Another Virus Victim

[Globitz]

Oh well, Thanks for that Ben.
It is a shame as I read yesterday that there were 7 left at LHR although I do know that they have been slowly moving some to South Wales for storage over the last few weeks!

[TSR2]

There might be a couple more but I’ve been watching over the last week or so and could only find one at LHR... G-CIVY landed 10 days ago. Haven’t noticed any Virgin ones either and only a few 777-200’s

[Globitz]

Ben,

Just to add to the confusion I decided to drive around the Perimeter Road earlier as I had to get some shopping.
I know that articles etc cannot be trusted but I counted 8 BA 747s that I could see all parked around the back of their maintenance base, I also bumped into a guy who I know who works for BA and he seems to think that they will not be going until at least early August.
I shall just have to keep scouring the net as with that many there I should be able to see at least one.

Back now from a little walk that took me along the North side of 27R and I was lucky enough to see a DHL 757 and a Cathay 747-8F..

[TSR2]

Great stuff Andy... they must have been sitting there a while. As I said, I started keeping an eye out in the last week or so. Does anyone know if all of the 747's that were parked up at Bournemouth have been moved to Wales? There might be some down there. I'm pretty sure there was a Virgin 747 at Prestwick too, but not sure if its still there... And one at Glasgow if memory serves?

I was never a fan of the look of the 747, its right up there with the 737 in terms of aesthetics, but I had a soft spot for it, watching them leave Heathrow when I worked in Staines years ago.... labouring up into the sky, was quite a sight.

[Globitz]

Yeah Ben, I was never a massive fan either until I flew in one.
Also as I get older and with FSX showing it's age I have had to branch out into slightly more modern aircraft than VC10s, Viscounts and Comets etc.
To this end I have found myself getting quite interested in 737-200, 727, 757 and 767, the 747 is getting me that way too, always preferred boeing to Airbus but will get the XPlane A300 when it comes out later this year.

Anyway to get things vaguely back on topic, it is indeed a sad day that BA are retiring the Queen, I had hoped that they were going to be the last bastion for her and that I may have even get one last flight in.....

[Motormouse]

They’re almost all at St.Athan and Cardiff already. Only 1 left at Heathrow.

I can see 14 at Cardiff from my back garden

Ttfn

Pete

[TSR2]

Lufthansa still have the 747-8’s... were they the only major airline to take them? I see one of the A380’s was ferried back from France last week.

[TSR2]

They’re almost all at St.Athan and Cardiff already. Only 1 left at Heathrow.

I can see 14 at Cardiff from my back garden

Ttfn

Pete

That must be quite a sight Pete!

[Airspeed]

I know that technology has moved on, but we are still mining aluminium etc. and using plastic in huge quantities.
At the end of the Pacific war, and possibly other locations, aircraft were pushed off carriers into the sea.
I read that these 747s are in general heading for desert graveyards in the USA, not for recycling in any way, just to sit in perpetuity.
End of life should be considered at the design stage.
Oh, it's going to affect someone's profit to deal with them? How very sad.
Poor Mother Earth.

[TSR2]

Depends on the Airline Mike, but in the past, if BA don’t sell them, they recycle them.

This is an old article,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/magazine/8542482.stm

And a much more recent one....

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle ... s-18270448