This is a former United Airlines Boeing 757-200 that began service in 1990.
The company Aircraft Demolition (what a cool business) took two hours to cut the plane into pieces at its facility in Eastern Washington State.
Simon Metals will shred the scrap aluminum and ship overseas for reuse.
One of the plane’s interesting missions in the two years since it was retired by United was to test coatings on its wings that could “reduce the residue left by insect strikes” in order to smooth air flow over the wing and reduce drag.
Oh the stories this bird could tell. Instead, watch this:
So why are they squirting it with water during the demo?
Dust?
What livery did this aircraft feature before getting scrapped?
Looks like Thomson Airways.
A metaphor of the company’s operations picture, and probably financial too?
I find it sad to see a plane like this go to scrape yards, I can’t believe the cost to retrofit the plane with newer engine’s is more expensive then replacing it.