The Airchive-Mojave Scrapped and Vintage Aircraft

	Airbus A-310 (2005 Photo) Airbus A-310s are becoming a rare species these days. Unlike the A-300, They're not enjoying success as freighters due to the smaller fuselage. The A-310 entered service in 1985 as Airbus response to the Boeing 767. It featured updated avionics and a new wing over the A-300, and inspired the Airbus A-300-600. The A-300 and A-310 are at a disadvantage as they don't have a common cockpit with the rest of the Airbus family. The cockpit is similar to the 767-200, part glass/part analog.
	Air Canada Boeing 767-200 (2005 Photo) Air Canada retired its 767-200s by 2004 which were basically used on domestic services. Air Canada is going to an all-Airbus fleet.
	Aloha Boeing 737-200 (2005 Photo) Aloha has been replacing the 737-200 with the 700s and 800s. Ironically, Airbus began replacing the 200s with 300s in the early 1990s but had a change of heart and removed the 300s from the fleet.
	America West Boeing 737-200 (2005 Photo) America West, along with Southwest, retired their 737-200s in January 2005. They were together the last mainline carriers in the U.S. to operate the classics.

	Ansett Boeing 767-200 (2005 Photo) Ansett went bankrupt in October, 2001. It restarted service for a short time but was out of Australian skies by mid-2002. Ansett initially operated the 767s in three-person cockpit configuration when they first began flying due to pilot union/airline conflicts.
	APSA 990-A (2005 Photo) This ultra rare APSA 990, the second ship off the line, still existed as of Spring 1999. It first flew in 1962 and flew for APSA Peru until it was reposed in 1973.After languishing it Tucson, Arizona until 1979 the airframe was flown to Mojave where it has remained ever since. This 990 almost met it’s demise in a most unusual manner when FOX network began prepping it to be airworthy-only to crash it for a TV special. Fortunately, FOX came to it’s senses and this jet lived.
	Aloha Boeing 737-200 and Convair 880 (2005 Photo)
	Douglas DC-8-51 (2005 Photo)
	Hawaiian and Continental DC-10 Series 10 (2005 Photo) Hawaiian retired its DC-10s by 2004 in favor of Boeing 767-300s. Continental retired its DC-10s in favor of 767-300s and 400s by October, 2001. It is telling that the 3rd generation widebodies such as the 767s are now being retired, though they are not being parted out yet. These are destined for second-tier and freight operators.

	DC-10s and Convair 990 (2005 Photo)
	Tri-Star Scrapyard (2005 Photo) Some 10 Delta L-1011s were retired at Mojave with an additional allotment at Victorville, California. Delta was the world's largest operator of the Tri-Star and last frontline operator before the airline finally retired the last of the fleet in August 2001 after 28 years of service. In the end, these former flagships were confined to high density Florida to Atlanta routes. Delta's Tri-Stars were all purchased new or second hand from Eastern. This example had been at Mojave when I visited in 1999.
	Mojave Flightline (2005 Photo) Unless you take the special tour or fly over Mojave, this is as close to Storage as you'll get. Th storage field is somewhat less crowded than it was in 2001-04 as the airlines reacted quickly by capacity, and therefore retiring aircraft.
	Fuselage Garage (2005 Photo) Now, this is a first!
	Air Canada Boeing 767-200s and Continental DC-10
	Hawaiian DC-10-10s (2005 Photo) Hawaiian leased DC-10s from American, replacing the L1011s, from the mid 90s to 2004. Hawaiian is now leasing 767-300s. The airline has just emerged from bankruptcy. There were 5 of these at Mojave when I visited in 2005
	Hawaiian DC-10-10 (2005 Photo) Hawaiian leased DC-10s from American, replacing the L1011s, from the mid 90s to 2004. Hawaiian is now leasing 767-300s. The airline has just emerged from bankruptcy. There were 5 of these at Mojave when I visited in 2005

	Hawaiian DC-9-50 (2005 Photo) Hawaiian operated DC-9-50s from 1975 until around 2003, when the Boeing 717s took over. With 717 production ending, Hawaiian will have a large market of used aircraft to select from as airlines, such as Air Tran, shift away from the 717.
	KLM Boeing 747-300 (2005 Photo) The 747-300 is sometimes known as the SUD (Stretched Upper Deck). They are an oddball aircraft. Superficially, they look like a 747-400 sans winglets. They are basically a 747-200 with a stretched upper deck and strengthened gear. Singapore and KLM were among the first operators in 1983. They were always an interim aircraft with the 400 entering service in 1989.

