I logged many hours in the right seat of Eastern L-1011's. Best seat in the house watching the world go by looking out of those gigantic cockpit windows. One of my favorite aircraft and a dream to fly. Those Golden years of commercial aviation are gone but I still have the memories.
I am almost in tears. My Dad worked on this program as a test flight instrumentation engine both on Ship 001 and Ship 003. He went to the Paris Air Show. At @9:40 he can be seen walking down the stairs with his light garment bag (and bald head). I have watched many of these various TH-cam clips with hopes of catching glimpses. So many thanks! He was very proud of the L-1011.
My first commercial flight at the age of 19 was on an Eastern Airlines L-1011. I didn't realize how spoiled I would be. My next several trips were on L-1011s. Not until I flew on a 767 did I realize how nice the L-1011 had been. It was all I had known. The 767, by comparison, felt claustrophobic and evoked images of being inside a tube of toothpaste. Remember just how sexy those tristars were sitting at the gates, looming large over other aircraft? And the wording painted on the upper third engine, "Whisperliner"... just too cool.
I was hired as a f/a for TWA in 1996 & I immediately fell in love with working this cruise ship in the sky. The L1011’s at TWA had a lower galley you took an elevator down to to prepare the meals. No prep really as the entrees trays were preassembled and there was a hot plate under the hit entree. Yes…it was a hot mess & some entrees were scalding hot & others were ice cold. As new hires in NYC we were always broke & a favorite pass time of my friend & mine was we would fly FC on an evening L1011 from JFK to MCO & watch the (projection!) movie & eat and drink our faces off then the ac would turn around and bring us back to NYC around 2300. TWA in ‘96 had amazing, restaurant quality food. I still remember my favorite entree flying down was a piece of salmon, w/scallops & shrimp in a butter champagne cream sauce with capers over angel hair. The f/a’s working always took extra care of us poor new-hires. They were thrilled that after a decade TWA had hired new f/a’s….& it showed. I went to another airline after a year but nothing compared to my year at TWA…& that’s not nostalgia talking.
I worked at the Lockheed Palmdale plant from 1971-1974. I worked on interior trim putting in lights, carpets, seats, etc. Was a good, well paying job. Driving out to Palmdale from Sylmar, CA was a bit much, especially when it snowed in Palmdale. Hi to all my fellow L-1011 workmates! The L-1011 was unsurpassed in my opinion.
Hey Larry - You got it right. The Tri-Star was a sweetheart of a plane. It had an air of Royalty about it. Rolls Royce engines, flying stabilizer, curved s-duct for the rear engine, first polarized window shades and don't forget the advanced fly-by-wire automatic flight control system (AFCS). The DC-10 which was our main competitor was a POS.
StellarBlue1 You folks did a fabulous job, hats off for helping to produce at least 40;000 of the 200;000 Delta Skymiles I racked up. They were the best 40;000 miles
I truly enjoyed my contribution to the L1011 RB211 engines at Eastern, as a Project Engineer in Propulsion Engineering, for almost 11 years. It will always be my favorite commercial airplane.
But it wasn't commercially viable, not your fault. We have six or seven industries supported by Deep State that don't meet the test of the market -- aircraft, autos, banking, housing, railroads, postal, and health care. This circumstance is bound to get worse under the Dems.
@@robertfeinberg748 LOL. What a nut. I'm a conservative, and even I wouldn't post such a ridiculous statement. I'm guessing this was post 8892342 of yours saying the same thing. Better double up on the tinfoil on your hat.
@@robertfeinberg748 So republicans had nothing to do with the state of any of these industries? Of course they did. And what is a demigarch? Another made up word by that nutcase MTG? None of this has anything to do with the L1011, so go troll somewhere else (like with the other 10 subscribers on Truth social). I swear that Trump brought out all the lunatics from the far right fringes of the republican party, just like AOC and her nutjobs brought out the left wing nuts. Both fringes need to crawl back under their rocks.
