The old girl (VH-OJA) is not looking good for a 25yr old

[Awesom Andy]

Are they able to sell any of the 744s? I don't think anyone actually wants to buy them these days unless they really needed a similarly configured aircraft to top-up their current fleet (unlikely).

 

[markis10]

Are they able to sell any of the 744s? I don't think anyone actually wants to buy them these days unless they really needed a similarly configured aircraft to top-up their current fleet (unlikely).

Often sold for parts, for instance OJR no longer exists, interestingly one of the first to be sold to another airline (Max Air) is OJK, an aircraft JB747 no doubt has a few thoughts about.

 

[Fruitcake]

Would it be the oldest plane in the fleet?

According to this source it is indeed the oldest mainline aircraft in the fleet:

Qantas Fleet Details and History - Planespotters.net
[TABLE="class: DataTable, width: 1242"]
[TR]
[TH="class: dt-first dt-sortable tdReg, align: center"]Reg[/TH]
[TH="class: nowrap dt-sortable tdCn, align: center"]c/n[/TH]
[TH="class: nowrap dt-sortable tdLn, align: center"]ln[/TH]
[TH="class: dt-sortable tdType, align: center"]Aircraft Type[/TH]
[TH="class: tdConfig, align: center"]Config[/TH]
[TH="class: dt-asc dt-sortable tdDD, align: center"]Delivered[/TH]
[TH="class: tdPrevReg, align: center"]Prev. Reg[/TH]
[TH="class: tdRemark, align: center"]Remark[/TH]
[TH="class: dt-sortable tdName, align: center"]Aircraft Name[/TH]
[TH="class: tdAge, align: center"]Age[/TH]
[TH="class: dt-last tdPhotoLink, align: center"][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-odd, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #EDF5FF, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-odd, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-OJA[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]24354[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]731[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]Boeing 747-438[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C56W40Y275[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #EDF5FF, align: center"]11-08-1989[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]N6046P[/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]City of Canberra[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]23.6 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-even"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-OJC[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]24406[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]751[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]Boeing 747-438[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C56W40Y275[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #DBEAFF, align: center"]09-10-1989[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]City of Melbourne[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]23.5 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-odd, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-OJD[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]24481[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]764[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]Boeing 747-438[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C56Y356[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #EDF5FF, align: center"]16-01-1990[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]Brisbane[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]23.2 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-even"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-OJE[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]24482[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]765[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]Boeing 747-438[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C56W40Y275[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #DBEAFF, align: center"]26-01-1990[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]City of Adelaide[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]23.1 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-odd, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-OGG[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]24929[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]343[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]Boeing 767-338(ER)[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C30Y224[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #EDF5FF, align: center"]12-12-1990[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]City of Rockhampton[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]22.2 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
The next youngest batch of aircraft (for mainline) are the oldest remaining 767s, which were delivered in 1990.

Maybe some of the crash 8's would be older.

Not quite, Sunstate's oldest Dash-8 is a 1998 delivery.

Sunstate Airlines (QantasLink) Fleet Details and History
[TABLE="class: DataTable, width: 1242"]
[TR]
[TH="class: dt-first dt-sortable tdReg, align: center"]Reg[/TH]
[TH="class: nowrap dt-sortable tdCn, align: center"]c/n[/TH]
[TH="class: dt-sortable tdType, align: center"]Aircraft Type[/TH]
[TH="class: tdConfig, align: center"]Config[/TH]
[TH="class: dt-asc dt-sortable tdDD, align: center"]Delivered[/TH]
[TH="class: tdPrevReg, align: center"]Prev. Reg[/TH]
[TH="class: tdRemark, align: center"]Remark[/TH]
[TH="class: dt-sortable tdName, align: center"]Aircraft Name[/TH]
[TH="class: tdAge, align: center"]Age[/TH]
[TH="class: dt-last tdPhotoLink, align: center"][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-odd, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-SDA[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]482[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]De Havilland Canada DHC-8-202 Dash 8[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]Y36[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #EDF5FF, align: center"]19-04-1998[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C-GFQL[/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"]N482YV Mesa ntu[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]16.1 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-even"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-SDE[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]453[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]De Havilland Canada DHC-8-202Q Dash 8[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]Y36[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #DBEAFF, align: center"]05-10-2001[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]N453DS[/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]16.2 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-odd, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-SBG[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]575[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]De Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q Dash 8[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]Y50[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #EDF5FF, align: center"]28-10-2001[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C-GSAH[/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]12 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-even"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-SBV[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]595[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]De Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q Dash 8[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]Y50[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #DBEAFF, align: center"]17-06-2003[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C-GIHK[/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]10.3 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dt-odd, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-first, align: center"]VH-SCE[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]602[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap tdType"]De Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q Dash 8[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]Y50[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap dt-asc, bgcolor: #EDF5FF, align: center"]27-04-2004[/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]C-GZPP[/TD]
[TD="class: remark, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: nowrap, align: center"]9 Years[/TD]
[TD="class: small dt-last, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[markis10]

