Go to Cargolion Hi! Some real sad news from Luxembourg: last Tuesday (17/04), the District Court of Luxembourg has declared the bankrupcy (faillite sur aveu) of TRANSLUX INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES S.A., operating under the name of CARGO LION. According to the Luxembourg newspapers, around 100 persons (including "offshore" staff) lose their jobs ... Has someone any idea concerning the (future) fate of the 3 DC-8s and the DC-10F? As I have nearly only heard negative news about the Luxembourg Aviation scene in the last two years, it would be really nice to hear some good news ... The only good news in these days is that CARGOLUX has had excellent results in 2000: profits of 36 million dollars (around 1.500.000.000.- LUF). CARGOLUX has also been recently internationally awarded for its excellent Cargo-activities. Kind regards, Jerome Krier Luxembourg Aviation Homepage

I visited last Friday the 29th of September Las Palmas Air Force Base, south of Lima, Perú. This Peruvian Air Force facility is also the home of the Aeronautical Museum, open to the public and the SEMAN (Servicio de Mantenimiento) There are several vintage aircraft on display worth seeing, including a DH Moth a C-60, DC-3, B-26, Sukoy, and other military. There are the remains of a Stimson Faucett aircraft and there are plans to rebuild it.. At the SEMAN maintenance facility I found:
OB-1724 Boeing 737-200 TANS
S9-TAO Boeing 727-100 Transafrik
N990CF Douglas DC-8-62 Emery Worldwide
N796AL Douglas DC-8-62 Emery Worldwide
N807DH Douglas DC-8-71 DHL
N Boeing 727-200 DHL
Lockheed C-130 No markings
All going through "C" checks.
FAP 300/OB-1433 Falcon 20F of Servicio Aerofotografico Nacional
FAP 525/OB-1432 Lear Jet of S.A.N (engineless)
FAP 768 Aerocommander of S.A.N.

Important news: Fine Air Services Corp. Press Release -- September 27, 2000

"We want to assure our customers that we will seamlessly continue to provide our services to Latin America and the Caribbean, and we intend to retain our position as the largest scheduled air cargo carrier operating out of Miami International Airport. We are confident that with the help of the Court and our creditors, we will be able to fashion a solution which will benefit everyone including our employees, our customers, our vendors, our community, and our lending institutions," said Barry H. Fine, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer.

The Company cites skyrocketing fuel prices and an economic downturn in Latin America over the past two years as the major causes of its present financial situation. The Company had been attempting to negotiate an out-of- court restructuring with its bondholders to avoid the necessity of the filing.

"The Company regrets that it was unable to reach a restructuring agreement with our bondholders. This step is now necessary to protect our company, our employees, our customers, and our creditors so that service is not interrupted during this process of reorganization," said Fine.

Fine Air intends to restructure its debt and obtain financial liquidity in order to implement a long-term solution to the financial challenges it now faces. Fine Air has sought authorization from the Court to obtain post-filing financing of up to $55 million from Banc of America, its current lending institution. Since 1994, the Company has been the largest air cargo carrier serving Miami International Airport, based on tons of international freight transported to and from that airport. The Company's services include (i) integrated air and truck cargo transportation and other logistics services; (ii) long and short term ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) services and ad hoc charters; and (iii) third party aircraft and engine maintenance, repairs and overhauls, training and other services. The Company's scheduled cargo services provide seamless transportation through its Miami International Airport hub linking North America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim with 28 South and Central American and Caribbean cities. The Company's customers include international and domestic freight forwarders, integrated carriers, passenger and cargo airlines, major shippers and the United States Postal Service.

SOURCE Fine Air Services Corp.

East Midlands 9/12/99

So off I set after work at 4.30pm. First stop to get changed out of my suit was Woodford.

LOG. N529XJ N530XJ Both RJs for Northwest. Very nice start.

Then the hard slog through the commuter traffic to EMA. Weather at this time very clear so hoping for some good views. As I was nearing the field on with the scanner, nothing heard although I had seen some lights on the approach.

Drove round the Airfield.

LOG. ES-NOB An 72 (Very nice, very rare)

G-COLE B.737

VP-BOC B.737

SAFFAIR C-130 in Hanger Unidentified.

OY-LIN F.900

C-FIFA B.727

G-BLZP, G-BGGO, G-BGGP, G-BXSM From the flying Club.

Plus un-identified Biz jet.

No DC-8, imagine the disappointment, until the scanner piped up with DHL 014 taxy to stand (21 I think). I did not get to excited until I retraced my steps back to the terminal and parked and walked round to the DHL hanger.

Excellent

N804DH in all its glory. Cargo door already open and pallets being unloaded. Camera out, even though it had just started to rain. Three shots all at different exposures. Keeping my fingers crossed as to the results. Watched the activity for 10 mins or so until the scanner started up again UPS 6571 on approach. Walked further up the road to watch the activity. Pallets, men in dayglo jackets, more pallets, trucks, buses, more men, cones (couldn't see what they did with those). Watched N323UP land and taxi in,very nice. Pity I missed the DC-8 doing the same thing.(Ah Well next time).

Grabbed a drink and back to the car and off home via Manchester as a TU-134 was due in to collect Spartak Moscow after their football game with Leeds Utd.

Journeys home nearly always seem that much quicker than going.

Very wet and windy on my arrival at 22.00. Got talking to a fellow internetee (new category spotter) M Rigby who had travelled down from Preston to see the 134. Only a few minutes late a minor miracle for the Russians.

LOG. (Only those of interest to me as it was very cold and wet!!!!)

PH-SPL A300

OK-DGL B737

SE-DIX MD82

RA-65926 TU-134 (LTI.9241) Gromov

Home for just after 23.00 after a splendid trip all objectives acheived.

DHL - DHL

Airborne Express - ABX Air

Airborne Express do not install freight doors on their aircraft because they use a smaller roll on freight/package holder which fits through the existing cabin door and eliminates the need to install expensive cargo doors like it's competitors. Most of the freight they carry are smaller overnight/express packages or letters. The company says it saves them about $1 million per aircraft. It also allows them to put recently acquired aircraft into service much sooner because they do not have go through the lengthy cargo door installation process. If an Airborne Express aircraft has a cargo door then it would have been installed by a previous owner prior to Airborne acquiring the aircraft.

APW - Arrow Air

ATN - Air Transport International

EWW - Emery Worldwide Airlines

FBF - Fine Airlines

CKS - American International Airways

United Parcel Service- UPS

ZAN - Zantop International Airlines

El Mirage by kind permission of Dave Hopkins