Aircraft I would have liked to fly on but didn't

[Hotel Tango]

Reading some of the replies on TS's "favourite aircraft" thread made me think about types I would have liked to fly on and never did. So I thought I would start this as a seperate thread.

As I stated on TS's thread I've been fortunate to fly on a great many types. However, three which eluded me and which I would like to have experienced were the Vickers VC-10, Bristol Britannia and the Bristol B170Freighter.

With the exception of Concorde, which I would think would probably be top of the list for those who never had the opportunity, what were your top three types that you missed out on?

[pulse1]

I would join you in the VC10 and Bristol Freighter and then, to my amazement, I struggled to find a third which I had never flown in. I haven't flown in a Viking but have done so in a Valetta which comes pretty close.

Then I thought about flying boats and would have loved to fly in one of the Empire Flying Boats so put that on top of my list.

My amazement was due to the fact that I was never much of a frequent traveller until everything was Boeing/Airbus and yet I seem to have flown in almost everything else that I would want to, and quite I few I wouldn't want to again.

[Just a spotter]

In no particular order (and sneaking an extra one in)

B727
VC-10
L-1049 "Connie"
Convair 880

On the Concorde thing, I think it'd have to be both TU144 & Concorde (just for comparison), it I had to chose one or the other, then it'd be the Russian.

[Coquelet]

Of course, Constellation.
And perhaps the Curtiss Commando and Convair 580.

[TSR2]

Apart from Concorde, the aircraft I would have liked to have experienced a flight on are:

DC4
DC6B
DC7C
DC8

[Curious Pax]

707 for me, if only to complete the Boeing jet range (I assume I will get on a 787 flight at some point in the future). Not flown on a 717 either, but regard that as a McDonnell Douglas jet not a true Boeing!

Will always be frustrated that I never flew on Concorde as Mrs CP and I had been looking at doing just that when its demise was announced which instantly put an end to more accessible fares (we didn't come up in the ballots for tickets needless to say).

[rsuggitt]

Lancaster !

[Hotel Tango]

Coquelet, you can still make your wish come true with the Constellation.

.: Super Constellation Flyers :. (http://www.superconstellation.org/)

That's how I did it, on a round trip GVA-GVA flying through the Alps on a beautiful CAVOK day. A truly magnificent experience.

[Hotel Tango]

rsuggit, I think that it's understood we are talking airliners here. So, technically I guess it would be the Lancastrian ;)

[OverRun]

Short Empire flying boat - to Lord Howe Island.

It was there - in front of me - 35 quid. Too much I said. :ugh:

[PAXboy]

I don't think that I would have liked to bumble over the Atlantic in a Connie at heights not above all the weather and without weather seeking radar etc. :yuk:

Thus far, no a/c I have really missed. Looking through my virtual logbook (a spreadsheet) I have tallied a/c by individual models where I have been able to recall them, as I have only collated this data for the last 20 years and had to think back and research what I have been on.

For example, I think I have been on the 727-100 as well as the -200 but am not sure, so have just marked it as one entry. On the other hand, I have done the 747 -100-200-300-400-SP (not the Combi) and so they count as five entries. So for all commercial flights (down to a Fairchild Metroliner that I recall and a small Cessna 12 seater that I don't) it's 49 different models/types. Of which 11 were prop (piston and turbo). So I've been very lucky.

[Haven't a clue]

I'm with rsuggitt here - the OP said "Aircraft I would have liked to fly on but didn't" and that doesn't limit it to Civil, does it?

Lancaster for me too.

But my real dream would have been to fly in the TSR2. Maybe I'll have to settle for the Lightning in South Africa?

[Hotel Tango]

Sorry boys but as this is an SLF forum I took it for granted that you would understand that I was talking about commercial aircraft which one would like to have flown on as a passenger. Lancaster and TSR2 don't qualify ;)

[Phileas Fogg]

Fairey Swordfish/Blackburn Blackfish
Rekkof F70/F100

Rode some circuits and bumps in Concorde at Brize Norton circa 1977.

Oh, 3rd aicraft ...

BAC3-11

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/Aircraft/BAC3-11.jpg

[Red Snapper]

Given that I fly on an almost weekly basis it's hard to add any variety to a staple diet of A32X, DH4 or Emb195 in my case but;
Top three (gone forever, in practial terms) VC10, 707, DC8
Top three (still in service) MD11, A340, B777 (yes I know easy to do if I spend some money)
Top three in my logbook Concorde, Comet, DC3 (with an honourable mention to the Shorts 330)

Cheers
RS

[vctenderness]

Aircraft I have flown on as crew or passenger:

Boeing 707, 720, 727, 737, 757, 767, 777, 777-300 and 747 all variants including Combi

Vickers Viscount, Vanguard, VC10 Super and Standard.

