Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Tom Caswell <derpimpkar AT yahoo.com>]

Is the rescue squad building you're mentioning the one near Park and Ride 3?

 

Tom

"Michael D. Thomas" <mdthomas AT mindspring.com> wrote:

> Now that's an article if I've ever seen one! Very well written and very
> clean -- not a lot of email-to-web transformation issues.
>
> Bill, can I please, please, please put this up as an article on the web
> site?
>
> Also, anyone care to swing by RDU and snap a picture? You'll either have
> to get it riding in a car on that road towards the terminals coming from
> 70, or by going down the dead end road by the rescue squad building I
> described earlier. (I don't have a digital camera, so it would take me a
> bit longer to get the picture uploaded.)
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:internetworkers-
> > bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Bill Geschwind
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 12:20 AM
> > To: 'Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/'
> >
>  Subject: RE: [internetworkers] Unmarked Boeing 747 At RDU
> > 
> > This thread really peaked the interest of the aviation geek within me.
> > This
> > evening I drove out to RDU to take a peek at this airplane, in spite
> of it
> > being dark and raining. Since it was dark and the plane was off in the
> > distance, I had a hard time making out the exact color of the plane,
> but
> > if
> > it is the King of Qatar's 747, as suggested, then the tail and the
> rather
> > thick stripe going down the side are more reddish brown than blue. See
> > below
> > for a couple of photos:
> > 
> > http://www.airliners.net/open.file/447904/M/
> > 
> > http://www.airliners.net/open.file/413248/M/
> > 
> > If this is indeed the 747 that is currently parked at RDU, it is not
> > actually owned by the King of Qatar or the "Qatar Amiri Flight," but
> > rather
> > by a company called Worldwide Aircraft Holding Company in
>  the Bermudas
> and
> > is operated on behalf of the Qatari government. This particular
> aircraft,
> > a
> > Boeing 747-SP021, Manufacturer's Serial Number (msn) 21646, Line
> Number
> > (ln)
> > 367 (meaning the 367th Boeing 747 ordered) made its first flight on 30
> > March
> > 1979, and was delivered to Pan Am on 11 May 1979 as N539PA and named
> > Clipper
> > Black Hawk. In its later years Pan Am had the annoying habit of
> constantly
> > renaming its aircraft, and in 1980 this one was renamed Clipper
> Liberty
> > Bell. On 12 February 1986 it was bought by United and reregistered as
> > N148UA. While with United it underwent several livery changes
> (repainted
> > in
> > different color schemes). In May of 1994 it went into storage, and was
> > then
> > bought by Worldwide Aircraft Holding Company in October of 1995. The
> next
> > month the registration N148UA was cancelled and it was
>  first
> re-registered
> > as VR-BAT and later as VP-BAT and repainted in a Qatar Airlines style
> > color
> > scheme. At some point after November 1995 it was refitted with an
> > executive
> > style interior and is now being operated on behalf of the Qatari
> > Government.
> > (most of this information from www.747sp.com).
> > 
> > If you saw this aircraft yourself and thought that it looked a little
> odd,
> > that is because it is. Over the years there have been 5 major versions
> of
> > the Boeing 747. The original version was called the 747-100. In the
> early
> > 70s, a heavier version with longer range called the 747-200 was
> released,
> > and contrary to popular opinion it is visually indistinguishable from
> a
> > 747-100 (some think the -100 has 3 side windows on the upper deck
> whereas
> > the -200 has 10, but in reality both versions were available with both
> > window configurations). In the early
>  80s the 747-300 became available,
> and
> > it was the first 747 to feature the extended upper deck. By the late
> '80s
> > the 747-400 was introduced, which was a thoroughly modernized -300
> with a
> > digital flight deck, new engines and completely new wing, featuring
> > winglets
> > (those distinctive upward-pointing wingtip extensions). Each of these
> four
> > major versions were available in numerous varieties, for example as a
> > passenger aircraft, as a pure freighter with a distinctive nose door,
> as a
> > so-called Combi which accommodates fewer passengers in exchange for
> more
> > freight on the main deck, as a so-called "convertible," which is NOT
> an
> > open-air version, but rather one in which the passenger fittings
> (seats,
> > galleys, etc) are attached to palettes, enabling the aircraft to be
> > converted from a passenger aircraft to a freighter and back in a short
> > amount of time (for example
>  for operators who carry mostly tourists
> during
> > the summer and mostly freight in the off-season), and as a special
> "Short
> > Range" or "Domestic" passenger aircraft with more seats and less fuel
> > capacity, mainly for very high-density short-haul routes in Japan.
> > Currently
> > the 747-400 is the only major variant of the 747 that is still
> available
> > as
> > a new aircraft.
> > 
> > In addition to those four major variants, the so-called 747SP was
> released
> > in the mid 70s, and it featured a radically shortened fuselage
> (shortened
> > by
> > something like 40 ft) and taller tailfin. SP in this case stood for
> > "Special
> > Performance" and this version could fly higher, faster and much
> further
> > than
> > all other 747 variants prior to the -400. Essentially the -SP had the
> same
> > engines and fuel capacity as the -200 and was much shorter and thus
> > lighter,
> > and
>  sacrificed passenger and freight capacity in exchange for range
> and
> > performance. Even though it outperformed all other airliners of its
> day
> > and
> > set numerous world records, some of which I believe still stand, it
> did
> > not
> > sell well, and of the more than 1200 747s of all varieties produced to
> > date,
> > only 45 747SPs were ever built, I believe between 1976 and 1986. A few
> of
> > them are still in service as airliners with airlines such South
> African
> > Airlines, Iran Air and Syrianair. About a dozen of them have been
> > scrapped,
> > and the remaining ones are very popular with Middle Eastern heads of
> state
> > as private or government-owned executive aircraft. A handful of them
> are
> > currently in storage and available for sale for roughly US$ 2 - 6
> Million.
> > 
> >
> http://www.pilotmarket.com/category/Aircraft_For_Sale/Airliners/Boeing/
> > 
> > By contrast in
>  2002 the list price for a brand new 747 was between 185
> and
> > 215 Million Dollars, depending on version and options. Most airlines
> end
> > up
> > getting some sort of discount, usually negotiated on a case by case
> basis.
> > 
> > http://www.boeing.com/commercial/prices/
> > 
> > The 747 currently parked at RDU is one of these very rare 747SPs. If
> > somebody here in Internetworker land has a chance to, could you please
> > take
> > a look at that plane in the daylight and let me know if it is indeed
> VP-
> > BAT?
> > That is the only 747SP currently painted in this particular paint
> scheme.
> > If
> > it isn't could you please tell me in as much detail as possible what
> it
> > looks like? Maybe even snap a picture of it?
> > 
> > Sorry for rambling. Now back to our regularly scheduled rants about
> IRC...
> > 
> > - Bill
> > 
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> >
>  > From: internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > > [mailto:internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf
> > > Of childers.paula AT epamail.epa.gov
> > > Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 7:49 PM
> > > To: machett AT ibiblio.org; Internetworkers:
> > > http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/
> > > Subject: RE: [internetworkers] Unmarked Boeing 747 At RDU
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > never mind a week or so - how about a month or 36? and what about
> the
> > > cost of having a pilot in reserve, a flight crew, a
> > > maintenance crew, or
> > > just the cost of the damn plane itself!!
> > >
> > > guess where your gas money goes, folks!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ---
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> > >
> > 
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