BA To Immediately Scrap 747s.

[barkingmad]

British Airways retires entire 747 fleet after travel downturn https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53426886

End of an era then for the World’s Favourite Airline.

What next for the FSW and his Wee Willie?!

The BALPA offices will have to wake up early this morning and start working out the new raft of redundancies.

[Undried Plum]

Oh Gawd! I feel so old!!

I remember when the "jumbo jet" was a futuristic project. I also remember the first time I saw one for real: 1971, approaching Athens. It was so fukkin big that it looked like it was doing about 80kts.

I also remember when Concorde was a future project; and when it was proposed that "in the future" men were going to walk on the moon.

[Woody]

Sad to see them go, but in reality they were well past their sell by date and it could be embarrassing to see the state of the interiors. My last flight on one, was G- CIVC from Cape Town 3/3/2020.

[TheGreenGoblin]

My last flight to SA was on a BA 747. Probably never travel on one again...

Where is the "wipes a tear away emoji?"

[TheGreenGoblin]

You may despise aircraft – perhaps because you live near a busy airport, or due to your concern about the harm they do to the planet.

But many of us love planes.

When the news broke in the early hours of Friday morning that British Airways was grounding its fleet of Boeing 747s, some in the aviation world wept, and gushed.

“An aviation icon and the aircraft most pilots grew up wanting to fly,” wrote a BA captain, Dave Wallsworth, on Twitter.

Reading this article makes it clear to me that Simon Calder is not a real fan of aviation!

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ne ... 24176.html

[Undried Plum]

Soon they'll all be beer cans. I'll raise a wee tinny in their memory!

[ian16th]

I remember when the "jumbo jet" was a futuristic project. I also remember the first time I saw one for real: 1971, approaching Athens. It was so fukkin big that it looked like it was doing about 80kts.

The 1st one that I saw was on the ground at Heathrow. I'd just arrived on a Sabena Caravel.

My reaction was; 'How the h*ll does a thing that size fly?'

[1DC]

Do any have a future as freighters?

[unifoxos]

My last flight to SA was on a BA 747. Probably never travel on one again...

Same here, only it was my last flight FROM SA.

Fond memories of travelling extensively on them in the 70's, with staff discounted tickets.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Yes, recall visiting Heathrow when airline staff were invited to look at the first 747 arrival, of PanAm, during the turn-around. I have a photo of my 4 yr. old posing against one of the mainwheels, which towers above him !

[Ibbie]

However there is a rumour going about that the A380s are to be returned to service where they will replace double flights per day to destinations served by A350/787/777 with one A380 flight, thus freeing up some slots and smaller aircraft.

[Ibbie]

A380 G-XLEI returned to LHR from storage at Chateauroux yesterday

[boing]

A very interesting summary of the life of the 747 with special reference to the SP version.

I did not get much opportunity to fly the SP and I do not think I ever flew it as Captain but I flew it several times as co-pilot. An SP would arrive in Seattle from Asia at which point the inbound crew was, obviously, out of duty time so a reserve crew was called out to ferry the aircraft empty to San Francisco. Since I lived a short distance from Seattle to the South in Portland I would volunteer for the job and the company would buy me a ticket on the local commuter airline, fly me to Seattle so that I could operate the empty aircraft to San Francisco, then fly me back from San Francisco to Portland on a company scheduled flight. I did this several times.

It is a lot of fun to fly an aircraft capable of lifting fuel and passengers for a 14 hour flight with no passengers or freight on board and only enough fuel for a 2 hour flight . It would probably give the Vulcan a race in time to height, the darn things was insisting on flying well before the legal Vr.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Had a friend working for a Middle East Sheik, name suppressed to protect the innocent, who owned a 747 S.P. Friend said they used to "fill 'er up" most times, expense or fuel availability being no object. Once en route to a USA mid-west destination with an empty aircraft, to collect some cargo, Chicago ATC advised destination weather deteriorating and requested their alternate airfield ? XXXXX ( their M.E. Base ) my friend replied. No, said ATC, that's your point of departure, what is your destination alternate ? XXXXX replied my friend, and he said they could have made it back !

Another friend flew the S.P. operated by Iranair at the time, he likened it to driving a Ferrari after being used to a Ford Escort.

Different World.

[EA01]

Fabulous video Boing! My FIrst ever 747 flight was on a QANTAS 'SP' BNE-TSV-HNL-LAX (Why TSV I haven't a clue!)

Australia Asia @ 21.24, would have been an ex QF 'SP' subsidiary company. Other than that no mention of QANTA 'SP' ops.

Syrian Iraqi & Iran figured heavily though!

[ian16th]

SAA used them to fly around 'the bulge!'

[Ibbie]

BA seems they have sold off seven to a subsidiary of Aeroflot, Rossiya. Done via outfit at Kemble, so they could still be in one piece and be flown out or to be broken for spares.

[Woody]

BA seems they have sold off seven to a subsidiary of Aeroflot, Rossiya. Done via outfit at Kemble, so they could still be in one piece and be flown out or to be broken for spares.

G- BYGA to GF , last ones delivered to BA in 1999

I thought that Kemble’s runway is to short for 747 departures!

[Ibbie]

One of the stored Corsair 747s took off from Kemble only last month, so the runway which is 6473 ft, appears adequate.

[Woody]

G-CIVP took its last flight this morning .