Currently airborne:

1x A320 (MSN001) www.fr24.com/AIB69BA
2x A320neo (transponders turned off)
2x A321neo (transponders turned off)

Twitter suggests that Airbus is doing a formation flight to celebrate the well deserved retirement of MSN001 from the permanent test fleet at Airbus, MSN6101, F-WNEO should be taking it's place.
https://twitter.com/frogspix/status/758947179260055552

A nice addition for the Aeroscopia museum.

Congratulations to F-WWBA on all her years of service. It's nearly thirty years since her first flight; who would have known just how much she'd change the world? Her retirement is well deserved.

I hope it is going the the museum and not the scrapheap like A300 c/n 001

Thanks Karel for starting a new thread for this event.

Here is a picture of its first flight in 1987:

Source: http://aviationweek.com/blog/1987-a320- ... remembered


Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-22954428

starbucks wrote:

Currently airborne:

1x A320 (MSN001) http://www.fr24.com/AIB69BA
2x A320neo (transponders turned off)
2x A321neo (transponders turned off)

Twitter suggests that Airbus is doing a formation flight to celebrate the well deserved retirement of MSN001 from the permanent test fleet at Airbus, MSN6101, F-WNEO should be taking it's place.
https://twitter.com/frogspix/status/758947179260055552

Everyone except for D-AVXA has landed again.... Lets hope Airbus releases the pictures and likely video soon!

Quite the sight!


https://twitter.com/THOFBOSS/status/758978816182104064

Nice bit of history there and would be great to see her re-sprayed into original Airbus house livery for museum display. I was just 16 when that first flight took place, and feeling like a museum piece now myself...

Are there any major differences between an A320 from the late 80's to one that's just rolled off the production line except for the new raked winglets?

QF29 wrote:

Are there any major differences between an A320 from the late 80's to one that's just rolled off the production line except for the new raked winglets?

The evolution of the A320 in terms of 'wing tip' technology is that it went from none to wing fences to winglets (Sharklets), it's never had "raked winglets" Boeing products have raked wingtips, which first appeared on the 767-400 and went onto become a feature of the 777 family, 787 and 747-8. The A320 aircraft itself is now at the 'Neo' stage of development with all new and ultra efficient engine technology being the main improvement.

QF29 wrote:

Are there any major differences between an A320 from the late 80's to one that's just rolled off the production line except for the new raked winglets?

Airframe weight would be one major difference.

Airbus Singe Aisle formation flight by Florent Péraudeau, on Flickr
Airbus Singe Aisle formation flight by Florent Péraudeau, on Flickr
Airbus Singe Aisle formation flight by Florent Péraudeau, on Flickr

I never realized how similar an A300 and A320 look without winglets.

Great product, congrats Airbus.

N14AZ wrote:

Thanks Karel for starting a new thread for this event.

Here is a picture of its first flight in 1987:

Source: http://aviationweek.com/blog/1987-a320- ... remembered


Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-22954428

I didn't know the first one didn't have the wingtip fences. When were those made standard on A320s?

Astrojet727 wrote:

I didn't know the first one didn't have the wingtip fences. When were those made standard on A320s?

I think the wingtip fences were introduced with the A320-200. Airbus only built 21 A320-100s and I believe none of them had wingtip fences.

Astrojet727 wrote:

N14AZ wrote:

Thanks Karel for starting a new thread for this event.

Here is a picture of its first flight in 1987:

Source: http://aviationweek.com/blog/1987-a320- ... remembered


Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-22954428

I didn't know the first one didn't have the wingtip fences. When were those made standard on A320s?

And thanks for that. I would never realize that if it wasn't your comment...

Astrojet727 wrote:

I didn't know the first one didn't have the wingtip fences. When were those made standard on A320s?

The original A320-100 did not have wingtip fences. They were standard on all A320-200s. That was the only easy way to identify a -100 from a -200. Only 21 -100s were built, all (apart from the one being discussed in this thread) delivered to Air Inter (later merged with AF) and BA (which inherited British Caledonian's order). The last -100s in airline service with AF were retired several years ago.

The A320--far more so than the A300B--was the airliner that finally made Airbus a serious competitor to Boeing. European airlines had been clamoring for such a plane at least since the late 1960's, since they BAe Trident wasn't exactly a viable option and they didn't want to be dependent on buying the DC-9 or 727. The development of the CFM56 engine was what made the A320 possible in the first place.

I do agree that F-WWBA deserves a place in a museum, especially since Airbus missed the chance to save the first A300B1 built.

From a die hard Boeing fan, congrats to F-WWBA. It would be cool to get her in her original "suit" and configuration for her retirement, but I'm sure everyone involved will dress her up nicely.

... and Air Canada (AC) still operates one of the oldes airworthy A320-211 still around:
MSN 59 - FIN201 - C-FDQQ - the frame nearly turns 27 years of age!
(and still going strong with a working day of 6 flights, started at YYT and will end in YUL via YYZ, YMM and LGA )
cheers
ACcargoFRA

I think Air India has the oldest frames in service now, the ones with the 4-wheel bogie undercarriage they inherited from Indian Airlines.

Viscount724 wrote:

The original A320-100 did not have wingtip fences. They were standard on all A320-200s. That was the only easy way to identify a -100 from a -200. Only 21 -100s were built, all (apart from the one being discussed in this thread) delivered to Air Inter (later merged with AF) and BA (which inherited British Caledonian's order). The last -100s in airline service with AF were retired several years ago.

Air France also took delivery of A320-100s, not just Air Inter and BA.

F-WWBA's final touchdown:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/27321149094

RayChuang wrote:

I do agree that F-WWBA deserves a place in a museum, especially since Airbus missed the chance to save the first A300B1 built.

Additionally, FedEx has retired the first A310 and it looks like it will be scrapped at Victorville (if it hasn't already). Someone should probably save that.

JannEejit wrote:

Nice bit of history there and would be great to see her re-sprayed into original Airbus house livery for museum display.

PC12Fan wrote:

It would be cool to get her in her original "suit" and configuration for her retirement, but I'm sure everyone involved will dress her up nicely.
They should remove the sharklets also to make her look as authentic as possible (even though the Sharklets look best).

accargofra wrote:

... and Air Canada (AC) still operates one of the oldes airworthy A320-211 still around

More significantly, Air Canada operates the first A319 (MSN546, registered C-GBIP).

TC957 wrote:

I think Air India has the oldest frames in service now, the ones with the 4-wheel bogie undercarriage they inherited from Indian Airlines.

Oh yes, they do. Couldn't find the picture I took in BKK in 2004 when I first saw it and loved, very charming.

Here's a similar one:

I think Air India has the oldest frames in service now, the ones with the 4-wheel bogie undercarriage they inherited from Indian Airlines.

According to planespotters.com, the oldest active A320 is LN029, JY-JAC, flying for Jordan Aviation, but originally delivered to Ansett. She was delivered in January 1989, so she's over 4 years older than I am! Only the 8th A320-200! Quite impressive as the next oldest active one is LN45.