Next UPS 747 emerges at Portland.

If you have not seen it here it is.

https://www.airliners.net/photo/United-Parcel-Service-UPS/Boeing-747-8F/5164267/L

It will be flown to Everett for storage soon, delivery in September. Here are some details:

L/N 1549 - 747-8F, RC537, UPS# 9,  N612UP MSN 64258

Thank you to all the readers.

To Fly is to serve (A salesman's perspective).

It is not a secret that a certain British Airline is now the largest operator of 747-400's in the world with Current calls for complete replacement in 2023 with a gradual phase out of this sizable fleet of four holers

British Airways have built their core around a highly congested hub, infested with plenty of competitors and there is nothing conventional about an Airline which maintains a contingency of using bigger planes to get around all the slot restrictions. Despite the problems, BA frequently fills can after can of Self Loaders to and from the bottomless pit that is LHR.

Is there is a unique window of opportunity here? All of BA's Jumbo humps are exclusive to Club World on all 3 configurations, with the Nose being F class only. Whilst this is nothing new,  there is the onerous fan club of BA's Club World Seats on such humps, an experience that some say is unbeatable even with an A380.

Also with a little tweaking, the 748 can  do LHR-PER and back all year round, add commonality with the outgoing fleet in terms of training, economics of scale in terms of spares for selected parts and of course if BCA are willing to throw in Rolls engines into a package there might be an outside chance in hell that it might get a serious second look.

Costs aside, the 748 will offer BA big capacity on the route that QF now monopolizes with a high density seating configuration, but its premium that the Airline will be offering. A revamped J or F class product on a platform tweaked to do LHR-PER with Y class seats 1 order of magnitude bigger that QF might just give the Roos a run for their money.

There is however no chance that the Devil's frozen hand will ink this deal, but a pipe dream is what its worth.

Even if its only worth 2 cents.

Ex Jade Cargo 747 set to re-enter service.

The freshly repainted 747-400F formerly of Jade Cargo Airlines Reg  B-2422 MSN 35173 looks set to rejoin the active fleet after more than 6 years in storage.

https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Boeing/747/B-2422-Jade-Cargo-International/a2B7IBy0

Built in late 2006, the aircraft is 11 years old but has a flying career much shorter than that having been withdrawn in 2011 after less than 5 years in operation.

There are more examples out there of resurrected jumbos but this one seems to underscore the vast amount of wasted potential during the last 10 years of economic stagflation since the 2008 financial crisis. However strong economic numbers from the air freight market with recent freighter orders is underpinning the resurgence of the Queen.

In other news The latest 747 off the line flew to Portland last week for its paint job. Delivery is due September, so the aircraft will be returning to PAE in the near future.

RISK: A four letter word

Now that IAI has considered restarting P2F conversions,

https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/iai-seeing-demand-cargo-conversions

The demand for 747s in the marketplace is increased beyond even what I thought it would be. The market needs the large freighter and The recent FAS 2018 orders for 777F frames just proves this  This is all good news for everybody except of course one player: BCA.

For many years BCA have competed tooth and nail with the second hand market and whilst this latest announcement will not add pressure for a rate increase airlines which want in will have their backs against the walls if there is no availability of conversions which are lower cost and carry less risk.

IAI have made a smart move, even if they are not the best vendor out there, this move will highlight to BCA just what is out there in terms of demand to what I consider nowadays an airplane program on life support. If this goes ahead, one should ask how many of those conversions would have been new frames? Worse still if you consider their corporate position on this topic its clear that they are not interested in any kind of rate increase (that costs them money), for a program that is now supposedly putting out its last gasps of air.

BCA  now considers 2 engines not 4 as the future, and built an airplane that was low cost and low risk for airlines. However by doing this and progressively shifting their position (like a rattlesnake) they have now come to the position whereby it is in their best interest to abandon anything or anyone in areas where this risk is an unavoidable fact of life, and the main deck freight market is just such a victim. Expect them not to even be bothered with this latest announcement or even show a flicker of surprise.

4 engines? That was 1960's stuff.

RC 537 UPS#9 B1 Flight.

Yesterday on 14th Aug 2018 the 8th frame for UPS perfomed its B1 flight to Moses Lake.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n612up

Tracking shows the Aircraft did several patterns before returning to PAE.

Also a Firing order update for those of you who haven't seen it (me included).

LN 1550 747-8F RC 538 UPS MSN 64259 N613UP

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=613UP

LN 1551 747-8F RC 609 ABC MSN 63787 Reg Unknown

LN 1552 747-8F RC 539 UPS MSN 64260 N614UP

LN 1553 747-8F RC 540 UPS MSN 64261 N615UP

LN 1554 747-8F RC 541 UPS MSN 64262 N616UP

This should complete the initial order for UPS Frames. I suspect that the next frame in the order might be for VDA as the Commitment was made earlier, as part of ABC's original 20 frame LOI, BUT I could be wrong.

Expect in the next few days for LN 1549 to head to PDX or disappear into a PAE paint hangar.

Good day :)

Ninth frame for UPS Rolled Out.

As per plane guy's post in the the old active thread, the Next UPS Frame has rolled out.

http://paineairport.com/2018_08_07dm.htm


Delivery is expected in Early October,. 

Here are some details.

L/N 1549 - 747-8F, RC537, UPS# 9,  N612UP  Msn ???.

Details getting very sketchy as  the last frame to be delivered this year is probably due early December. Firing Order for next year has not been revealed (at least to me), and I;d expect another carrier(s) (not UPS) frames will be in that line up. 

Once again Thanks to plane guy for his link.

Yes it Works.

Thanks for the invite. Will keep you all posted.Will post an article soon. Stay tuned and thanks for the readers support.

Hey Charlie

I added you as a poster. See if it work?