Reminder: Monday is Last Day of American A300 Service

[Delta777LR]

Is the -600R the only variant AA ever operated?

Yes, in fact AA was one of the launch customers of the 600R variant, which I believe the first flight was somewhere in either 87 or 88

[PhilDernerJr]

What's going to happen to the airframes? Cash for Clunkers?

[cancidas]

What's going to happen to the airframes? Cash for Clunkers?

FedEx for freighters is my guess...

[Delta777LR]

What's going to happen to the airframes? Cash for Clunkers?

FedEx for freighters is my guess...

I would say perfect for Astar Cargo, to replace those classic A300B4s but I dont see that happening. UPS, possible? would they use those GE CF6s along with the PW engines?

[Matt Molnar]

Last flight is in the air, and appropriately, it's running an hour late. :) ETA at JFK is 1:35am.

[Matt Molnar]

And now they're gone: AA 1908 arrived at 1:16 local. Trying to find out when the ferry will leave.

[LGA777]

NEWS FLASH: The unofficial last rev flight of an AA A-300 is currently enroute to JFK as AA 1582 SDQ-JFK subbed for yesterdays 763 operating about 16 hours late, ETA JFK 1213 LCL. Hopefully someone can get a shot?

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1582

http://www.aa.com/aa/gatesTimesSubmit.do

Regards

LGA777

[LGA777]

Here is yesterdays now un-official last JFK rev departure. AA 1529 to SDQ.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1 ... /KJFK/MDSD

Also Gotham had mentioned ferry schedules. Here is a snipit from the Blue site.

Here are the schedules of the birds flying to the desert to their final resting place:

062: 9673/28 AUG, MIA-ROW ETD 0700
063: 9668/26 AUG, MIA-ROW, ETD 0800
064: 9670/27 AUG, MIA-ROW, ETD 0700
065: 9669/26 AUG, JFK-ROW, ETD 0730
067: NO DETAILS
068: 9674/28 AUG, MIA-ROW, ETD 0800
070: 9666/25 AUG, JFK-ROW, ETD 0730
076: 9665/25 AUG, JFK-ROW, ETD 0730
077: 9664/25 AUG, MIA-ROW, ETD 1200
084: 9667/26 AUG, MIA-ROW, ETD 0700

We know why you fly!


Looks like two left JFK this morning !

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL9665

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL9666


Cheers

LGA777

[Matt Molnar]

Neat, good catches, Ron.

[moose135]

With a HUGE assist from Ron, I was able to get out and shoot the arrival today, N14065, just after Noon on 31R:







Thanks, Ron!

[Matt Molnar]

Awesome Moose, glad someone caught it.

[mirrodie]

...as AA 1582 SDQ-JFK subbed for yesterdays 763 operating about 16 hours late, ETA JFK 1213 LCL.

What a poignant, last bit of irony. The plane that mechanics swore was a mech ***** ends up saving the day.
Seems like the AA300's flippin the birdie at AA for getting rid of them. :borat:

[LGA777]

Great shots Moose, especially considering noon time Summer lite, I'm happy you where able to hop in the car and catch her. Ironcially I do remember flying on Ship 065 either JFK-SDQ or SDQ-JFK, one of the two. Also ironically my last flight on AA was on 1582 SDQ-JFK in July 08 but this was after the route was switched to the 763 and we weren't 16 hours late like yestedays 1582, I think it was only around 5 hours but was an after midnite arrival at JFK.

This ended up being a fitting end to AA A-300 ops as this was a prime route, with between 3-5 rounds trips a day for many years, and before B6 entered the market a huge money maker for AA especially in cargo. At one time AA operated A-300's from SDQ to JFK/MIA/SJU and I can remember seeing 5 on the ramp at once a few times. For several years I had limited access to AA's sabre system and being married to a SDQ native I often watched the flifo's on these flights with curious interest. Because the A-300's broke down so often and because of the very high load factors to SDQ AA seldom cancelled, but ran these flights many hours late instead, which I compliment AA for as I would rather be even 16 hours late than stranded for days. What happened last night with the crew timing out and operating the flight the next day was not that un-comon, and most of my AA A-300 flights where between 3 and 6 hours late. On my last JFK-SDQ A-300 ride we departed JFK around 100AM and arrived SDQ around 0430AM. So a fitting end indeed, to a great workhorse of the AA fleet and Dominican Skies.

Regards

LGA777

[PhilDernerJr]

I was on the ramp last week with a friend and we drove past an A-300. They looked so old to begin with to me...as if I was watching flight ops in the 70s.

I was never a fan of them, but I will miss any plane that we no longer get to see.

[Alex T]

How funny that plane registration wise was the last A300 flight since that as I mentioned earlier was what I flew in 2007!

Alex