	Grumman Albatross and L1011 Stagazer (2005 Photo) An interesting pair, this. The Albatross is possibly belonging to Chalks which has many stored in the desert. More on the Orbital below.
	Orbital L1011 (2005 Photo) This L1011 is a platform for launching the Pegasus rocket, under contract to NASA. Pegasus launches very small payloads of 1,000 pounds maximum into space. The rocket is dropped out of the pod door on the belly at approximately 39,000 feet.
	Grumman Albatross (2005 Photo)
	US Airways MetroJet Boeing 737-200 (2005 Photo) US Airways launched the ill-fated MetroJet in 1996 to compete with Southwest. The airline within and airline used an all 737-200 fleet. It was too high cost of an operation to compete effectively and by 2000, it was shut down. Continental (CAL Light), United (Shuttle), and Delta (Delta Express) operated similar failed concepts. In the last few years, United with Ted and Delta with Song have re-entered the LCC concept with some success. US Airways is detined to be a LCC with it's acquisition by America West.
	Spirit Airlines DC-9-30 (2005 Photo) Spirit began with DC-9s and then moved on to MD-80s. These are now being replaced by A-319s as Spirit transitions to an all Airbus fleet. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida carrier is the largest privately owned airline in America. It continues to go from strength to strength with a business plan similar to Air Tran.
	Southwest Boeing 737-200 (2005 Photo) Southwest, along with America West, retired their 737-200s in January 2005. Delta is now the last mainline carriers in the U.S. to operate the classics, and those will be gone by the end of 2005. Southwest operated the largest 737-200 fleet in the world. Southwest's last 737s were retired to Goodyear, Arizona and Mojave, CA.


	Swissair and Swiss Asia MD-11s (2005 Photo) At Swissairs bankruptcy in 2001, many of the MD-11s were retired. The remaining ones soldiered on with the successor, Swiss until October 2004. They have good prospects as freighters and second tier passenger liners. Swiss Asia was an airline within an airline specifically launched for political reasons to allow the airline service Taiwan and Mainland China.

	Mojave Terminal and Tower (2005 Photo) Mojave has no commerical service, hence the small 1950s era terminal. Tours of the airfield can sometimes be arranged by contacting Tim at 661-824-2433.
	F-4 Phantom Drone (2005 Photo) These are undergoing tests to be drone aircraft.
	Ex-Korean Airlines/Telair Airbus A-300 (2005 Photo)
	Airbus A-300 (2005 Photo) With all usable parts stripped, this carcass is very shortly destined for the scrapper.
	Transky Boeing 737-200 (2005 Photo) This 737-200 has been converted to a freighter.
	US Airways Boeing 727-.10 (2005 Photo) This is the super-short version of the 727. Carrying 6 passengers and crew, and powered by by a single engine, it sold in very few numbers.
	US Airways Boeing 737-300 (2005 Photo) These are the first second stage 737 I have seen being parted out. I am curious as to why. They don't seem like they were written off, but they don't seem old enough to have airframe hours expired....hmmm.
	US Airways DC-9-30s(2005 Photo) US Air retired its DC-9s by 1997/98. These have been at Mojave for years awaiting their date with the scrapper.

