Canadi>n Fokker F.28s

[xchox]

Just came across this article. Are they still there? How many of those can still be made airworthy? If they can't why haven't they been donated to schools, museums or sadly scrapped?

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Phot ... story.html

All I can find out was in 2009 one was sold and made airworthy.

http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/aircraft%2 ... MW-625.jpg

Former Airways Survey F.28, VH-ATD (c/n 11047), operated the last flight by the Airservices Australia Flying Unit in February 1998. The aircraft was then put up for sale and acquired by TimeAir in Canada. It was registered to TimeAir as C-FTAR on 2 April 1998. The aircraft changed hands to AirNorTerra/Canadian North in May 2001 but was stored engineless at Saskatoon as of March 2005 along with a large collection of surplus F.28s.

More recently the aircraft was refurbished, though retaining Canadian North colours, and re-registered in the Ivory Coast as TU-PAB on 21 January 2009. The atmosperhic photo above shows it at Saskatoon on 22 January 2009 preparing for its delivery flight. During 25-26 January 2009, it was flown Saskatoon-Gander-Santa Maria (Azores)-Dinard (France), (possibly for maintenance), before heading to an unknown operator in the Ivory Coast.

(Photo: Matt Willems)

[Jean-Luc Monette]

I've flown on some of those pictured planes at Inter-Canadien back in 1995-1997...

They were real nice to fly but as they were almost pure jet engines, not very economical and noisy!

[pianokeys]

Theres one in YYC, in the middle of the field surrounded by older CRJs and BAe 146s.

[iflyforpie]

Flew on one from YLW to YVR in early 2002. Not sure what airline it was... Canadi>n markings, Air Canada service...

I love that whistling sound that only RR engines seem to make.

[Trevor]

How many of those can still be made airworthy?

- How deep are your pockets and how determined are you to have an obsolete F-28?

If they can't why haven't they been donated to schools, museums or sadly scrapped?

- WestJet donated 737-200s to SAIT and BCIT, and Royal/Canada 3000 did the same in Gander. Those came complete with engines and all their systems. For any school (or museum) to take an F-28, they'd have to relocate the plane from Saskatoon. Whether that would be by disassembling it and trucking it, or somehow flying it, the cost would be far greater than buying a retired airliner on its way to the desert or giving a tax receipt to a company looking to rid themselves of some old hardware.

Why haven't they been scrapped? Once a plane is parked you place yourself at the mercy of the recycling industry. At what price are you prepared to sell, and at what price will the recycler make a profit? Once those two numbers cross, it becomes viable to chop them up. Contrary to what many believe, planes don't head to the smelter as soon as they're retired. There are DC-10s, L.1011s and early 747s in the desert that haven't flown in 20-25 years.

Trevor

[oldtimer]

When I lived in Lynn Lake, I flew as a passenger on CF-TAM, one of the first F 28's purchased by Winnipeg's Transair/Midwest. After I retired I did morning coffee with good buddy whose daughter is married to a recycler. He is involved in scrapping old buildings and such to recycle the steel. He is pretty good at it because he makes good money and I mentioned these old airplanes sitting in Saskatoon. Apparently his company looked into the deal and it is obvious there was not enough money in recycling the airplanes to make it viable.
Saskatoon has always been the airport of choice to store obsolete airplanes. The RCAF/CAF stored old airplanes there for years.
The same guy/company that owns the airplanes also ownes that big old ex military quonset style hangar where some of the airframes are stored and for the most part is or was sitting mostly idle because the cost of asbestos removal and upgrading the infastructure of the building is more than the building is worth.

[Mighty 150 Flyer]

Maybe Joe will pick them up and make a fleet of retardant bombers out of them?

[spruceair]

From what I understand, the Saskatoon Airport Authority won't allow the current owners to scrap them on airport property. 3 or 4 were cut up on the ramp in front of the big hanger a few years ago and one caught fire...fuel left in the tanks is what I heard.

So from what I can tell, they are stuck there.