Gee Bee Air (Greece) and Freedom Air to start OST flights

website-info · Post by **website-info** » 24 Nov 2004, 13:38

Hi All,

Gee Bee Air and Freedom Air will commence L1011-200F services from Ostend in the coming weeks, the aircraft is currently in Larnaca as N102CK but will be re-regd and flown on the Gee Bee Air AOC with a SX- reg,

Routing will be Ostend-Larnaca-Delhi-Shanghai and back the same way twice a week,

Rgds
Tony

AN124 · Post by **AN124** » 24 Nov 2004, 15:01

Isn't this one of the Ex Transat Tristars?

I believe they were bought by Gee Bee but I'm not 100% sure.

Best Regards,
Yvo

Andries · Post by **Andries** » 24 Nov 2004, 15:42

EPS_Aviation wrote:Hi All,

Gee Bee Air and Freedom Air will commence L1011-200F services from Ostend in the coming weeks, the aircraft is currently in Larnaca as N102CK but will be re-regd and flown on the Gee Bee Air AOC with a SX- reg,

Routing will be Ostend-Larnaca-Delhi-Shanghai and back the same way twice a week,

Rgds
Tony

Sounds very familiar to the plan FOS logistics had ... I did hear the name 'Gee Bee' before ! If I am not mistaking, they will be doing the flying for FOS Logistics ... Can anyone confirm this ????

Yvo wrote:
Isn't this one of the Ex Transat Tristars?

I believe they were bought by Gee Bee but I'm not 100% sure.

Best Regards,
Yvo

Nope, it's an Ex Kitty Hawk International aircraft. It already visited OST in 1999.

In American International Airways C/S (Now Kalitta)
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/051183/L/

In Kitty Hawk C/S
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/681086/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/475410/L/ ( At EBOS ! )

Well, I'm looking forward to seeing this aircraft back again !

Greetz,

Andries

regi · Post by **regi** » 24 Nov 2004, 17:24

Lucky it is a Tristar and not a 747. Otherwise we could ask that they first check the bolts on the engine...
I will go get a look at Ostend to have a look.
Will it take 1 week untill Wiloo screams like a chicken that Ostend is on the verge of total disaster now the incredible loud and dangerous Tristars are coming our way?

No news of the damaged Tristar on U Tapao under Orient Thai registration?

MKAirlines · Post by **MKAirlines** » 24 Nov 2004, 19:53

a tristar @ OST again a dream come true

great news love to see this bird at ost

MKAirlines · Post by **MKAirlines** » 24 Nov 2004, 20:46

http://www.jasperschrijver.nl/mst/viewtopic.php?t=370

seems like MST is expecting this bird to

AN124 · Post by **AN124** » 24 Nov 2004, 21:00

Looking to the destinations this could indeed be the same bird is what is flying to Ostend. They are also supposed to fly to Asia.

Best Regards,
Yvo

MKAirlines · Post by **MKAirlines** » 24 Nov 2004, 21:23

AN124 wrote:Looking to the destinations this could indeed be the same bird is what is flying to Ostend. They are also supposed to fly to Asia.

Best Regards,
Yvo

we shall see Yvo time will tell

Andries · Post by **Andries** » 24 Nov 2004, 21:49

regi wrote:Lucky it is a Tristar and not a 747. Otherwise we could ask that they first check the bolts on the engine...

Appearently you are not so familiar with the technical side of aircraft ...
engines MUST break off if the load on the engine becomes too heavy ! Better to loose 1 engine than to lose half your wing !!!! And this is not only on a 747. This is on ALL modern aircraft with external engines !

Boeing originally designed the engines NOT to break off, but after some accidents, they redesigned the engine pylon and the way the engine is attatched to it and ALL 747's had to be reworked !!!

If that engine on that Kalitta 747 would not have broken off, the consequences would have been much worse !!!

Bottom line : The engine broke off and saved the rest of the plane !

