Qantas B707 In At Lhr

[BRISTOLRE]

John Travolta's privately owned B707 has arrived a LHR.
For those interested its parked behind the eastside BA hangars.
No whince of an ETD from LHR yet.

:D

[Low-Pass]

Ahhh. That's who's it was. Was having a beer (or two) on the river in Hammersmith on Saturday and saw a 707 heading for LHR. Great to see her (but des JT own it?).

[BRISTOLRE]

Yes, he does own it apparently. It does look smart, but short fuselage version this one! I want to know when its likely to depart again.
Saturday was a nice day for beers by the Thames!
regards to them JT8s

[newswatcher]

Whilst it may not be registered in his name, it is registered to "Jett Clipper Johnny." His son is named Jett. Apparently his wife declined to call their daughter Qantas!

It is a B707-138B, once powered by JT3Ds, not sure of current config. Has a current reg of N707JT, but previously reg as VH-EBM,N108BN,N707XX.

This is believed to be an interior shot:

http://ca.yimg.com/i/ca/reuters/20020625/i/2215526438.jpg

[ive348]

So, it finally got to London then. I saw it go from EGPH to LFPB last week, thinking it had left London already. Initial rumours had it arriving on 01/08. I'm surprised Qantas keeps such a low profile about a tour that should promote the airline

[BRISTOLRE]

Aircraft due to depart LHR tommorow (20th) for Frankfurt.
I am not sure on the ETD as yet!
:p

[Low-Pass]

I take my hat off to you sir. Very nice interior :)

Where do you get tickets to the all you can eat buffet? I've go a fiver left over from the the weekend's drinking expedition :D

[BRISTOLRE]

Tickets only available to VIPs,VPs and Station Managers of QF today unfortunately, numbers are restricted so as too protect JT from being overwhelmed.

[Electric Sky]

Here it is for those that were not boozing by the Thames on sunny Saturday :D

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/264227/L/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/256974/L/

ES ;)

[interestedparty]

Surely that's a very old aircraft - noisy and dirty?
How does it get landing permission at LHR?

[747FOCAL]

Its called "non revenue" flight.

[Wycombe]

Looks like the only dirty thing is the smoke trail it leaves behind it.

Not a streak of oil or grease to be seen on the a/c itself....superb

Believe the FD has had a bit of a (EFIS) makeover aswell.

[treadigraph]

Bristolre, if you find out what time JT's due to depart, can you post please? I'd love to see a genuine 707 airborne again, and if it does a Dover departure, should fly past my Ivory Croydon Tower! Might even try to nip outside and hear those other JT's...

Incidently, are there still any other exec 707's flying or have they all been grounded/stripped for spares by the KC-135 programme?

Thanks,

Treadders

[ORAC]

BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/2203310.stm)

Monday, 19 August, 2002, 14:30 GMT 15:30 UK
Travolta jets in to Heathrow

Actor John Travolta has landed his luxury Boeing 707 at London's Heathrow Airport as part of a global flying tour promoting air travel in the wake of the 11 September attacks.
The star of Pulp Fiction and Saturday Night Fever was greeted at the airport by hundreds of photographers waiting to snap the star in his pilot's uniform.

He has also brought along his actress wife Kelly Preston and two children - Jett, 10, and Ella, two, - for his short stay in Britain.

He had been due to land in London last month but concerns about his 1967 plane led to the visit being rescheduled.

Although his Spirit of Friendship mission is a light-hearted way to promote air travel on behalf of Qantas, Travolta said he takes his flying very seriously.

"When I'm in the cockpit I have to be very serious and 32 years of experience has been my commitment and passion," he said.

He said that during the tour he considers himself an employee of Qantas, although he was slightly more cagey about how much he was being paid.

"I can't reveal that but let's put it this way - it's all in the spirit of friendship," he joked.

Qantas employees in Australia were staging a one-day strike on Monday over pay freezes.

Having had a keen interest in flying since the age of 16, Travolta undertook a training course with the company.

The actor said it was "one of the proudest days of my life" when he was presented with the golden wings that made him a jet pilot, and it meant as much to him as his two Oscar nominations.

His Boeing 707 has been decorated with the original 1960s livery of Qantas, at the request of Travolta, and the inside has been fitted with a double bed, shower, kitchen and leather sofas.

He has chartered his own crew and stewards to accompany him on his three-month jaunt.

Travolta earned his jet pilot's licence in 1981 and has flown for a total of 5,000 hours.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38205000/jpg/_38205585_travolta300.jpg http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38205000/jpg/_38205587_travolta150.jpg

[BRISTOLRE]

I am desperately trying to find out ETD for this a/c.
Saw it last night over at the BA hangars, not lcear as to ETD today. It will nightstop in FRA tonight however.

Viz at LHR is quite bad this morning, lots of low cloud so unlikely you will see it over Croydon even if on Dover SID.
If I get any more info I will advise all.

There is N88ZL a green.gold VIP machine which comes into LHR now and again, not been here for a while though.
This has JT8 Hush kits but is quite nice to have departing from LHR... Other than that not many others coming here.

If you want to see some (relics) try to get over to Southend.
Ostend airport has one or two dormant specimins lingering also.

[treadigraph]

Thanks Bristolre!

Yep, I've just arrived in the Ivory Tower (well, grime-grey) and am almost in the clag myself! Ah well...

[No comment]

right guys, ETD looks like 1650UTC so ten to six local!

[treadigraph]

It's no good, 17:38 and still clag almost down to the roof-tops - I'll go out and have a listen instead. Assuming he is ona Dover departure...

[Notso Fantastic]

Why don't I look cool like that in MY uniform? Somehow I seem to come across as Benny Hill with his hat right down over his eyes saluting and blinking.........

[411A]

...gotta be your attitude.:rolleyes:

[No comment]

treadi, i'm just up the road from you (wallington), did you hear something around 6? Could ave sworn it was something of that era. knowing my luck though, its probably still at LHR and now I look like a fool hehe!

[treadigraph]

Nah, No Comment didn't hear a thing sadly!

[BRISTOLRE]

N707JT DEPARTED LHR 1820 local, very quiet, not as noisy as thought but smoky trail as a/c departed on track Southampton.
Didnt use DOVER due to weather in south east.
Nice to see it, sorry you were not around to see it.
It wouldnt have come over Croydon/Wallington on that tracking.

[No comment]

told you I'd look like a fool!!

[Iron City]

A quick tiptoe through the FAA registry shows a total of 83 B707s with U.S. "N" tail numbers assigned. Many of the records show sold (a bunch in Kansas to Boeing Military Aircraft), a number of others for export but no destinations etc listed. A few seem to be corporate owned for tour operations and one seems to be for developing hush kits etc. Some of the records are years old looking, not sure they reflect reality.

Not much left of a large fleet.

[gaterbait]

There's 19 in the usaf's E8C fleet.

[newswatcher]

Iron City,

The register at

http://www.bird.ch/bharms/boeing/b707_t_0.htm

shows a number still apparently flying worldwide, and has a July 2002 update marker.