na From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9605 posts, RR: 10 Posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 8148 times:
According to German Skyliner aviation magazine Southern Air is going to buy ten 744 freighters in the near future as the major part of a massive fleet expansion.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11708 posts, RR: 52 Reply 1, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 8033 times:
Good news for used B-747-400s. Are they buying used B-744-BCFs, or buying the pax jets and converting them? Are there no original build B-744Fs available anymore?
na From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9605 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 7976 times:
No details have been reported where the 744Fs will come from. There are very few on the market (just to mention all of JALs cargo-Jumbos have found a new home), so converting some pax-744s seems possible. All ten aircraft are planned join the fleet within three years.
Candid76 From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2005, 710 posts, RR: 5 Reply 3, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 7826 times:
Maybe Aer Sale would do them a keen deal on the older JAL 744s for conversion. When they bought the fleet they did say that they were looking to remarket them as converted freighters. I read that one of the aircraft recently left Aer Sale's base at Roswell for Victorville.
GCT64 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2007, 1104 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 7671 times:
Quoting Giancavia (Reply 4): wow thats a huge expansion.. 10 Jumbos! Whats their plan for them?
Southern Air have around 13 742Fs/743Fs operating (they have more but many are parked, does anyone know the exact number currently operating?), so this may simply be the replacement of those aircraft by 744s.
Giancavia From Vatican City, joined Feb 2010, 1247 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 7553 times:
Quoting GCT64 (Reply 5): Southern Air have around 13 742Fs/743Fs operating (they have more but many are parked, does anyone know the exact number currently operating?), so this may simply be the replacement of those aircraft by 744s.
Indeed but the opening post of the thread says its " a massive fleet expansion."
na From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9605 posts, RR: 10 Reply 8, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 7376 times:
Quoting GCT64 (Reply 5): Southern Air have around 13 742Fs/743Fs operating (they have more but many are parked, does anyone know the exact number currently operating?), so this may simply be the replacement of those aircraft by 744s.
No, or only for the smaller part. In three years they plan to fly 10 742Fs AND 10 744Fs.
413X3 From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 1983 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 7345 times:
That's only if the military contracts continue for years into the future. Otherwise I don't see their business being so large. Anyway nice to see their fleet get bigger, hope those beautiful classics stay flying!
keesje From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 7239 times:
I hate to see 744 being parked, makes me feel old (once enjoyed 20 touch & go's in a spanking new -400 cockpit). Apart from that no 744s should be parked with noisy polluting 747 classics flying around.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11708 posts, RR: 52 Reply 12, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 5652 times:
Quoting GCT64 (Reply 5): Southern Air have around 13 742Fs/743Fs operating (they have more but many are parked, does anyone know the exact number currently operating?), so this may simply be the replacement of those aircraft by 744s.
According to Wikipedia, Southern Air's current fleet is 14 B-742CFs, and 2 new build B-777-200LRFs.
Hamlet69 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 2657 posts, RR: 59 Reply 14, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 5499 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 12): How did they get the 2 B-777Fs (delivered in Feb. and Mar. 2010) and no one on a.net noticed?
Ordered by Oak Hill Capital, which owns Southern (and others). Southern operates them on behalf of Thai Cargo. Set to receive another 2 (possibly more), though where they end up is anyone's guess right now. Personally, I'd love to see them in Southern's amazing new livery instead of Thai Cargo's. The 744's too!! Almost makes up for Oak Hill merging Cargo 360 into Southern, and adapting the latter's identity.
Hamlet69 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 2657 posts, RR: 59 Reply 15, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 5485 times:
Quoting 413X3 (Reply 9): That's only if the military contracts continue for years into the future. Otherwise I don't see their business being so large.
Under owners Oak Hill, I'd expect to see more diversification of their business as we have seen lately. Could be wrong, tho. . .
trex8 From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 3970 posts, RR: 14 Reply 16, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 4874 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 12): Why doesn't Southern pick these up? The B-747-400ERF is a great airplane, and has almost as long legs as the B-777F, but carries some 50% more cargo.
probably because whoever financed the original loadair deal paid Boeing top $$ and would rather park them than sell /lease at a low price
B727LVR From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 628 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 4814 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 12): How did they get the 2 B-777Fs (delivered in Feb. and Mar. 2010) and no one on a.net noticed?
According to airlinepilotcentral.net they have a total of 10 777F's on order including the 2 they operate for Thai Airways. Also it says their current fleet consists of 3 743's, 16 742's, and 2 777F's.
LEEDS19 From United Arab Emirates, joined May 2008, 92 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 3986 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 12): Why doesn't Southern pick these up? The B-747-400ERF is a great airplane, and has almost as long legs as the B-777F, but carries some 50% more cargo.
Are you sure about that?,I regularly handle both of these and have been assured that the 747 on an equivalent sector such as HKG-DXB will carry about 10-15% more cargo by weight,120t v 105t but burn 40% more fuel.One advantage of 744ERF however is the nose loading capability which appeals to carriers such as CV who carry a lot of outsize cargo which a 777 could not handle.
On aside note-A recent Rayyan Air DXB-JNB charter had to be canx as the 747-200F internal drive system was unable to handle the load even with a nose loading operation,had this been a 744ERF it would have been no problem.Load was eventually taken on an AN-124!
I dont believe any 744BCFs were converted to a nose loading capability but stand to be corrected.
A388 From Netherlands Antilles, joined exactly 12 years ago today! , 9069 posts, RR: 13 Reply 19, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 3788 times:
Quoting LEEDS19 (Reply 18): Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 12):
Why doesn't Southern pick these up? The B-747-400ERF is a great airplane, and has almost as long legs as the B-777F, but carries some 50% more cargo.
Are you sure about that?
A 744ERF carrying 50 percent more cargo compared to the 777F indeed is over exaggerating a bit...
UPS Pilot From United States of America, joined May 1999, 867 posts, RR: 3 Reply 20, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 3296 times:
Airlinepilotcentral.com is not a good source. That site is filled with criers and whiners. Most of the posters in the cargo forums are an embarrassment to the airline profession. Lots of mis-information....
Southern has a long tradition and its good to see them back again. To bad Tigers will never return like Southern Has.
B727LVR From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 628 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 2961 times:
Thanks for the info. I only use the "quick takes" and video section of the website, never looked at their forums. It helped me get the job i have now!
Agreed Southern has a wonderful tradition and many of the former emplyees (not very many around) I have spoken to speak highly of their time there. Its awesome to see such a large expansion of any airlines in times like this! I guess the most we will see of the Tigers is the Polar/Atlas combination. Too bad they can't have their name back....
I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to planes!
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no 744s should be parked with noisy polluting 747 classics flying around.
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