BOAC 747 IS SCRAPPED. August 2023. A Farewell tribute to G-BYGC. The best moments from 2019-2021.
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- Earlier this week I took the 300 mile round trip from home to St Athan Wales, to see for myself the final days of the iconic BOAC retro liveried BA 747, G-BYGC and to say my final goodbye. The rain was coming down in sheets, but it seemed a fitting backdrop to the bleak sight that I saw when I arrived.
The aircraft was moved to the aircraft break up area last week, on 22nd August 2023 after having the wings removed. You'll see glimpses of other aircraft being dismantled including G-MIDY, BA's 24 year old A320 which flew to St Athan on 28 June this year.
Since moving to the break up area, it appears that the undercarriage is about to be taken off judging by the chocks and supporting structures under the fuselage. Panels have been removed from the tailplane and some windows appear missing in the upper deck. In the film you can see ECube personnel removing fixtures from the interior of the aircraft, presumably for sale or upcycling.
This film charts the highlights and key moments of the short service life that BYGC had in the BOAC retro livery. I filmed the first passenger departure in the new livery, on 19 February 2019, as well as the final Heathrow departure on 20 June 2020; so have included both of these historic moments in this tribute film. I've also included some footage of when I revisited BYGC at St Athan in September 2021, when it was still intact; as well as a Heathrow departure in the days before COVID.
G-BYGC flew from Cardiff Wales to St Athan on the 11th December 2020; fittingly as flight BAW 747, with the stated aim of preserving the aircraft. A press release from the British Airways Media department from 1st December 2020 states:
"Tuesday, 1 December 2020 - British Airways' Queens of the Skies will continue to inspire aviation enthusiasts across the UK for years to come, after permanent homes have been found for its remaining retro-liveried Boeing 747 aircraft - the last to leave the British Airways fleet.
The aircraft, registrations G-BNLY and G-BYGC, are this month due to depart from British Airways’ engineering base in Cardiff, where they will be waved off by the British Airways engineers who for many years have proudly maintained the 747 fleet. The pair were among several aircraft painted in heritage liveries to mark the airline’s centenary last year.
Adorned in the iconic Landor livery, used between 1984 and 1997, G-BNLY has been given a new lease of life as a permanent exhibit at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. It will join its sister 747, G-CIVW, which was retired in late October and features the current Chatham Dockyard livery.
G-BYGC, painted in the BOAC ‘Gold Speedbird’ livery used between 1963 and 1974, will make the short journey from Cardiff Airport to the Bro Tathan business park in the Vale of Glamorgan. It will be maintained as a heritage piece by aviation specialists eCube Solutions to showcase the pre-eminent contribution British Airways’ 747 fleet made to UK aviation.
Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways, said: “While we will miss seeing them grace our skies, we are delighted to have found permanent homes for our remaining centenary 747 aircraft.
“We think they have great historical importance, not only to British Airways but to the entire aviation industry, and we are pleased they will be preserved for future generations in locations in the UK."
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For once I am lost for words......
Absolutely appalled by this, such a dark side from Ecube to just send this special liveried BOAC 747 to the scrapyard.. If they couldn't keep her preserved BA should have maybe done something to save her for the 2nd time at least, maybe have talks to fly her into Cotswold airport to preserve her next to G-CIVB. Very emotional video my friend, thanks for sharing and let's never forget G-BYGC!✈️
@aviationuk2023 Hi Alan thanks a lot. Yes it all seemed to happen very quickly and I suspect there won’t be long before it’s entirely gone….very sad ….
BA when they flew G-BYGC into St Athan had their team from BAMC round to recover the serviceable engines within days and replaced them with time expired ones. One could argue that an agenda was already being set for her ultimate fate. She was parked on the grass for a long time before finally being moved on to the hard standing at Ecube Solutions.
@@TheHothits100 yes now you mention it, that makes sense - very insightful.
Such a shame to see her go.l think it was pre planned from the outset to be honest.I did notice replacement engines on
her a year later though in your video.Anyway,looks like she will be gone altogether soon.
