For almost 30 years, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) used the famous Boeing 707 quad jet for the 2nd/2nd Transport Group, Corsair Squadron. Operating in the current Wing 11 (Galeão Air Base), the group of four planes was responsible for troop transport, cargo transport, in-flight refueling and even presidential transport.
The year was 1968 when the first of the four aircraft used by the FAB was manufactured and ed to its first operator, Seaboard Word Airlines, and in a few months VARIG received this aircraft.
At Varig, the company used a new batch of Boeing 707 planes, which arrived between 1968 and 1972, to replace the Convair 990A planes, which entered the company's fleet through the controversial integration with Panair do Brasil.
In this matter, we are going to talk specifically about aircraft with registrations PP-VJH, PP-VLK, PP-VJX, PP-VJY. These arrived between 1968 and 1969 in Varig's fleet, and were the 707-320B version, unlike the company's first, now equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines and updates to improve performance.
Transfer of Boeing 707 aircraft to the FAB
After a few years of operation by Varig, the 707 had a good amount of hours of use behind it, and was one of the few enger 707s that the company then operated.
At the same time, the then President of the Republic at the time, José Sarney, sought to “modernize” the FAB VIP transport fleet, as well as transport between countries, and the purchase of four Boeing 707 aircraft was signed between the parties in 1986. .
In the following year, 1987, Varig took all 707s out of enger operation.
Over the years, the aircraft was nicknamed “Sucatão”, due to the constant mechanical problems that the Boeing 707 presented and also due to the age of these aircraft.
Erroneously, the press even increased the date of “birth” by 10 years, stating that the manufacture of these was carried out in 1958, in fact the year of the 707's debut in commercial flights.
Before serving as military aircraft, the four Boeing 707s headed to Wichita, USA, to convert from civil to military aircraft and adapt the "pods" on the wingtips that carried two 12-meter hoses with a basket at the end. , allowing for in-flight refueling of probe-equipped aircraft, have since been renamed the KC-137.
Delivery to the FAB
In the Corsário Squadron, the KC-137s served in flight refueling missions during military operations in Brazil and abroad, and also served in the presidential transport from 1986 to 2005, when it was replaced by the VC-1 Airbus A319ACJ, the presidential aircraft that is currently at GTE, in Wing 1.
FAB-2401
The first aircraft ed FAB-2401 was the Boeing 707-345C-H, which at Varig used the prefix PP-VJY. This was the aircraft chosen for presidential service and curiously did not serve the GTE (Grupo de Transporte Especial) based at ALA 1 (Brasília Air Base), remaining at Corsário.
O 2401 was reconfigured and became a VIP aircraft, capable of transporting troops and refueling in flight when not on a presidential mission, flew for the FAB from 1986 to 2013 in the presidential colors white with a blue stripe and the colors green and yellow in the drift.
FAB-2402
Second aircraft is the Boeing 707-345C-H registration FAB-2402, which flew on Varig using the prefix PP-VJX. This arrived at the Air Force in 1986 as a mixed configuration aircraft (Cargo/REVO). Unlike the 01, it adopted the standard colors at the time of transport aviation, completely gray.
The 2402 was dismantled in 2017 in the courtyard of the Galeão Air Force Base, after a company purchased the parts at an auction.
FAB-2403
The Boeing 707-320C-H was the Air Force's third model. Operated enrolled FAB-2403 and also sporting the gray color, when it served VARIG it flew with the prefix PP-VJH. The plane was dismantled after leaving service by the FAB in 2013.
FAB-2404
The last aircraft to arrive at FAB was the Boeing 707-320C-H with registration FAB-2404, when civilian flew with the prefix PP-VLK and was ed from VARIG to FAB in 1987.
The aircraft in question was involved in an incident in Haiti on May 26, 2013, while on a troop transport mission. At the time, the front landing gear locked, forcing the landing without it.
During the procedure, the plane left the runway at Port-au-Prince Airport. Despite the scare, none of the soldiers on board were injured.
Retirement
The FAB announced the retirement of the KC-137s during a ceremony at the Galeão Air Force Base, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Corsair Squadron. Still without choosing a replacement, the official announcement was made on the spot, ending the almost 30 years of history of the KC-137 in the FAB fleet.
It was an iconic plane, mainly because it remained in operation during a period when we could already see much more modern and quieter planes on commercial flights, such as the Boeing 787.
Its presence was unique at airports, emitting a symphony of Pratt & Whitney engines that at the time was already extinct from everyone's daily lives.
This hear-and-see experience of the Boeing 707 is available at videos below:
Text produced in collaboration between the editor Ícaro Roberto and Pedro Viana.
