47yo 747-100 finally retires

[hoss183]

Oldest flying 747 finally grounded, 47 years after first flight ? The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/08/24/ge_aviation_flying_testbed_grounded/)

[Capn Bloggs]

I assume they didn't use the current Boeing crosswind landing technique of crossing it up at 200ft and landing wing-down with that mother on the LHS... :eek: :} :D

[AirportsEd]

I wonder which airframe now has the claim to be the oldest airworthy 747?

[DaveReidUK]

I wonder which airframe now has the claim to be the oldest airworthy 747?

Probably this one:

http://www.airteamimages.com/pics/268/268359_800.jpg

Photo taken six months ago.

EP-CQB (19667) first flew July 1969, though it wasn't delivered (to TWA) until about a year later.

[washoutt]

Do I see a flying boom at the tail end? Was this an aerial tanker?

[Heathrow Harry]

Iranian Air Force

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-worlds-only-kc-747-tanker-is-flown-by-the-iranian-a-1581314071

[KelvinD]

Airfleets info shows 5 or 6 still "Active" with the Iranian Air Force of a similar age. What about the GE engine test bed N747GE? Although based at Victorville, it has apparently been seen at Xiamen in 2015 with a new GE livery.

[DaveReidUK]

Do I see a flying boom at the tail end? Was this an aerial tanker?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COOpzWkXAAAcRfN.jpg

[DaveReidUK]

What about the GE engine test bed N747GE? Although based at Victorville, it has apparently been seen at Xiamen in 2015 with a new GE livery.

That's the one referred to in post #1 - though in fact it wasn't the oldest flying 747 after all.

[KelvinD]

Thanks for that Dave.

[washoutt]

Thanks for all the intersting info on the tanker 747.

[DaveReidUK]

A bit more digging around suggests that the AirTeamImages photo is wrongly captioned and isn't EP-CQB (which is still the oldest 747 flying, but doesn't have a boom).

The tanker is a slightly newer (1970) aircraft, also originally delivered to TWA.

[Anilv]

I've been on board that 747 tanker when it was painted in IRIAF colours. The last pallet position (Usually called Tango) was the boom operators station with a face down padded bunch.

There was also a receptacle in the nose to receive fuel as well. The maindeck was your usual 747 freighter but with locks to accommodate military pallets (88x108 I think) rather than civil 96/88 x 125 pallets.

Anilv

[Heathrow Harry]

weren't these the conversion that exploded a couple of times - once in IRAF service and one converted back by TWA in revenue service??

[Heathrow Harry]

Interestingly last weeks "Flight" shows there are only 8 747-200's in revenue service and two 727-100's, two YS-11's but SIX DC-3's...............

[JammedStab]

weren't these the conversion that exploded a couple of times - once in IRAF service and one converted back by TWA in revenue service??

Not TWA but it appears that The Imperial Iranian Air Force 747 was a tanker. And I now finally have a conclusion as to why this aircraft exploded when hit by lightning. It wasn't just a regular 747, it had a heavily modified fuel system which makes it more understandable why it exploded, even if the exact details of why remain unknown.

[DaveReidUK]

Not TWA but it appears that The Imperial Iranian Air Force 747 was a tanker. And I now finally have a conclusion as to why this aircraft exploded when hit by lightning. It wasn't just a regular 747, it had a heavily modified fuel system which makes it more understandable why it exploded, even if the exact details of why remain unknown.

The IIAF 747 that exploded in May 1976 was a freighter, not a tanker, and the investigation (in which the NTSB participated) did not identify any non-standard modifications to the fuel system.

[DaveReidUK]

I hope they are not counting the two YS-11’s that are Mexican registered out of El Paso Texas. One does fly occasionally, but it’s not a viable operation.

The 727-100s. I wonder if one is ex JY-AHS, VR-CHS?

The two YS-11s in the Flight census are shown as operated by Alcon, not identified but presumably one is -300 XA-TND (2073), though I have no idea what the other one could be.

The two B721s consist of one each for Lyca Cargo (TY-FSJ 19011) and LAS Colombia (HK-1271 19524).

The former JY-AHS/VR-CHS isn't included as it's outside the scope of the Flight census, which only covers airline-operated aircraft.