Any L1011's still flying??
 

If so, where are they? Are any of them freighters?

RAF still flies some as tankers, I think (though their days are fading).

Orbital Sciences (OSC) flies one for one of the coolest ex-airliner missions: dropping their air-launched Pegasus satellite launcher.

The RAF operates nine (9): Four tanker/freighters, two (2) tankers and three (3) with full passenger interiors.

Along with the Orbital Science and Sands aircraft mentioned earlier, there are about a half a dozen still operational in the mid-east, most operating out of Jordan.

Was the TriStar really as well loved by pilots as some websites have lead me to believe? It seems to have quite an excellent reputation for safety and reliability.

Lockheed L-1011

I've heard some reputation that all those ahead-of-their-time-techno-bits (including the never-repeated DLC) made for some maintenance headaches. I wonder if that is why the comparatively simple DC-10's have endured longer.

--Nick

I've always heard good things about the L1011 but I'll tell you, I got the biggest shock of my life once from one! I was on an early TWA from STL to LAX in the mid 90s and my plane had cold engines - so I got to witness a really cold start - I've never SEEN such a cloud of oil smoke - if you've ever lost a complete piston ring and can't see the road behind you for the smoke, well, it was THAT bad from ALL three engines as they came online. Soon enough the excess oil was burned off and it got up to operating temperature, and the engines had that nice whine. I had always wondered why 1011s were do dingy near the #2 engine, and then I knew!

-drl

Luzair still have a -500 flying into LGW or at least did about a month ago.

I think you should refer to posts by 411A who, as far as I am able to ascertain, is still flying them.
From a personal point of view and as a pax the L1011 Tristar is and will always be my alltime favourite airliner.

The dirty (dingy ?) area around the #2 engine was not caused by oil from the #2 engine but by hydraulic fluid from the stabilizer and rudder servo and actuators. Hydrulic fluid leakage and normal dirt accumulation did the trick.

How would pilot's characterise the L1011?? Did it have it's quirks or was it a pilot's dream to fly?

Lets look at the facts about the 'ole Lockheed tri-motor....

First widebody with dual/dual fail operational autoland capability, certified to CATIIIB, straight from the factory.

First widebody with a fully certified dual FMS installation which provided complete LNAV/VNAV/engine thrust management in one neat package (SVA aircraft also had electronic moving map fitment, as well).

Only civil jet transport with an all-flying tailplane...with which you never ever run out of pitch authority (quite unlike some others, MD-11, for example)

Only civil jet transport with direct lift control, for approach/landing.

And finally, the only first generation wide body civil jet transport aeroplane to have never ever crashed due to an aircraft system/engine malfunction.

Designed in Burbank, and manufactured at Palmdale California by the Lockheed California Company...and simply designed and built to a higher standard.

PS: flys very nicely, too...thank you very much.:)
A true pilots aeroplane.

411A
 

Wouldn't expect anything different from you;)

I live in Witney, nr Brize and still love to see the 'old 1011 birds' come over my house (along with the VC10 crackling away, on a sunday morning about 0700hrs. Beats waking to the sound of feathered birds:))

B Rgds

CL747

Just spent a very pleasant evening in Fort Lauderdale FL with a friend who had many thousands of hours on Easterns L.1011's. He loved it, but said you really had to have your ducks all lined up when taking off in a 500. It apparently went like hell, and, in those days full power was always used for take-off's. He said he sometimes saw 3,000 feet climb a minute passing 30,000ft!! Lovely aircraft in his opinion. 411a. Great to always read your posts.

Oh, 411A, old chap.

Ilyushin 86 ties equal for this. In fact no Soviet/Russian widebody of any generation has ever had such an incident.

There are a couple of RAF Tristars at GAMCO in Abu Dhabi apparently being fitted with EFIS. I flew them for 7 years, and up to now is my favorite aircraft to fly ( presently flying the bus ). Had my first widebody command on one, FRA-AMS-YVR way back when !:)

Re. EFIS upgrade, tracked this down:

Innovative Solutions & Support | Platforms and Systems

Wow, there's life in them yet! Great to hear.

--Nick

Sec 3,
You have to come out of the Twilight Zone:p
GAMCO is now ADAT in Abu Dhabi:ok:

WHBM.

You missed out the word "allegedly"

Any L1011's still flying??
 

Quote "If so, where are they? Are any of them freighters?"

RAK have 2 freighters and there are another couple flying for other operators.

411A,
I know it is a great airplane. I would love to fly one. But, I
would like to ask you why it didn't sell better being such
a great airplane.