Setjet From Namibia, joined Mar 2002, 1063 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 10 months 6 hours ago) and read 4710 times:
A couple of years I was driving through the Golan Heights (northern part of Israel, just north of of Lake Tiberias). There in the middle of nowhere did I com across a derelict Boeing 707 wreck. It was on a small hill next to a small road. No airfield or straight strech of land anywhere nearby.
I stepped "aboard" and found some sign pointing to the former owner Air France. Now the big questions are:
How and why did this 707 end up in northern Israel? Also, can anybody find out what the history of this aircraft is?
Note my sister standing on the former root of the left wing!
MEA-707 From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 3944 posts, RR: 49 Reply 1, posted (7 years 10 months 6 hours ago) and read 4654 times:
Hope you can give another link, I am very interested to see the picture.
the Israeli Air Force ended up with some ex Air France 707-328 purejets. They are recognizeable by the sleeker engines with black exhaustpipes
Mconway From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (7 years 10 months 6 hours ago) and read 4599 times:
Just right click the banner above and select properties. The URL to the pic in question can be copied and pasted into another browser window. Let's see if this works:
Setjet From Namibia, joined Mar 2002, 1063 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (7 years 10 months 5 hours ago) and read 4445 times:
Somehow we got up there (don't ask how we looked like...).
The inside looked really bad, everything shattered and torn up, no seats left, the cockpit had no instruments left whatsoever and only a small sign next to the 1L door pointed to the original owner.
P.s.: It seems like Sony's Imagestation doesn't allow any outside links (don't know why). Is there a better site where I can post images on the web? Thanks.
Canberra From Denmark, joined Apr 2004, 310 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (7 years 10 months 5 hours ago) and read 4360 times:
I am very interested in further info. Exact location, c/n etc.
I know there is also one (if this is not the one) near Nablus (in OT) at a closed Entertainment Park. Didn't manage to find it yet though. In anyone has info on that one I am also very interested.
All the best, Michael
It takes courage to push things forward . . (Mo Mowlam)
I don't think any others were every made. At least from what I know.
The ones at BEY can they be seen from outside, or is it maybe possible to ID them during arrivel/departure?
The one that I showed you can be photographed from up in the hills by the airport, you will need a good telephoto lens though (I took that shot at 320mm). It can be seen while taking off from runway 21 also or when landing on runway 03.
There are 1 or 2 MEA 707s or 720s sitting by the Lebanese Army hangers next to the private terminal that is currently under construction. This will be hard to get to however.
There are also a bunch of 707s and 707 parts around the TMA Cargo area.
Here are TMA's 2 707s which are in flying condition and were flying until 1 month ago when the Lebanese government decided to pull TMA's air operating certificate due to safety fears:
Here are a couple shots of the abandoned 707s that TMA has been canabalizing to keep their existing 2 707s flying:
JR Aviation had their 720 recently grounded and it can clearly be seen parked on the ramp just by the airport road entering the terminal:
I look forward to your trip report (if you plan to make one) when you come back from Lebanon!
Regards
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
Cedarjet From United Kingdom, joined May 1999, 7285 posts, RR: 56 Reply 12, posted (7 years 10 months 4 hours ago) and read 4060 times:
Setjet, the Golan Heights are most certainly not the "northern part of Israel" - they are in Syria, a part of which is currently illegally occupied by Israel.
Backfire From Germany, joined Oct 2006, 0 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (7 years 10 months 3 hours ago) and read 3974 times:
[DETECTIVE HAT = 'ON']
Setjet,
There's an interesting clue in your photo - the blue marking on the white section of the nose seems to be identical to the cheatline on El Al Boeing 707s:
If there's evidence of Air France ownership, you might want to see if any of them were transferred to El Al - might help you pin down an identification.
Setjet From Namibia, joined Mar 2002, 1063 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (7 years 10 months 2 hours ago) and read 3885 times:
Canberra,
I can't recall the exact location of the wreck, it was somwhere between the norhtern tip of Lake Tiberias and the connection road to Qiryat Shemona. It is a very hilly area with no straight streches of land anywhere nearby. Here is a map to give you some idea:
Backfire,
that's an interesting point. It really looks like the old EL AL paintscheme. It is also quite strange that the paint was stripped off almost completely.
Cedarjet,
I didn't want to start a political discussion, but almost all maps of Israel include the Golan Heights, you can pay with Shekels and there is no border control. So technically I would say it is Israel, even if it is occupied.
The eastern part of Greece with it's rich history including Constantinopel or Istanbul is "occupied" by Turkey (illegally!?!), still it is Turkey.
