Highest time airframe ever
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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
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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
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!
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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.
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)
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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?

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.
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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.
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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
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How about one of those EC-135 built for operation Looking Glass? 17 were built. One or more was constantly in the air 24 hours a day from 1961 to 1990. And in the air or on ground running till 1998.
But clearly it is possible a aircraft has done more than that, but not many.
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
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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
Some of the MK Airlines 747's were pretty leggy too but not quite as high as the BA ones.