I was thinking of those adorable B747-SPs that used to come to JFK. I only recall China Air, RAM, PanAm, TWA and Saudia aircraft. What did I forget? When did they stop flying into JFK? Do any still fly today around the world or have they all been scrapped?
American had SP's aswell, although they were leased from TWA. They used them out of DFW to Gatwick and NRT. The only passenger SP I know of fly's with Iran Air. The rest are either private, with Gov't, or used are research platforms. United also had SPs.
SAA , CAAC, United, AA and Braniff flew them in as well. I don't think RAM had SP's. I believe Syrian and Iran Air fly regular SP flights.
Spotters have been Homeland Security before HS was a glimmer in the president's eye.
RAM had SP's before the 767's and 744's I may even have a slide of one at home. I beleive Korean used to fly them in also, South Africian had but I don;t think there were regular to JFK more LHR, as well as QANTAS to LAX,
Overheard on JFK TOWER - S Turns are fine, U-Turns are bad....
United ran the 747-SP's JFK-NRT for approx 3 years from 1988-1990. They were replaced with the 747-200's until UA received the 747-400's. Somewhere around 2000 they switched that route to the 777, until it was discontinued in 2006.
Wait hold on...did you just call them "adorable"???
I mean, they're pretty funny-looking, but...
Hey, Don't talk smack about the SP... I once was in one empty on JFK's longest runway.....why, I have no idea.....but there was nothing to see by sky from the jumpseat...... "aircraft climbs like a home sick angel" (I heard that only one time from a pilot while in an aircraft....and it was not from an A340 flightdeck!)Originally Posted by adam613
The three most common expressions in aviation are, "Why is it doing that?", "Where are we?" and "Oh Crap".
hey... i'll agree with him, even go as far as calling the airplane "sexy!"
it is mathematically impossible for either hummingbirds, or helicopters to fly. fortunately, neither are aware of this.
How could I forget SAA? My former boss flew the 747 SP to Johannesburg in the 80's I think and raved about it. Royal Air Maroc definitely had an SP; I took movies of it once taxying about. Its registration was CN-RMS. It came every Sat. and Tuesday for a while. Yes, Braniff had the regular 747 named "Big Orange" but they also had 1 or 2 SP's. I once saw it landing on 22L. It was returning from Buenos Aires, I believe. The benefit of the SP was a longer range and probably a smaller fuel cost. With the cost of fuel so high now, maybe Boeing should consider manufacturing the SPs or a variation again. According to Wikipedia, 17 SPs are still flying, 15 were scrapped and 13 are in storage.
Reaching into the Wayback Machine, here's a scan of a slide I shot at JFK back around 1980 or so:
KC-135 - Passing gas & taking names!
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=15086
http://moose135.smugmug.com
Moose, that's great! I wish I had been alive to see those.
Greets,
-Omar S.
I remember seeing the UA birds in a hybird Pan-Am/ United
Overheard on JFK TOWER - S Turns are fine, U-Turns are bad....
moose great shot ! i remember seeing them round jfk round '76, always liked them !
The beehive hummm of the JT9D and GE CF680C2,the thunder of the JT8D-17,the rumble of the PW1830 and the high ,thin whine of the PW 545A are all music to my ears!
Here are mine from '81 or '82 from on Top of the World back then. It just goes to show how mom was right about hermetically sealing my 25 ASA Kodachromes.
Spotters have been Homeland Security before HS was a glimmer in the president's eye.
Actually, the 2 747 SP's from TWA were sold or transferred to AA with the Heathrow route authorities--I don't think they were ever returned to TWA, they were disposed of directly by AA.....it was a long time ago.
The SP's were used to Heathrow from JFK before NRT.
It's the fares, stupid
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