What a glorious grand lady! I had the honor of flying for Eastern for five years, but I was always too Junior to get on this bird. Nothing flying, then or now had the style, grace and beauty of the L-1011 TriStar. It's so great to see her again in the Eastern colors, where she belongs. It certainly was a different world back then. So sad to see what has happened to air travel today.
@@alhanes5803 is it the frisks, crowded seating or the wait times.. i know its all but what is worse or have i left som out.. been decades since i flew.. i guess the food ism the least of your worries
@@bradleysmall2230 Hi Brad. Biggest thing for me were the aircraft. I've only flown domestic, but late 70's, 80's and early 90's, I flew to FL alot from Chicago, (lived in NW Indiana) and majority of the time, flew L1011's, and DC-10 's. It was paradise compared to being crammed in a narrow body. It was cool going to the gate, to pickup friends, or being dropped by friends. I'm 60 now, and the whole dressing up thing to fly was cool too. I flew the last time in 04, and I didn't have a problem with TSA. How old are you, if I may ask?
@@alhanes5803 late 60s- you have the same name as the pilot that survived but has passed now- the sioux city incident and a dc 10.. dad worked at lockheed on the l1011 and was on trip around world trying to sell them.. my under standing is a guy after that crash was ok and got off plane but re-entered to get his carry on stuff and was found at the airport bar.. wonder what he ordered..dan gryder has a solution to db cooper hijacking on you tube...
The take off at the end and the funky music totally matched the anti collision red lights like a boss! No other plane like the L-1011! Love the dramatic pause too!
Flew on one of these from St. Louis to Orlando in 1981, and got a free upgrade to 1st Class. What a plane! Never will forget it. Just beautiful in every way.
I loved working on this aircraft when I was flying for Eastern from 1976-1989 based in SJU and MIA, The galley R2 position was the most fun. Was so much better than the DC-10.
As a passenger I too loved flying on the Tri Star, my last one in 1991 returning from Desert storm on an American Trans air L-1011. It was a comfortable air plane to travel long distances I thought. Even better than the 747's I flew on occasionally. Having said that, the usual method of world wide travel back in those days was in the back of a C-141 Any commercial jet was a major improvement!
These certainly are the most beautiful machines of the 20th century! I have so many fond memories of flying on the Lockheed Tristar through out the 1980s! It makes me sad to see them out of service now! I sure miss them! They certainly were a piece of fine artwork!
Good summary of Tri Star flight test program. I got my Initial F/E flight training on some of those flights, and flew on production flight tests, and some customer crew training flights.
The L-1011 was closer to the 747 in sophistication and, cosmetically, much sleeker than the DC-10...such a shame the delays with the Rolls Royce engines caused it to be third out of the starting gate. Looking at the footage of the Paris air show it's hard to communicate to younger generations that at that time, VERY few people in the world would have flown on a wide body, so the first glimpse of its interior would have been eye-popping. After a number of years on 737s and that legendary medium range workhorse, the 727, my first glimpse of a wide body WAS an L-1011 in 1975. It was the be the first and only time I flew on one, but its beauty is seared in my memory.
The L-1011 was a wonderful airplane that was loved by flight crews, and passengers alike. The airplane was a big hit in the '70s, but it was still legging behind the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. For a tri-jet, the L-1011-1 was appreciated by airlines as a medium to long-range airplane. The L-1011-500 had that long-haul that was also suitable for the Boeing 747. What Eastern did was put their tris-stars on more of intercontinental hops. They were very popular for the Miami routes since this would allow Eastern to utilize them for Caribbean routes. It was a very versatile airplane as far as pilot comments were concerned. They loved it too much.
For 15 years, I worked for Lear Astronics (originally founded by Bill Lear of Lear Jet fame) in Santa Monica, CA. We engineered and manufactured the flight control computers for the L-1011
This is a fascinating look into the aircraft. I love all of the testing and touring that was done to inspire confidence and generate excitement about its arrival. Thank you
I remember flying on my favorite plane L-1011 into Atlanta and the pilot came on and said I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news the good news is we’re going to land the bad news is the airport is closed due to heavy fog. That plane landed so perfectly and we never saw the runway until we felt it hit the wheels. My 30 minute layover in Atlanta turned into almost 9 hours on a Sunday in a dry county with no alcohol! Oh the humanity of it all😂
Some of the best and interesting comments for any TH-cam video. Thank you gentleman for sharing all of your expertise with your comments. I enjoyed reading them.
flew in these gorgeous planes in the late 70-80's, SFO to Logan regular, sometimes only 3 pax on board, that was TWA then, sad they and the birds all gone.
