by Paul Robinson
by Paul Robinson
by Paul Robinson
BDPZ - at IAH Houston
PZ taxiing towards Bravo Mike at LGW
BDPZ - with intersting company (stored?)
G-BDPZ - BCal's first 747
EI-ASJ with Aer Lingus March 75
HS-VGF with Air Siam May 1975 (by Andy Heape)
G-BDPZ with BA August 1976
EI-ASJ back with Aer Lingus August 84
EI-ASJ - Still with Aer Lingus in 1998
5N-AAA with Kabo Air in August 2000
If you have any images you can share to show on the site, I would always be pleased to hear from you.
Please drop me a line anytime email
Please drop me a line anytime email
Many will recall G-BJXN as being BCal's first 747, indeed it was their first owned Boeing 747 and XN arrived in May 1982. Though before that BCal did operate a 747-148, G-BDPZ (c/n19745) for a short period in 1978/1979.
BCal were operating two DC10s (BEBL and BEBM) and had two more on order, though they were being delayed by industrial action at the Douglas plant in Long Beach and increasing traffic on the Houston service led to need for a larger aircraft.
The solution was the wet-lease of a Boeing 747 from Aer Lingus to cover the delivery delays. The 747, with British Airways flight crew, flew in a basic British Caledonian livery without the gold line along the fuselage. It would operate five flights a week, from October 1978 to February 1979, BCal 707s would fly the service on the two quieter days.
BCal were operating two DC10s (BEBL and BEBM) and had two more on order, though they were being delayed by industrial action at the Douglas plant in Long Beach and increasing traffic on the Houston service led to need for a larger aircraft.
The solution was the wet-lease of a Boeing 747 from Aer Lingus to cover the delivery delays. The 747, with British Airways flight crew, flew in a basic British Caledonian livery without the gold line along the fuselage. It would operate five flights a week, from October 1978 to February 1979, BCal 707s would fly the service on the two quieter days.
G-BDPZ, went into service on 31st October 1978 flying non-stop to Houston in 10 hours 15 minutes, making this BCal’s first scheduled flight with a Boeing 747. The return flight left Houston and arrived back in just over eight hours.
BCal's third DC10 arrived early in 1979, G-BFGI, and was named David Livingstone - The Scottish Explorer on the 31st January 1979. BCal were not one to have aircraft standing, and she flew the first DC10 service to Houston the following day. But with no need for G-BDPZ she was returned on 1st February 1979, just one day later.
Though below we have a few images of PZ while with BCal, being their first 747 she found herself in front of the lens a number of times in the short three month lease period.
BCal's third DC10 arrived early in 1979, G-BFGI, and was named David Livingstone - The Scottish Explorer on the 31st January 1979. BCal were not one to have aircraft standing, and she flew the first DC10 service to Houston the following day. But with no need for G-BDPZ she was returned on 1st February 1979, just one day later.
Though below we have a few images of PZ while with BCal, being their first 747 she found herself in front of the lens a number of times in the short three month lease period.
The service history of G-BDPZ
PZ was in service for many years, starting her service life with Aer Lingus back in 1971, below her service history to date
18/03/1971 Aer Lingus registered as EI-ASJ
18/04/1975 Air Siam registered asHS-VGF
15/05/1975 Aer Lingus registered as EI-ASJ
31/03/1976 British Airways registered as G-BDPZ
28/10/1978 British Caledonian registered as G-BDPZ
01/04/1979 British Airways registered as G-BDPZ
12/05/1981 Aer Lingus registered as EI-ASJ
14/02/1997 Kabo Air registered as 5N-AAA
28/12/2002 Stored at Roswell Industrial Air Center Airport - (a surprising end....not the usual one either - see below)
PZ was in service for many years, starting her service life with Aer Lingus back in 1971, below her service history to date
18/03/1971 Aer Lingus registered as EI-ASJ
18/04/1975 Air Siam registered asHS-VGF
15/05/1975 Aer Lingus registered as EI-ASJ
31/03/1976 British Airways registered as G-BDPZ
28/10/1978 British Caledonian registered as G-BDPZ
01/04/1979 British Airways registered as G-BDPZ
12/05/1981 Aer Lingus registered as EI-ASJ
14/02/1997 Kabo Air registered as 5N-AAA
28/12/2002 Stored at Roswell Industrial Air Center Airport - (a surprising end....not the usual one either - see below)
Now, heading to storage in Roswell, or any of the aircraft "graveyards" around the world, would usually be the end for any aircraft.....but not this 747. Now devoid of any registration, she has the insignia of Mistic Expereto Credite on the tail; they are owned by Matrix International, Inc.
She is used for Conducting Training, Education and Seminars In the Field of Security, namely, Commercial Airliner Security, Flight Deck Officers Security Training, Air Crew Defensive Technique Training, and Sky Marshal Training and reportedly used as a training aircraft from various agencies in the US.
She is used for Conducting Training, Education and Seminars In the Field of Security, namely, Commercial Airliner Security, Flight Deck Officers Security Training, Air Crew Defensive Technique Training, and Sky Marshal Training and reportedly used as a training aircraft from various agencies in the US.
PZ (as was) in Roswell
PZ (as was) in Roswell
Location of PZ I think.........
My thanks to all the individual photographers credited on their photos for their great work
My thanks to Paul Robinson and Alan Painter for their photos
And PZ ended her long career in Roswell, she was broken up in 2013
And PZ ended her long career in Roswell, she was broken up in 2013