Category talk:N563PE (aircraft)
Boeing 727-227 SN 21045. Line number 1133, variable number QA882. Originally ordered and flown by Braniff, as N438BN. First flight 5 May 1975, delivered to Braniff 14 May 1975. Sold to People Express and re-registered N563PE, 14 Sept 1983. Leased to South West under that registration 17 May 1984 to 31 Oct 1985. Returned to People Express and flown until 1 Feb 1987 when PE merged with Continental Airlines. Flown at Continental under N563PE until re-registered in May 1991 as N17773. Flown until 1999 when sold to Sport Hawk as a sports team charter airplane. Reconfigured to a 66 first class seat layout w/five folding tables by Sport Hawk, it was equipped and painted as a sister ship to N64320 (727-231 S/N 20053) and C-GSHI (727-231 S/N 20055). Sport Hawk soon filed Chapter 11. N64320 was parked in the desert at Phoenix Goodyear, the disposition of C-GSHI is unknown. N17773 was sold to Monfort Aviation as a permanent charter for the (Monfort owned) Colorado Rockies MLB team and flown as a single aircraft "privateer" under Elan Express 2002-2014 (13 seasons). Chartered for winter use by the Chicago Bulls for the 2005/06 through the 2013/14 seasons (9 seasons).
SN 21045 was a very reliable aircraft. During the 13 years flying the Colorado Rockies MLB Baseball team, the airplane had a 100% departure reliability rating. UNHEARD OF for a single, privateer aircraft, especially over a sustained 13 year period and 2,387 departures.
During the 9 years flying the Chicago Bulls NBA team during the winter, the airplane only had 3 mechanicals which scrubbed a flight. Still unheard of for a SINGLE aircraft, consistently flying in a harsh winter sub-freezing environment.
For the entire combined 13 year operating period, it was flown 2,228 flight hours & 2,387 departures, and did so with an OVERALL departure reliability rating of 99.87%. This airplane was THE MOST RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION either team will ever see. A more modern aircraft will never come close, over such sustained periods of time, as a single unit aircraft (no backups, no spares, no replacement available). An "airline" might provide the same service, but it will entail multiple aircraft, and it will involve delays and cancellations.
Boeing 727-227 SN 21045, Line number 1133, variable number QA882, was a VERY reliable and commendable aircraft. It's fate is yet to be determined as of October 2014.
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