L-1011 TriStar

[ferryfanyvr]

I've been a ferry-fan since I was a kid, but also a commercial aviation enthusiast since my teens. My favorite airliner of all time is the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Back in the 1990's when the TriStar's demise was imminent, I took a series of "plane rides" to experience the aircraft before she was retired from commercial service.

I took several photos, many of them being of the planes' interiors. I'm just wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing them. Since they were taken at the beginning of the digital era I would have to scan them, but if there's any interest I'd be more than happy to.

Any comments?

[FNS]

Aug 22, 2009 19:25:58 GMT -8 ferryfanyvr said:

I've been a ferry-fan since I was a kid, but also a commercial aviation enthusiast since my teens. My favorite airliner of all time is the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Back in the 1990's when the TriStar's demise was imminent, I took a series of "plane rides" to experience the aircraft before she was retired from commercial service.

I took several photos, many of them being of the planes' interiors. I'm just wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing them. Since they were taken at the beginning of the digital era I would have to scan them, but if there's any interest I'd be more than happy to.

Any comments?

Please do!

I'm an aviation buff, besides a train and ferry nut.

Every time I think about the L1011, I think about Air Canada. They flew lots of L1011 airliners. I can use one (a purchased add-on) on the MS Flight Sim X. Whenever I feel like it, I can do a classic Air Canada flight between Vancouver (CYVR) and Toronto (CYYZ) using an L1011.

Even though I'm a stars and stripes fellow, I have to take a red and white "Maple Leaf Liner" to the flight sim skies once in a while!

[Northern Exploration]

Aug 22, 2009 21:53:26 GMT -8 FNS said:

Aug 22, 2009 19:25:58 GMT -8 ferryfanyvr said:

I've been a ferry-fan since I was a kid, but also a commercial aviation enthusiast since my teens. My favorite airliner of all time is the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Back in the 1990's when the TriStar's demise was imminent, I took a series of "plane rides" to experience the aircraft before she was retired from commercial service.

I took several photos, many of them being of the planes' interiors. I'm just wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing them. Since they were taken at the beginning of the digital era I would have to scan them, but if there's any interest I'd be more than happy to.

Any comments?

Please do!

I'm an aviation buff, besides a train and ferry nut.

Every time I think about the L1011, I think about Air Canada. They flew lots of L1011 airliners. I can use one (a purchased add-on) on the MS Flight Sim X. Whenever I feel like it, I can do a classic Air Canada flight between Vancouver (CYVR) and Toronto (CYYZ) using an L1011.

Even though I'm a stars and stripes fellow, I have to take a red and white "Maple Leaf Liner" to the flight sim skies once in a while!

I am ditto to all that. I loved the L1011. From the doors that slid into the roof, to the disappearing coatracks that rose up into the overhead, to the elevator that rode down to the galley below, it was a pretty innovative airliner. The engines starting emitted a great low growl and released a big plume of smoke.

One memorable flight when I was in college and flying student standby ( a cheap fare that didn't guarantee you a seat on a particular flight), the plane was very empty and I was flying with the daughter of an Air Canada station manager. We got upgraded to First Class. In the early days they had 4 club chairs in the centre front around a table that could be raised or lowered. During dinner it was raised and set like a restaurant table. Since there were only 4 of us in First, they served us there. As a wide eyed college student that was pretty special.

Also during those days cockpit tours were easy to get both on the ground and in the air. They had minature planes they handed out to kids when they went up front. The side windows in the cockpit behind the pilots were huge. The same flight my friend and I were invited to the cockpit and sat in the two jump seats behind the pilot. It was kind of freaky sitting beside that big window, but the view of the prairies was amazing. We were there about 15 minutes. The flight engineer wasn't very busy and chatted away for a long time with us. Unfortunately that position in the cockpit is what helped end the L1011, when the 767 with only two flight crew and only two engines to feed fuel to, took to the air and made the L1011 less economical on cross country runs.

[Canucks]

I would love to see any photos of the tri star too. It was very sleek looking with the tail engine being more integrated into the tail as opposed to the DC 10 and MD 11 where it was just slapped on top. Also, if I'm not mistaken I think it was the only plane to be able to fly itself right to the gate on autopilot.

Looking forward to the pictures.

