Boing 747 Parked On No-Frills Apron

[julesandmartin]

Anyone whow what is the score with the Orient Thai Airlines 747 parked permanently in the no-frills apron (Bangkok Air, Air Asia etc...)?

Its registration HS-UTR shows it ceased operations in July 2008, must be costing them a fortune to keep it parked there or an even bigger one to get it back into the air if its never moved for two years!

[Thanyaburi Mac]

No idea what's with that machine, below the info from a great www site re flying machines in Thailand, most of what you'd want to know. www.thai-aviation.net

Mac

HS-UTR Boeing 747-246B c/n 22479 ex N1783B, JA8150

R20-Dec-07 to Orient Thai Airlines Co. Ltd [suvarnabhumi]; noted (without titles) at Jakarta Jan-08; operated a series of Tel Aviv - Cairo shuttles from 10-Feb-08 thro’ at least Mar-08 (as part of a series of charters to bring Christian pilgrims from Lagos via Cairo to Israel); noted (without titles) at Malta 06-Mar-08; noted in service thro’ Feb-09; noted (without titles) stored at Suvarnabhumi from at least Feb-09; current Oct-09; not on 12-Jan-10 or subsequent registers; still stored (without titles) at Suvarnabhumi Jan-10

[NanLaew]

There's another Orient-Thai 747 parked on the apron at Udon Thani airport... been there almost a year I reckon. It only has 2 engines with just the pylons remaining for the couple that have been removed. About 3 months ago, they painted over the Orient-Thai artwork, logos and registration so I reckon it's there for good. But why?

Just looked at that website and HS-UTK is the one listed at UTH. Thanks for the link Mac!

[hkt83100]

Just looked at that website and HS-UTK is the one listed at UTH.

I took that picture of her in February 2010, send me a PM if you need a copy. (4288x2848px)

[rheinwiese]

There's another Orient-Thai 747 parked on the apron at Udon Thani airport... been there almost a year I reckon. It only has 2 engines with just the pylons remaining for the couple that have been removed. About 3 months ago, they painted over the Orient-Thai artwork, logos and registration so I reckon it's there for good. But why?

Just looked at that website and HS-UTK is the one listed at UTH. Thanks for the link Mac!

Orient Thai B747-246, Reg HS-UTJ is stored at DMK (Don Muang).

Wonder who is paying for all the parking fees.

Doesn't come cheap.

This must cost a fortune.

[TBWG]

Maybe the aircraft is impounded due to non payment of parking/landing fees. Catch 22 situation!

Reminds me of a few years back when the Phuket Air B747 was stuck at London Gatwick for about a year!

TBWG

[NanLaew]

Just looked at that website and HS-UTK is the one listed at UTH.

I took that picture of her in February 2010, send me a PM if you need a copy. (4288x2848px)

Don't need a copy thanks. I see the bloody thing 3-4 times a week as it is!

[dddave]

In 2002, I made my first trip to Thailand on China Airways; JFK-Anchorage-Taipei-HK-BKK. I had to change planes in Taipei for the HK leg. It was a tired looking 747-200: dingy inside with flattened seat cushions. The flight was uneventful and I spent a couple of days in HK before heading to the airport for my flight to BKK. As soon as I entered the terminal, a big newspaper headline caught my eye: "CHINA AIRWAYS PLANE DISAPPEARS!" Flight 611, the same flight and same plane (the only B747-200 still in passenger service by CA)that I had been on a few days earlier had disintegrated at 29,000 ft. 20 minutes after take-off from Taipei; no survivors.

That aircraft along with one other B747-200 had already been sold to Orient-Thai but was still being used by China Airways. I believe the one the O.P. was inquiring about is the other aircraft in that deal.

That crash was featured in an episode of "AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION" on the Discovery channel a few years ago. Fifteen years prior to the crash, the tail had touched the tarmac during a landing causing deep gouges. A patch was put over the damage but it was a slipshod job done improperly. More important, no clear notation of the repair was made in either the aircraft's maintenance logs or those of the repair facility: the patch was never inspected during subsequent maintenance checks. About 15,000 cycles later, it finally let go, I was lucky enough to be about four or five cycles away from that moment but the person who was sitting in my seat didn't have a chance.