C5LOAD From United States of America, joined Sep 2008, 917 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 2780 times:
I didn't see another topic about this, so I thought I would ask. What is the process for retiring an aircraft? All I know is what happens on the surface (i.e flying it to the desert), but what happens after it gets there? Is it put up for sale for a certain period of time, then it gets scrapped, or is it up to the owner what happens to it?
"But this airplane has 4 engines, it's an entirely different kind of flying! Altogether"
DLPMMM From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 3535 posts, RR: 9 Reply 2, posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 2637 times:
Quoting C5LOAD (Thread starter): I didn't see another topic about this, so I thought I would ask. What is the process for retiring an aircraft? All I know is what happens on the surface (i.e flying it to the desert), but what happens after it gets there? Is it put up for sale for a certain period of time, then it gets scrapped, or is it up to the owner what happens to it?
Two words for you:
Beer Cans.
Seriously...
It is always up to the owner.
Remember that storage costs rent money per month even in the desert.
If the plane cannot be sold by the owner, then usually some parts can be resold on the open market, and some can be scrapped for salvage (copper wires, etc).
The rest of the plane ends up holding your Budweiser.
C5LOAD From United States of America, joined Sep 2008, 917 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2554 times:
Quoting DLPMMM (Reply 2): Remember that storage costs rent money per month even in the desert.
Then why are some fuselages still intact with no engines, flaps, rudders, etc. still sitting there? Like these DC-10s, are they costing their previous owner money still or does the scrapping company own them?
Lotsamiles From United States of America, joined May 2005, 323 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2529 times:
Quoting C5LOAD (Reply 3): Then why are some fuselages still intact with no engines, flaps, rudders, etc. still sitting there? Like these DC-10s, are they costing their previous owner money still or does the scrapping company own them?
The disassembly / scrapping of an airliner can cost $100,000 or more, depending on what you want to keep for later use. Simple storage of a hull (without concern for airworthiness), can be as cheap as $500 per month. Perhaps the owners are just delaying the expense of the tear down.
It may also be for tax reasons, or wishful thinking waiting for a sale.
Spacepope From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2739 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2529 times:
Quoting C5LOAD (Reply 3): Then why are some fuselages still intact with no engines, flaps, rudders, etc. still sitting there? Like these DC-10s, are they costing their previous owner money still or does the scrapping company own them?
It depends, sometimes the engines are owned by a seperate company than the airframe. In this case, the 5th DC-10-40 is a hint on why these are being stored intact: The 5th is the prototype KDC-10 for Omega, under the name of a seperate venture. The other airframes are probably waiting for conversion if/when the contract is signed.
EMBQA From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 9286 posts, RR: 13 Reply 7, posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 2346 times:
71Zulu From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 2736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 2307 times:
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5934 posts, RR: 4 Reply 9, posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2280 times:
Quoting EMBQA (Reply 7): Not seriously.... The aluminum used in aircraft can not be used to produce food products.
Okay, Four more words: "Light poles" and "New aircraft"
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
Actually not. The aluminum alloy used in aircraft is not suitable for food or beverage containers. Apparently it's too difficult to extract the other metals as part of the recycling process.
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 31201 posts, RR: 58 Reply 11, posted (3 years 3 months 3 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 2101 times:
Without names....There was a company that picked an old B732 & scrapped it,sold the parts & managed to earn more on that than the cost initially paid for the aircraft.
regds
MEL.
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