[TiredOldHack2]

I put this in the Vietnam Air slot because my first experience of flying was on Air Vietnam (as then was) in a DC3, in about 1963. And I loved it.
Other vintage aircraft included a Comet (Dan Air), Viscount (Dan Air as well, I think), DC6 (Iran Air), Fokker Friendship (some charter I’ve forgotten) and then into the jet age with Boeing 707s and Vickers VC10s.
Favourite? The Viscount, I think. Big windows.
And you?

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BackOfThePlane

[AMcWhirter]

Fascinating thread, TiredOldHack2.

Some of my early flights were:

First flight was with an Aerflot TU104 in 1967.

Oldest aircraft was a KLM DC-2 from the 1930s. I was lucky to be invited on a special flight Duxford-Southend (clear immigration)-Schiphol in the 1980s. The most interesting aircraft on which I have ever flown.

Some more modern aircraft (not including today’s wide-bodies, Airbuses, Boeings etc) are:

Comet 4B (With BEA and BEA Airtours)
Viscount (with British Midland and British Airferries)
Vanguard (numerous flights with BEA)
Convair 990 (fastest subsonic aircraft I believe, with MEA)
BAe 1-11 (numerous flights with BUA/B.Cal/BEA/AB Airlines)
B727 (numerous flights with various carriers including Iran Air and those PA domestic services into Berlin THF)
F27 – numerous flights.
de Havilland Dash-7 (the aircraft that launched LCY. Numerous flights with Brymon, London City Airways and Maersk Air)
de Havilland Dash-8 (Brymon)
DC-9 (numerous flights with several models)
HS Trident (second to the Convair for speed. Numerous flights with BEA)
B707 (numerous flights with BOAC, Cathay, SIA, TWA).
DC-8 (numerous flights with SAS, JAL,Thai)
Standard/Super-VC10 (numerous flights with BOAC and Gulf Air).
Concorde (BA)

My favourite would be BA’s Concorde but BOAC’s Super VC-10 and SAS’ DC-9/80 would not be far behind.

[openfly]

DH Rapide from Portsmouth aerodrome.

[MartynSinclair]

One of my first flights was on a BEA Trident 3, in economy with my Mum, Dad and brother. We were sat in a club format with a large table between us ca. 1968/9.

Flew a VC10, NYC to MAN and I remember an Viscount (missed on the Vanguard) out of East Midlands, cant remember where.

I think the oldest aircraft I flew in was a Tiger Moth out of Netherthorpe (nr Worksop) which still holds the record (I think) for the shortest runway in the UK at a registered airport.

..I am only 57, so most of the above (apart from the Tiger Moth) are pretty modern 🙂

[Folium]

We had a couple of C47s to bring Frelimo troops from Mozambique to Nyanga in Zimbabwe for basic training in the late 1980’s. Supposedly one of these venerable planes had been part of the 1 Airborne Div drop on Arnhem in 1944. Judging by its condition that was not beyond the level of plausibility.

[Swissdiver]

I am obviously somewhat younger :-). Caravelle was among the first aircraft. Among the old ones, Trident is certainly one (BA) as well at Tu-134 (RB)…

[rodders]

Nice to have a fun topic…
earliest memories are of flights on a Comet 2, Britannia and an Argosy (probably the most usual) all by RAF Transport Command
Vanguard (BEA) loved the big windows
Viscount (Gibair and BMA)
Comet 4 (BEA and DanAir)
DC-8 (an American Charter airline)
HS-748 (Liat)
707 Pan-Am
727 TWA, and BA(Comair)
F-27 (Kingdom of Libya Airlines)
Tridents (BA)
BAC 1-11 (BEA, BCal, BIA)
L-1011 (BEA)
DC-10 (AA, BCal)
DC-9 (BMA, Delta)
747 Classic (Pan-Am, BOAC)
Concorde (amazing experience 2hrs 55 mins NYC to LHR)
TU-154 (Malev)
TU-134 (LOT)

sadly never on the VC10,

[cwoodward]

