Hi all
For an aircraft to be "decommissioned", it has to be struck off charge;i.e; it has to be taken off the establishment of it's operating unit.This is done by "Boarding" the aircraft; a Board is convened, from officers connected with the equipment, such as pilots and engineering officers and stores officers (the issuing agency).The item concerned is surveyed and if there a clear case for disposal,(usually obsolesence) then the item in question is either regraded as scrap or as surplus to requirements.The same rules apply from teacups to aircraft.Obviously, it's easier to dump 20,000 old teacups than an airworthy Dauphin, but the principle is the same.It gets slightly more difficult when the item in question has a potentially good resale value and is clearly not worn out(such as when they sold the 125 to Mexico).Usually, working items are sold on an as is, where is basis, with all potentially harmful devices rendered u/s or stripped out (firing circuits,etc). Right now, the AC could sell the Dauphins,Alouettes, Gazelle and Marchettis as viable aircraft, along with their spares holdings and make a tidy sum, which could be ploughed back into fleet support/upgrade.
regards
GttC
