This is “Ebony”, the aircraft that will spend the rest of its days as a fire trainer in Helena Montana. Photo: Chuck Slusarczyk Jr. – OPShots.net
After nearly 34 years of ferrying passengers and packages, a FedEx jet will be coming to Helena, where it will serve a new purpose.
“Ebony,” a Boeing 727 whose maiden flight was Jan. 3, 1979, initially served Braniff International Airways, according to planespotters.net. In April 1990, FedEx acquired the jet and shed its seats to make room for cargo.
But at the end of this month, the jet will be landing here, where it will be given to the Rocky Mountain Emergency Services Training Center, located at the Helena Regional Airport, and begin the final chapter of its career.
Members of the Airport Authority learned of the gift at their meeting on Tuesday, where they voted to accept it.
The jet comes with few restrictions. It can’t be sold piecemeal, which protects FedEx from having its competitors take advantage of a low-cost supply of engines and other replacement parts, Airport Authority members were told.
via FedEx gives plane to fire training center at Helena airport.