Seems Ecube had it planned...
Great job mate❤👍☹️
@melvyncox3361 Hi Melvyn thanks a lot. It does seem like it was all a bit of a done when you look back on it all. Very sad. Hope all is well with you? Best wishes Steve
Really sad.This plane should had been in a museum
@flyingdentist yes I agree…..
At Duxford
@paulfernando1887 yes that would have been a great outcome.
Heartbreaking! My best years as Main Crew, Purser and CSD on this fleet. Best aircraft ever to work on.
@user-cn7z9mf7e Yes it’s so sad. Such a mood of optimism when the BA100 celebrations began in early 2019 - an untimely retirement of the entire 747 fleet in 2020 and now a 180 degree turn from the promise to save this aircraft for future generations. mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/12645
The best looking one of the three retro 747s!
The best livery on any B747!
@garyshephard3795 Looked great didn’t it - so short lived though - just 16 months in retro livery service ….
I'm angry and appalled at the disregard for such an iconic aircraft ,& especially as she was the last BA 747 . Leave our heritage alone !!!
@stuartsscalemodels.8299 yes - absolutely 👍
I totally agree with you bro
Yes! Just keep it in a museum or smth
Spot on!
I cannot believe that they've scrapped her! Was - along with Negus - 1 of my favourite Speedbird 747s. I honestly am so surprised at this! Thanks for sharing though, I'm totally gutted. Hope you're well, Steve.
@90snostalgicgal - yes it was a complete surprise to me too - very sad outcome. It all seemed so optimistic back in early 2019 when the 100 💯 centenary logos were rolled out! 😢
I was very surprised to hear about her scrapping, as I was very much looking forward to visiting G-BYGC in Wales whenever I return to the UK. The business practices of eCube seem all the more dubious, given that the BOAC was supposed to be preserved. But anyways, it's still a sad sight. She has descended over my neighborhood in Dallas, USA a couple of times during the 2019-20 winter just before COVID-19. We don't know how much we owe the Queen of the Skies for changing and inspiring our world.
@jayd1426 Yes I agree Jay. It all happened very suddenly and very quietly too….
What a very sad sight to see. I read British airways tried to stop this but somehow Ecube got round that. They clearly have no care for Aviation history. Companies like Ecube should be held accountable for their actions specially as agreed by them and BA to preserve this beauty, instead they are cashing in on it. I guess we will see parts from this retro 747 up for sale soon selling for ridiculous amounts for Ecube to pocket the profits. Thank you for uploading this and reminding us just how great she was.
@mrq4923 yes I agree- it all seems to have happened very quickly and without warning.....thanks for watching....
Gutted..... especially being BOAC, she was surely the jewel in BA's crown 🥺😑
@bjboddy651 yes you would have thought so wouldn’t you? 🤷♂️
@HeathrowAircraft Really disappointing I don't mind saying 😕
@bjboddy651 - yes - and have a read of this!!
mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/12645
I had the pleasure of flying this airframe a number of times. It felt special in the BOAC livery. BA we’re naive to think this was going to be preserved, but the CEO at the time was an idiot. You’d have thought there would have been a clause to prevent this from happening. She should have been sent to Duxford.
@AdeAerostar I’m glad you had the chance to fly on this particular a/c. Yes you’re absolutely right - there should have been something in the “sale” contract to prevent this happening. Makes you wonder what the future will be like for the 2 at Dunsfold (G-BNLY and G-CIVW) once that Aerodrome is redeveloped?
@@HeathrowAircraftAerospace Engineer here. I have some insider info regarding the one at Kemble. It's going to be scrapped at some point. The preservation is temporary. Sad
@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 And then there will be just 2 left. G-BNLY and G-CIVW at Dunsfold. And even their future isn’t 100% clear as the airfield is earmarked for housing redevelopment …..
@@HeathrowAircraft Well I should clarify. There's no plan as such for the one at Kemble. It was mentioned as a passing remark by a source that it will likley become decrepid over time and be scrapped once it's too shabby to be a public exhibition. Although having said that if that takes several years the market for used 747 parts will be small anyway. I'm always skeptical of aircraft preservation unless they are at well established dedicated museums like Duxford, fleet air arm etc. It's size goes against it. Much easer to preserve fighters indoors than an outside exhibit as big as a 747.