It's not just you - it was by far the most advanced of the first-generation widebodies. I flew it and loved it, and I never met anyone else who flew it who didn't love it!
Devonne West A Beautiful comment. Worked for Eastern and flew many, many miles on the L 1011. but will never fly one again unless there is one to take us else can I say
I wish they were still around but considering that they haven't been built for nearly 40 years, parts would probably be an issue by now to keep the L-1011 flying.
Tri-Star L-1011, Super Connie, C5 Galaxy, SR71 Blackbird. 4 of my favorite airplanes of all time and I'm also a fan of many Boeing airplanes. Lockheed built serious, serious legends, both technologically and aesthetically.. It's a shame they don't build commercial airframes anymore.
It is indeed the finest Airliner in History! It's one of the BEST of the Jet Age. I agree with you that Lockheed never should have gotten out of the commercial aircraft business. Lockheed has built some of the most important aircraft in History. Especially the ones built, under the uncontestable Kelly Johnson!!! I had the honor of meeting him, when I was only 12 years old!! At the time, he was working with my Dad on the D-21 Supersonic Drone, at Groom Lake..... That's ALL I've ever been allowed to know! My Dad FLEW the incomparable SR-71 Blackbird!!! Never once, did I ever know WHERE he and Capt. Lee Ransom went..... But the thought of it was a thrill that very few will ever understand.
I was lucky enough to fly on the L1011 tristar, back & forth to Honolulu a number of times I believe, from 1986 till 2008 I flew back & forth, many many times, some flights were other aircraft like the 757 etc but the L1011 will always be my fave Jetliner in the old school figuration, and those RR engines whined baby!!!
My father HATED to fly except when an L1011 was booked. I still haven't met anyone who flew on that awesome plane and had anything negative to say about it. It was an 'over-engineered' masterpiece. Had quadruple redundancy in many critical areas throughout the plane. If Lockheed made the 737Max- it would have worked and those unfortunate people on those 2 flights would be alive today. I'd pay more for a flight today to fly on an L1011 or anything made by Lockheed. Boeing has lost its way after the merger with MD.
Flew on my first L1011 from Charlotte to LAX to Honolulu in '89 for my wife and I honeymoon. I'd flown several times before, but she hadn't ever flown. But at the end, she was a pro.
I consider myself lucky to have been able to fly Eastern on these beauties during the 70s. Classic! Not like the awful experience of being stuffed in some of the planes of today. No longer a great experience IMO.
Such an elegant and beautiful bird! I wish they'd do like they have with cars and come out with a retro/modern L-1011 like they have with the Dodge Challenger/Charger. All updated glass cockpit, new wings, composite fuselage, and efficient engines. It's been said there just isn't any need for three engines anymore wit the reliability of the new twins, however I imagine you could make it bigger whereby three engines would match with the power it needs. Of course it'd have to be bigger than the twin engine 777.
Parkwaymania I flew that jet about 10 times on the lax to Honolulu route in the late 90s to early 2000s. No other jet like it. Love those dual anti collision lights. None other like it!
+ Parkwaymania --- WTF ?? The L-1011 was the epitome of a flying sardine can. My flight on this ugly piece of crap was miserable all the way.... The older narrow body jets with wider seats and more legroom were far superior to the disgusting wide bodies like this one ..
How strange to see Floyd Hall, CEO of EAL at the time, with Frank Borman, who would later oust him. My Dad was an EVP for EAL at the time, and he was tossed out in the same coup that took out Sam Higginbotham. Turned my life inside out, but that was still more than two years out then, and Flight 401 with delays always gave the L1011 a bad rap against the DC-10 that would work out fatally for the 10 in the end. The 1011 was a superior plain with cutting edge materials and engines, but that's the aviation biz (even before deregulation - when EAL came close to dying long before the nineties). Really loved this plane!
