PerdanaOne

[miroslav zinoviy 0]

I believe it is the MASTAR BBJ. The 9M-CHG was a B737-300. Can someone confirm? Some time in the late 1990's, cant remember when, but I was called to operate as a last minute replacement cabin crew for a plane owned by County Heights. It was a B737-300 with a luxury interior. Cant' remember if it was CHG.

 

yup.you are right, 9M-CHG is not a BBJ

 

 

[BC Tam 2]

I had already resigned. The crew in charge was a former MH crew .....

Ah, clears the air - good to have such mates eh !

[M. Sofian H. 0]

InsyaAllah i will upload the video

 

here the video

 

1. Perdana One Close The Door (youtube)

2. PerdanaOne Ready For Take Off (please download, sorry for low video quality)

Click Here

[Nik H. 3]

9M-CHG (cn 27456/2749) was a B737-300 in white color and green stripes, operated by the Country Heights Group.

9M-BBJ / M53-01 (cn 29274/397) is a B737-700 BBJ, originally bought by Tajuddin Ramli using MAS funds and operated as Mastar. Understandably it didn't last very long before being sold to the Air Force as M53-01.

 

Some facts about the BBJ, and this is not the " I heard from my friend " version.

 

The BBJ is a Hybrid NG B737, ie the -700 body mated with -800 wings, center wing box and landing gear. The MAS BBJ had 9 tanks, enabling it to do London with one stop with a full cabin. The cabin is divided into three sections, the Executive Front End, the Club seating in the midsection and a Stateroom. A total of 34 pax can be carried. The interior was outfitted by Jet Aviation in Basel, at a cost of 9Million USD and took about 9 months for completion. It came without winglets which were later retrofittef. A HUD was also fitted for the Capt's side.

 

The BBJ was purchased during Tajudin Ramli's regime, and was called the MASTAR. It was sweetener for the B777 deal purchase and the total cost came to USD XX Million. The purchase and outfitting cost were at a good market rate. In fact, had MAS kept the aircraft, it can be sold today at a price that would realise a handsome profit given the current waiting list coupled by inability of finishing houses to accept green BBJs for outfitting.

This may disappoint those who harbour suspicions of wrongdoing in MAS.

 

Tajudin Ramli never flown in the aircraft. In fact, he never set foot in the aircraft after it arrived in Malaysia, 2nd Sept 2000. This fact may disappoint some parties too.

 

The aircraft was operated by a dedicated Businesss unit in MAS and the first mission was to take the then SPB Agong to the Olympics. In the short time the aircraft was with MAS, it was chartered out to Elton John, Bryan Adams, Hun Sen, Sihanouk, Megawati, Swaziland Royalty, Saudi Royalties and even to the Singapore Govt Ministers on their business trip amongst others. The most profitable segment of business was high end medivac. Our Ailing SPB Agong ( HRH Sultan Selangor ) was flown back from Singapore on the aircraft.

 

Letting it remain under MAS would have been a brilliant thing as the cost of ownership can be defrayed by the lucrative private Charters when the Government was not using the aircraft. In fact, there were talks about the privatisation of the 2 Squadron to operate along these lines. Additionally, flight clearances were easier to get with a civilian registered aircraft. Taxpayers would have saved a significant amount of money.

 

As the Unit began to reach sustainable financial life, with sales on the rise and reputation established, the aircraft was purchased by the Government for their use. There are reasons for this which cannot be discussed in a public forum, but possibly one of the reason was not to let a good thing go on . It was deregistered and became an 'FM' aircraft. Maintenance was given to Airod. It was repainted in a hurry and became what it is now.

 

The BBJ on arrival at SZB after leaving Basel.

 

The Executive Cabin

 

The Club Cabin

 

The Stateroom with the bed deployed

 

The Washroom

 

the galley

 

A Typical Departure

 

The BBJ off on a mission

 

If there is another version, I'd be most interested to know.

Edited November 1, 2007 by Nik H.

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

Great stuff ..

Don't worry , I'll take your word for it when it comes to charters

 

Just out of curiousity , all BBJ's come with Airstairs?

[Radzi 2]

Capt Nik H., thanks for your story and amazing pictures!

[Nik H. 3]

Outfitted for a Medivac.

 

 

 

 

Sorry,c but I think I've gone Off Topic....got carried away on the BBJ story....,

Edited November 2, 2007 by Nik H.

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

Please , carry on ..

[Walter Sim 1]

Wah!!

 

Any from NAA?

[Rozhan 0]

Thanks for the pics Capt Nik. Stately interior furnishings indeed. I've never seen the safety card for the Mastar BBJ anywhere. Have any pics of them? Thanks.

[Nik H. 3]

Thanks for the pics Capt Nik. Stately interior furnishings indeed. I've never seen the safety card for the Mastar BBJ anywhere. Have any pics of them? Thanks.

 

I've got the Mastar Promotional leaflet, Catalogue of services done by Leo Burnett, cutlery, Service procedure handbook and plenty of other related Mastar stuff sitting on my office store. I've also got the Mastar promotional video and a 1 hour DVD of the SPB Agong's Official trip to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Danang, Pnom Penh and Seam Reap, which I shot and edited. The team put a lot of effort into the project, and just as the finances were turning black, the carpet got pulled from under the team. Even the Cabin Crew uniform were of a different variety, designed in-house with the involvement of the crew.

 

Thankfully it is now put into good use and is now being used by the Charter crew.

[Alan B. 5]

I've also got the Mastar promotional video

 

I did the voice-over for a MASTAR promo video but never got paid for my work. Not the fault of the ad agency or Charters but the owner of the recording studio BUMBLE BEE gulong tikar and chabut without paying a lot of the talents that worked there. Sorry off topic!

