Dark Continent Four Holers - African 707 Pt2: Sub-Sahara

During the late 1970s and early 1980s Boeing 707-320s were retired in large numbers by the US majors and most went on to have second careers in the third world - often in beautiful liveries. Sadly African nations and their airline's seemed to succumb to rampant corruption (and the effects of wars) as the 80s went on and few of the Sub-saharan airline's remain with us today. Aeroclassics has made a good array of lovely 707s but there are plenty more still to be made. Following part1's look at North Africa in thi spart we go south of the Sahara.

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Cameroon Airlines TJ-CAA
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Founded on 26th July 1971 as the national carrier replacing Air Afrique, Cameroon Airlines started flying in November with a pair of 737s. A 707 was leased from Air France in December for Rome and Paris services and its own 707 arrived late in 1972 as TJ-CAA. A single 747-200 arrived in 1982 for the European services however the owned 707 remained in service until 1987. Cameroon Airlines itself was plagued by financial difficulties and a poor safety and maintenance record. In late 2005 it was banned by the French authorities and was replaced in 2006 by Camair-Co as national carrier. It lingered on until March 2008 when it was finally wound up. This 707 joined IAI of Israel as 4X-BYR and then the Israeli Air Force as 4X-JYB/255. By 2008 she had been withdrawn from use apparently having served in an ELINT capacity earlier in her air force service.

Air Rwanda 9XR-JA
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Société Nationale des Transports Aériens du Rwanda, or Air Rwanda, was formed on 15th July 1975. The fleet was initially built around DHC-6s, Piper Aztecs and Islanders until in 1979 F-BLCF was purchased from Air France and registered 9XR-JA. The aircraft had originally been delivered to the French airline on 15th March 1967 and served as Air Rwanda’s only jet aircraft throughout the 1980s. In 1994, the airline was forced to cease flying to domestic destinations because of the Rwandan Genocide, whilst internationally the airline reduced its network to include only Kigali, Bujumbura and Entebbe. In 1996 the airline was rebranded as Rwandair and its sole equipment, the 707, became 9XR-VO. She became P4-ESP when she was sold to Espace Aviation in 1996 and was broken up at Manston from 1999 onwards.

Zambia Airways 9J-AEB
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Zambia Airways was formed in 1964. Leased DC-8s started international services in 1969 but in 1975 several 707s joined the fleet. 9J-ADY, AEB, AEL and AEQ were eventually added through the 70s along with five others leased at various times. A DC-10 arrived in 1984 by which time long-haul routes connected Lusaka with London, Frankfurt, Rome, Amsterdam and Bombay. In 1992 the Zambian government made the airline responsible for its own debt and within two years it had collapsed. AEB was originally N370US delivered to Northwest in August 1966. She operated a short lease to Aer Lingus in 1975 as EI-ASM and was sold to Florida West in 1989 as N720FW. Withdrawn in 1992 several sales fell through and she was broken up in 1998.

TAAG Angola D2-TOM
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The Angolan flag carrier began operations in July 1940 using Dragon Rapides. After independence in 1975 the fleet was mixed with Il62s, 707s, 737s and F-27s. Six 707-320s were acquired including a pair that were formerly operated by Western Airlines. D2-TOM was originally N1503W delivered in July 1968. The 707s formed the core of TAAG’s long-haul fleet into the 1980s though Tristars were leased from TAP also. Services to Cuba were commonly operated due to the two countries close ties. It was not until 1997 that a 747-300 was purchased to enable TAAG to operate long-haul routes with its own equipment. By then the 707s had been withdrawn with TOM suffering an accident in 1988 at Luanda that wrote her off.

There's still a wide range of beautiful African 707s that would make fabulous addiitons to any collection. These include Uganda Airways, Kenya Airways, Sierra Leone Airlines, Air Zimbabwe and Lesotho Airways: