Told Ya So....

 Well, well, well,

Atlas Air signs new freighters. Four of them. I remember saying once that This Airline was the one BCA should be targeting, but alas they never did. Atlas is going to get a Nasty headache with no replacements for the fleet of queens they operate, some nearing 30 years old.

Atlas is in no way unique, there is probably another airline out there looking for a solution that only a 747 will give them but wont commit to anything because of the doomsday talk and announcement that the line is going, or that it doesn't fit any green new deals.

Is there a profitability issue?

Why BCA Can charge what they like with any future orders, the customer here is bent over the table and in fact if I were them I would just offer them a 20 frame package and tell the accounting department to take a hike. Half the problem with this program is all the doomsday talk, with sayings of all sorts of two pot box boats, none of which can do the same job as efficiently or if not as effectively, while ignoring the product your selling and any potential customers that they have in front of them.

And as for Anet, I know an armchair salesman that wants get in touch. 

.ps IF you pretend your product is garbage, then it might as well be.

The fable of Mighty Queens and Whales.

If you have been placing your ears to the ground you will know already the Bad News.

If anything the trends were clear many years ago, even before there was any talk of the Whale ever flying. It was the sour grapes of not having a product at the top of the scale that made them do it. In all of the RFP's leading up to the launch of the Whale there was one product they couldn't build and couldn't compete with and they sorely wanted to have their market share believing that the segment would remain forever.

It vanished into thin air.

Then there was the builder of the Queen of the skies, who tried desperately to keep it relevant, who had to stick to its guns on a runaway program that certain quarters liked and others hated. Paying the price for that victory meant that you had to live with its pitfalls for the lifespan of its existence. A price that they are still paying today, despite its successes.

There was no way out for them. Its triumph was tainted by the enormous cost of running the program, producing a product that was so highly leveraged, that was famous the world over and created the false appearance of roaring victory..

In fact nothing could be further from the truth.

Deep in their heart of hearts were men trying to push the envelope. Going from iteration to iteration and trying all sorts of permutations and combinations. They were building at the edge of their limits trying to make mountains of gold from the small  molehills of efficiency that technology could yield to them.

In the end it was bunk. 'Lets not build for the market, lets create that market for ourselves' they said and so began the journey that led them to where they are today.

The Queen of the skies had already sailed into the sunset even before the Whale could be rolled of of her hangar, but it was the prestige and status of being the keeper of the Crown that kept her builder believing in the legend, whilst soaking up all that steam not realizing the true cost of it all.

There is something very poetic in all of this, that if you cannot be satisfied with all you have gained, then there is no limit to how much you have already lost. As for the Builder of the Queen the Skies, its reign comes at a price, a price that only its builder can afford to pay.

Something strange.??

As information about this program has been slow down the pipeline, its difficult to gauge what the state of the program is thus far. 2018's last frame is to b  delivered next month and every 2 months a frame leaves the factory.

Really?

There has been no news of a rate increase, but there has been news about the next 2 frames.

L/N 1552, 747-8F, RC539, UPS, serial number 64260, N614UP, del March 2019

L/N 1553, 747-8F, RC540, UPS, serial number 64261, N615UP, del April 2019

http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1411909

Now let's see, Frame delivered this month: Yes.
Next Month: Yes
Following Month: Yes

So it look like the rate has gone up to 1 per month?

Well not exactly, there was a very slow Christmas period and this might be the taking up of slack after the New Year. As I recall the last frame of 2018 could have have been delivered in Early January, but the holiday season and late roll out and flight test of that last frame has knocked the schedule a little bit. 

I would expect things to return to normal one the year gets into full swing as some people still haven't sobered up yet over the last 30 days. 

Have fun.

LN 1551 B1 Flight

VP-BJS The last frame for 2018 performed its B1 Flight on 21st  Jan.

https://twitter.com/JenSchuld/status/1087451015287267328

Aircraft details:

LN 1551 747-8F RC 609 ABC MSN 63787 VP-BJS

Delivery is expected in February so expect the frame to PDX for painting soon.

The slow pace of the work completion is reflective of the low rate with priority being placed elsewhere and delivery dates and scheduled work sandwiched by lots of slack time. Nevertheless the next frame and the first for 2019 is already on a slant position. Details of that frame are as follows:

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

Thank You and have a nice day.

747 program starts the year slow.

Hi All,

The last frame for 2018 cancelled its B1 flight and went tech.

https://twitter.com/mattcawby/status...06082010898432

10 days ago the frame was pictured on a PAE ramp,

https://twitter.com/PaineField/statu...79582720323584


Thanks