Kalitta Air's N709CK

Our May edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" goes back to March 2004, with Kalitta Air's 747-132SF, N709CK (c/n 20247, l/n 159), seen above taxing out to Runway 8R to return to LAX.

20247 was originally delivered to Delta Air Lines in November 1971 as N9900. Boeing acquired it in April 1977 to convert it to a freighter, and three months later, sold to Flying Tiger Line as N805FT. When Federal Express acquired Flying Tigers in 1989, it was transferred, and re-registered as N625FE. In May 1993, it was acquired by Air Hong Kong as VR-HKC. A year later Kalitta / American International Airways purchased this 747-132SF, and registered it as N625PL. In June 1998, it was re-registered as N709CK. From February 1999 to December 2000, it was leased to AIA's Kitty Hawk International subsidiary, then returned to AIA (which re-branded to Kalitta Air). N709CK flew with Kalitta Air until December 2008, when it was stored at OSC, and was scrapped there in June 2015. The registration has been transferred to a Kalitta 747-4B5F (c/n 26396, l/n 951).