@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 Yes that makes sense. There was a much older 747 at Kemble (ex flying tigers) that was their original “party plane” but eventually became too old to upkeep and was scrapped …
Poor old plane.
Loved BOAC, and the 747. To lose two in one go is awful.
Bastards!
@blatherskite9601 True! ☹️
Damn this was very difficult to watch. There will never be an aircraft like the 747 again.
@ronaldcharan2705 Hi Ronald yes I agree - truly iconic. As someone said, everybody who was lucky enough to fly on a 747 remembers their first flight in it…
Hey, Steve. A little late.
Thanks for the video. Very sad that it's happening. I really hope that Landor and Negus are safe!!
@justtheguy27 Hi buddy - Ah thanks for watching / commenting. Yes it’s a really sad situation. It’s all broken up completely now. 😢yes like you I hope Landor and Negus remain safe!! All the best Steve
4 Years ago I draw the BOAC 747 when my great grandfather passed away at 98 years old and now he has it in Heaven. So sad to see it go
@JPYamremVlogs That’s very sad - maybe draw it again one last time before it’s gone?
@@HeathrowAircraft Or make it by a papercraft
@@JPYamremVlogs oh yes! Good plan!!
I was stunned by this report. My last 747 flight was on this Speedbird, just before the pandemic, LHR to BOS. I was the last to exit, practically kicked out by a flight attendant. I too had heard of retirement in Wales, but some bean counter got hold of a disposable asset I guess. Bloody shame. I have some video clips shot from 5B gates, but not of a takeoff, just taxing. Thanks for that... Bye bye, Gee Bye Geecee.
@amar-2 awesome that you got to fly on this just before lockdown - and your own film footage but very sad none of us will get to see the aircraft intact any more. As you say it all comes down to bean counters in the end 😞
Heartbreaking 💔 😢
@khashiashtari2183 yes it is 😢
😢😢😢 didn't expect this
@ralphyfernandes No definitely not. Very quick and unexpected…..
I wish British Airways Decorated There B777 Into The old Liveries
@RobloFan2K10 yes the 777 started life in Landor livery - would be great to see it again!
So sad 😢😢😢
@kimjensen234 Hi Kim hope you are well? Yes very sad - not what we were hoping for…..
So much for preserving the 747s with the 4 heritage liveries…
@NaenaeGaming yes 😞
I was there yesterday! Lol what a coincidence.
@aviation4k258 oh wow. Hope you had better weather than me. It was tipping it down when I went 😱
@@HeathrowAircraft oh no, great footage anyway! I just uploaded my video
@@aviationin4k258 Brilliant. You had better weather than me I can see! ☀️
No not BOAC she was meant to survive for prosperity, what a disaster.
@colinboneham7387 I know - a disaster….it grates so much with the BA press release from December 2020 heralding the “good news” of the preservation of BYGC…..
I agree!!
Absolutely heartbreaking 😢. Saddest thing was BA never gave their 747s a nice sign off like other airlines
@rajnirvan3336 Hi Raj yes you’re right - when you think what Qantas did as a comparison for example. A rushed decision made during the covid crisis…..
Not like Qantas 🙈🙈
Shocking
@EunanDoherty - yes - seeing it wingless makes it all the more so….
Miss the sound of those RB-211’s
@paulmorrison9312 nothing quite like that sound is there?!
Such a shame, i visited her St.Athan and had a wonder inside the cabin and flight deck, such a shame to see this now
@BritishLion2012 I’m glad you had a chance to visit the aircraft and see inside it too. Such a shame it wasn’t open for more viewings over these last nearly 3 years….
@@HeathrowAircraft Quite glad i did, i got a few shots of her cabin and flight deck but such a shame to see her this way
@BritishLion2012 Yes you’ve definitely got a little bit of history now! But yes a real shame it’s ended this way ….
