Boeing 747SP N529PA
Clipper America, C/n 21992, I/n 447
Ordered by Braniff International as N606BN, this 747SP first flew on 19 May 1980. Braniff operated it in its famous ‘Big Orange’ colour scheme until September 1983 when it was purchased by Pan Am. As N529PA Clipper America it was the last of 11 747SPs to enter the fleet.
In February 1986, Pan Am sold its Pacific Division and its assets to United Airlines. NS29PA became N150UA, joining its 22-aircraft SP fleet. Its next owner was the Government of Oman, which operated it as A40-SP witha luxurious VIP interior from April 1993 until October 2004, when it was stored at Roswell until purchased by Fry’s Electronics in 2005, who registered it N747FU, but appear to have used it infrequently and then re-registered it N747A. It was finally sold to NASA in 2015 with 46,315 hrs and 7,959 cycles logged and stored at Mojave with systems operational. By 2018 the engines were removed to support NASA's 747SP SOFIA flying observatory.