Edited November 3, 2007 by Alan B.

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

U've got lotsa cool stuff being kept there Nik

Would be worth lots and lots on E-Bay or ' MalaysianWings - Bay '

[Rozhan 0]

Thanks Capt. Do post any historical pics of MAStar and other promotional items associated with it at your convinience. I only have a MAStar barf bag courtesy of an MW member (who has not posted in the forum for a while now already), and a MAStar advertisment behind an old MAS timetable book.

 

Also I'm sure many of us here would appreciate anything on Haj and Charter Division as not many of us get to appreciate and admire its uniforms etc., except for those short scenes shown on TV3's Majalah 3 some time ago. I also got to see some rare safety cards for MAS haj charters at eBay and bought one before. I'd buy anything rare on MAS, and just acquired a long-elusive crystal wine glass with old MAS logo.

[Nik H. 3]

Thanks Capt. Do post any historical pics of MAStar and other promotional items associated with it at your convinience. I only have a MAStar barf bag courtesy of an MW member (who has not posted in the forum for a while now already), and a MAStar advertisment behind an old MAS timetable book.

 

Also I'm sure many of us here would appreciate anything on Haj and Charter Division as not many of us get to appreciate and admire its uniforms etc., except for those short scenes shown on TV3's Majalah 3 some time ago. I also got to see some rare safety cards for MAS haj charters at eBay and bought one before. I'd buy anything rare on MAS, and just acquired a long-elusive crystal wine glass with old MAS logo.

 

Charter Dept was featured in TV3 Nona, Majallah 3, and was represented in Explorace when i took part ( won RM10K and donated it to an orphanage ) There were also numerous coverage during MHI and morning talk show with RTM and NTV7.

 

Latest was the coverage on the Manchester United Asia Tour by NTV7 and TV3, where i arranged for ther crew to accompany the flight.

 

As fo Hajj, there are certainly lots of stuff that you mentioned, amongst them, videos on cabin seat and toilet usage ( first time flyers ), different menucards, giveaway plastic carryon bags, specially designed Zam Zam water containers, leaflets and videos on how to do prayers in the aeroplane, customised in-flight entertainment guide etc etc.

 

All this little things were put in place after Charter dept successfully wrested the contract from AK' stranglehold in 2003.

 

The pilgrims are now getting a really good deal as compared to previously where they are just dumped into KLIA and have to fend for themselves lookin for connection to return to their end destinations.

 

They also have reserved seating and the ability to rebook flights in Mecca, where a reservation clerk is positioned.

 

This may be a topic in itself and i may post it if there's sufficient interest from members.

 

BTW, about rare memorablia, you interested in boarding passes with the old MAS logos as well as unusable unused blank paper tickets?

[Rozhan 0]

Blank boarding passes and tickets would be great I still keep old MAS tickets of mine and parents' who flew during those days. I like the old multiple colourful kites on dark blue background for international, and smaller ticket with red background for domestic.

 

I have recorded some of MH's articles featured on TV, including the one on TV3's Nona. I think there was an interview with your goodself too

 

 

[MIR 2]

Does anyone know what happened to M53-01 and 9M-NAA? BBJ2(VP-BHN) brought the PM to Myanmar today. It has the Malaysian flag and coat of arms on the fuselage...is the aircraft leased by the Malaysian gov. ?

Edited March 28, 2012 by MIR

[Mushrif A 3]

Does anyone know what happened to M53-01 and 9M-NAA? BBJ2(VP-BHN) brought the PM to Myanmar today. It has the Malaysian flag and coat of arms on the fuselage...is the aircraft leased by the Malaysian gov. ?

 

Saw that aircraft at Bunga Raya today.

 

M53-01 on crutches - see my other post. Dont know about 9M-NAA though. Looks like not many aircraft to go around and is the GlobEx in Korea?

[Mohd Idham 0]

Does anyone know what happened to M53-01 and 9M-NAA? BBJ2(VP-BHN) brought the PM to Myanmar today. It has the Malaysian flag and coat of arms on the fuselage...is the aircraft leased by the Malaysian gov. ?

 

MIR, M53-01 grounded at AOR.

 

9M-NAA, no info.

[MIR 2]

Thanks for the info guys !

[Victor A. 2]

Does anyone know what happened to M53-01 and 9M-NAA? BBJ2(VP-BHN) brought the PM to Myanmar today. It has the Malaysian flag and coat of arms on the fuselage...is the aircraft leased by the Malaysian gov. ?

 

maybe not enough budget to maintain those 2 birds (as the case with MMEA amphibious bird is SZB)???

[Waiping 12]

Why not charter a MH bird? Plenty still sitting on KLIA tarmac?

[Mushrif A 3]

Why not charter a MH bird? Plenty still sitting on KLIA tarmac?

 

I know - that would have been the correct thing to do, especially when elections are near and the treasury is tight. MH has, by now, a surplus of 734s and 330s. Maybe some folks are so used to travelling in style, that the ancient cabins of the MH 734s and 330s are only suitable for the unwashed.

[Raymund Yeoh 1]

I know - that would have been the correct thing to do, especially when elections are near and the treasury is tight. MH has, by now, a surplus of 734s and 330s. Maybe some folks are so used to travelling in style, that the ancient cabins of the MH 734s and 330s are only suitable for the unwashed.

 

Could not have agreed more.....i wonder how much does it cost to rent that BBJ.....and for how long is the g'ment renting

[Mushrif A 3]

To nitpick...that was a BBJ2.....so the lease would likely be higher than your run-of-the-mill BBJ. And whoever is doing runs on the BBJ2 conveniently forgets that you & I are paying for it whilst at the same time, hoping to get our votes to be re-elected into office.