	Virgin Boeing 747-200 (2005 Photo) With the arrival of the Airbus A340-600, Virgin has now retired all of its analog 747 Classics.
	Zip Airlines Boeing 737s, Air Canada Boeing 767-200s, and American Fokker F-100s (2005 Photo) Very interesting section of the airfield here! Zip was a shortlived LCC subsidiary of Air Canada launched to compete with WestJet in Western Canada. With the complete, successful relaunch of Air Canada, Zip and sibling Tango were made redundant. Operations were folded back into AC, but the 737 Classics finally left the fleet. American's Fokkers will be gone by the end of 2005. This is a reliable, but oddball aircraft that began with the airline in 1989. American, reportedly has written the aircraft down to $0. With the shutdown of Fokker operator JetsGo who was taking many AA examples, the banruptcy of Fokkera few years back, and similarly-sized RJs coming to market, the prosepects dont look good for this jet. It's a shame as they are young, modern, reliable workhorses.
	Anotov An-2 (2005 Photo) This obscure (in America) Russian airplane was as ubiquitous as the DC-3 at one time behind the iron curtain. It is owned by a local collector.
	Scrap Pieces 727 The Mojave boneyard seen in April 1996. A Continental 3-holer in 2 pieces, a 707, and a 737 are seen in pieces. Tours and photography are now basically off limits, but if you are interested in purchasing parts or cannibalized fuselages contact AVTEL in Mojave, CA at 661-824-4517 or Evergreen Air Center at Pinal Park in Marana, AZ at 520-682-4181. Fuselages hulls are sold for scrap value in the 15K to 25K range.
	Cockpits Look to the Heavens A surreal shot of the boneyard within Mojave reveals a Pan AM 727 fuselage section, 2 cockpits from Trump and Continental looking like extinguished cigarette butts, and the tail of a 707.
	Fed-X This row of Fed-X 727’s was taken in April 1999 as these noisy fuel thirsty 3-holers awaited their next mission or more likely demise. Many of these Fed-X ‘27’s are ex-American planes which had been replaced by larger capacity 767 and A300’s.
	Pan Am 727 on side A Pan Am 727-200 fuselage rests on its side after meeting it’s untimely end. This plane ended its commercial service with PA in 1991. As the market plummets for these 1st generation jets, this scene will be repeated over and over.
	B747 Telair Robbed of its engines, bogeys and radome, this ex-Continental 747-100 (formerly with People Express) had met its demise in April of 1999.

	747 white tail This 747-100 is worth perhaps $20,000 in scrap metal at this point with every major component from control surfaces to windows and doors salvaged by the scrappers.
	707 engine mount A close-up view of the engine mounts of a 707.
	Corsair 747 This 747-100 of the French charter carrier Corsair still retains it’s underwing landing bogey’s but has shed all 4 of its GE high bypass engines and it’s nosegear.
	Constellation Perhaps the most beautiful commercial aircraft ever manufactured, this L-1049 Connie sits immaculately restored in its original TWA colors.
	3’s Company: Tri Star/ EA DC-9/Trump An unlikely Trio with one thing in common – the boneyard. A US Air 727 still wearing a Trump cheatline on trusses, an ex-Eastern DC-9 50 series, and the rear fuselage cutaway of a Delta Tri-Star.
	747 & L-1011 An ex British Airways Tri-Star sits under the Mojave Sun with a Family Airlines 747. Family was a start-up by the controversial Frank Lorenzo that never got off the ground.
	American 727-200 carcass The stripped carcass of an ex-American Airlines 727-200. American retired the last of it’s ‘27s in April 2002. These 727s have been at Mojave bereft of major components, for over 6 years.

	Trump / US Air 727 This cannibalized US Air Shuttle 727-200 still sports the cheatline of the Trump Shuttle which US Air purchased in the early 90’s. Trump was formed from the assets of the famed Eastern Shuttle when it went out of business in January 1991.The thirst and noise of the ’27 assured their demise in the noise sensitive markets of New York, Washington D.C., and Boston.
	MEA 707-300 One of the last mainline operators of the 707 was Lebanon’s MEA. This 707 was securely pickled when this photo was taken in April, 1996. Remarkably, as of April, 2005 (right photo) this aircraft was still at Mojave though parting out had begun.
	Runway to Nowhere A scene reminiscent of Heathrow but transplanted to the desert. A Family Airlines 747, 2 ex-BA / Caledonian L-1011’s, and an ex-Hawaiian Tri-Star. The Hawaiian Tri-Stars were supplanted in ‘95/’96 by DC-10s leased from American Airlines. Those are now being replaced by 767-300s.
	Decapitated Cockpit This 737-200 cockpit was decapitated from this US Airways example.
	Row of 727’s Sitting in formation are at least 10 ex-US Airways 727-200s led by an ex-Continental airframe.
	Continental 747-100 This Continental Jumbo (ex-People’s Express) was stored in Mojave in a virtually airworthy condition. It only briefly returned to service before Continental retired all 747s by 1998.
	Continental DC-10-30 Once its fleet's flagship, this Continental DC-10-30 was stored in Mojave when this shot was taken in April, 1996. Continental accelerated the retirement of all it’s DC-10s by October 2001 after the Atrocities of September 11th.

	Korean A-300 B4 An ex-Korean Air first generation Airbus A300 B-4 devoid of its GE CF-6 turbofans and landing bogeys. Reportedly, a restaurant chain in Korea had purchased some of these examples.