The legendary Douglas DC-8-72 aircraft, a stalwart of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), arrived at Clark International Airport on Friday afternoon.
Sporting the callsign “NASA817”, the aircraft completed its journey from the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam, landing in Clark at 4:27 PM (UTC+8) after a flight duration of three hours and 16 minutes.
Before reaching Clark, the aircraft, registered as N817NA, made a technical stopover at the Kona International Airport in Hawaii. Its journey had commenced from Palmdale Regional Airport on January 29, 2024.
The aircraft is set to remain in the Philippines until February 15, 2024, with the primary objective of conducting air quality studies.
This mission marks the aircraft’s foreign deployment in Southeast Asia, with the Philippines being the first stop. The iconic 54-year-old DC-8 is also scheduled for deployment in South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Significantly, this mission will be the aircraft’s swan song. Following its foreign deployment in Southeast Asia, the plane is slated for retirement from service in April 2024, marking the end of an era.
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