A Boeing 747 stored for scrapping in the Mojave Desert almost had an unexpected last flight, as the wind practically blew it off the ground.
The recent images of storm Ciaran at Roissy reminded us just how little we can do against the forces of nature. It reminded me of what had happened to this Southern Air 747 in 2012.
On May 23, 2012, the famous airplane graveyard in California’s Mojave Desert experienced record winds, due to an area of low pressure. They blew at more than 110 km/h with peaks of 240 km/h.
A Southern Air Boeing 747 parked there awaiting dismantling was literally lifted off the ground. In the end, it will even have rotated 45° from its original position.
Remember that a 747 weighs in at around 100 tons empty.
But a video is better than a long text.
