HL-7457. Boeing 747SP-B5. c/n 22484-507.

Was also registered as: N708BA; C-GTFF.

 

 

This aircraft was the thirty-eighth Boeing 747SP to be built and was the second of its type to enter service with Korean Air Lines. Ordered by the airline on April 10, 1979 it was rolled out at Everett on January 09, 1981 fitted with Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A engines. Entered onto the Korean Aircraft Register as HL-7457 it flew for the first time on January 30, 1981.

It was accepted at Everett (Paine Field) on March 18, 1981. The aircraft was configured to seat 12 First Class, 40 Business Class and 200 Economy Class passengers. It was primarily used on the Soeul - New York route. The airline changed its name to Korean Air on June 20, 1984 with the new corporate livery applied to the aircraft by 1991.

When retired by the airline it was sold to the Boeing Aircraft Holding Company on October 01, 1998. Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N708BA on October 14, 1998 it arrived at Marana for storage the following day. It was donated by Boeing to Wings World Wide to be converted into a flying hospital, but this venture failed to materialise. It was listed as being for sale on September 02, 2004 and was noted as being purchased by Transatlantic International Airlines on October 13, 2004. Transatlantic International advertised the aircraft as being for immediate lease having flown 66,576 hours with 9,487 cycles. Meanwhile the aircraft remained firmly on the ground, stored at Marana.

On May 07, 2008 N708BA was observed at Marana with the Pratt & Whitney logo on its tail. Three days later it was observed undergoing heavy maintenance prior to it being ferried to Waco, Texas on July 09, 2008. N708BA has been given a new lease on life by Pratt & Whitney who intend to use it for various test purposes.

It was observed undergoing flight testing at Marana on June 21, 2010. It was cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register on December 10, 2010 and entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register by Pratt & Whitney Engine Services Inc as C-GTFF the same day. It remains airworthy at this time.

 

 

HL-7457. Korean Air Lines - in the original livery at an unknown airport, August 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-934.)

HL-7457. Korean Air Lines - in the original livery at Zurich Airport, March 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-473.)

HL-7457. Korean Air - in the standard livery at San Francisco Airport, June 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-474.)

HL-7457. Korean Air - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, July 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-209.)

HL-7457. Korean Air - in the standard livery at Osaka Airport, January 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-315.)

HL-7457. Korean Air - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, August 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-166.)

HL-7457. Korean Air - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, October 26, 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-455.)

HL-7457. Korean Air - in the standard livery with additional 'Visit Korea 94' titles at Zurich Airport, May 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-164.)

HL-7457. Korean Air - in the standard livery with additional '2002 World Cup Korea' titles at an unknown airport, May 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-165.)

N708BA. Transatlantic - in the basic 'Korean Air' livery at Marana Airport, October 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-291.)

N708BA. Pratt & Whitney Canada - in the standard livery at Marana Airport, July 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4635-246.)