[ferryfanyvr]

OK, I'll start hunting through my storage totes and scanning. Photos to follow shortly! One of my favorite features was the "waffle grid ceiling" and lack of centre overhead bins on the earlier models. Not very practical for carry-ons, but it sure gave the cabin a spacious feeling.

[ferryfanyvr]

Here are pics of my first of 3 trips to say farewell to the TriStar, as I knew the aircraft wouldn't be in commercial service for many more years. It was February 1998 and I travelled from Atlanta to Los Angeles on board Delta L-1011 N718DA mfr# 193C-1097 (the 97th TriStar off the assembly line). It was delivered to Delta in December, 1974.

2 shots of the aircraft approaching gate A19 at Atlanta early in the morning:




passengers getting settled in for the flight to LAX:




the overhead bins on this particular aircraft, as well as those on all but one of the others I flew on, were not the original ones installed during manufacturing. The ones shown were retrofitted at some later point in the aircraft's life to provide more overhead storage room. Also, only the longer-range, shorter-bodied L-1011-500, and later models of the standard-bodied TriStar featured bins down the centre of the cabin.

in flight, at the front of the main cabin looking aft:



and from the aft, looking forward:


number 3 engine:


finally, touchdown at LAX:

[Canucks]

Awesome photos so far! I still can't believe how roomy the tristar was. I am looking forward to the rest of your photos ferryfanyvr.

[Northern Exploration]

Great pics!

I was surprized to see some L1011's in storage still in the desert. There is a pic in one of the recent magazines (Airliners maybe? can't quite remember) with much more recent jets that are sidelined in California. There are quite a few newish cargo jets there alongside some much older L1011's.

Compare the pics to Air Canada's L1011's. The middle row of AC's upper baggage cabinets actually went up into the ceiling. Shorter people couldn't reach the handle. But when released the bin came down. So the middle of the aircraft also looked quite open. Air Canada's seating was 2-4-2 so the seats were actually a big wider than Air Canada's 747's. The pitch was also at least as much or more than the other AC aircraft of the time. So it was very comfortable for a cross Canada trip. Air Transats L1011's were also 2-5-2 with a tighter seat pitch, similar to the Delta aircraft above. The competition at the time was CPAir that became Canadian and their pitch on the somewhat similar DC10 was slightly less with the similar 10 seats making it somewhat less comfortable.

[ferryfanyvr]

Actually in later years Air Canada configured their L-1011's economy seating as 2-5-2...and the 2 Air Transat 'planes I flew on had the high-density 10-abreast seat arrangement as 3-4-3. Those will be the next photos I post. In the early 70's, most airlines including Delta had their seats as 2-4-2 with a small storage cabinet in the very middle, kind of making it 2-2-2-2. I think I have a picture in one of my L-1011 books showing it...I'll post it if I can find it.

[Northern Exploration]

I actually have never flown AT at all and not sure if I will. I was tempted during the final years of the L1011 with them to take a trip. Their reputation for their service precedes them .

As an aeroplan addict I don't stray very often. And as far as rehab goes the answer is no, no, no. Staying with or renting from companies that have bonus offers, staying in multiple hotels within the same city on different nights, and making stopovers to multiply mileage segments to obtain points status levels, are all extreme measures I have mastered and readily admit to. My brother on a recent YYZ to YVR business trip flew Toronto to Calgary to Edmonton to Vancouver and direct back in order to obtain Aeroplan Elite status. The boy learned well .

I never flew on the AC L10's with 9 across. Probably because in later years they were moved to charter and other routes I didn't fly. The 767's replaced them heavily on the Toronto to Edmonton or Vancouver flights I requented most. I did make the effort to fly on the last 747-200 flight before the plane was sent to the dessert and glad I did. See it isn't only ferry geeks who go to extreme measures to satisfy their cravings.

[ferryfanyvr]

Here are the photos I took in September 1998 when I flew to Toronto and back with Air Transat to experience their L-1011's.

The outbound flight was operated by C-GTSX 193N-1094. It was built in 1974 and originally operated by British Airways/British Airtours until 1992. After a short period of desert storage it began its new life with Cathay Pacific who in turn leased it to Dragonair. In 1995 it was sold to Air Transat. It met its fate being scrapped at Mirabel a few years ago.

Approaching the gate at YVR:


As I mentioned in my previous post, both of these aircraft were configured in a high-density 10-abreast 3-4-3 seating layout.