@@HeathrowAircraft If you have a Facebook page i will send you some photos of her interior
@@BritishLion2012 Hi thank you very much! My FB page is same name as UA-cam channel or you could email me on aviationheathrow@gmail.com (no dot between the aviation and Heathrow!) Thanks a lot! Steve
Good video as always Steve, despite the sad content. Can’t believe it’s nearly the 3rd anniversary of the last BA747 to leave LHR. Hope you’re well?
@littlejohn000 Hi John lovely to hear from you. Yes I’m fine thank you very much - well done with your continued work re the ferry company!!
@@HeathrowAircraft Glad you are ok. Thank you very much indeed. Still much more to come with all this.
@@littlejohn000 you are a real warrior John - I really admire your guts and determination 👏👍👍
@@HeathrowAircraft ah bless you Steve. That’s kind of you to say. Just had a lovely two days at LHR doing a bit of spotting. Making the most of the pleasant days.
@littlejohn000 Ah brilliant - well done John. They have been on Easterlies haven’t they? Do you have a favourite place? Myrtle Ave field?
They better keep Landor and Negus around
I heard Landor will suffer the same fate
@@Ryan_D1994 How so?????
@@LINJ638 Airfield it's at is being redeveloped
It's all about the money. Heritage comes second. But in this case it should of been the other way round.
@hammertime4437 yes definitely….
Hi Steve, great video. I remember hearing about BYGC being scrapped. I was hoping that it was only a rumour. I’m very upset. By the way, what is the story with G-CIVB?
@rossmason8812 Hi Ross great to hear from you. Hope all is well with you? Yes I heard rumours a couple of months ago too but hoped it was just rumour - not so! As far as I know CIVB is A-OK at Kemble Cotswold. They’ve made a big financial investment into maintaining and upgrading it and as far as I know it is secure now! Cheers Steve
Makes me so sad
@brianrjclarke Hi Brian - yes it’s such a shame. A lovely livery - all that optimism when it was rolled out in February 2019…
R.I.P. G-BYGC.
@aviationfan997 yes - sad but true
Sad to see her like that British Airways was created in the early 1970,s so it can’t be from 1919
@ianstewartorr8455 Yes it’s very sad isn’t it. The BA 100 centenary in 2019 was because the airline can trace its roots back to 1919 when the first airline in the U.K. was set up. It was called Aircraft Transport and Travel Ltd. There was a British Airways back in the early 1930s too!!
absolutely shocking wouldnt surprise me if G-BOAB Concorde will be next
@stevecurd3944 Yes - wonder when the need for apron parking space at LHR will override the call to keep G-BOAB…..
Nah, she’s been sitting there for years, out of the way tbh.
You can see this plane on Google Maps at St Athan airport.
@b33p wow - that’s a piece of digital history now isn’t it - no trace of it left now sadly
The reason BA had to get rid of the 744 had also to do with the UK CAA . As BA had to many aircraft variations and not enough manpower for maintenance BA thought that the 77X and the 781 will be delivered sooner and when travel demand picked up they didn’t have enough Aircraft to meet demand. Lufthansa choose a different path and still has 8x744 in their fleet and 30+ 748 . Willy Walsh made a huge mistake by firing so many staff because even nearly 4 years they still haven’t catched up to meet the rising demand. Up to 10x744 in their fleet would have worked wonders to cushion the blow of the late deliveries . The plan to retire the queen of the skies was not until 2026 anyway.
@kenzo1708 Hi yes I agree with you. 10 747s would have softened the blow considerably. LH took a much more measured and pragmatic response to the pandemic.
Very sad
Hi Steve, what will happen to the new engines they put on to it. Also, who’s decision was it to scrap that 747?
@rossmason8812 Hi Ross the engines with the blue cowling were life expired but they will be stripped down. It was ecube; the owners of the aircraft and the site who couldn’t get the funding to preserve the a/c.
