Highest time airframe ever
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: near EHWO
Posts: 52
The oldest airframes involved in accidents, based on the aviation-safety.net database are:
Boeing 767-375ER C-GHOZ of Air Canada: on 12 Sep 2017 it had 120692 hours and was subsequently repaired
Boeing 747-436 G-BNLL (BA) had 110578 hours on 22 Dec 2013 when it ran into a building at FAOR; broken up after that
Boeing 747-209F N704CK of Kalitta overran runway at Brussels on 25 May 2008 at 108560 hours
Two airframes in the ASN database had over 100.000 cycles:
DHC-6 9M-MDM of MASwings: 108882 cycles in 30 years in service
DC-9-14 XA-BCS of Aero California: 102000 cycles in 37 years in service
Boeing 767-375ER C-GHOZ of Air Canada: on 12 Sep 2017 it had 120692 hours and was subsequently repaired
Boeing 747-436 G-BNLL (BA) had 110578 hours on 22 Dec 2013 when it ran into a building at FAOR; broken up after that
Boeing 747-209F N704CK of Kalitta overran runway at Brussels on 25 May 2008 at 108560 hours
Two airframes in the ASN database had over 100.000 cycles:
DHC-6 9M-MDM of MASwings: 108882 cycles in 30 years in service
DC-9-14 XA-BCS of Aero California: 102000 cycles in 37 years in service
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Not where I want to be
Age: 66
Posts: 233
To give som perspective, the Coastal Express MV Lofoten, trading with pax and goods up and down the coast of Norway, had 300.000 hours logged in 2015, on the original main engine. She's still running strong.
Per
Per
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: South Oxfordshire
Posts: 599
Per, arrived back from Norway yesterday, having passed a recently refurbished 1956 Hurtigruten ship just before we docked at Bergen.
Didn't catch her name though, but don't think it was the Lofoten.
Edit: it was the MS NORDSTJERNEN, but no info on hours!
Didn't catch her name though, but don't think it was the Lofoten.
Edit: it was the MS NORDSTJERNEN, but no info on hours!
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ireland
Posts: 11
What about Aer Lingus? When I was there we used to have to fly Dub - Snn - USA -Snn - Dub every time. So probably very high cycles on the B707s and B747s. Not sure about hours, though. We also had a A330 (EI - SHN) that, apparently, had the highest cycles (or hours) I can't remember, in the world. I think it ended up in Portugal. Now scrapped.
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: South Alabama
Age: 69
Posts: 321
Something related.....
The highest time pilot was Ed Long, who flew over 65,000 hours on powerline patrol...most of it under 200'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Long_(aviator)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Long_(aviator)
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Auckland nz
Posts: 93
Well, the MD-11 that bought my on line car parts to Auckland yesterday must have had some hours on her. 26 years old according to Flightradar and she didn't get a lot of ground time as FDX 75.
I know the record is presumed to be a B747 (long sectors,lower cycles etc) but could a UPS or Fedex DC-10/MD-11 be up for the challenge?
I know the record is presumed to be a B747 (long sectors,lower cycles etc) but could a UPS or Fedex DC-10/MD-11 be up for the challenge?

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Asia
Posts: 550
Freighters tend to fly less than pax aircraft, generally working at night and parking up during the day. This makes operating older aircraft economical as their higher fuel consumption is offset by flying less hours and there is plenty of time to do the increased maintenance required during the day when the engineers aren’t on overtime rates of pay.
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Germany
Posts: 73
Freighters tend to fly less than pax aircraft, generally working at night and parking up during the day. This makes operating older aircraft economical as their higher fuel consumption is offset by flying less hours and there is plenty of time to do the increased maintenance required during the day when the engineers aren’t on overtime rates of pay.
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Oz
Posts: 568
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Auckland nz
Posts: 93
Even if we said that's about 3500 hours per annum when maintenance and other down time is taken into account (including major checks, modifications etc) then this Fedex DC 10-10 has possibly done about 166,000 hours in her nearly almost 48 years of service...and still going!

N368FE Active as at 19 April 2019. Source Flightradar24

N368FE is 47.7 years old. Source Planespotters.net

N368FE served in UA before being delivered to Fedex. Source Planespotters.net

N368FE Active as at 19 April 2019. Source Flightradar24

N368FE is 47.7 years old. Source Planespotters.net

N368FE served in UA before being delivered to Fedex. Source Planespotters.net
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Tent
Posts: 392
But clearly it is possible a aircraft has done more than that, but not many.
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Darkest Surrey
Posts: 6,005
The two highest contenders with access to some check able data put the flight time to on ground time just in the flight time favour over around 29 years - it is just over 12 hours flying on average in 24 hours for the full 29 years.
But clearly it is possible a aircraft has done more than that, but not many.
But clearly it is possible a aircraft has done more than that, but not many.
Would be suprised if any of them has more than 40-50,000 hrs
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,017
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,017
Even if we said that's about 3500 hours per annum when maintenance and other down time is taken into account (including major checks, modifications etc) then this Fedex DC 10-10 has possibly done about 166,000 hours in her nearly almost 48 years of service...and still going!
N368FE Active as at 19 April 2019. Source Flightradar24
N368FE Active as at 19 April 2019. Source Flightradar24
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Cyberspace
Posts: 123
Some of the MK Airlines 747's were pretty leggy too but not quite as high as the BA ones.