After arrival at YYZ:


My return flight the next day was aboard C-FTNC 193M-1023. It was one of Air Canada's first TriStars delivered to the airline in 1973. From then the until 1981, it would be operated by Air Canada for 6 months each year and leased to Eastern Airlines as N315EA for the other 6 months. When this unique arrangement ended in 1981, it was operated continually by AC until 1988 until being sold to AT. Sadly it has since been converted into beer cans and other articles containing recycled aluminum.

C-FTNC at the gate at YYZ:


I was really happy to discover this 'plane had retained the original overead bins. 2 views of the main cabin...one during boarding and one inflight:




and a view from the aft cabin looking forward:



My next post will be of a Delta Airlines triangle trip I took (MCO-ATL-LAX-MCO) in 1999 aboard my final 3 TriStars, including one -500.

[yvr]

Aug 29, 2009 6:12:53 GMT -8 Northern Exploration said:

Great pics!



Air Canada's seating was 2-4-2 so the seats were actually a big wider than Air Canada's 747's. The pitch was also at least as much or more than the other AC aircraft of the time. So it was very comfortable for a cross Canada trip. Air Transat's L1011's were also 2-5-2 with a tighter seat pitch, similar to the Delta aircraft above. The competition at the time was CPAir that became Canadian and their pitch on the somewhat similar DC10 was slightly less with the similar 10 seats making it somewhat less comfortable.

The original DC-10's and L1011's were configured 2-4-2, then when fuel costs went up many airlines reconfigured to 2-5-2. Charter carriers such as Transat bounced their L1011's up to 3-4-3 for a high density config. CP Air / Canadian were always 2-5-2 in the DC-10's. Currently Transat's A310's and most A330's are in 3-3-3 which like the L1011 makes for a very cramped customer. The main problem is lack of shoulder space. Most airlines have A330's in 2-4-2, while B777's are either in 2-5-2 or 3-3-3. A couple of airlines have T7's in 3-4-3 ten a cross config which is the same as a 747 even though the fuselage cross section is narrower than the forty seven. Personally I'll take a 2-4-2 Airbus over other configurations just because it seems less confining.

YVR

which

[ferryfanyvr]

My friends flew from Vancouver to Cancun and back on Air Transat last year. Their outbound flight was on one of AT's two A-330-300's which have the standard 2-4-2 config. They returned on an A-330-200 which has the crowded 3-3-3 arrangement. They said it made a HUGE difference...much less comfortable. On my AT L-1011 trips I always had an aisle seat which wasn't too bad but anyone in a centre seat was very cramped.

My remaining L-1011 photos will be appearing shortly. I've had a busy couple weeks, but I'll start scanning soon.

[northwesterner]

I too prefer the A330 with the 2-4-2 over the 777 with 3-3-3.

Note that the older TriStars don't have baggage bins in the center because of the original 2-2-2-2 configuration. Don't need overhead bins when bags can be stored in the cabinet. Airlines wised up that they were loosing revenue this way, replaced the cabinets with seats, but never installed drop down overhead bins.

I only flew an L1011 twice - Seattle to Honolulu and back on Hawaiian, in 1992, when I was very young. I still remember the spacious feeling on that plane.

[ferryfanyvr]

OK, here we go with pics from my trip in Feb 1999.

First flight was DL926 Orlando-Atlanta. This was on N723DA 193C-1150 delivered to Delta in 1977. Pretty basic with the updated side bins and none centreline.






Next was DL205 Atlanta-Los Angeles aboard N735D 193C-1226. This was one of the later models having been built in 1981 making it relatively young. It had centre overhead bins just like on the L-1011-500's.






And finally DL172 Los Angeles-Orlando. Reg# N768DA 193H-1216, one of the shorter-bodied, longer-range L1011-500's. It was originally one of Air Canada's planes built and delivered to AC in 1981. Delta purchased it in 1991. Notice that as well as having the centre bins, the sidewall panels are sightly different and a bit more modern looking.




I thought it was neat how there was a pull-down movie screen for the movie projector in mid-cabin.

[ferryfanyvr]

I found found an L-1011 safety video. This would have been from the era where videotaped safety briefings were starting to be commonplace as opposed to the live demos in the aircraft aisles.

I really like the era's big hair, sholuder pads, and moustaches! (the latter on the men of course!)