The Queen Of The Skies Is Leaving That Paradise...

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flew the Boeing 747-400 to Princess Juliana International Airport, Sint Maarten since the 1990s. The Boeing 747-400 of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is known as the largest aircraft to fly to that airport on a tropical island. The Princess Juliana International Airport is known as its "low landing approach" over Maho Beach. When you visit the Maho Beach, an aircraft that going to land on Princess Juliana International Airport's runway will be only some feet over your head! KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has a program on its YouTube channel named "KLM Cockpit Tales." One of its episodes is "Big Plane, Short Runway" is talking about how to land a Boeing 747-400 on a short runway like the one that Sint Maarten has. For plane spotters, Princess Juliana International Airport is a paradise...

The last Boeing 747 landing on Princess Juliana International Airport’s runway

But, the Queen of the Skies’ story on Sint Maarten’s runway will come to the end...

On October 30, 2016, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines operated the last ever Boeing 747 flight to Sint Maarten. The flight was landed at Sint Maarten as flight KL785 before it leaves for Curacao with the same flight number. The replacement aircraft for the Sint Maarten route is the smaller Airbus A330-200 with only 243 seats instead of 408 seats like on the Boeing 747-400. KLM Considered the Airbus A330-200 is more efficient than the Boeing 747-400. With the Boeing 747 gone from Sint Maarten, there is no more chance for plane spotters to spot this jumbo again at Sint Maarten. But, hopefully, the queen of the skies will return to Sint Maarten, so people on the beach could hear the amazing sound of the four jet engines of the Boeing 747, for a longer time.

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.

When The Joy Is Gone...

PK-CKN at Kuala Namu International Airport, wore Sriwijaya Air’s old livery

On 18 January 2016, Sukacita (it means ‘Joy’ if translated from Indonesian), the last Boeing 737-400 aircraft of Sriwijaya Air (registered PK-CKN), was gone forever from Sriwijaya Air. It withdrawn from use at the date before stored at Goodyear Litchfield Municipal at 14 February 2016.

The Boeing 737-400 aircrafts were one of the backbones of Sriwijaya Air’s fleet. The first Boeing 737-400 aircraft of Sriwijaya Air, PK-CJU (named ‘Kasih'; (Love)) was joined the airline on 22 August 2008 and it was the replacement for the airline’s aging Boeing 737-200 aircraft, until the Boeing 737-800, the New Generation type of Boeing 737s joined the fleet in 2014. 

PK-CKC, a Boeing 737-400 aircraft of Sriwijaya Air named ‘Agung’ at H.As Hananjoeddin Airport in Tanjung Pandan, Indonesia on 19 March 2015. It wore the new livery of Sriwijaya Air

Now, Sriwijaya Air has 9 Boeing 737-300 and 12 Boeing 737-500 aircraft in service. They are the remains Boeing 737 Classic aircraft in Sriwijaya Air. Maybe, they also have no longer time in Sriwijaya Air’s fleet. The other aircraft are 12 Boeing 737-800 aircraft and 2 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft. Now, Sriwijaya Air ordered more Boeing 737 New Generation and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to replace it remains Boeing 737 Classic aircraft. Goodbye The Joy, thank you for flying people and flying the last Sriwijaya Air’s Boeing 737-400 aircraft service!