BAC 1-11

Hawker Siddley Trident 1 - 2 - 3

Comet

Caravelle

Douglas DC8, Stretch DC8, DC9, DC10, MD11, MD80

Lockheed L-1011 Tristar and L-1011 -500

Concorde

Airbus A320, 319, 340, 330

Briton Norman (I think) Islander and Trislander

The Convair that looked like a 707/DC8

And as it nearly time for my nap lots and lots of little dinkey things with propellers that I have forgotten.

The one I really would have loved to go on Constellation. It was the first aircraft I really remember when meeting my aunt from California at the old Nissan huts that were London Heathrow Airport 1950's.:ok:

[Dave Barnshaw]

My first would have to be the 'Conny'.,secondly would have to be the Convair 990.,and thirdly would have to be the DH Comet.:ugh:

[Jerbourg]

For me it would have to be

Dash 7
HS748
Connie
Caravelle

[Herod]

Handley Page HP42
Short "C" class boat
Constellation

Damn: I was born too late!!:*

[pax britanica]

Nice thread

I am lucky enough to have pretty long list of flown on includign a few relative rarities like HP herald and IL 62 as well as Conway engined 747s and DC8 the latter with their extending deployable silencers ( !) but would have liked the 747 Sp to complete the Boeing family and a decent big piston-has to be a Starliner but a 1049 connie would be fine.

If I had to choose juat one though it would be a CV 990 -made a great distinctive not loud noise (from the outside at least) - had weird rear fanned turbo fans and super 1960s cool giant 'speed fairings' on the wing trailing edges.
PB

[McGoonagall]

It would have to be this one...

Super Constellation Flight with Authur Godfrey part 1 - YouTube

[The SSK]

I can think of three ‘near misses’ in my time

First and foremost the Ambassador. In Summer 69 I worked for ten weeks in Newcastle, and Dan Air had a Saturday service to Carlisle and the Isle of Man. The NCL-CAX fare was just 18 shillings (90p) and each week I said to myself that I would fly to Carlisle the following Saturday and take the train back. Somehow each Saturday came round and I never did it.

Back in 63 or 64 my Dad took me to an airshow at Coventry. There was a DH Dragon doing joyrides and he offered me a go (I had never flown before at that time). I was put off by the long queues and said no (doh).

I have twice flown an inter-island sector in the Azores on SATA, in 1978 and 1990. On both occasions the scheduled aircraft was an Avro 748 and on both occasions it was substituted, by a DC6 the first time and an ATP the second time. Yes – I know a DC6 beats a 748 any time, except that I’d already flown a ‘Six’.

Oh, and I once tried to blag a staff ID ticket on a Norwegian airline for a Twin Pioneer flight but they told me to get lost. That one didn’t even count as a near miss.

I have sort of half-formed plans to fly on the Connie/Starliner, Catalina and An2 before my wings fold.

[PAXboy]

Thnaks for that McGoonagall. The old style of infomercial is very amusing now and looks a bit like Thunderbirds!

I have to agree that the Super Connie looked like the real deal. Elegant.

[TightSlot]

It can only be....

Short S23 C Class Empire Flying Boat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Empire)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c1/Short_Empire_G-AFBL_Cooee_-_Rod_El_Faray_-_Cairo.jpg

[surely not]

For today I think it would probably be the following, but then tomorrow it could be a totally different three :}

Avro York
Breguet Deux Ponts
Shorts Sandringham

or for jets

Dassault Mercure
Il 62
VFW614

Without going into sub types such as BAC 1-11 srs 200, 300, 400 etc but just keeping it is as BAC 1-11, I have clocked up 68 different a/c types flown in as a passenger which provide many happy memories.

[vctenderness]

Didn't fly on it but once went on board a Aeroflot IL62 known as the VC Tenski it was like a scene from Dickens A Christmas Carol! Wood and leaded glass in the galley:ok:

[PAXboy]

TS, I'm presuming you mean that wanted to be on the Shorts S23 C as Pax and not as CC? Carrying trays with the turbulence that must have encountered at low levels?

[TightSlot]

I wanted to be CC - think of the adventure of it!!!

[PAXboy]

Ah, TS, you're obviously of the old school of CC. Either that or certifable. ;)

[TightSlot]

In fact - Both



:E

[22/04]

Viscount
Comet
707

And the best I have flown on

Packed IL-62 of SU ex Karachi on a hot calm evening during the first Gulf war - 75 second take off roll. Seemd to be counting runway lights for ages.

BA didn't come to get me home!

