N794TW II's life after TWA

846th Seven-Oh-Seven to come into being as a 331C ordered by TWA
N794TW first flew on August 17th 1970 and started her useful life 8 days later by serving TWA. Interestingly, the airline also accepted and introduced its first Boeing 747s into service a few months earlier. Undeterred, N794TW accepted the challenge and donned the red-arrow and twin-globe classic livery.

Link to Picture of N794TW in her prime made in 1977 at Zürich
http://runway14.blogspot.com/search/label/1977

And a year later, while taxying to gate at Paris/CDG (Eric Legendre)

On April 04th 1980, she is withdrawn from use and parked at Kansas City. Her log counted 32,724 hours of flying.

On January 25th 1983, Israel Air Force opens a new chapter of her life.
She is initially registered 4X-BYB and then converted as a KC-707 tanker/transport.

Now registered as 4X-JYU and coded 242, she keeps soldiering as a "Saknaï" along with sixter-ships.

Sources : http://www.planelist.net

N794TW, Tale of two Tails

Wearing construction number 18384, she first flew on September 15, 1961. TWA leased it as N794TW beginning on August 27, 1961. Northwest leased it as N733US on October 26, 1962 and then bought it on July 1, 1968. Maersk Air registered it as OY-APZ in January 1973 and leased it to Nigeria Airways in December 1974. TEA leased it as OO-TYA on November 6, 1979 and returned it to Maersk on January 19, 1980. Conair acquired it on February 16, 1981. Allied Signal registered it as N720GT on November 24, 1987 and mounted an engine test pylon on the right side of the forward fuselage. The 720-051B Engine Testbed was registered as N720H in February 2000. Honeywell International acquired it and installed a Honeywell AS977 engine. Honeywell conducts frequent engine test flights with it. Replaced by a Boeing 757 also purshased on the second-hand market, the Seven-Twenty was broken up in January 2008.

Source coming up with an extensive photo gallery
http://www.air-and-space.com/Boeing%20Vintage%20Jetliners.htm

Video showing her while doomed for destruction

Captain Fry takes over from Captain Quald

the former classmates have gone to other directions by connecting to Valencia, the former school principal and his wife are still with us, the flight is full and Captain Greg Fry takes over the "Office". As a guest, his son accomodates himself on the jumpseat.

In the meantime, the trailer drives us back to N794TW.

the trusty JT3D3s come to life once again

According to the flight sheet passed along, we cruise at FL.390 at a speed of 470 knots.
Madrid is behind us. So will Lisbon.

Transition. TW907 reports its position above Lisbon, but soon, this will be water and more water for the next 7 hours during which inflight service will include the lunch, a movie, dutyfree sales and the afternoon snack. Time airborne from BCN was 8 hours and 40 minutes.

Welcome to JFK under drizzles as TW907 taxies to gate at Trans World distinctive terminal designed by Eero Saarinen. "next" door, at BA terminal, a VC10 and pair of stablemates in shapes of 747s try their bests to cast a shadow over a TAP 707.

Thank you for sharing this ride and sorry again for the "quality" of the picture, or the lack of it.

30 years ago

I was lucky enough to sample quite a few more rides on board Seven Ohs. Today, let's board N794TW, a TWA 331C still then doning the big red arrow cheatline and the double globe, on her way back to New York/JFK ...

The ticket cover and passenger's coupon.

A classic hand-written two coupon

Her highness of the time N794TW donning the iconic outfit. And proudly sitting on the apron of Nice Airport while boarding is conducted on the good old way in the open air.
I travelled solo, as almost ever, but when queuing, I got set to share the ride with a former school principal and wife going for a vacation together with two former female classmates. Enough to come up with this

short but concise flight report



Bienvenidos a Barcelona. Good to be asked to deplane during the call .Even 30 years later and despite the lack of quality, this close up of the JT3D3 and tail section flying the classic "Double-Globe" remains one of my favorite snapshots.

Another shot while the quintessentially Spanish trailer+tractor duet sets its way to the distant terminal building.

Life after UTA

TAI was still based at ORY when this picture of F-BIUY was made

F-BIUY, originally delivered to TAI, was disposed of in 1973 and sold to TAE/Trabajos Aereos y Enlaces as EC-CCN. Acting as a Sunshine liner, she is seen departing Düsseldorf with another party of pale sunseekers on board

F-BIUZ, also a TAI contribution,

was sold to the french airforce and serialed 45570/F-RAFE.
Kept with the JT-4s power plants, she was extentively modified as an ELINT coming up with large sized pods set at the wingtips and the forward underbelly. Also referred to as "Sarigue", ie the opossum, named as the rodent which is so elusive that it can't be kept unnoticed even when seen !


Pictured at LBG in 1979 by Michel Gilliand when still powered with JT4s.

Later on, she was re-engined with JT3Ds. Based at Evreux/Normandy, she was donated to the Musée de l'Air, when disposed of in favor of an heavily modified 72CF.


Seen again at LBG as a retired unsung hero by Allan Martins Antunes

She now lingers at Dugny, in company of many former star exebits

Contributed by UAT, F-BJLA/45574, became EC-CDC when also sold to TAE in 1973. Also part of the Sunshine Liners gang, she is seen at FRA with another party of sunseekers eager to make it to the beaches.

F-BJUV, 45627, was transfered to Air Afrique in 1968 and re-registered TU-TCD and named "Dakar". When withdrawn from use, Charlie Delta started a new life as a training airframe at RK maintenance facilities at .... you bet DAKAR/Yoff where she has been last heard of.

45670 during her stay at UTA as F-BJUV.

TCD seen in RK first livery and sharing the ramp at FCO with an AZ series 43 at home and, also doning her original dress.

Three years later, "Dakar" at LBG, her second home, in RK's second dress.

"Dakar" managed to stay long enough for getting the brunswick-greens outfit introduced with the Big Tens in 1973.

1966 - Douglas DC.8-33 - UTA/Union de Transports Aériens

Douala/Cameroon/Equatorial Africa is the setting of this picture dating back to January 1966

The wings and Pratt & Whitney JT-4 pure jet engines belong to a Douglas DC.8-33 operated by UTA/Union de Transports Aériens.

I was on my back to the boarding-school near Paris next to a Xmas school holiday at the parents' place.The Diesel Eight was on her way back from Libreville/Gabon to Paris/Le Bourget with enroute stops at Douala, Lagos-Ikedja/Nigeria and Nice. Flight number was UT 708 and day of opertaion was a Saturday.
I don't remember whether the Mighty Eight was at the early stage of engine spooling with the famed "mating-call" coming along ! But for sure, the distinctive original Palomar seats and their particular side reading lamps had their backs duly set on the upright position.
Afar on the apron, and although only showing its tail unit, an Air Cameroun Curtiss C-46 keeps company to a Boeing B.17 of France's IGN/Institut Géographique National.

UTA was formed in 1963 by the merger of UAT/Union Aéromaritme de Transport, formed in 1949 .

and TAI/Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux set up in 1946

Together with their respective route licenses and some still soldiering trusty DC.6Bs, UAT brought in 2 DC.8s while TAI operated another pair.

All delivered new starting in 1960, the former TAI fleet members were registered F-BIUY and BIUZ, while their UAT counterparts were registered F-BJLA and BJLB. Some were left flying as series 33s,

While others were retrofitted as series 53s