a beautiful sunny day in the Bay Area, and we were able to get in the air pretty quickly, by SFO standards. They used both forward doors to board this flight, so I used the first door, which felt pretty cool. After pushing back and starting up the engines, we taxied out to Runway 1L, pulled straight onto the runway, and after a brief pause, we were off. I really like the PW4000-112 engines on the 777s, they're not as common, and they make a unique low-pitched humming sound at idle and a nice, loud growl on takeoff. After takeoff, we turned right to continue climbing out of the area and head East towards our destination. The in-flight service was pretty good, and the flight crew were very friendly, but they were out of my meal selection for the lunch service, so I chose something from the Economy Class hot food menu instead, which wasn't too terrible.

Check out the landing in snowy Denver later that afternoon here:    • Wintry Golden Hour: United 777-200 La...  .

My uncle was on this flight with me, too, and he filmed from the opposite side:    • [FLIGHT TAKEOFF] United 777-200 - Pow...  .

Date: December 30, 2019
Airline: United Airlines (UAL/UA)
Flight: UA1013
Departure: San Francisco Int'l Airport (KSFO/SFO)
Arrival: Denver Int'l Airport (KSFO/SFO)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-222
Registration: N777UA
Seat: 3L (First)
Camera: GoPro Hero 4 Silver