All 747s still flying?

[buck-rogers]

I heard recently that all the 747s ever built were still flying (except of course those unfortunate enough to have been in accidents) and none have been decommissioned. Is this true?

[BN2A]

No. British Airways have got rid of their 747-100's, of which some are still flying with other operators....
Others (incuding November Alpha) unfortunately have been scrapped http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

[Unwell_Raptor]

Quite a few have gone. Among others there was the ex Air France hull that was blown up (at Bruntingthorpe?) to obtain information on sabotage. I seem to recall that the older models are worth more as parts than as airframes.

[AquaPlane]

Two 747-100's have been retired, and scrapped at Kemble over the past 12-24 months or so...

Aq

[737]

Aer Lingus retired three 100's and flew them to the desert. Two were broken up immediately while the third flew on for a while. I'm not sure where it (EI-ASJ) is now.

73

[buck-rogers]

Cheers guys,

Thought it was too good to be true.

[markbingo]

They featured the last flight of one of the BA 747-100's on "The Airshow" last series. Lots of the seats stripped out, just enough in the right places for CofG.

Was quite a sad moment watching a plane land for the last time. They even had a look in it's logbook, and the captain flying the aircraft reminised over some of the times he had flown it himself.

All good things have to come to an end I guess.

[con-pilot]

Sadly no, I know of at least 5 that have been scraped at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by the AAR Corp. Three of them were Air France.

One good note, the FAA bought one of the hulks (the fuselage and the inner wing area that holds the landing gear) to do evacuation test. So at least that airframe will be around for a long, long time. The last airframe that was used was a C-124 fuselage.

And don't even ask how much the FAA paid for just the hulk.

[Dangley Bits]

How much

[TPuk]

Look here:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=72150
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=72149

Virgin Atlantic 741, G-VMIA (Spirit of Sir Freddie) being broken up at Kemble, (EGBP), March 12 2000.

---------

And in happier days:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=112266

[Lurk R]

I believe SP's are worth more as spare parts than they are complete.

[TowerDog]

A 747 SP parked in the sun can be had for less than a Beech Bonanca: Half a $ mill or so.

Seen many 747s on the way to scrap yard.
A well used -100 may have a cash value of
$2 mill, and the next D check could cost 4 or so.

Flown some of them old birds on their last legs. A bit lose on the controls, a bit smelly and always something to write in the maintenance log.

Just remember: Don't ever love anything that will no love you back.

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Men, this is no drill...

[JBravo]

At Marana, Arizona, there seemed to be a few old 747 to be scrapped back in 1998. Some are already scrapped and their remains nothing more then the cockpit and upper deck. Maybe some of these poor 747's are rescued and bought, to be put into service again, but in the state they are it remains doubtfull.

regrds
jb

[OO-AOG]

A few facts on the 747s:

On the +1250 buildt so far:

- 32 crashed or were written off (incl.2 744)
- 91 were broken up for spares (mainly 741)
- 86 are stored or WFU.

'737',

FYI, only (ex-Aer Lingus) EI-BED was scrapped. EI-ASJ and ASI are still flying in Nigeria for Kabo Air.

[ExSimGuy]

TPUK,

I hope that RB will, or has, christened another aircraft "Spirit of Sir Freddie" as that guy was the one who kicked off what RB has made successful :)

He may not have "made it" himself, but he pioneered it for others, and for the Fare-paying PAX. Fond memories of DC10s with "SkyTrain" painted down the sides at LGW http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

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---- "Per Ardua ad Mixas" ----
(Through hardship to the bars)

[crocodile redundee]

Does that mean all the Flight Engineers have been retired to the desert too?????

[buck-rogers]

Well said ExSim.

Sir Freddie was an inspiration at a time when there wasn't much to be happy about. His fighting helped bring air travel to many who could never have afforded it.

I hope his name lives on in the Virgin fleet.

[Reimers]

Here is an excellent site (monthly updated) that you can extract this kind of data from:
http://www.bird.ch/bharms/asrstart.htm

[springbok449]

I know that Sabena also scrapped a non damaged 747-100 reg: OO-SGA at Brussels aiport in the 1990's.

[This message has been edited by springbok449 (edited 31 October 2000).]