Since its delivery in May 747, the Boeing 8-458BBJ with the registration N2012BJ has had more flat tires than it has been in the air. The long-haul aircraft has clocked up around 30 flight hours since completion and is now to be used in the USA as a spare parts donor and thus dismantled.
It is the VIP version of the latest generation of the jumbo jet. An unauthorized elevator was fatal to the four-radiator. The private owner wanted to have the BBJ converted to his specifications at Jet Aviation in Basel. Among other things, he wanted to have an elevator in his large private jet. But there was a big problem: the owner simply did not receive approval for his project, so the plane had to wait for better times at Basel Airport for many years.
There is one more circumstance: The owner of this Boeing 747-8BBJ has died in the meantime. The heirs then sold the long-haul jet back to the US manufacturer. Initially, he was still in good spirits that a new owner could be found quickly for the young four-jet engine with very few flying hours. However, Boeing did not succeed, so the jumbo jet continued to stand around in Basel.
Ultimately, the US manufacturer had the machine made airworthy again and had it flown straight into the desert. With the registration N458BJ, this Boeing 747-8BBJ flew from Basel to Marana, where it will now be dismantled for the purpose of obtaining spare parts. The transfer was carried out on Good Friday. As mentioned, the four-engine aircraft was not in the air for more than 30 flight hours in its entire life. But nobody wanted to buy it, so Boeing, as the current owner, decided to sell it.
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