Goodbye Jumbo

[The general]

I flew with Air Canada a couple of times on their Combi 400,

I remember that set up ,I flew on one . I boarded thinking a normal jumbo , but thought this is a different one ? I was at back and was surprised they were loading equestrian horses in back with the grooms !!!!!!!

 

[PeteH]

There are Hundreds of Aircraft, including "Jumbo`s", Just Parked up in Parts of the Arizona Desert. One is just about visible from I-10 Between Tucson and Phoenix. We camped not that far away Near Tucson, and then In the Gila Reservation, on a Casino (Free). My first ever flight was a DC-3, a 15Min flight, birthday present and the proceeds to the RAF benevolent fund. Circa 1954. If I recall all the "seats" (Canvas) faced the rear?. My second a Slingsby T3, at Sutton Bank, as an Air Cadet!.

Most Awsome, was the take-off from Kai Tak, In a VC10. Watching the Housing and the "Hill" apparently only feet from the wing-tip!.

When joining and leaving ships in the late 70`s it was often the "Jumbo" on the really long routes, But once from Holland with "Biggles" in a 4 Seat twin engine, Probably a Cessna?, As front seat passenger I was the Flight Crew handing out coffee!.

 

[Apache]

Electric planes next big thing?

Only if the cable is really long

 

[SpeedyDux]

Lets not forget the 747 in all guises was the pilots favourite aircraft, in passenger or freight use, it had such a good safety record. I remeber when there was a law that stated all cross Atlantic aircraft had to have 4 engines for safety reasons,.
Its hard to get my head around how some of these massive 2 engines planes are allowed to fly cross Atlantic, as that would assume they could/should be able to fly on 1 engine, with all their passenger & freight payloads.

LES

Two engines good, four engines better (as Orwell might have said)

A 747 with 3 working engines seems a much safer bet than a 777 with only 1 working engine over the middle of an ocean. Airlines would say otherwise - well, they would wouldn't they.

First it was bye-bye Concorde, now 747 Jumbos, next A380s will be withdrawn from service. Not what I regard as progress. Heading towards yesterday's world.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Two engines good, four engines better (as Orwell might have said)

A 747 with 3 working engines seems a much safer bet than a 777 with only 1 working engine over the middle of an ocean. Airlines would say otherwise - well, they would wouldn't they.

First it was bye-bye Concorde, now 747 Jumbos, next A380s will be withdrawn from service. Not what I regard as progress. Heading towards yesterday's world.

Let's not forget Speedbird 9, B.A. City of Edinburgh 747 - 200 that temporarily lost power from all 4 engines - what a ride that must have been !

British Airways Flight 009 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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[PeteH]

9-11, was what killed Concorde. And that was from the mouth of the guy who fronted the design team. The Wealthy Americans stopped Business flying, which was the backbone of Concordes Bookings. Grab the first out of JFK in the Morning. Business Lunch/Meetings, afternoon back to JFK and home for a late dinner. All that stopped after the Twin Towers, never really ever started again. My son used to come over regularly, (not on Concorde BTW) That got less after 9-11, and now is virtually non existent. All done by Video conferencing now.

 

[Langtoftlad]

9-11, was what killed Concorde. And that was from the mouth of the guy who fronted the design team. The Wealthy Americans stopped Business flying, which was the backbone of Concordes Bookings. Grab the first out of JFK in the Morning. Business Lunch/Meetings, afternoon back to JFK and home for a late dinner. All that stopped after the Twin Towers, never really ever started again. My son used to come over regularly, (not on Concorde BTW) That got less after 9-11, and now is virtually non existent. All done by Video conferencing now.

...and sadly a lot of regular Concorde passengers worked in the twin towers & perished in the tragedy.

Business traffic was healthy enough when I retired... BA had reconfigured some 747's to a super high Clubworld configuration of 86 seats... and almost an hourly departure frequency in the evening.

 

[Revolvor]

I first flew in 1953 to join my father in Kuwait. We flew on a BOAC Argonuat and it took 24 hours with a stop in Rome for the night

In 1956, I flew from Nairobi to London in an East African Airways DC3. We had to night stop twice - in Wadi Halfa and Nice, with 5 other stops. My Dad was the pilot. In Wadi Halfa, we stayed on a Houseboat, and the Stewardess looked after me. My Dad always said " all the crew were trying to sleep with the Stewardess, and John was the only one who managed it!"
In UK, we landed at Blackbush. He later flew Argonauts and Comet 4s and finished up as Chief Pilot on Super VC10s.

 

[PeteH]

...and sadly a lot of regular Concorde passengers worked in the twin towers & perished in the tragedy.

As did several of my Son`s Company Staff. Hess Oil, had an office in the Towers. Scarily, he was scheduled to a meeting there the week after!. Then on July 7th 2007, the youngest, took his eldest son to a "work experience" couple of weeks at his offices in the home office. The grandson was "dilly dallying" and they missed the tube, the one that was bombed!.

 

[PeteH]

I first flew in 1953 to join my father in Kuwait. We flew on a BOAC Argonuat and it took 24 hours with a stop in Rome for the night. Over the years I remember the Britannia, the Viscount, the Caravelle, Douglas DC10, and the sleek and revolutionary Comet 4. My final flight back from Kuwait in 1960 was in a VC10 - and it took 7 hours - what a change in just 7 years. I well remember the fanfare which heralded the 747 "Jumbo" and was in awe when I first saw it, and even more so when I first flew in on in 1970 and was lucky enough to be upgraded to Business class. Ahhhh, memories...they don't do it like that nowadays!

It only took us a Month to get to Kuwait, After the 6 day war closed the Suez!.

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[Langtoftlad]

It only took us a Month to get to Kuwait, After the 6 day war closed the Suez!.

Abiding image of BA - 747 - Kuwait:

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Another unfortunate image of the original & best British Queen of the skies @ Dawson's Field, Jordan 09/1970

 

[Langtoftlad]

Another unfortunate image of the original & best British Queen of the skies @ Dawson's Field, Jordan 09/1970


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That wasn't a BA 747 though AFAIK -we got our first one in '71

 

[MC 55 FUN]

That wasn't a BA 747 though AFAIK -we got our first one in '71

Sadly that wreck was a B.O.A.C. VC10 - the original Queen of the skies