Evergreen 747-400BCF
EVERGREEN AIRLINES GAINS AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION
Airline now FAA certified to fly the Boeing Dreamlifter and 747-400 aircraft
McMinnville, OR; Aug. 13, 2007—Evergreen International Airlines (EIA) received its FAA New Aircraft Process Document (NAPD) Aug. 9. The modification of the Airlines’ operational specifications allows EIA to acquire full operational control of the Dreamlifter (a modified Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter) and operate other 747-400 aircraft.
The documentation process included a review and revision of EIA’s manuals, operation systems, maintenance programs and airline administration to meet the FAA’s 747-400 standards. It also included the completion of Route Proving flights, operating under the revised procedures with FAA oversight.
“This is an exciting time for Evergreen,” stated Brian Bauer, EIA President. “With certification completion, the full implementation of the Dreamlifter program and addition of the 747-400BCFs, we have a solid platform for the future.”
Evergreen also announced the order and scheduled delivery of three B747-400BCFs, with first delivery in early summer 2009. The aircraft will be an upgrade for EIA’s current commercial operations. The BCF is a 747-400 aircraft modified by Boeing into a full cargo aircraft.
The 747-400 certification and acquisitions will provide EIA with many new opportunities. Technological advances and other factors make the 747-400s a much more economical aircraft to operate and maintain.
EIA will continue upgrading the operations of the Airline by beginning the certification process for the FAA’s Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS). The NAPD process put the Airline well on its way to gaining this additional certification.
About Dreamlifter Program: In Dec. 2005 Evergreen International Aviation was selected to operate and maintain the Boeing Dreamlifter. The specially modified plane will transport major components of the all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Evergreen has been selected as the Prime Contractor to operate, maintain and support these aircraft. Contract life is 20-25 years (the life of the 787 program).
The Dreamlifter is a modified 747-400 with an enlarged upper fuselage, an aft fuselage that swings open for loading and unloading of Dreamliner sections, and a vertical fin increased in height by five feet. The Dreamlifters are transporting 787 sections from Italy, Japan, South Carolina and Kansas to Boeing’s assembly plant in Everett, Wash