End of an Era - BWIA to withdraw L1011s in October

[The Guvnor]

BWIA's two remaining L1011-500s are to be withdrawn on the 15th October; and I have heardon the grapevine that the London flights will be operated by code-share partner United Airlines.

This means that there will be no further Tier One operators (ie original purchasers) operating the L1011, with Delta's phase-out of the last of its fleet in July.

[This message has been edited by The Guvnor (edited 02 June 2001).]

[moschops]

I thought BWIA was looking at the 767 for long-haul and using 737s to build ETOPS experience, rather than go for the A340?

[Penn Doff]

There will be a tear in many an eye over that, but then again plenty of guys on "the world favourite" CEG at T3 LHR will not miss the old girl's. It will be a shame not seeing the L1011 coming into LHR, even with a picture of a cheap Halford wheel trim on the tail!!!!

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"please report further"

[Tristar Freak]

So, is this meaning that you are to be buying the airplanes for your "airline" guvnoer? Or will you just be getting the spare parts?

[BillTheCoach]

Our next door neighbours Air Atlanta are still using TF-ABT at MAN - it was been fairly busy recently working on behalf of XLA and operating footie flights from LPL so it's nice to see an L1011 around.

What has happened to the ex-CKT ones and EI-CNN at AUH ? Are they still there and what sort of shape are they in ?

[Locolito]

L1011's seriously suck ass....they v. ugly, old and dead boring. Plus they very unsafe...anybody ever hear about the dodgy wiring on them ? Kapton wiring or somethin.

Loco.

[Midnight Blue]

I have always loved the L 1011 in spite of being too young to have flown one. They were great aircraft and it is sad to see them dissappear. Fortunately, a few days ago (May, 16th) one of them landed in Paderborn / Lippstadt Germany and I was able to take some pictures. The company was Air Luxor, I heard, they are from Portugal. It was a special flight to bring Spanish soccer enthusiasts to an important game in Dortmund.
Do you have any information about Air Luxor, especially how long they want to keep the Tristar in service, Guvnor?

[15/15 flex]

Locolito

Quantify unsafe (esp vs DC-10)

Ugly - I don't think so; an engineering work of art the melding of the No2 with the fin.....


3500 hrs in them, all in my twenties - Queen of the skies, until something better comes along.

[Haas_320]

;-( A little tear seeing this magnificant aircraft go. I have had the pleasure of jumpseating on BWIA to London a few times, I love the L1011 with its usseles but beatifull lounge like entrance its curved hall in the rear with I believe six toilets next to each other Seeing its lucious curves at Port of spain. Its beatifull roomy cockpit with wood trimmings and full size observer seat.
I hate seeing aircraft like this go knowing that I'll probbably only fly efis acft from now on.

Sentimental? Yes, I fly for the love of flying.

[The Guvnor]

Locolito - Kapton was used by all the manufacturers. Lockheed used it less than most - the biggest culprits were Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. Boeing now uses TKT - Kapton sandwiched between Teflon coatings; but Airbus says they can't see anything wrong with it and continue to use 'bare' Kapton within the pressure vessel.

The L1011 was, and is, one of the world's safest aircraft. No design related incidents; those incidents that have happened have been due to pilot error/poor CRM; windshear/microburst; sabotage and a hangar fire.

As for their design - they are probably one of the best designed and built aircraft around; easily more beautiful and stronger than the latest generation rubbish! :) :) As Haas_320 rightly says, they are an engineering work of art.

Midnight Blue - Air Luxor has a couple of -500s and I've heard nothing at all that indicates that they will be retiring them in the near future. Indeed, Yestours (a Portuguese tour operator that operates a leased -500) has just acquired an ex Delta -500 - so the Portuguese fleet has increased by one!

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Happiness is a warm L1011

[Panman]

They haven't been considering the A340 for the longest while guvnor (about 2 years ago). Latest I heard was that AI had demonstrated an A330 to them in March. They were also in discussions with Boeing about 767.



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Panman
Panman
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[Mapleflot]

The 340 and UAL stories don't sound right to me for some reason.
Here's my guess:

http://www.lhshop.nl/display%20model%20shop/media/A332_BWIA.jpg

Have yet to find an equivalent 767.

[Locolito]

Fine they still U-G-L-Y IMHO

A320 is the nicest a/c ever!!!!!!

Kind Regards,
Loco.

[411A]

Locolito---
Yes, but the A320 does seem to crash/nearly crash with regularity. NOT good for the passengers or crew, let alone the unfortunate airlines that own/operate the type. Poor design perhaps?.....ah, forgot, 'tis a French design. What more can be said?

[15/15 flex]

Hey Guvnor

That was me wot said she is a beauty!! No hard feelings.....what a jet.

[Haas_320]

Just a short word for locelito.

My first Type rating was on the Twin otter at that time I thought it to be the most beautifull acft in the world now on my third rating wich happens to be a 320 one I have found the strenght to admit the otter is ugly! Could this be what is going on? 15/15flex I liked the way you discribed the L1011

[This message has been edited by Haas_320 (edited 03 June 2001).]

[L1011]

A fine aircraft and still my favorite after all these years, obviously since it is my username.

An aristocrat in a plebian world, no wonder it was doomed.

[10W]

Mmmm 411A,

Your usual colours pinned to the mast. Now, how about the facts ?

Airbus A319/320/321 series accident rating is 7th safest in terms of incidents versus hours flown. It's rate is not too far from that of the 737 and 727, nor indeed the 757 and 767.

And some of those worse ??

Boeing 747 rated at 14 (more than double the A320 rate).

TriStar at 11.

DC-9 at 9.

DC10 at 15.

MD11 at 18.

But hang on, they're all American types and that just couldn't be possible could it 411A !! Probably some Commie red has hacked into the website and changed all the figures.

http://www.airdisaster.com/statistics/

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10 West
UK ATC'er
[email protected]

[Locolito]

If it crasges so much why do airlines keep on buying it????????????????????

No that is not what is happenint to me otter guy, I am merely a spectator to the wonders of aviation I do not partake in any flying as of yet.

Best Regards,
Loco.

[Potted Palm Bandit]

Sad to see the Tristar slowly fading from the skys. She was a beautiful old girl to fly and the cockpit was actually aircrew friendly, you could get in and out of the seat without scraping your skull on the circuit breakers.

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