Last September I saw a QF 734 at MIA as well. It kind of made me sad seeing it devoid of titles etc. as I must have flown on the entire QF 734 fleet many, many times.
Cargolex From United States of America, joined Apr 2010, 1153 posts, RR: 9 Reply 6, posted (2 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 8912 times:
Could be awaiting dismantling for parts or repurposing - either to some other airline as a passenger plane (not so likely) or conversion at nearby MIA. It also looks like this aircraft went first to VCV after leaving QF and was later ferried to OPF. This aircraft has an interesting history too - in that it was not delivered new to QF but was originally delivered to the now-defunct Air Nauru (the descendant of which is now called "Our Airline").
EK413 From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 3894 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (2 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 8821 times:
Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 5): Last September I saw a QF 734 at MIA as well. It kind of made me sad seeing it devoid of titles etc. as I must have flown on the entire QF 734 fleet many, many times.
It's certainly a sad sighting, unfortunately in today's competitive market the retirement of these birds is over due...
I flew this week on a QF B734 to BNE & B738 on the return leg to SYD both in J/C... The product offerings are not consistent, I had a work bench which wasn't to bad but the seating was pretty cramped & nil cabin divider from J to Y... The B738 has nice spacious seating & cabin divider...
To keep up with VA or a step ahead of the game so to speak the retirement of the remaining 10 frames couldn't come any sooner...
na From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9600 posts, RR: 10 Reply 8, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 6543 times:
Quoting HLZCPH (Reply 4): I thought I read somewhere some of these QF 734's were being converted to freighters?
Yes. And that at Miami, just around the corner. Probably just parked until going there. This plane is from 1993, quite old for conversion, but still useful. 734s are currently the most desirable classic 737s especially for conversion so it seems, most others versions of the same age, and for sure 3 in 4 735s, only know one way - the torch.
Jetstar315 From Australia, joined Sep 2007, 33 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 6455 times:
This aircraft is a B737-4L7 26961/2517 which was delivered new to Air Nauru (now "Our Airline") from the Pacific Island nation, the Republic of Nauru on 27 Aug 1993 as C2-RN11. It was leased to Qantas, Australia as VH-TJW on 20 Jun 1995 and named "Sharing" (later re-named "Strahan" on 13 Sep 2003). On 15 Feb 2012 it was WFU by Qantas and ferried into storage at Victorville, CA. On 10 Aug 2012 it was sold to the ASL Group, Miami for conversion to a freighter, and stored at Opa Locka.
United_fan From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 7157 posts, RR: 8 Reply 11, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 4281 times:
Quoting airproxx (Reply 10): AF also sends from time to time their old A320 out to Opa Locka
The last AF A320 parted out @ OPF was the one they used out of MIA for thier Caribbean ops.
'Empathy was yesterday...Today, you're wasting my Mother-F'ing time' - Heat.
OB1504 From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 2965 posts, RR: 8 Reply 13, posted (2 months 2 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1884 times:
Quoting gulfstream650 (Thread starter): Why would Qantas have bothered to fly this plane all the way to Opa Locka?
Wouldn't you want to retire in Florida?
I think it's probably destined for scrap as the ex-QF 734s that have a future are undergoing work on the north side of MIA. They're being kept company by ex-US 734s as well as NK A319s and VX A320s being prepped for entry into service.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 14, posted (2 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 1698 times:
Most of CP's DC-8-43s were sold to an OPF-based company when they were retired around 1980.
The aircraft below, CF-CPG, was the DC-8 that made the famous slightly supersonic dive from 52,000 ft. on a Douglas test flight prior to delivery in 1961. Photo is dated 1980 soon after it was retired. It never flew again and was scrapped about a year later. Looks like somone had a use for the Rolls-Royce Conway engines.
And the same aircraft a little later with a few more missing parts.
And at the time of its supersonic flight August 21, 1961.
Jetstar315 From Australia, joined Sep 2007, 33 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (2 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 1182 times:
As I said in my earlier post, it is going to be converted to a freighter by the ASL Group. They've already converted 3 other
ex Qantas B737-400s to freighters (VH-TJH now N120BT, VH-TJO now EI-STB, and VH-TJU now EI-STC)
na From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9600 posts, RR: 10 Reply 17, posted (2 months 2 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 925 times:
Quoting OB1504 (Reply 13): They're being kept company by ex-US 734s
With so many younger jobless 737s (the whole fleets of Batavia, Webjet and Dniproavia, together about 50 frames, plus a dozen from SAS, Rossiya and others, all in the past 3 months alone), most of those late 80s-built US-734s are clearly too old for conversion, and too tired for anything else also. As much as I can find out they are there before being ferried to the deserts to be finished off. Some have already made that journey in the past weeks
Quoting thegeek (Reply 16): Not sure about that. Makes more sense to convert a 733 I thought. Less empty weight.
Currently more 734s are being converted than 733s.
Quoting Jetstar315 (Reply 15): As I said in my earlier post, it is going to be converted to a freighter by the ASL Group.
Right. That answers and virtually closes the thread.
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