Cynics will say “We told you so!” I thought at the time when G-BYGC was flown the short distance from Cardiff Airport to St Athan and in the care of one of the largest aircraft dismantlers in Britain that it was going to be its death knell. At the time there were sugary statements from the Company Ecube Solutions that she was in safe hands and would be preserved for posterity. In reality the company were chomping at the bit to get their hands on an airframe that contained so many valuable current serviceable components and I suspect that over a period a lot of these parts were stripped off awaiting final destruction of the airframe. The moral of this sad tale is if you really want to preserve an aircraft the last place on earth that you should send it is….Wait for it!…An aviation Scrap Yard.
@TheHothits100 I hate to say it but I think you’re right. It began to look odd in 2022 when covid restrictions were eased / lifted but there were no signs of the a/c being open for viewings on occasional open days as was first proposed ….
Very very sad sad BA let queen of sky leaves sad sad . Love u 747
@ricardosam8050 yes very sad indeed 😢
That’s so sad 😢 I thought she was going to live on in preservation
As bad as it is. Think about the long term. They can never be repainted. In 5 years from now, they will look terrible.
@@doveronefoxtrot4417 it’s a valid point, I just think it’s a great shame
@AnthonyFurnival Hi Anthony how are you? Yes it is certainly a 180 degree swing from the BA press statement back in December 2020. Very sad….. Wonder if the same fate will befall Landor and G-CIVW when that site is redeveloped? 😞Best wishes Steve
@@HeathrowAircraft it’s a real worry - such a shame as it’s not just the legacy of BA that’s being cut up but the history of BOAC also which that aircraft represented
@@AnthonyFurnival yes you’re exactly right. And that was part of the whole point of the BA100 liveries wasn’t it; to celebrate the airline’s heritage 🙁
This is extremely sad but it is the fate of all aircrafts. This is why fly the A380 as much you can before they end up here.
@sfoaviation yes very true! Good point!
How pathetically tight fisted British Airways has become. Fine retiring the 747’s during COVID - but to have your special 100 years of BA History turned into scrap, is a slap in the face of all the aviators and brilliant professionals that made BA what it is.
Taking delivery of new aircraft and not even transferring these iconic liveries onto ANY of the new frames
@HMSDaring1 Yes it’s quite ironical reading this BA press release from Dec 2020…mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/12645
I'm a mere layman, with no real knowledge of BA history; my thoughts come from a more practical point of view. The overall mindset of sheer waste in our society of today both angers and saddens me. Through watching the 'in flight' portions of your video, it was abundantly apparent that this aircraft was in completely fine flying trim, and could have had who knows how many more years / decades possible in her flying lifetime. The fact that this clearly airworthy plane wasn't allowed to continue in her flying life, in some capacity - even if it were to be with a different airline - makes me shrug my shoulders in true disbelief.
@nunnyayahbiznezz8071 Hi yes the decision to retire the whole fleet was a knee jerk reaction in the height of the first covid lockdown. At the time there didn’t seem to be any prospect that large aircraft would operate in the foreseeable future which is why so many of the a380 fleets worldwide were also stood down. The BA 747 fleet was due to be phased out by 2024 but covid accelerated that process and condensed it into one short time window of a few months. By October of 2020 the last BA 747 had left Heathrow. G-BYGC was intended to be preserved indefinitely for future enthusiasts at St Athan Wales as the BA press release of the time suggests…..mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/12645
Wait, why is she scrapped? I thought she was meant to be preserved
Not exactly sure why. It was mainly eCube (a company based in St Athan that specializes in recycling of retired plane parts) that had a role in this. It all seems quite dubious on their part.
I thought it was a condition that this aircraft was kept as a museum-piece. I'm heart broken to find it has been broken up as I have been keeping my eyes open for when she would be open for the pubilc to tour
@cmartin_ok yes I agree - and when you read the BA press release from 1 Dec 2020 that’s certainly the impression given…mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/12645
@@HeathrowAircraft An impression? The press release clearly states that this 747 will be maintained as a heritage piece. Has BA the guts to take action against eCube for failing to do this?
