ferrydude: who do you think will train the EV people? They're not exactly noted as having 400 experience.

It won't be CLX, my brother in law's uncle's housekeeper who has inside info told me so. You reckon CLX is the only outfit capable of training the -400? Amusing.

You are a great wind up ferrydude, if you look closly at the evergreen signing ceremony you will note our great leader (if you know who he is). He was there to sign a training contract or that's what I heard from your uncles dog! :E

You should look for more reliable sources than meUncle's dog. I think you will find that your fearless leader was there to sign as a suncontractor to Evergreen and that CLX crews will be doing the European to US flights only. Do you have a valid reference for CLX providing training to Evergreen other than what you interpreted from a photo?

Evergreen has an agreement with UAL to house and maintain our classic sim in Denver and it would not surprise me if we did the same with the 400. I do know that our management pilots have been flying the 400 sim at Denver. It's possible some sort of agreement may have been made with CLX but the odds are long.

CargoluxEvergreen B747-400CLF
 

Perhaps I am missing the point, But, why shouldn't Evergreen have the Boeing contract? After all they are a known cargo carrier and if you folks had been following the aviation press - you would know they got the contract to convert the a/c for Boeing. It seems natural to me, they would fly them afterwards.
As for lack of -400 experience, how many experts were there before 1987? Suddenly everybody and his dog has been peddaling -400s from the cradle. I expect them to learn same as everybody else. Good luck to them.

No connection to Evergreen - psst EIA any jobs going???

Don't confuse Evergreen in the US with Evergreen in Taiwan. Same name, different companies.

The Evergreen converting the planes is the Taiwan Evergreen. Two differant company's.

The point being, IT'S NOT 1987 and there is company's with a lot of -400 experience out there. Why pick one with NONE!

I think the straight answer to that is that they are AMERICAN. The pilot unions there would not tollerate european pilots flying N registed planes internally (I guess we're not up to it). But this starts another argument with regard to them (Americans) flying european reg a/c ref Thomas Cook. If there where a level playing field I think Cargolux would got the whole contract. As it is at the moment Evergreen will be tapping into the experience that CLX has. Which probably explains why they have been brought on board as a contractor.

I think EIA picked up this contract because there sales team and the owner of the company did there home work and put together
a better deal for boeing. I know the Atlas/Polar guys don't understand how they did not get it being they have 747-400's but they did not have -400's till they got the first one!!! I would look for EIA to get some 400F's soon...

Congrats EIA!!! new business obviously went to the contractor that put the best financial proposal (most likely in Boeing's favor)on the table and I am sure Boeing weighed all the viable options out there and selected Evergreen plus there are alot of -400's in the desert that they would love to see back in the air with a lease attached, its not about who "HAS" -400's its about who "Doesnt" so Boeing can get its mothballed jets back in the sky. Look at World Airways getting into -400 game.

Look a lil deeper than the logo on the tail its about MONEY!! although competitive company ego's by some wont let it been seen that way.

Congrats Again EIA, fly the hell out of the "bent wing bastard"

Luxfreight: If this were about being American Evergreen would have picked someone besides Cargolux as partner. As for experience Evergreen has been doing this type of work since 1924. No big deal integrating the 400 into the fleet.

Whaledriver: Evergreen had 11-14 people at each meeting with Boeing. System ops, Flight Ops, you name it. Every effected department was there. Atlas averged 1 or 2 at each meeting. What message do you think Boeing got?

Well, I'm pretty sure we'll work fine together. EV has flown for CV in the past and it worked out just fine. I can say out of personal experience that it was hassle free, which I cannot say about some of the other that have flown for us over the years
Merry Christmas to you all.

PS, can anyone in the know clear something up for me: these aircraft are to be N registered (as far as I understand) - how do CLX pilots with JAR licences get to fly them? acmi48 mentioned it earlier on in the thead. Some kind of special dispensation?