Passenger Mark
11-26-2004, 06:07 PM
There have been several posts about old aircraft, or how old is too old to be safe. As Ray and others have indicated, a plane's age really has nothing to do with how safe it is, as the life of a plane is measured by it's pressurization cycles. (Did I get that right Ray?)
Anyhow, I am a member of a Virgin Atlantic Flyer site, www.v-flyer.com/default.asp (http://www.v-flyer.com/default.asp) which, on a side note, is a great site. I would invite anyone here to go take a look at it.
Here is some information that was posted there about where some of Virgin Atlantic's retired aircraft have gone. What should be noted, is although these aircraft have been retired from the VS fleet, they are still in operation. Some of these planes fly right over my home, as the UPS Hub is at Ontario!
The information indicates the aircraft, when it left Virgin, and where it is now. Broken up does NOT indicate (crashed) but taken apart.
Goes to show that the "safe" life of an aircraft goes far beyond retirement.
The 747s
G-TKYO left Feb 94
to: N616FF Tower Air
then: N525UP UPS
G-VRGN left Mar 95
to: N618FF Tower Air
then: N526UP UPS
G-VMIA left Jan 00
broken up at Kemble
G-VOYG left ?? 99
broken up at Kemble
G-VIRG left Dec 01
to: 5N-NNN Kabo Air
G-VGIN left Oct 01
to: 5N-EEE Kabo Air
G-VJFK left Jul 01
to: 5N-PDP Kabo Air
G-VLAX left Jul 01
to: 5N-PPP Kabo Air
G-VCAT left Oct 03
to: G-CCMA European (stored Bournemouth)
G-VRUM left Oct 03
to: G-VRUM European (stored San Antonio, Tx)
G-VZZZ/G-VPUF/G-VIBE still belong to VS although are unlikely to fly for the airline again. The a/c are stored at Mojave, Ca.
G-VBEE/G-VSSS also still belong to VS but are sub-leased to Air Atlanta Europe until May 2005.
A340-300
G-VSKY left Jan 04
to: 9Y-JIL BWIA
A320
Virgin Atlantic
G-OUZO left Jan 00
to: G-JOEM Airtours
then: G-JOEM My Travel Lite
Virgin Sun
G-VMED left Nov 01 (although leased until Apr 04)
to: SE-RCF GoodJet
then: TC-OGF Atlas Jet
G-VTAN left Nov 01 (although leased until Apr 04)
to: TC-OGE Atlas Jet
G-VKID left Nov 01 (although leased until Dec 04)
to: SE-RCD Transair Sweden
then: SE-RCD GoodJet
then: EC-IMU Iberworld
A321
Virgin Atlantic
G-VATH left Nov 01 (although leased until Apr 05)
to: EC-IMA Volar
Virgin Sun
G-VKIS left Nov 01 (although leased until Apr 05)
to: EC-ILG Volar
I want to thank Alan from V-Flyer for allowing me to post this information here! :tiphat
Anyhow, I am a member of a Virgin Atlantic Flyer site, www.v-flyer.com/default.asp (http://www.v-flyer.com/default.asp) which, on a side note, is a great site. I would invite anyone here to go take a look at it.
Here is some information that was posted there about where some of Virgin Atlantic's retired aircraft have gone. What should be noted, is although these aircraft have been retired from the VS fleet, they are still in operation. Some of these planes fly right over my home, as the UPS Hub is at Ontario!
The information indicates the aircraft, when it left Virgin, and where it is now. Broken up does NOT indicate (crashed) but taken apart.
Goes to show that the "safe" life of an aircraft goes far beyond retirement.
The 747s
G-TKYO left Feb 94
to: N616FF Tower Air
then: N525UP UPS
G-VRGN left Mar 95
to: N618FF Tower Air
then: N526UP UPS
G-VMIA left Jan 00
broken up at Kemble
G-VOYG left ?? 99
broken up at Kemble
G-VIRG left Dec 01
to: 5N-NNN Kabo Air
G-VGIN left Oct 01
to: 5N-EEE Kabo Air
G-VJFK left Jul 01
to: 5N-PDP Kabo Air
G-VLAX left Jul 01
to: 5N-PPP Kabo Air
G-VCAT left Oct 03
to: G-CCMA European (stored Bournemouth)
G-VRUM left Oct 03
to: G-VRUM European (stored San Antonio, Tx)
G-VZZZ/G-VPUF/G-VIBE still belong to VS although are unlikely to fly for the airline again. The a/c are stored at Mojave, Ca.
G-VBEE/G-VSSS also still belong to VS but are sub-leased to Air Atlanta Europe until May 2005.
A340-300
G-VSKY left Jan 04
to: 9Y-JIL BWIA
A320
Virgin Atlantic
G-OUZO left Jan 00
to: G-JOEM Airtours
then: G-JOEM My Travel Lite
Virgin Sun
G-VMED left Nov 01 (although leased until Apr 04)
to: SE-RCF GoodJet
then: TC-OGF Atlas Jet
G-VTAN left Nov 01 (although leased until Apr 04)
to: TC-OGE Atlas Jet
G-VKID left Nov 01 (although leased until Dec 04)
to: SE-RCD Transair Sweden
then: SE-RCD GoodJet
then: EC-IMU Iberworld
A321
Virgin Atlantic
G-VATH left Nov 01 (although leased until Apr 05)
to: EC-IMA Volar
Virgin Sun
G-VKIS left Nov 01 (although leased until Apr 05)
to: EC-ILG Volar
I want to thank Alan from V-Flyer for allowing me to post this information here! :tiphat