@@cmartin_ok Hi yes it does. But I understand it was sold for the princely sum of £1 so there probably was a recognition that there would be significant costs involved in maintaining it. We won’t know the terms of the sale contract but there could have been “reasonable endeavours” required to keep it open and maintained - which I assume ecube have argued that with the change of ownership of the airfield and the resultant increased security costs of allowing public access to an airside aircraft - it just wasn’t viable financially. Not defending them for a moment but just trying to see the economics of it!
They are absolute charlatans, claiming that they will preserve this aircraft and then doing no such thing - cost should not be a factor!
@sabandenodearona7456 Yes it is definitely a 180 degree turn that’s for sure …..I guess we should have seen the writing on the wall last year when after COVID lockdown restrictions eased there were no open days announced etc as there were supposed to have been originally…..
How did she take off front LHR with grey engines and land in Wales with blue ones?
@raymondttompson2638 Hi Raymond BA removed the serviceable engines a few days after the landed at St Athan in December 2020 and replaced them with the blue non serviceable engines you see in my film taken in September 2021..
🥺🥺🥺
@SteveAndAlexBuild 😡😢
😢It’s a shame that there wasn’t space at Manchester next to Concorde
@ollychap1985 yes you’re absolutely right. With hindsight it was always doomed being sent to a company that scraps aircraft 😱
😢😢
@handleypagevictor yes - 😢✈️
😢😢😢😢😢
It is sad and angry to see the holder ruins a history
so what went wrong she wasnt preserved like promised??
Hi Gary - evidently there were security issues with making what was technically an airside exhibit, safe for the public to view. Not sure why that wasn’t foreseen from day 1 ….mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/12645
Rip 747
@Asbestos1174 😢✈️
No😮😢😢😔😔
Disquieting should have been preserved 🙄🤬😭
@MGAviationNZAircraftVideos yes - especially when that was how it was “sold” to us all back in December 2020….
Why would they scarp it put it in a aircraft museum
The lad unloading the plane at 10:00 needs a couple of asprins with a head like that !!
@rhodaborrocks1654 🤣Yes - he has a heavy weight to carry on his head doesn’t he 🤣
Until Ecube Solutions realised just how much money they could make from parting her out!
@rayjennings3637 sadly yes you are right …..
Shame on you E-Cube!! This aircraft should have never been sent to an aircraft scrap yard in the first place!!! What a bloody waste of an aircraft!!
Still, E-Cube will make money from the scrapping!! Everyone should avoid buying memorabilia from this company!!!!
@stevesmith4596 yes it wasn’t meant to end this way was it - very sad….
Absolutely disgusting. Pure greed. Thankfully, everyone is planning to boycott buying any parts of it. Absolute disgrace.
9:18 that’s ironic
@British_airways_747 yes absolutely 😡
Very upsetting. These poor birds had thousands of flying hours left in them. Why couldn't BA have kept at least this 1 aircraft and carried on using.......if not just for pleasure flights. They used to sell or loan aircraft to other airlines. I just don't understand why these and especially this one had to be scrapped. Money and contracts above anything else i guess.
@peterbunting8485 Hi Peter yes it did seem a very kneejerk reaction but I guess that’s with the benefit of hindsight - looking back to March 2020 when COVID began. Lufthansa took a more pragmatic approach with mothballing their 747s at the time and reintroducing them as restrictions eased…
Why would they do this?
@Phantomus_1 I know. Disaster!
A remarkable and unforgivable act of cultural vandalism.
@jeremylister89 Absolutely. I agree. And a 180 degree turnaround from the statements by the BA press office when it flew to St Athan …mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/12645
This is a legit scandal. All those involved should be ashamed of themselves.,,
@lyxnick yes I agree 😟
Why would you scrap a perfectly operational aircraft, especially this one. But I see BA is still flying the A380 which looks like a big fat overweight cow to me. Thank goodness Lufthansa still believes in their 74's
@kevinj2412 Hi Kevin -yes it’s a great shame isn’t it - the original pre covid plan was a phased retirement of the 747 fleet into 2024…
i think this was a stupid decision !!!
@keithguthrie3890 Yes - in hindsight it should never have flown there….
rothschilds doing