Jumbo at Prestwick

[timboab]

Hi All,

Just a general question about Prestwick airport.

There is a big white Jumbo jet that seems to never ever move, and it looks like there is a wee bit of the tail missing, can someone tell me why it is there or what it does?

[pikman747]

This a former Polar 747 which became time expired and pensioned off. It is now used for training purposes by the airport. The missing part of the rudder was blown away in a gale about a year ago.

[Skipness One Echo]

Polar Air Cargo N852FT (Boeing 747) (Ex N4712U ) - Airfleets (http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b747-19757.htm)

I well remember it's final landing on Runway 13 back in Spring 2002. Spent some time in the (then) Polar hangar being stripped and having the titles removed before being gifted to the airport authority. It also carried MK Cargo titles when the SAS were playing with it a few years back in an anti terrorism exercise.

It does seem to be looking really bad of late I admit.

[honest man]

I think its time it went the way as its sistership did and cease to exist

[timboab]

many thanks everyone, I have just been past the airport a lot recently and always wondered what its purpose was,Did not realise it was just so old!!!

Do you think it will be there for much longer?

[flash8]

The 1995 Cargo Conversion can't have been cheap - its surprising that the ROI was high enough taking the conversion cost into account before it was scrapped...