C-47 ZK-BBJ Saved From Scrap in Kenya

[agile]

Amazingly BBJ has escaped from Mombasa Airport after 26 years. Her new owners intend to turn the aircraft into a restaurant.

i.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/127164814/saved-from-the-scrapheap-a-new-life-for-zkbbj-an-abandoned-piece-of-new-zealand-aviation-history

[ZacYates]

The saga has been/is being chronicled in this thread.

[agile]

Thanks Zac. I had no idea that board even existed, so I'll leave this up in case there are others similarly unenlightened.

[madmax]

In the 1960s when I worked for NZNAC and ZK-BBJ was part of their fleet it was affectionately referred to as "Big Balls Jack"

[Dave Homewood]

Absolutely gutting

www.facebook.com/reel/3697825887199552

For those without Facebook, ZK-BBJ has been destroyed in a devastating fire.

[FlyingKiwi]

That's really heartbreaking to see.

[Dave Homewood]

An explanation here of how BBJ was destroyed. Sadly caused by a power surge by the look of it. How damned sad.

www.stuff.co.nz/travel/350249282/part-kiwi-aviation-history-destroyed-blaze-kenya

[FlyingKiwi]

That's very unfortunate but I'm glad it wasn't arson at least, that would have been truly awful.

[Antonio]

Yeah it is sad.
Had a special place in my heart from childhood.

[roger63]

Very sad news.
As a young commercial pilot sitting out an all-day charter layover in NZGS on 23 September 1983, I had the good fortune to hitch a ride on a top dressing run amongst the ‘hills out the back’, with Bruce Thompson. Over 18,000 flight hours later, that flight still remains one of the best!

Little did I know at the time, 3.5 years later I was to command ZK-BBJ following its transformation into Fieldair Freight colours. A great operation headed by Pete Vincent.

An absolute pleasure to fly (together with stablemates ZK-AWP & ZK-AMR), especially into NZWN during a stiff blow - taxiing was by far the most challenging part on those days!

Logbook records my last flight in BBJ as NZCH-NZWN on 16 November 1987 (a leisurely 1:30 sector).

Farewell old lady, thanks for the memories and safe landings, a.k.a “2 dogs barking!” 😀

[Dave Homewood]

Welcome to the WONZ Forum, roger63. It sounds like you have a huge amount of experience in the industry.

[roger63]

Hi Dave, nice to join the community here.
It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was the keen young kid, vacuuming, washing, polishing, fuelling, and grunting the aero club trainers out of and into the hangar each day - all with a big smile on my face!