[Rush2112]

Concorde, obviously, but I would also have liked to have flown any of the aircraft in the "good old days", when passengers dressed up to fly, and it was an event, not a commodity.

Mind you, that would make me 70-ish I suppose, so it's swings and roundabouts.

[Mr A Tis]

For me, although I got to visit on the ground the VC10 & DC3 I never made any flights on them :( and the 3rd one would have been Concorde. I was fortunate enough to get one flight in on both the B707 (Donaldson) & DC8 (United):)

[Evanelpus]

God I feel old, there are quite a few on peoples 'want' list that I have flown on.

Now, where is that darkened room, I'm off for a lie down!

[Mimpe]

Connie and an Empire Flying boat would be my choices.

I've walked through a Constellation and they are spacious and inspiring...lovely.

[Businesstraveller]

Flew on one of these babies last year. Would rather not have however, particularly as the in-flight magazine was proudly describing plans to expand its fleet of Airbus, thereby allowing the 'old and outdated' Tupolev fleet to be retired - which it now has.
Nice in flight meal, but was glad when we finished flying over endless desert and landed safe and sound.

[NorthernChappie]

Currently have 41 types without sub classes as in 747 100/ 200 etc. First ever flight was a Britannia (1967) and I managed one of the Air Toulouse Caravelles just before they were withdrawn. Slightly off the wall ones were an NAMC YS11 in Trinidad and an Aero Commander on a scheduled service substituting for a broken Twin Otter from Barbados to Palm Island.

Love to have flown more prop types so I guess DC6, Vanguard, Viscount. Recently added a C152 as I have just started PPL.

[Mechta]

Its got to be the Sikorski 'Le Grand', but I'm not sure I could manage the stroll along the 'promenade deck'

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/sandglasspatrol/blog/Sikorsky_Le_Grand/GRAND.jpg

Do the Graf Zeppelin and R100 count as an airliners? If not, then a Short Calcutta.

[exeng]

as well as Conway engined 747s

Perhaps you mean Conway engined 707's - changed a few of those engines years ago.


Regards
Exeng

[Vanguard_G-APEG]

1. HP42
2. Stretch DC8
3. Connie

[ATNotts]

All of the "big" turboprops:-

IL18
Britannia
Vanguard
Electra

Probably in that order. All of them evaded my best efforts to fly on, closest shave being an Interflug IL18 in June 2000 from SXF to PRG, sadly they changed the type to TU134 and not even I was daft enough to risk my life in one of them!!!

[Phileas Fogg]

:)

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/3/4/9/0533943.jpg

[ExXB]

:)

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/3/4/9/0533943.jpg

"G-BJHS (cn SH974) Built in 1944 this aircraft was developed from the early British Empire flying boats that serviced the British Empire during the last colonial days prior to World War II. Four 1.200hp Pratt & Whitney engines. Cruise speed 150mph."

"G-BJHS (cn SH974) No, not one of Ryanair's operational fleet! This Sandringham was painted for a proposed sponsorship deal involving the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, but this did not reach fruition."

Ain't the Tinternett great?

[PAXboy]

And there was uz, unkindly thinking that FR was bringing a new meaning to how far it can land from the centre of a city and still lay claim to the city name ... :E

[The SSK]

All of the "big" turboprops:-

IL18
Britannia
Vanguard
Electra

Probably in that order.

A reasonable enough wish list - from a distance. Having flown in three of them, the noise cycling through the airframe was awful, even 60 minutes on a BKS Brit to Newcastle was almost unbearable, three hours to Warsaw on an Il-18 was sheer purgatory. Maybe the Electra (Eastern shuttle WAS-NYC) wasn't so bad.

All of them evaded my best efforts to fly on, closest shave being an Interflug IL18 in June 2000 from SXF to PRG, sadly they changed the type to TU134 and not even I was daft enough to risk my life in one of them!!!

In my experience (Malev), Tu-134 was a very pleasant aircraft to fly in. The 154 was scary, though, with an almost imperceptible climb-out rate.

[Sunnyjohn]

"G-BJHS (cn SH974) No, not one of Ryanair's operational fleet! This Sandringham was painted for a proposed sponsorship deal involving the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, but this did not reach fruition."

What a shame. I would love to have heard:
'In the unlikely event of landing on water and only when instructed by the crew - you'll be fine!'

[Desert185]

Boeing 314
SR-71
AD Skyraider

[ATNotts]

SSK

Curiously I enjoyed my trips on TU154s (Balkan and Tarom) once the obligarory fog had cleared from the cabin after start-up! The IL62 was also an interesting experience.

[Rengineer]

Concorde, of course. Or even better, Boeing 2707.
Convair 990 (for the sheer fun of it)
Do-X
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin :ok: