Originally Posted by
S.o.S.
SpringingJack you have just scraped back under the wire for reminding us of the DC-9 air stairs.
Any stories of Front Airstairs, as older 737s sometimes had?
Airstairs -- the built in ones - were so super Handy for Charter operations at Outstation Holiday airports with quick turnarounds, minimal ground equipment, and especially when the Iberia or Olympic Airways Handling Ramp Guys were on strike
and you could get everyone on and off in minutes.
The Caravelle was the first Jet to have rear Ventral airstairs.
The BAC 1-11 (well, most of them) had airstairs both Forward and an Aft ventral, as did the DC-9 and Super 80 (except our six BMA Baby 9's that only had front stairs).
The 727 had the same options to have both, although many 727 operators omitted the forward ones.
Wardair had both fitted to their 727 CF-FUN for their intense Transatlantic charter operations, with refuelling stops at remote Greenland and Iceland airports.
The 737 had forward ones, and only a few, such as Condor's 737-130's and Mey Air's also had the Rear entry door that came with stairs built in
as a Drop down feature.
TUI (Thomson Airways) for some reason never took the 737 front stairs option again after retiring their Britannia Airways 737-200's.
Today, Ryanair still has the forward airstair option fitted on its 737NG's
and on their new 'Max' 737M8-200's.
(No idea if that also will be fitted on the larger 737M-10 variant)
The Court Line and LTU Tristars first came with a very elaborate folding arm 'double width' airstair that extended out of the Rear cargo hold.
Didn't last more than a couple of summers.
PSA's Tristars (they ordered 5) came with a forward drop down airstair/door that lead into the Lower Deck lounge from where a staircase ascended to the main deck cabin.
3 of those aircraft remained unsold when PSA did NTU their full order; Lockheed eventually after a couple of years, struck a deal with LTU to take them.
LTU often used the forward stairs.
Worldways Canada ended up with the other 2 aircraft.
Leased to BMA for 2 days to op LHR-MME
That's me, far left under the nose SEN 1967
LTU Tristar forward drop down airstair at Colombo
Ibiza - rear entry heaven --- Can you imagine the din!
Wardair had both stairs fitted