On Friday at midday, Dechow will put thousands of pieces of 'Lufthansa' Boeing 707s on auction. The parts from two Boeing 707s have been painstakingly cataloged over the past month ahead of the big day on Friday. The auction will be open for around a month, with each lot going to the highest bidder.
It's a moment unlikely to be repeated in history. Simultaneously, two Boeing 707s needed to be evicted from their homes. D-ABOC because Tegel was closing down, and D-ABOD because Hamburg Airport was ready to say goodbye to the jet. But what do you do with two Boeing 707s that you can't keep?
1,000s of lots on offer
There are a fair few parts in a single Boeing 707 and even more parts in two. With D-ABOC (formerly 4X-ATB) and D-ABOD being dismantled, many parts need to find a new home. Thankfully, the auction house Dechow, based in Hamburg, has risen to the challenge, with parts of both aircraft up for auction alongside a handful of unrelated aviation themed items.
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D-ABOD used to be operated by Lufthansa but was scrapped in a Hamburg Airport livery. Meanwhile, 4X-ATB used to fly for El Al but was dismantled in a Lufthansa livery. You can read more about the two aircraft here.
From noon on Friday, parts of both Boeing 707s, along with other items from third parties, are set to be placed on auction at troostwijkauctions.com. The hope is to find every piece a new home so that the aircraft can live on. Dechow invited Simple Flying to see the lots ahead of the planned auction.
Arguably, the highlights of the auction are the two cockpits in varying stages of completion. The cockpit of D-ABOD is relatively empty inside but comes complete with flight attendant seats on the bulkhead. While D-ABOC lacks the flight attendant seats, it does come with chairs and cockpit parts inside.
Also likely to attract attention are the aircraft's engines and landing gear. While the engines are currently stored without their cowling attached, this forms a part of each engine lot. However, much more is on offer, ranging from fuselage panels to seating and even individual cockpit components.
The Boeing 707s were dismantled in the early summer, and ever since, staff have been hard at work cataloging every piece. Each item has several photos taken, in addition to a short description and a name.
How does the auction work?
As mentioned, the auction will kick off at noon on Friday and will last until Sunday, October 24th at 15:00. There are no reserve prices, meaning that every part that has been bid on will go to the highest bidder.
Of course, shipping the parts will present a logistical challenge, but Dechow believes they are well prepared. The aim is to ship items within one to two weeks of payment being received. Everything should arrive before Christmas, meaning that parts can be bought as gifts.
Smaller items will be sent by UPS, but larger items, such as the engines and cockpits, will require specialist transport. Dechow has partners that it can arrange such transport with, or individuals can organize the shipping themselves.
Will you be bidding on any of the parts? What would you buy? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!