The Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300 Is Flying Into Retirement

TC-JII, Turkish Airlines’ youngest Airbus A340-300

Turkish Airlines is the national airline of Turkey. Turkish Airlines received the first Airbus A340-300 in its fleet, TC-JDJ (nose name: Istanbul) on July 22, 1993. The airline had nine orders of the aircraft type at the time, the ninth and also the last Airbus A340-300 to be delivered to Turkish Airlines is TC-JII, it was delivered to Turkish Airlines on April 21, 2000. The Airbus A340-300s are operating Turkish Airlines' flights between Asia and Europe. Now, the airline has four Airbus A340-300 remain in service. The another five aircraft had been stored, sold to the other operators, or being scrapped. The Turkish Airlines' Airbus A340-300 average age is 18,2 years old. Turkish Airlines also announced the last passenger flight of its Airbus A340-300 that would be held on tomorrow, June 17, 2016, and the flight would be commenced between Istanbul and Medina. Goodbye Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300!

Did Iran Air Extended Its Boeing 747SP-86 Life?

EP-IAC, the last Boeing 747SP remaining in passenger service in the world

 

Iran Air, the flag carrier airline of Iran has retired its last and also the last passenger version of the Boeing 747SP, with the last flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tehran on the last Saturday. The last Boeing 747SP flight was flown by EP-IAC (nose name: Persian Gulf), the last Boeing 747SP in service as passenger aircraft in the world. But, the aircraft is still listed as active according to https://www.planespotters.net/, even though the last flight operated by EP-IAC is listed on June 11, 2016, the scheduled Boeing 747SP-86 retirement date, from Kuala Lumpur to Tehran. Sam Chui, an aviation enthusiast based in Hong Kong also announced the another Iran Aviation Tour that will be held in this November, the tour is including a flight with Iran Air's Boeing 747SP-86. Did Iran Air delay the retirement of its Boeing 747SP-86 so the Boeing 747SP-86 again? Until now, the airline has yet to confirm its Boeing 747SP-86 retirement. Iran Air initially would retire its last Boeing 747SP-86 in November 2014, but it was canceled and the life of the Boeing 747SP-86 being extended after EP-IAC completed its C-Check few weeks before it scheduled farewell sightseeing flight on November 23, 2014, according to samchui.com. Will the last Boeing 747SP-86 go from passenger service forever? Or its life would be extended?

Tribute to the First Boeing 727 to Touch the Sky

        Water salute for the Boeing 727 prototype

On March 2, the Museum of Flight’s recently-restored Boeing 727 prototype made its first flight in 25 years; the flight also marked the airplane’s last flight ever. The Future of Flight at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. held a pre-flight ceremony while hundreds of enthusiastic fans and former Boeing  727 flight crew members awaited the plane’s flight and arrival at The Museum of Flight. The plane received a heartfelt welcome at the Museum when it taxied through the Museum’s Boeing Field gate at 11 a.m.

The Boeing 727-100’s final flight from Paine Field to Boeing Field lasted less than 15 minutes. Upon landing it taxied directly into the Museum’s parking area—through a celebratory arch of water created by water cannons on Boeing and King County firetrucks—where the engines were shut down for the last time. After the ceremonies, the plane was opened to the public, where they were able to tour for the remainder of the day as part of their admission. The Boeing 727 will also be open to the public this weekend, March 5-6, also free with admission (tours inside of the plane will only be available if it is not raining that day).

The Boeing 727’s brief trip from Everett to Seattle was flown under a special flight permit, with only essential flight crew onboard during the flight: pilot Tim Powell, co-pilot Mike Scott, flight engineer Ralph Pascale, and safety officer Bob Bogash. Powell, Scott and Pascale fly Boeing 727s on a regular basis; airline and corporate pilot Powell has over 10,000 hours at the controls of various Boeing 727s. Bogash is the Museum’s Boeing  727 project manager.

727 Open for Public Tours March 5-6.

This weekend, March 5-6, the plane will be open for public tours, free with admission to the Museum. Interior tours available only if it does not rain on that day.

The 727 will be on temporary display in the Museum’s Airpark through the summer. It will be moved for permanent display in the Aviation Pavilion in the fall.

N7001U, the Boeing 727 prototype, was the former aircraft of United Airlines. The aircraft was flew for the first time on 9 February 1963. Now the airplane is 53 years old.