Spent a couple years as an L1011 First Officer with ATA! Got to see the world in that airplane! Flew a lot interesting flights! Best Airplane I've ever flown..
You may well have been the FO on the “freedom bird” I flew from Seattle to Misawa, Japan. It had the tropical livery with palm tree on the vertical stab. Incidentally, I met the captain who flew that route at KRFD. He piloted a corporate jet into Rockford and we had a nice chat about the L-1011 and the freedom bird. The L-1011 holds a special place in my heart. It was the first wide body aircraft I had flown on, and the first aircraft to take me overseas.
I suppose that would’ve been one of the last L1011‘s operated by a US carrier when you flew with ATA. Is that correct? I definitely remember seeing you guys flying to Kuwait when I was in the Air Force deployed. Did you end up getting laid off when they ended the DOD contract or did you just move on to somebody else?
I was a PSA L1011 F/O for the 1 year of operation. The 1011 was way ahead of its time, built in Palmdale CA circa. 1974. I went through the Lockheed ground school at the plant in PMD and was able to get a factory tour of the L 1011 assembly line, impressive. Great flying machine!😊
I had the opportunity to fly on a Tri-Star between Chicago and Miami...even got lucky enough to be bumped to first class. It was a great ride. Loved the L-1011.
This is one of the best airliners ever produced. Far ahead of the DC-10 and had advanced systems for its time. It was so stable inflight so comfortable. So glad I got to fly on a few times. Glad to see its still is around to see.
Flew on a L-1011 in 1994, Aguadilla PR to North Carolina on a cargo airline called "Tradewinds" when I was a kid. I remember being in awe of the size of the beautiful airplane. I remember vividly the white paint job with the blue racing stripe. My father, who flew C-130's, was talking non-stop about what a hot rod the Tristar was. There were only 8 passenger seats and the pilots left the door open during take-off and I remember vividly the Captain saying "tequila!" at the rotate call out.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen any content regarding N910TE! Nice to see they’ve been keeping her in good condition with her APU, electrics, and packs running. Also, nice shots of VP-BLK parked right next to her.
This is amazing.....imagine hearing the sound of the APU system when servicing the ramp. Its as iconic as the Airbus 320/321 Brake fans when the planes roll into the gate to cool the brakes off. This is truly amazing!
Lots of aircraft have that, the airline has to order or install brake fans. Most US carriers dont use them because they dont carry the wieght, now cargo and short field flights most likely will use them
I was a PSA L1011 F/O for the 1 year of operation. The 1011 was way ahead of its time, built in Palmdale CA circa. 1974. I went through the Lockheed ground school at the plant in PMD and was able to get a factory tour of the L 1011 assembly line, impressive. Great flying machine!
You've just taken me back to the 1980s and flying from London Heathrow to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on a BWIA TriStar. Fantastic flight, great crew, amazing time. I remember listening to Whitney Houston singing Didn't We Almost Have It All 14 times over the Atlantic!
That was definitely a tour I enjoyed at this year's convention. I think my favorite tour would have been the Eastern 767-200 we got access to at Jet Midwest. I would love if they got the money together to make it airworthy again.
When I was growing up, I flew the L-1011 GSO-ATL. My last flight was in 1995, ATL-SLC, and return. From a passenger's perspective, it was a great airliner. I had no idea that there were still pilots certified on this type, or mechanics experienced in maintaining it!
As soon as I saw the thumbnail, I knew that this was a PSA L-1011. I got to fly on one from LAX to Sacramento during the brief time they were in operation with PSA. I read somewhere that when PSA parked these planes after only eight or so months in service, they stayed parked in the desert for over twelve years before they were purchased or leased by a charter outfit. I believe that PSA originally ordered five, but only two were delivered. I also seem to recall flying on a Delta L-1011 once. It’s a beautiful airplane, and technology-wise, was ahead of its time. I think that it was doomed by a strike at the Rolls-Royce factory that delayed delivery of engines. Airlines desperate for the new wide bodies flocked to the Douglas DC-10 instead.
