Wow ! does anyone know who operates a blue bellied ,blue engined SP ?
The last time I saw one of these was years ago and I was under the impression that they were gone, I checked Flight Aware and the funny thing is that a Saudia SP was showing headed East bound .
The other SP was shown and then it disappeared from Flight Aware.
I,ll have to tell Fred about this when he get's back .

Ally


P.S.Did I put this in the correct area ? Apologies If I did not.

 

Pretty sure this is the wrong area haha

 

This one? But with VP-DLK it is the British Virgin Islands.
45 built. 10 on the FAA registry. 16 already scrapped.

 

Thanks !
III CORP ,that's the one and thanks for the picture.
Ally

 

Belongs to the Sands Group, the guys who own the Venetian in Vegas and Macau. Their flights are not on flight aware by request.

 

Pretty nice corporate jet if you ask me

 

Stock ticker is LVS

 

One of the few airplanes initially introduced and then downsized for a market. It just didn't pay off.

 

III Corps:

Actually, I can think of three cases where Boeing did this:

1959: 707-120 and 220 are flying; customers want something for shorter range. result: B-720 and 720B, which started the fan revolution for the 707 brethren.

Late 70s/early 80s: Boeing is starting to lose market share to the L-1011 and DC-10. Boeing knows they won't make money on the SP, but markets it to steal share away from McD and Lockheed. Selling point was supposed to be logistical advantage: while 4-engines cost more to operate than three, the reduced cost in spare parts commonality, support equipment, and crew training (both maintenance and pilots) was supposed to compensate.

1980s: Boeing adds the CFM-56 powered 737 variant, the -300. I believe the same fuselage as a -200. As I understand it, the shortened -500 was created for United (to solve an ALPA dispute over minimum seats in an airplane). I think the -600 is the same length as a -500.

At least one SP is supposed to be flying for a while: the one modified to carry the telescope for the European consortium.

One could argue that the "717" (nee, MD-95) is a "Honey, I shrunk the medium-range airliner" story of the MD-90. (Yes, I know you flew the real Boeing Model 717).

 

There is an SP also in operation for Qatar Amiri Flight. It recently (as in the last few months) spent a lot of time here in PHX and has come and gone a few times. Seen here at PHX:



Neat looking machine.

Also, I could be mistaken, but I believe that the Sands Group SP is "based" or at least spends a good bit of time in Arizona using Bullhead City as its home field.

Seen here at IFP: