The last time you flew a (insert obsolete aircraft)
 

The Old Timer's thread got me thinking of the last time I flew various obsolete a/c. Today marks 42 years to the day I boarded my first 747SP flight (2nd and last 6 days later):

747-100 possibly once ever, 1970 BA LHR-YUL but possibly December 1989 PA SFO-SEA (a/c went on to LGW),
74L Dec 1977 PA HKG-SIN-HKG returning NYE
Not regarding 742, 743, 744 or 748s for now

737-100 Very possibly just once, Late '60s Malaysi-Singapore Airlines xKUL-xSIN and/or v-v
727 - not sure I've ever flow a -100 (shorter) April 2000 US Shuttle BOS-LGA
707 Dec. 1976 British Airtours (BA charter) LHR-xHKG and possibly back

A300 Sept 1996 TG DPS-xBKK
A310 Aug 1995 LAPSA EZE-ASU

DC8 Aug 1980 AC YVR-Yyz
DC9 (not sure which model the old steam gauge one) Oct 2006 NW DTW-MSP
DC 10 Jan 2004 NW HNL-SEA
MD-11 Sept 2010 KLM AMS-YVR

L-1011 (any model) June 1986 BA CDG-LHR

VC-10 (just once) BOAC ~20 November PER-SYD
BAC 1-11 (not sure which model) May 1991 Dan Air LGW-TLS-LGW
HS Trident (Chinese model) Dec. 1984 the old CAAC xHKG-HGH

How fun!

Sadly, never on these:
Concorde, Dassault Mercure, Vickers VC-10

Also, not yet for these:
737-600 (only hope is Westjet), A318 (only hope is Air France but not for too long, I don't anticipate flying LCY-SNN-JFK on BA), 747-8i, A380, A350.

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747SP - only twice, 1986 and 1992 (UA LHR-LAX)
A340-500 - only once, 2005 (SQ LAX-SIN)
A300B4 or any A300 - 1985 (EA IAH-PHL)

727 many times, last time on UA in 2001
737-200 many times, last time on UA in 2001
L-1011 a few times, last time on DL DFW-EWR in 1996
DC-9 several times, last one was a NW flight but I don't remember when

sadly never the 707 or 747SP

Vickers Viscount, AC YYJ-SEA, circa 1968; going to see grandma.
I still remember the large oval windows.

UA DC-3 LAX-VIS. First flight ever at age 18.

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Some of the ones I recall with specific years include Vickers Viscount in 1970, Boeing 707 in 1979, Convair 580 in 1985, Hawker Siddley 748 in 1987, DeHavilland Twin Otter in 1989. Others in the 80s and 90's would include the DeHavilland Dash 7, Fokker F28, Fokker 100, Bae 146-200, Saunders ST28, Beechcraft King Air 100, Pilatus PC-12 and a couple of others I can't recall.

Then there would be the more common aircraft and most of the variants: 727, DC9, DC10, MD11, L1011, 757, 737, 747 and just about every Airbus product. I would suspect there are damn few that I missed if it was in main-line commercial service in North America in the last 50 years. The exceptions that I know of are the DC3 and DC6 both of which were used in the Arctic.

During the early 80s, I flew between HYA and BOS every other weekend to visit my dad. Airplanes that plied the route were DC3s, Martin 404s, YS11s, Twin Otters, one of the larger fockers, and Cessna 402s. I'm guessing that all of these are still operating in a commercial capacity somewhere.

Vickers Viscount, 1965 UA PIT-YNG
CL-44J, 1970, LL JFK-KEF-LUX (returned on DC-8, new to LL that year)
F-27, 1970, LG LUX-FRA
B-727, 1970, PA FRA-THF
Beech 99, 1978, AL ORD-BMG
DC-8, 1981, UA ORD-PDX
CV-600, 1984, FW CLE-SYR
YS-11, 1985 (?), MQ PLN-ORD
F-28, 1984, EM SYR-CLE
L-1011, 1987 or 1988, DL LGW-CVG

UA 747-100 or 747-200 from LAX to HNL back in 1997. Really wanted to visit the upstairs as a kid. Finally got the chance to do that on a 744 in 2017

Miami Air 727-200 in my childhood. Forget the exact year. We sat up front and I still remember it being loud.

ATA L-1011-500 in 2000 from NGU-BWI-KEF and back. Sat next to the galley and was fascinated by the elevators.

Air Transport International DC8 Combi in 2011 from BWI to TER. Had passenger seats only in the very back along with a high definition overhead IFE system. The presence of the fancy IFE system was overshadowed by the fact that they only showed the movie Unstoppable in both directions.

Did you take any pics? Many of us would love to see them.

As I was born in 1957, I often flew in Comets, Vanguards and Viscounts on BEA and BOAC. In 1970 I flew on one of the first 747s and as a child was allowed in the cockpit and in the bar in the 'bump'. I often saw Concorde at LHR but was never a passenger.

But my favourite plane ever was the one I flew to Botswana in regularly in the 1970s, the DC3. A quick return to JHB was the result of an engine catching fire.

I'll have to look on my desktop when I get home. I had to have taken at least a couple. We boarded using a Plane Mate. I was geeking out really hard.

UD on a 747-100/200/SP is much different from a -300/400/8. My rides up there have been on NW and QF.

In my neck of the woods, Twin and single Otters and Beavers are not only out there but in every day commercial service (I can see them if I use my binoculars). Maybe I should fly one before they too suddenly disappear. I do remember a time (mid '80s) when Air BC and Time Air BAe146s and Shorts (330/360?) were seen several times an hour.

I don't think I've ever seen an operating passenger Comet at the airport. Don't remember Viscounts, Britannias, Convairs of any sort, or such either. I remember Qantas listing Constellations in the mid-late '60s in-flight magazine but I never saw any.

I was going to list A340s but I see LH is still operating the -300 and -600s.

Missed out on Concorde and most likely the A340-200 and -500.

Are plain 'ol (non-ER) 777-200 and -300s obsolete?.

My first 747-100 ride was on BOAC, BOS-LHR, July 1972. As a UM I got to come forward and sit in an empty F seat for approach and landing.

My last 707 ride was on TWA, BOS-SFO nonstop, August 1979.

My last L-1011 ride was on Delta, SLC-SEA, circa 1997.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by YVR Cockroach

I don't think I've ever seen an operating passenger Comet at the airport.

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I never got to fly one, but saw them all over LGW in the mid-1970s, operating for Dan-Air London.

I believe I've been on a 747-200B or 747SP JFK-NRT on Pan Am in 1985. Was very young and don't remember the exact model.
The 747SR I remember taking between HND-CTS a handful of times in 1985 and 1993