Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 09-Apr-25.
This aircraft was delivered to ILFC International Lease Finance Corp as N161LF in early Jun-95. It was transferred to ILFC Ireland Ltd as EI-CLU in mid Jun-95 and leased to Transaero Airlines, Russia.
It was re-registered N751LF when the lease was transferred back to ILFC in Jan-98. the lease to Transaero continued until the aircraft was returned to the lessor in Jan-99 and parked at Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Russia.
It was ferried to Manchester UK in Transaero basic livery in early Feb-99 and leased to Flying Colours Airlines as G-FCLH in mid Feb-99. It was parked at Manchester, still as N751LF, until it was ferried to Southend, UK for repainting in early Mar-99.
In mid Mar-99, while taxiing for for it's departure back to Manchester, it ran off the taxiway at Southend and was stuck in soft ground. It was pulled out, washed down and checked over before leaving for Manchester later the day!
Flying Colours merged with the 2nd Caledonian Airways to form 'jmc AIR' in Mar-00. While the name, and livery, was an advertising man's dream ('jmc' was the initials of Thomas Cook's Son), the travelling British public had no idea what the airline name meant and it became Thomas Cook Airlines in Apr-03.
The aircraft returned to ILFC in Apr-13 and was sold to FedEx/Federal Express as N968FD later that month. It was ferried to Mobile-Downtown Airport, AL, USA in Apr-13 and stored before being converted to a full freighter with a main deck cargo door in Dec-13.
Now almost 30 years old, the aircraft continues in service. Updated 09-Apr-25.