TodaReisinger From Switzerland, joined Mar 2001, 2728 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (7 years 10 months ago) and read 3549 times:
It's amazing.....this 707 was obviously painted in the El Al livery....but El Al never had any ex-Air France 707 in its fleet.
I remember having seen this "plane" somewhere between Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shmona a few years ago, but I read later in a newspaper that the wreck had been bought by a restaurant owner near Nablus...to transform it into a restaurant.
I bitterly miss the livery that should never have been changed (repetition...)
EclipseFlight7 From Somalia, joined Apr 2004, 510 posts, RR: 2 Reply 19, posted (7 years 9 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 3426 times:
What was the sign that pointed to Air France? Or was it a literal sign that said Air France?
Also notice that on the nose gear doors it goes from white paint to bare metal. I though that the El Al 707's had a pure white belly. Maybe the radome was stripped from an El Al aircraft and then put on the 707?
Canberra From Denmark, joined Apr 2004, 310 posts, RR: 4 Reply 20, posted (7 years 9 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 3416 times:
Setjet, all,
I think I have an answer
http://www.aerotransport.org has B707-328 c/n 18246/269 as preserved in Elifelet as a restaurant. Elifelet is a village just of the Teberias - Kiryat Shmona road a bit south of Rosh Pina.
This frame was F-BHSS with Air France before it became 118/4X-JYK for the Israeli Air Force. It seems like Jan Mogren is right, the nosecone is probably not the original.
I have been driving that road on several occasions the last 1½ year (latest April 3 this year), and I never noticed any B707's there Actually I think todaReisinger could be right that this is the frame that was move to a place near Nablus.
Hope this helps, Michael
[Edited 2004-04-19 00:49:02]
It takes courage to push things forward . . (Mo Mowlam)
Setjet From Namibia, joined Mar 2002, 1063 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (7 years 9 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 3251 times:
Thanks for all the hints in the right direction. On the inside of the fuselage there was something pointing to the former owner Air France. I am sorry I can't recall the exact location, too much time has passed in the meantime.
"For Setjet's comment which I find extermely stupid and offensive, now its my right to expect an apology.I say again Istanbul is TURKISH since the year 1453. Anybody talking about illegal occupation should explain what his country doing at Iraq first then criticise Turkey."
Wing, why do you expect an apology from me? Didn't I say that Istanbul is Turkish? BUT, it was occupied once, even if that's 550 years ago! Almost every part of the world was once occupied, still we have the borders that we have today and have no problems calling these "countries".
Turkey occupied the northern part of Cypries in 1974. So, is this Turkey now? Still Greece? International territory?
If you ask me: This is stupid!
Apoligies if this discussion went in the wrong direction, wasn't really my intention to start a discussion about Israels policies...
Kl911 From Hungary, joined Jul 2003, 4328 posts, RR: 17 Reply 23, posted (7 years 9 months 4 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2652 times:
** Sorry this post has been deleted before, not my fault. Moderators: This is 100% true whats written below.....What's illegal about that? You're also Arab?**
Wing,
Where did you study? Cyprus was Greek, is Greek and will remain greek. In may the Greek part will join the EU ( because the're smart) and the illegal turkish side not...... Turkish invasion of Cyprus was and is illegal, that's why only the greek part is officially accepted.
QR332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 24, posted (7 years 9 months 4 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2617 times:
Guys, you want to talk politics go to the Non-Aviation forum, lets not get this thread deleted. BA, how long ago did MEA retire their 707s anyway?
25 SpeedbirdHeavy: I think maybe the next best thing is to make a return visit to this old 707 and try to get some serial numbers off some parts. Surely, there has to be
26 Prebennorholm: I remember seeing these old straight jet El-Al 707s in and out of Copenhagen in the early 70'es. At that time there was still a good view over the air
27 BA: QR332, MEA retired the 707s in 1997 following the arrival of 2 A320s and 2 A321s. The 720s were retired in 1995. Regards
Sponsor Message: 
From Namibia, joined Mar 2002, 1063 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 3944 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 6075 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From Denmark, joined Apr 2004, 310 posts, 
From United States of America, joined May 2000, 11094 posts, 
From Lebanon, joined Aug 1999, 701 posts, 
From Switzerland, joined Mar 2001, 2728 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Dec 2000, 2043 posts, 
From Somalia, joined Apr 2004, 510 posts, 
Actually I think todaReisinger could be right that this is the frame that was move to a place near Nablus.
From Israel, joined Sep 2001, 895 posts, 
From Hungary, joined Jul 2003, 4328 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
Printer friendly format 
![_](javascript:compressPost('1519382','2','1','3','Leskova','It works as soon as you cut the ".orig.jpg" from the end - at least it worked just a moment ago, so let\'s give it a try: http://www.imagestation.com/p','2')){kind=link}