Goodbye to the L1011 Tristar

Blue Punto

I was lucky enough to fly on a British Airtours L1011 from AGP to LGW back in 1984.

The RAF has now retired them from service so that's a 3 holer that we will never see in the skies again

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafbrizenorton/newsweather/index.cfm?storyid=95A73DBE-5056-A318-A8395A7977727429

lovelyhurler

My first wide body, was an Air Atlanta one down to Lanzarote and back about 15 or 16 years ago.
Sad to see them go.

L1011

Still one or two charter knocking around, and the Las Vegas Sands ones are airworthy - the one that was flooded in Taiwan underwent heavy repairs in January.

Chances of seeing them here are very slim though. Only going to be cargo MD11s from this summer with KLMs retirement of the type and we're already down to cargo only on DC10s. Tiny handful of charter and private 727s around, as well as quite a lot of cargo.

BeardySi

MYOB wrote: »

Sthe one that was flooded in Taiwan underwent heavy repairs in January.

Now that's good news, I'd heard she was up for the chop!

Simon Gruber Says

In 1998 I flew with Delta JFK-MCO on a 727 and a couple weeks later MCO-ATL-DUB on the Tristar. Was great to fly on the classics, although I must say the seats on that particular L-1011 weren't the most comfortable for a flight of that length.

Blue Punto

MYOB wrote: »

Still one or two charter knocking around, and the Las Vegas Sands ones are airworthy - the one that was flooded in Taiwan underwent heavy repairs in January.

Chances of seeing them here are very slim though. Only going to be cargo MD11s from this summer with KLMs retirement of the type and we're already down to cargo only on DC10s. Tiny handful of charter and private 727s around, as well as quite a lot of cargo.

Las Vegas Sands are now also both stored.
Lockheed kept support for the L1011 due to the RAF fleet now with their retirement they have no need as the last private flight for a Tristar was some years ago.
There is a couple in storage in the middle east and Africa but these have not flown in years
There is also a few in storage in the States including Las Vegas Sands N389LS and Oribital Sciences "Stargazer" which again have not flown in some time in Stargazers case many years.

N388LS which belongs to Las Vegas Sands was on the ground at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok in the 2011 floods and has remained there since.

The last I read about it was an attempt to get a special ferry permit from the FAA failed due to numerous systems needing total rebuild/maintanace because of water ingression and the amount of time spent in open storage

L1011

Blue Punto wrote: »

N388LS which belongs to Las Vegas Sands was on the ground at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok in the 2011 floods and has remained there since.

The last I read about it was an attempt to get a special ferry permit from the FAA failed due to numerous systems needing total rebuild/maintanace because of water ingression and the amount of time spent in open storage

As I said above, this was repaired and flown in January 2014 according to a number of sources.

Some dreamers, albeit dreamers that are already in the aviation industry, and who work with Sands; have stated plans to start flying the two of them commercially (edit: and two others, wherever the hell they could get them from). They've bought the AOC of Ryan International also. I'd be more than certain it won't happen.

There's a tiny handful more knocking around; the Stargazer one is active if so rarely used; another one turned up doing a US military charter not hugely long ago either and lead to mass hysteria on some forums when it appeared on Flightaware.

If Lockheed can pull support I suspect they will - their worst nightmare would be a US carrier doing commercial flights with them again1

Blue Punto

I read about the AOC from Ryan alright ...cant see that getting anywhere regardlesss of what aircraft they decide to use


You have my curiosity now about N388LS....off to scower the www for information I go

Fabio

There's actually a band called "El Ten Eleven" which I came across the other day on Pandora!

Here they are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYukaAwf0z4

Nice album cover too!

L1011

http://www.barqaviation.com/index.php/fleet/2-general/general - these are the ones that turn up occasionally on charters. Usually the absolute worst, last minute military or evacuation stuff where there's either nothing else available or zero budget.

They claim to have 5 active, I've seen suggestions that its either three or four; interiors are still 1980s with battered cloth seats, no centre overhead bins, etc (http://www.samchuiphotos.com/Airliners/Category/Cabin/slides/RAKD4716.html for example).

For normal punters the type has been gone since about 2007 when ATA stopped using them on scheduled services - getting yourself on to an adhoc charter is not that easy. This is why I'm making an absolute meal out of going to the pacific northwest via Amsterdam and then Montreal to ensure I get on an MD11 before there's no widebody Douglas's left!

Strumms

Jeez that is so 1980s. I was on a TWA bird many years ago when I was about 14 I think JFK-LHR. I remember being impressed by the catering most of all compared to Aer Lingus. I have some photos of that plan at the gate and the interior also which may be well lost it might have a root around though.

I've been on the MD11 many times all be it only on the ground and through work. Never ceases to amaze me what a great workhorse they are and always impressed by the size and comfort of the flight deck especially when you compare it to a 757. We will see them flying cargo for at least 20 years I'd imagine.

Nonoperational

I crossed the US on on a TWA L1011. Gave me a TWA badge and all. Must have been close to the end of the airline when I travelled. Shame we don't have TWA and Pan-Am still flying.

Strumms

Nonoperational wrote: »

I crossed the US on on a TWA L1011. Gave me a TWA badge and all. Must have been close to the end of the airline when I travelled. Shame we don't have TWA and Pan-Am still flying.

Actually that brings me back I must have that badge somewhere too... I also had an Eastern Airlines one but I don't remember if that was a Tristan I'm guess 757 from memory...

Also as regards twa I was always interested in architecture and fascinated by the
TWA flight center. Even when flying back EI you could see it quite closely across the road it was almost as fascinating as the aircraft for me at that age if not more.

Blue Punto

MYOB wrote: »

http://www.barqaviation.com/index.php/fleet/2-general/general - these are the ones that turn up occasionally on charters. Usually the absolute worst, last minute military or evacuation stuff where there's either nothing else available or zero budget.

They claim to have 5 active, I've seen suggestions that its either three or four; interiors are still 1980s with battered cloth seats, no centre overhead bins, etc (http://www.samchuiphotos.com/Airliners/Category/Cabin/slides/RAKD4716.html for example).

For normal punters the type has been gone since about 2007 when ATA stopped using them on scheduled services - getting yourself on to an adhoc charter is not that easy. This is why I'm making an absolute meal out of going to the pacific northwest via Amsterdam and then Montreal to ensure I get on an MD11 before there's no widebody Douglas's left!

Beat you too it
Had my trip to YUL on PH-KCA last year
My return on PH-KCK was cancelled due to the cockpit window developing a spiderweb crack so I had to return on an Air France 747 a day later