Retired Boeing 720B on Display at PIA Planetarium in Lahore

[Abbas Ali]

AP-AXL Past & Present Comparison Photos.


Past.


Present.

Abbas

[SaadSaeed]

Took these last September (2016)
Maybe some of us can get together a GoFundMe to restore this to original glory. Might needs contacts inside PIA as it is still PIA property.



















pic upload

[Abbas Ali]

^ thank you Saad for sharing photos.

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Retired PIA Boeing 720-047B registration AP-AXL being prepared at PIA Planetarium in Lahore for relocation due to Orange Metro Train project photographed on January 27.





Abbas

[Pakistan-1]

Looks like they chopped their wings off with a welding torch

[Abbas Ali]

^ Actually its wings were clipped/cut from outside main landing gear for towing fuselage from Lahore Airport to planetarium by road in 1986 - the year in which it was retired. AP-AXL on its last fight was flown from Karachi to Lahore in July 1986 making it the last Boeing 720B to fly in PIA livery.


That's how PIA Boeing 720-047B registration AP-AXL looked when it arrived at PIA Planetarium in Lahore by road from Lahore Airport in the morning of November 12, 1986. Aircraft's horizontal and vertical stabilizers and wings were removed for this journey by road in which it was towed by a PIA aircraft tug.


Later wings were rejoined with the aircraft and a pole was placed permanently under each wing for support.


The cut in wing section was covered with riveted metal plates.

Seems, they removed support poles from wings and reopened same cut in wings to tow and relocate the aircraft due to Orange Metro Train project.

Abbas

[Pakistan-1]

Wonder why PIA didn't properly remove the wings instead of cutting them back in the 80s

[Abbas Ali]

February 1, 2017, newspaper photo of wings getting re-attached with AP-AXL after relocation of the retired Boeing 720B at PIA Planetarium in Lahore.



Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

AP-AXL after getting re-located photographed on February 6, 2017.


Source: ummat.net

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Retired PIA Boeing 720-047B (registration AP-AXL) photographed on February 13, 2017, after its recent relocation at PIA Planetarium in Lahore.






Wing trailing edge damaged during relocation process.


Wing trailing edge damaged during relocation process.







Abbas

[haroon_ek]

and that my folks is how we preserve our ancient monuments, just as we did with every other monuments in Pakistan...........

[Abbas Ali]

Photographed on March 21, 2017.



Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Retired PIA Boeing 720-047B registration AP-AXL at PIA Planetarium in Lahore photographed on December 9, 2017.



Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Recent photo of retired PIA Boeing 720-047B registration AP-AXL preserved at PIA Planetarium in Lahore.

Abbas

[Asim Khalil]

Recent photo of retired PIA Boeing 720-047B registration AP-AXL preserved at PIA Planetarium in Lahore.

Abbas

Right now its not seems to be preserved...