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The axe finally falls on YAD

written by australianaviation.com.au | November 6, 2013

It took just 90 minutes for the BAe146 to be broken up. (All images: Paul Daw)
It took just 90 minutes for the BAe146 to be broken up. (All images: Paul Daw)

Enthusiast Paul Daw captured the moment of demise for former Qantas and National Jet Systems BAe 146-200A VH-YAD at Adelaide  on November 2.

YAD made its last revenue flight in May 2011 after accumulating total flight hours of 39,047.81 and total cycles of 37,306. The aircraft was flown to Adelaide where it was placed into storage and cannibalised to sustain other 146s in operation in Australia. The aircraft had been hangared for some weeks prior to it’s final break-up on November 2.

The aircraft was ordered by Qantas for operations by subsidiary Southern Australia Airlines as City of Hobart, arriving in Adelaide in December 1996. YAD was crewed and maintained by National Jet Systems, which ultimately took over full operation of the 146 in mid-2004 for FIFO operations based in Perth.

During Autumn of 2005 YAD transported the cast and crew for The Divine Miss M tour of Australia.

According to BAe 146 expert Mike Clayton, YAD was originally built in 1988 for Westair Commuter Airlines of Fresno, California and operated on behalf of United Express. The 146 was then operated on lease by a number of Canadian airlines before a further short stint in the US before in fact returning to United Express. VH-YAD#11e  BAe-146  ADL  02Nov2013_PCDawVH-YAD#04e  BAe-146  ADL  02Nov2013_PCDawVH-YAD#02e  BAe-146  ADL  01Nov2013_PCDaw

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Comments (8)

  • adammudhen

    says:

    Seems silly since it’s “just” a plane, but I hate seeing pics like these. Guess I’m not the only one.

  • Brett M

    says:

    It’s a shame it wasn’t donated to one of the local aviation museums.

  • Ron

    says:

    I agree with both comments above. I’m sure every plane has a soul. I guess I’m silly too. And whilst it might just be a BAe-146, & just seem like superfluous scrap metal, that’s probably what they thought of no-longer-needed planes 50 or 60 years ago too. Oh how we’d love to have a few more of them in our museums today. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

  • Alan Jones

    says:

    It would be nice if we had a hanger with
    ex Ansett,TAA and Qantas jets and props
    that we could show our grandchildren in
    years to come. I can remeber as a kid
    boarding a DC9 or 727 through the stairs
    that lowered down under the tail.My
    children don’t believe me.They have
    never seen a plane load like that.

  • Daniel

    says:

    Its just a plane but what service it has provided it is shame but exceptions should be made and why not use it as a museum piece give it a second “life”-

  • So Sad.

    says:

    Do they have souls? I don’t know… (comment above), but they certainly do have personalities. I rubbed YAD’s nose for him every time I walked past while he sat on the tarmac during his working life and then after when he sat outside Cobham awaiting his fate. What a dreadful shame to see him hacked to pieces, just as it was sad to see the 727’s and VH-NJA go the same way. Heartless… Can you imagine, insides stripped out, what a great playground item they could be? Or a Holiday home? Cafe dining area?

  • Sailornz

    says:

    Worth more as Scrap these days, but still sad to see . Least We Forget .

  • Mossimo

    says:

    One less BAe 146 has to be a good thing….The first year these were introduced in Ansett we did 75 engine changes on 3 aircraft. It paid my house off this A/C, so I should not complain.

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