Compass Airlines (Australia) Training 1990-1992.

Lame · Post by **Lame** » 05 Jan 2004, 04:05

I was with both the original Compass (A300-600/A310) and Southern Cross which people call Compass 2 (MD80) for all the time we operated, and although sadly I don't have photos of the actual operations, I have these photos of some of the training you may like?

This is the original group of Engineers during the training course, including me, with our spare GE CF6 engine for the A300-600.

We went to Lufthansa in Frankfurt for the practical training, and this is us with a VERY old Lufthansa Viscount.

Lame at Heidelberg Castle.

Some of us also went to the GE Factory in Cincinnati, but couldn't take photos there.

This is at the USAF Museum in nearby Dayton Ohio.

And this is with my other love, trains, I managed to not only ride the Indiana and Ohio, I talked them into letting me ride in the locomotive.

With the second Compass we did our training at Alaska Airlines in Oakland California.

Alaska MD80 coming out of a check.

Lame at the nearby Mojave Airport.

Lame at the GE Flight Test Facility at Majove, note the rows of aircraft in distance stored there, very sad to see.

Some of the other aircraft stored at Mojave.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 05 Jan 2004, 16:09

I once read a magazine article about the aircraft stored in the Mojave desert. It was a fascinating report, and also nice to know that some aircraft from the desert do return to service (according to the fleet updates of "Airliner World" magazine).

It must be weird though, seeing all those airliners in the middle of the desert.

L-1011 · Post by **L-1011** » 05 Jan 2004, 16:45

What A300 is it you are posing in front of at MHV?

Could it be the GE testbed? Then it's c/n003 the future ZeroG I was on

ciao,
TriStar

Lame · Post by **Lame** » 05 Jan 2004, 20:44

Yes, it was VERY sad for me to see all these beautiful aircraft going to waste at Mojave.

There were then so many, even some like a brand new KLM B747 that had never even carried a passenger, went straight to the desert from Boeing.

Yes, both the A300 and the B707 are the GE Flight Test Aircraft.

The B707 was testing the latest model of CFM56, and the A300 was testing the latest GE CF6.

Managed to get a look inside the A300, incredible site with all the electronic test equipment.