Greetz,

Andries

FalconX · Post by **FalconX** » 25 Nov 2004, 12:21

It seems indeed very familiar to the FOS Logistics plan (said Andries). Probably will Gee Bee do the flying for FOS. Gee Bee Air, based in Athens, has for the moment four L-1011 stored, 3 of them in Montreal with Greek registrations (SX) and one in Larnaca, to be leased to Freedom Airways, the ex-N102CK from Kalitta and to be re-registered as SX. The 3 stored in Montreal are ex-Air Transat.
Freedom AW is a new company, created in 2004 and based in Larnaca. Until recently the FOS-website www.foslogistics.com told that the flights to Asia would be executed with the flight number code “GEB” of Gee Bee. Since this info has been taken off their website, it seems unclear which company will run the flights, FOS, Gee Bee or FreedomAW.
However, FOS was planning weekly 3 flights from Ostend to Shangai via Larnaca and New Dehli. One sole airplane seems to me unable to do the whole job. It will probably be done by at least two planes. That’s why probably Gee Bee and Freedom AW will do the flying together.
Still is unclear from which airport will be flown to Shangai, Ostend or Maastricht or both. According to ‘mstaviation’ on http://www.jasperschrijver.nl/mst/viewtopic.php?t=370 (posted Nov 24) Maastricht claims the whole business.
Through the same Dutch website (posted Nov 17 by ‘Spotting EHBK’), I had to learn the history of FOS and GeeBee from WILOO’s website http://www.wiloo.be/much_fuzz_about_fos.htm. It’s regrettable that we have to get our info from WILOO. They seem to have better info sources than we have! It seems indeed very familiar to the FOS Logistics plan (said Andries). Probably will Gee Bee do the flying for FOS. Gee Bee Air, based in Athens, has for the moment four L-1011 stored, 3 of them in Montreal with Greek registrations (SX) and one in Larnaca, to be leased to Freedom Airways, the ex-N102CK from Kalitta and to be re-registered as SX. The 3 stored in Montreal are ex-Air Transat.
Freedom AW is a new company, created in 2004 and based in Larnaca. Until recently the FOS-website www.foslogistics.com told that the flights to Asia would be executed with the flight number code “GEB” of Gee Bee. Since this info has been taken off their website, it seems unclear which company will run the flights, FOS, Gee Bee or FreedomAW.
However, FOS was planning weekly 3 flights from Ostend to Shangai via Larnaca and New Dehli. One sole airplane seems to me unable to do the whole job. It will probably be done by at least two planes. That’s why probably Gee Bee and Freedom AW will do the flying together.
Still is unclear from which airport will be flown to Shangai, Ostend or Maastricht or both. According to ‘mstaviation’ on http://www.jasperschrijver.nl/mst/viewtopic.php?t=370 (posted Nov 24) Maastricht claims the whole business.
Through the same Dutch website (posted Nov 17 by ‘Spotting EHBK’), I had to learn the history of FOS and GeeBee from WILOO’s website http://www.wiloo.be/much_fuzz_about_fos.htm. It’s regrettable that we have to get our info from WILOO. They seem to have better info sources than we have! This makes me sad !

OO-VEX · Post by **OO-VEX** » 25 Nov 2004, 16:27

Hello,

i've found this press release, so from now on we have official information.

Cargo Wings Belgium is proud to announce its appointment as General Sales Agent for FOS Logistics effective 24 November 2004.

FOS Logistics will operate an L1011 full freighter on days 4 and 6 ex MST to LCA / DEL and PVG , additional Chinese and Indian destinations will be avialable shortly.

BGS has been appointed as their handling agent for both export and import.

Rates and additional informations are available on AFRA , airline code = GEB.

Here is the link

http://www.inforwarding.com/message.asp?message=9938

OO-VEX

Andries · Post by **Andries** » 28 Nov 2004, 04:15

Yesterday I heard they permanently changed plans to MST and not to OST ...
Sad news for EBOS ... When will EBOS have some luck at it's side ???

Sad Greetz,

Andries

FLYCARGO · Post by **FLYCARGO** » 28 Nov 2004, 16:32

FalconX wrote:It’s regrettable that we have to get our info from WILOO. They seem to have better info sources than we have! This makes me sad !

Hmm, wouldn't really say they have better info sources: their info about the 1011 was kinda correct, but the aircraft they were referring to were 3 1011's in pax configuration (ex Air Transat).

