747SP Production list
Chronological order of events for airframe
21548
Dates in Black are considered exact and dates in Red are approximate.
DATE | REG | AIRLINE | LIVERY | NAME | EVENT | AIRP | NOTES |
1978-06-30 | N538PA | Pan Am | | | First Flight | | |
1978-07-12 | N538PA | Pan Am | Old | Clipper Fleetwing | Delivered | | |
1978-08-24 | N538PA | Pan Am | | Clipper Fleetwing | Seen | LHR | Photo |
1979-01-16 | N538PA | Pan Am | | Clipper Fleetwing | Seen | JFK | Photo |
1980-01-01 | N538PA | Pan Am | | Clipper Plymouth Rock | Other | | Renamed
Photo |
1981-10-01 | N538PA | Pan Am | | Clipper Fleetwing | Seen | SFO | |
1983-01-20 | N538PA | Pan Am | | Clipper Fleetwing | Seen | LAX | Photo |
1985-01-01 | N538PA | Pan Am | Billboard c/s | | Seen | ZRH | |
1986-02-12 | N538PA | United | | | Bought | | |
1986-02-25 | N538PA | United | All white, UA titles and logo | | Seen | HKG | Photo |
1986-07-01 | N538PA | United | All white, UA titles and logo | | Seen | | |
1986-09-01 | N147UA | United | | | Reg Changed | | |
1986-10-01 | N147UA | United | Old, small titles | | Seen | | |
1988-01-28 | N147UA | United | Old, small titles | Friendship One | Other | PAE | Departed for around the world flight. Read the story:
Friendship One |
1988-01-30 | N147UA | United | Old, small titles | Friendship One | Seen | PAE | Returned from around the world flight. Read the story:
Friendship One |
1989-04-08 | N147UA | United | | | Incident | SYD | Firm landing with a crosswind. Landed with slight crab. Gear moved aft. Corrosion in right landing gear trunnion.
Read Report (pdf) |
1991-07-02 | N147UA | United | Old, Large titles | | Seen | LHR | Photo |
1991-07-05 | N147UA | United | Old, Large titles | | Seen | LHR | Photo |
1992-07-06 | N147UA | First Trust of California | | | Bought | | |
1992-07-06 | N147UA | United | | | Leased | | |
1993-05-22 | N147UA | United | Old, large titles | | Seen | | |
1993-06-25 | N147UA | United | Old, Large titles | | Seen | IAD | Photo |
1994-08-14 | N147UA | United | Old, Large titles | | Seen | LHR | Photo |
1994-10-01 | N147UA | No Titles | Old UA c/s, white tail | | Seen | LAS | In storage |
1995-05-01 | N147UA | No Titles | Old UA c/s, white tail | | Seen | LAS | Stored |
1995-11-12 | N147UA | No Titles | Old UA c/s, white tail | | Seen | LAS | Stored |
1996-01-01 | N147UA | No Titles | Old c/s, white tail | | Ferried | MZJ | LAS-MZJ Ferry #9506-30 |
1997-01-01 | N147UA | | | | Status | MZJ | 71476.13 Hours, 9197 cycles |
1999-02-01 | N147UA | No Titles | Old c/s, white tail | | Seen | MZJ | |
2000-07-16 | N147UA | No Titles | Old c/s, white tail | | Seen | MZJ | |
2001-04-18 | N147UA | No Titles | Old c/s, white tail | | Ferried | ACY | MZJ-ACY Ferry #9174 |
2001-04-19 | N147UA | Federal Aviation Administration | | | Bought | | |
2001-05-30 | N147UA | | | | Reg Cancelled | | To be used for center fuel tank testing as a result of TWA 800 accident.
Two phases of research are planned;
The first phase will be to examine the use of ground-supplied, nitrogen-enriched air to inert a large commercial airplane fuel tank and to study what conditions affect the ability of the fuel tank to stay inert.
The second phase will involve soliciting proposals for on-board inert gas generating systems and testing them as they relate to commercial operations. Both phases will be ground-based with no flight tests planned. |
2003-03-15 | | No Titles | Faded UA cht | | Seen | ACY | No registration visible on fuselage
Photo |
2003-10-16 | | No Titles | | | Seen | ACY | Photo |
2005-03-15 | | No Titles | | | Seen | ACY |
Photo |
2005-03-16 | | No Titles | Faded UA cht | | Seen | ACY | Aircraft is pushed back about once a month and is taxied around the airport. Sensors are wired to the landing gear for high speed taxi test. |
2006-03-28 | | No Titles | Blue cht | | Seen | ACY | Photo |
2008-06-03 | | No Titles | New cheatline | | Seen | ACY | |
2008-09-02 | | No Titles | | | Seen | ACY | Photo |
2013-01-08 | | No Titles | | | Other | ACY | On remote stand deep inside airport perimeter. Still used by FAA. Very low probability of seeing it from outside the airport. |
2016-11-28 | N147UA | No Titles | | | Seen | ACY | Stored at the far side of the airport
Photo |