Even from today's perspecitve - absolutely impressing. Unfortunately. nowadays people have to give their work life only for profit, not for serving others on their profession my compliments to everyone who made this aircraft possible, and who was in duty on this aircraft
I used to fly these from SF to ATL on eastern and the DC-10 to Houston as my last big hub to get to the panhandle of Florida. I always liked the way the L1011 looked and flew. The stewardesses always acted like they were on the A team... not cocky but seemed like they knew they were in some hot shit.
As a passenger and as an aviation enthusiast, I loved the L1011. It had bad luck and it cost Lockheed dearly in the end. The L-1011 was technically far superior to the DC10. The RB211 has a lovely growl too.
I remember taking a flight from Tennessee to JFK when I was in the Marine corps in a L-1011 it was a night flight and the plane had maybe 10 people on it .To this day I don’t know why but it was a comfortable flight for me.
I had a similar experience when flying from Boston to Atlanta in 1985...the L1011 had maybe 20 passengers. I was able to occupy 3 or 4 seats horizontally!
If only Lockheed were able to clinch either the KSSU or ATLAS order, the Tristar woulda had a share of the long range market. That woulda made the program much more survivable.
Miss the 1011. Only got to fly on it twice with TWA. Flew the DC10 a lot though with AA. I think the 1011 was overall a better plane than the DC10 although I liked both.
Oh I want to add, the only jumbo I have ever been on where you can actually hear the “moan” engine sound BEHIND the wing is the 1011. I love that moan engine sound but on 747’s, DC10, 767, and 777 behind the wing there seems to be no moan sound.
it's really incredible how far ahead of its time the L-1011 is, sadly by the time I was born (1999), these were all retired, such a beautiful and cool plane, and a real shame it didn't succeed, I think if it succeeded, Lockheed could easily compete with Boeing for industry leader in commercial aviation
@@nkt1 In the US they were all retired by 2001, Delta was the last operator here. I was not even 2 years old when they were retired, so I have no memory of them actually flying sadly.
As I recall, it was Eastern, colorabated with Lockheed, to get this wide body, in/out of LaGuarda airport, to MIA, and so it did, but the development of the RR RB-211 engine bankrupted RR, but this very engine went on to power several planes, even Boeing. T he aircraft, I have zero love is Airbus, but funny enough, Martin Bormann, was the first to bring the A 300 to the US,, but they had 'linear' ductwork for the a/c, the 2 port, and 2 starboard seats were hot, the ducts blew into the middle seats, folks used blankets.
Incredibly advanced and beautiful plane. Lockheed waited too long after the Electra for a big passenger jet. Much too late after Boeing and Douglas to the wide body games.
Unfortunately Australian airlines used *Whispering T-Jets* (Boeing 727's), in their Government regulated two-airline policy which mandated that each airline (ANA and TAA) must purchase the _same make and model of aircraft, and to be purchased at the same time_ . How's that for free enterprise? Thus we never got to have airline hostesses adopt _The Wonder Woman Pose_ in advertisements, nor experience the finesse of Lockheed's Tri Star 😯
Beautiful plane. Beats the DC10 technically and aesthetically. But Lockheed must hv known as early as the early 70's that the battle was lost when the DC-10-30 conquered the continental european market!
The L1011 was Lockheed's return to the airliner market after the problem-plagued turboprop Electra, and what a contrast. This time, the technical problems lay with Rolls-Royce, not a pioneering Lockheed design..
@@bobgreene2892 , that's probably what happens when you have something brand new, whether it's aircraft or engines. Rolls-Royce finally got the bugs worked out in due time, and later used what it learned when it introduced the current Trent series of jet engines.
@@johneddy908 It also did not help that the Trijet wide body market had enough demand for one successful aircraft, and as a result it was a buyers market both McD and Lockheed faced. Ahead of its time, and as history bore out, the DC-10's rush to market with some major design defects had enormous costs in life and fortune for beating the L-1011 to market.