Just wondering how Wiloo would load freight on a pax 1011? They refer to a pic on A.net, but apparently haven't noticed that there's no cargo door on the a/c.

They always hear "something" and quikcly claim to have found the only "truth".

That's what makes me sad...

Rgds,

J.

AN124 · Post by **AN124** » 28 Nov 2004, 16:36

@ FlyCargo,

FOS wouldn't be the first to load cargo in a Tristar without a cargo door.

At MST we had Ducor World Airways flying with 2 Ex Caledonian Tristars. They were flying fish and other fresh good and everything was loaded box by box.

Best Regards,
Yvo

FLYCARGO · Post by **FLYCARGO** » 28 Nov 2004, 16:47

AN124 wrote:@ FlyCargo,

FOS wouldn't be the first to load cargo in a Tristar without a cargo door.

At MST we had Ducor World Airways flying with 2 Ex Caledonian Tristars. They were flying fish and other fresh good and everything was loaded box by box.

Best Regards,
Yvo

I know the Ducor story and I know it wouldn't be the first time, but there's still a difference between a load of fish and vegetables (all the same boxes to be offloaded at the same station) and a load of general cargo for different stations.

Btw, if they have to make all those stops (Larnaca - Delhi -Shanghai) and they would have to offload/load in every station through a pax door.... good luck to them, I'd say. And how do you make a load & trim with such a config? Ever seen one for the Ducor aircraft?

Rgds,

J.

FalconX · Post by **FalconX** » 29 Nov 2004, 14:18

Again according to Wiloo (and again that makes me sad - http://www.wiloo.be/geebeeair.htm), FOS would fly with Gee Bee's Lockheed and ex-Kalitta N102CK, already converted to a freighter. From where they got the given history of N102CK, I don't know. But it might be correct, since the 3 pax-Lockheeds stored in Montreal are indeed not that suitable to do the MST-LCA-DEL-PVG job.
Rgds

AN124 · Post by **AN124** » 29 Nov 2004, 15:21

@ Flycargo

I saw the Ducors myself a lot at MST.
And indeed sometimes it took them a whole day to load the aircraft. They transported all kinds of stuff with these planes and not only vegatables and fish. That was just a part of their cargo.
I saw them loading furniture and computer equipment.

Best Regards,
Yvo

FLYCARGO · Post by **FLYCARGO** » 30 Nov 2004, 12:22

AN124 wrote:@ Flycargo

I saw the Ducors myself a lot at MST.
And indeed sometimes it took them a whole day to load the aircraft. They transported all kinds of stuff with these planes and not only vegatables and fish. That was just a part of their cargo.
I saw them loading furniture and computer equipment.

Best Regards,
Yvo

Just wondering how they can/could stay in business if their aircraft stayed on the ground for a whole day for onload (and I presume they will be needing another full day for offload).

Anyway, you don't have to convince me

, a couple of years ago, when Ducor still had the ex LTU L1011 in OST (aircraft has been broken up by now), they wanted to fly like this (pax config) out of OST.

Just wondering, but does Ducor still fly out of and into MST now or do they go to XCR (Vatry)?

Rgds,

Joeri

AN124 · Post by **AN124** » 30 Nov 2004, 12:51

AS far as I know Ducor is no longer existing as a airline.
3C-QRQ is know operating as A8-AAA and the last I heard of 3C-QRC is that it was used for Hadj flights out of Sharjah. I don't know where it's at this point in time

But we are going

fftopic: , so let's go back to FOS and Gee Bee.

Best Regards,
Yvo

FLYCARGO · Post by **FLYCARGO** » 30 Nov 2004, 13:20

AN124 wrote: But we are going fftopic: , so let's go back to FOS and Gee Bee.

Best Regards,
Yvo

You're right, sorry

Thanks for the info anyway.

Well, back to topic then: when does MST expect the first FOS/GEB flight? They were supposed to start beginning of September out of OST, and we're beginning of December already... Heard any news about the start in MST?

Thnx,

Joeri

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Gee Bee Air (Greece) and Freedom Air to start OST flights

Gee Bee Air (Greece) and Freedom Air to start OST flights

Re: Gee Bee Air (Greece) and Freedom Air to start OST flight