Her er hele historien om Busy Bee sin LN-NPB, hentet fra en artikkel jeg har liggende :
BOEING 737-2R4C OF BUSY BEE (LN-NPB).
This paticular Boeing 737 was ordered from Boeing by the then communist South Yemen Airline ALYEMDA in 1978. The aircraft was ordered with reinforced floor and a so-called 'gravel-kit' (in fact 2- vortex generators below the engines and a ski below the nose landing gear). The aircraft was ready in Sept 1979, painted in full ALYEMDA colours whilstawaiting delivery. However Boeing could not deliver it because this model had been considered'High Tech' by the US state departement who blocked its sale to a foreign commonist country.
Boeing was stuck with the aircraft.
At the same time, Busy Bee; a small charter company from Norway operating Fokker 27's, was competing for a Norwegian Army contract that including parachuting and operating from rough fields. They decided to take the ALYEMDA 737 after asking for another modification.The modification was to be able to remove the back right door inflight, to allow for parachuting.
The aircraft was delivered to Busy Bee in December 1979.
As nobody before had ever jumped out of a passenger jet aircraft, tests had to be made.
The test took place in the USA, over Moses Lake near Seattle.The door was taken out of the aircraft and at 10,000 feet they first dropped a dummy.This dummy test was followed by Major Tangen, Norwegian Army test parachutist. This feat is recorded as the first jump from a commercial aircraft.
However, this first jump was made without reducing the power on the right engine and our Major was caught in the jet blast. He survived the turbulence and the heat to declare afterwards : It was a 'hot' jump.
The aircraft was certified for Paratrooping and was able to carry up to 80 parachutist or 100 troops. The aircraft was known to have operated on unprepared strips of 800 meters length. Between the military contracts the 737 was used 'normally' to carry passengers and freight within Norway or Europe, mainly on behalf of Braathens SAFE, the other Norwegian domestic airline.
The aircraft was easily recognisable with a cartoon-like drawing of a smiling beeon it's tail. Busy Bee ceased operating the 737 in May 1991 and put it up for sale. It was sold to Alaska-Wien,that month, reportedly for lease to Aloha Airlines of Hawaii and a US registration N801WA was painted on the aircraft.
The aircraft never saw the Pacific sun as Alaska-Wien got into financial trouble. Alocal broker, Thor Tjoenvelt 'took care' of the aircraft wich illrgally departed from Stavanger on 13th May 1991with a US registration wich, in fact, was never put on US register. The aircraft disappered an Mr Tjoenvelt is reported to be wanted by the Norwegian police. It reappered in 1992, still under false registration, parked in Dothan,apparently the property of the Chinese airline Xin Hua.
In October 1993 the aircraft was leased to Sahara India, a new Indian company. It received a new registration(VT-SIA). The 737 only operated a few flights, but had a spectacular end. On a training flight, during touch and go in New Dehliairport on 8 March 1994, the aircraft missed the runway and, during a very low go-around, hit an Ilushin 86 of Aeroflot which was parked at the passenger terminal. By a miracle, bur sadly enough, only 8 people were killed. Both aircraft were written off.
For the purist: Boeing 737-2R4C( in fact modified 737-200), serial number 21763/571, manufactured 1979. Maximum take-off weight 54 tons. End 8.3.93.
IL-86 registration: RA-86119.