Some of the first Dash 8s ever built are in Australia with Skytrans, there was an ATSB report detailing a fault over 20 years old that was only discovered recently by the ATSB that should have been corrected, it only affected the first 35 Dash 8s as it was picked up, problem was the notice never got to the owners at the time. I think they are 1985 era aircraft.

 

[Fruitcake]

Thanks markis. Quite the collection of golden oldies at Skytrans, they have an average fleet age of 23.5 years:
Skytrans Airlines Fleet Details and History - Planespotters.net Just Aviation

One third of their Dash-8s are over 25 years old and they have line numbers 4, 5 and 8 in their fleet.

 

[Paul Andrew Barnett]

OJA so far hasn't been retired. As I write this message, OJA is being used as QFA63 from SYD, TO JNB.

 

[markis10]

OJA so far hasn't been retired. As I write this message, OJA is being used as QFA63 from SYD, TO JNB.

No retirements are due for the rest of the financial year, I saw her being towed from the Jet base this morning in SYD.

 

[QPProletarian]

Any news on the fate? Only OJA and OJI left now. Wonder if they'll try and keep it for museum.

 

[sydstar]

Last flight for OJA will be QF107 SYD-LAX on Dec 7, then to VCV. 25 years of service is pretty impressive!

Would be interesting to know number of hours/cycles

 

[Mattg]

Last flight for OJA will be QF107 SYD-LAX on Dec 7, then to VCV. 25 years of service is pretty impressive!

Would be interesting to know number of hours/cycles

So they aren't going to keep their first 744, the same aircraft which made the historic London-Sydney non-stop flight, in somewhere like Longreach, or even Canberra (the city the plane is named after)?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

There was a time after the B707's left the fleet in 1979 and prior to the arrival of the B767's in 1985 that Qantas was the world's only all Boeing 747 airline.

Qantas Through the Years | Qantas

 

[PaulST]

She was on QF21 last night/this morning and she certainly felt her age. I believe it was her second last revenue flight too.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I heard last flight is Dec 7, to LA i believe

 

[markis10]

I heard last flight is Dec 7, to LA i believe

Yep, saw her being towed at SYD yesterday, said my goodbyes.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Yep, saw her being towed at SYD yesterday, said my goodbyes.

It's sad but she has served Qantas so well! The first ever -400, amazing

 

[markis10]

It's sad but she has served Qantas so well! The first ever -400, amazing

Close to 106000 hours of flying and 13800 cycles, and now going to Mojave after LA rather than Victorville.

 

[PaulST]

It's an impressive effort from the old bird. Unfortunately Ive only just found out who she was so I didn't get a chance to say goodbye or give her the respect she deserved.


Edit: I've done a Flight Review of QF21 in VH-OJA and uploaded it onto YouTube:
[video=youtube;PCVeh0VETH8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCVeh0VETH8[/video]

 

[markis10]

It's an impressive effort from the old bird. Unfortunately Ive only just found out who she was so I didn't get a chance to say goodbye or give her the respect she deserved.

It is, and I had the pleasure of being in the coughpit for 15 of those cycles at AVV, back when QF still did a lot of crew training there. It was a surreal experience being in an empty plane of that size.

 

[samh004]

Shall see her in SYD on December 6th for the staff open day

Will say my goodbyes then.

 

[Quickstatus]

It would be interesting to hear the anecdotes about OJA.

Also the logbooks which must be in multiple volumes by now would be interesting reading.