What happened to Blair's A/C?

[red8]

I am interested to know what made them abort. Assume it was at Waterkloof...???

Anyone got any info?

:confused:

[Gauteng Pilot]

Sparks from engine end Tony Blair's flight from SA

The aeroplane bringing Tony Blair home from a visit to South Africa aborted take-off at the last minute after its pilot spotted problems with an engine, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

The spokesman confirmed that sparks were seen coming from one of the plane's three engines.

The aeroplane was moving down the runway ready for take-off when the problem was spotted, but it had not reached take-off velocity.

As a result of the aborted take-off, Mr Blair had to extend his weekend visit by one day.

Mr Blair's spokesman said: "At about 11pm South African time, they were due to take off. They had started the run down the runway. They hadn't got very far when the pilot noticed something wrong with engine no.3.

"They shut down the engine, aborted take-off, and went back to the terminal.

"Being 11pm South African time, there weren't any other planes and they couldn't have arranged an alternative to get them back in time for the ID card vote. He will travel back overnight on Monday."

Asked whether it was correct that sparks were seen from the underside of the plane, the spokesman said: "I gather that was one of the symptoms of an engine not working."

He stressed that the plane had not left the ground by the time the problem was spotted: "In terms of take-off speed, they were well short of the point of take-off. In the technical jargon, this is termed a minor incident."

The spokesman said the private charter plane was carrying only the Prime Minister and his officials.

[Gauteng Pilot]

Also got this

As it happens the Prime Minister was not travelling in the usual way on his South Africa visit. Normally he charters a BA commercial airliner and is accompanied by a plane load of officials, security officers and journalists. Of late he has sometimes preferred much smaller executive jets with no accompanying posse, provided by the RAF or private hire. In South Africa this choice let him down badly and may even have endangered his life. Inevitably this will further fuel the active debate on whether there should be an official "Blair Force One" plane available to the Prime Minister.

[Gauteng Pilot]

The spokesman confirmed sparks were seen coming from one of the plane's three engines. The aircraft was moving down the runway ready for take-off when the problem was spotted, but it had not reached take-off velocity.

As a result of the aborted take-off, Mr Blair had to extend his weekend visit by one day.

The spokesman said: "At about 11pm South African time, they were due to take off. They had started the run down the runway. They hadn't got very far when the pilot noticed something wrong with engine number three. They shut down the engine, aborted take-off, and went back to the terminal

[Newforest]

The spokesman confirmed that sparks were seen coming from one of the plane's three engines.


Understood he was flying on a DC-8?:confused:

[Solid Rust Twotter]

A340 = DC8 with big fat CFMs...:} :ok:

[Roger Copy Charlie]

... Of late he has sometimes preferred much smaller executive jets with no accompanying posse, provided by the RAF or private hire...


and that would have been an A340???

[Newforest]

A340 = DC8 with big fat CFMs...:} :ok:

Airliners.net quoting he flew DC-8, HB-IGH, Jet Aviation.:hmm:

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Well, there you go then......

It seems living in Africa we lose sight of the fact that some politicians can still travel without having the whole dog and pony show on the most expensive aircraft around.:hmm:

[Gauteng Pilot]

Airliners.net quoting he flew DC-8, HB-IGH, Jet Aviation.:hmm:

Interesting

Most reports here say a 3 engine jet, one saying he only had 2 engines left

[ANVAK]

Is that the DC-8 with the flashy paint job and four CFM's, which was still parked on the r/w parking at Jhb this am?

[Speedbreak]

This is the plane!

http://www.jetaviation.com/index.php/jet/services/chartereurope/chartereurope_dc872


Cheers

Speedbreak

[irishair2001]

I saw this DC-8 parked on the remote stand at JIA last week and I thought it unusual that the the cascade thrust reversers were open on the engines,while the aircraft was parked.

[Fluffy flyer]

Irishair2001

I think you may be mixing up your DC-8. There have been 2 parked on the remote stand at Jhb recently.

The one that is still there is a DC-8 63 series and that has its reverses deployed.

The other a/c that was there was a DC-8 72 and it has CFM engines. These engines are the same type as on the 737-800 that SAA operate. When the thrust reverses are deployed on this a/c a sleeve type mechanism slides rearwards. Looks like the engine is splitting in half. Nothing is deployed at the back of the engine as seen on the 737-200 engines.

[irishair2001]

Fluffy,

After 38 years of plane spotting,logging and photographing,I did not travel from DUB to spend 6 days spotting at JNB and observing this DC-8-72 ,HB-IGH for 4 days parked in the company of an Ethiopian 737-700 at times in company with a Brazilian Air Force VC-1A (Thats an Airbus ACJ with IAE V-2500 Engines and a Boeing KC-137 with Pratt and Whitney JT3D-7 Engines)to mistake a Swiss registered DC-8-72 with General Electric/Snecma CFM-56 Engines with Cascade thrust reversers,with a DC-8-63 with Pratt and Whitney JT3D-7Engines.
Unless I was p**sed or got too much sun,there is 30FT of DC-8, not reported missing at JNB

[Fluffy flyer]

Irish,

Sorry for stepping on your toes.

Have fun.

[Shrike200]

Pwned! ^^^

[tyrant]

I see HB-IGH has been nose into Safair's hangar for the last three days, obviously getting sorted out.

[makeapullup]

HB-IGH went for a test flight today. All looked normal on departure for DN. Don't recall seeing them come back though? Climbs very well.

[Romeo E.T.]

Saw it being readied for a flight today on the Delta Ramp at about 10:00B

[makeapullup]

HB-IBH left today for LFSB - Basel in Switzerland. Home time.