Great topic………….if only I could remember the details !
Some earley flights on now historic aircraft.
First flight was about 1954 Vickers Viscount. Gibraltar with parents. I was 8
1961 ex LHR on Air France Caravelle – school skying trip. I remember the heart shaped windows and the noise but not the destination.
About 1972 Super VC10 LHR to SYD. As I recall that the flight was via Honolulu. It was a very comfortable and the food was good. About 3 stops
Cathay Pacific Convair 880: Several flights ex HKG 1972/3 again very comfortable.
Boeing 707: in 1973/6 several flights to Sydney and Tokyo
BA 747-200: HKG to LHR 1975. Stopped at Abu Dhabi due to fog at Bahrain.
Fokker Friendship F27: many flights around Australia (Ansett Airlines) and New Zealand (NAC and later as Air New Zealand)
I recall one flight ex PMR to WLG very cold and blowing a gale 4 attempts to land 2 grounds 1 touch and go. Got it down on the 4th try and no one aboard seemed at all phased (other than myself)
L1011 Tristar: about 50 flights around Asia from later 70s to mid eighties. My favorite aircraft. Last week I was talking with the ISM on a CX flight ex Singapore and we remembered flying together on a Tristar into KL when after a hardish landing the roof panels fell down. Not an unusual occurrence as was the aircons dripping in very humid conditions….lots of white hand towels stuffed into the air vents. Was often able to sit up front on the jump seat coming into Kai Tak – great fun when a Typhoon was about.

[cwoodward]

Re 707 flights above:
All ex HKG on CX

[Bath_VIP]

Air Atlantique DC3 on a day trip from Newcastle
British Midland Viscount from Heathrow to Teeside. One of the very last flights as it was withdrawn not long after.

[canucklad]

Great topic TOH2, except a trip down memory lane on a rainy Friday morning has reminded me of my increasing fragilities : )

Having said that, having read some of the above adventures I thank my fellow contributors.
You’ve reminded me ,it’s not time to hang up my football boots just yet : )

VC10 = East African
Viscount = BEA
Vanguard = BEA
Bac 1-11= B Cal , Aer Lingus & BEA
Trident = BEA & later BA
F27 = Kenya Airways , Air Anglia & Aer Lingus
F28= Air Anglia, Air UK, KLM(Uk)
707= BOAC
727 = Ansett, TAA & CP
If classic 747’s count = CP , Wardair, KLM, JAL, Qantas, Garuda
If 757’s count = Air 2000, BA, Northwest,
DC 8 = KLM, AC & CP
DC9 = KLM, BMA , Ansett & AC
DC10 = KLM, Northwest , Western & CP /Canadian
L1011 – AC think ?

Sadly I definitely missed out on Russian planes, Convair’s and Caravelle’s, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten some airlines from the above list .

I’m probably like others on here, a tad jealous of Alex and rodders and other fellow BTer’s who were lucky enough to enjoy the Concorde experience !!

However I do have a claim to fame, Many times I ‘ve flown on a very specific aircraft . A DC-8 -43 owned by CP Air that sadly should have been preserved in a museum but disgracefully ended up as a soft drinks can, probably !

With your permission TOH2 , I’d like to pose the question on this excellent thread , why should it have been preserved ?

[TominScotland]

Fabulous memory-lane trip….

Fokker F27 as my first flight with Luxair in about 1962, also flew the F27 many times with Air UK
DC-8 with World Airways from LGW to JFK via Gander in 1971, back from Dulles via Shannon
747-100 – Aer Lingus from Dublin to JFK via Shannon (mandatory stopover at that time)
747SP – Qantas, South African, Iran Air
707 – Iran Air
Tu-154 – Iran Air
A310 – Iran Air, Emirates

[Johnnyg]

Almost feel embarrassed in my early lot compared to early travellers, as I am also an avgeek I am so so jealous of some of the aircraft. On the downside I bet some of the sectors were a bit hairy.

Early BA 1-11
HS748 Manx I think
Falling apart B737 Dan Air
BCal DC-10, saw it a few weeks later in BA mtce hangar at Man, I was on a private visit, it was totally stripped bare for a cert check,

[BackOfThePlane]

Having flown to and within Cuba numerous times, I’ve flown an awful lot of ageing Russian aircraft -not enjoyed any of them really!

VC-10 was the first aircraft I ever flew, aged just 3 months – I pity my poor mum / fellow passengers.

Also flew what I think was a DC-3 within Kenya – flew very low so a very bumpy ride.

[GivingupBA]

Some of the jets I’ve flown on long ago (not including more modern jets) are:
DC-8, DEL-LHR, Japan Airlines
DC-10, DEL-FRA, Lufthansa. Plus Frequently on BCal to HKG
DC-9, several flights in Canada
727, numerous flights, including Ariana Afghan Airlines CDG-Kabul
Ilyushin Il-62, LHR-MOW, MOW-Tehran, MOW-SIN
VC10, Arusha-LHR, BOM-LHR, LHR-Damascus
L-1011 TriStar, HKG-SEL frequently
Various Trident types, to Europe from LHR
BAC One-Eleven, various to Europe from LHR
Boeing 707, many flights e.g. DEL-LHR
Concorde, LHR-JFK

Ah, happy days, good thread

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