Interesting to learn that information. Who knows how many L-1011s we'd have today if that wasn't the case with the DC-10. Probably not too many more, but a very interesting alternate history to consider.
Dad flew the L-1011 with Delta airlines. He retired number 1 on the seniority list and probably had more time than any other L-1011 Captain. Dad flew many civilian and military aircraft.
Great airplane, sadly the only ride I ever got on one was back from the Gulf War, Saudi Arabia to MCAS El Torro, CA on a Delta TriStar...best flight of my life and even then the irony of the Captain telling us to "stow our weapons in the overhead compartments before we land, please". Never forget it. Semper Fi.
I work the ramp at KSEA. You could be at the other side of the airport and you could hear the unmistakable low pitched drone of an L1011 engine start! I miss that sound!
3:23 behind the TriStar is a Singapore Airlines B777-212/ER. In that part of the world they equate the TriStar to either Hong Kong CX🇭🇰 and Japan NH🇯🇵. If you ask people in East Asia what is the iconic Tri-Star livery they would frequently mention the cucumber sandwich because they were painted with it when Cathay Pacific have them in service. Green stripes is another term to describe that livery for the TriStar
It’s too bad we don’t get to look forward to great airplanes like this anymore, I’m just glad I got to fly on a few of these. TWA and Delta ran the piss out of these planes they were quite worn out when they were retired. I really Lockheed would come back to commercial aviation
This I guess is like bus fan trips, only a lot more expensive. I got to see one from a far distance, an Air Canada L-1011 in Ottawa a few years ago. It was stripped and the wings were gone from the wheels on, The next time I went through there it was gone. At least I go to see one.
Think about it. It was designed and built by the same people, the same company that created the SR-71. Let that sink in, just how advanced the L-1011 was/is. It could take off and land itself, without a pilot if need be. It was dual deck without getting credit. It held more passengers than most planes today. And that was with 3 engines. Again, let this sink in. Lockheed. SR-71. This plane for the era was advanced more than any other, and it still remains advanced in many ways where others are just now catching up. Lockheed needs to come back and start designing planes in America again.
Not entirely sure. They still host field trips from what I've heard but not exactly sure about what that entails. I signed up via Airliners International tours but I'd imagine there's still a way to sign up.
this is one of the best airplanes ever built i know i worked on them back in 70s 80s thes are planes should be flying today than setting in a field sad indeed
So patronizing and condescending to say to a bunch of airline enthusiasts who wouldn’t dream of behaving in any manner that wasn’t completely first class. That old geezer was a total jerk.
Now we see where the Soviets got the idea for the Il-96's weird airstair. I wonder what would have become of the 1011 if the sale agreement to the USSR had gone through.
Lockheed went to tha airlines and asked what they wanted in a tri-engine airframe. The L-1011 is basically a jumbo fighter jet. So many systems and redundancy built in to ensure on time departures. But like all things BRITISH during the 1970's the engines were its biggest detractors. Yet the RB211 design is what powers all major high bypass engines today.
I'd like to hope they keep that L-1011 for preservation at the very least. Probably the most airworthy example today. I would love to see some group restore it to flying condition similar to John Travolta's 707 going to HARS
Hey! I was able to attend a tour with the help of Airliners International who does conventions multiple times a year, and the big shows they do around summer time have many tours to sign up for, and this was one of them. The facility that has all of the scrapped aircraft is Jet Midwest at MCI.
I booked my tour through Airliners International, so I'm not entirely sure on the answer to your question. However, the tour guide did say that they host field trips and such, so it sounds like there are ways to be able to experience this aircraft for yourself.
The tour wasn't on a school bus, the bus dropped us off at the tour. They probably would have had a nicer bus if the whole tour was on wheels. Maybe it's all they had available, but it would be pretty expensive to charter a nicer bus just for a five minute trip from the hotel to the facility, but I could be wrong.