I flew on the L-1011 many times in Eastern and Delta liveries. It one beautiful aircraft. I am sorry to see them all retired. I had heard that there was one copy still flying as a hospital but, that's been a long while ago.
*The song used at the end of this film is the now-famous "Funky Fanfare" by Keith Mansfield - ALSO USED BY QUENTIN TARRANTINO - You're welcome!!!* Here's a link: th-cam.com/video/tUFwQjOpqJM/w-d-xo.html
As a 10 year Eastern mechanic it was such fun to work the L1011 in Miami. It later got me hired by Saudi Arabian Airlines. Damn shame to see the airline fall apart due to poor management and union/company discord. Then there was the asshole Lorenzo (reminds me of trump). In the words of a cool pilot, "If you die and go to heaven you must go through Atlanta". I just hope it's on a Tri Star. Ha ha
Jess W, he's not blaming it on Trump, he's blaming it on Frank Lorenzo, the corporate raider who mismanaged the company and forced it to lose money and eventually go bankrupt. It's been a year since you posted your comment.....looks like the comparison to Trump is even more relevant today.
It compete with a plane made by Douglas Company, which Airlines prefer to buy because it is slightly wider. Also, this is Lockheed's first airliners and they've spent a lot of money developing it but they failed to reap high enough profit because of competition, so they didn't build a next version of it, and it is not sold anymore. There's few still flying.
@@Nbolanos0624 - It’s been too many years since I operated the RB.211, so I cannot remember the specifics of its operation - but that sounds plausible, though again I’d expect compressor unloading devices to be operating at higher power settings (but it certainly could be possible on a short engine acceleration such as could occur on final approach).
I logged many hours in the right seat of Eastern L-1011's. Best seat in the house watching the world go by looking out of those gigantic cockpit windows. One of my favorite aircraft and a dream to fly. Those Golden years of commercial aviation are gone but I still have the memories.
I am almost in tears. My Dad worked on this program as a test flight instrumentation engine both on Ship 001 and Ship 003. He went to the Paris Air Show. At @9:40 he can be seen walking down the stairs with his light garment bag (and bald head). I have watched many of these various TH-cam clips with hopes of catching glimpses. So many thanks! He was very proud of the L-1011.
Greetings from Italy. I flew 3 times on a TWA Tristar on 1992, during my first (and unique) trip in USA. I still feel in my skin the emotions!
My first commercial flight at the age of 19 was on an Eastern Airlines L-1011. I didn't realize how spoiled I would be. My next several trips were on L-1011s. Not until I flew on a 767 did I realize how nice the L-1011 had been. It was all I had known. The 767, by comparison, felt claustrophobic and evoked images of being inside a tube of toothpaste. Remember just how sexy those tristars were sitting at the gates, looming large over other aircraft? And the wording painted on the upper third engine, "Whisperliner"... just too cool.
never flew on one, only had a couple flights before 9/11, sounds like the greatest plane ever made! back when flying itself was so special! #jealous
“Tube of toothpaste” lol ha ha 😂
I was hired as a f/a for TWA in 1996 & I immediately fell in love with working this cruise ship in the sky. The L1011’s at TWA had a lower galley you took an elevator down to to prepare the meals. No prep really as the entrees trays were preassembled and there was a hot plate under the hit entree. Yes…it was a hot mess & some entrees were scalding hot & others were ice cold. As new hires in NYC we were always broke & a favorite pass time of my friend & mine was we would fly FC on an evening L1011 from JFK to MCO & watch the (projection!) movie & eat and drink our faces off then the ac would turn around and bring us back to NYC around 2300. TWA in ‘96 had amazing, restaurant quality food. I still remember my favorite entree flying down was a piece of salmon, w/scallops & shrimp in a butter champagne cream sauce with capers over angel hair. The f/a’s working always took extra care of us poor new-hires. They were thrilled that after a decade TWA had hired new f/a’s….& it showed. I went to another airline after a year but nothing compared to my year at TWA…& that’s not nostalgia talking.
Such a noble plane. So beautiful.And a stall speed off just 100 knots!!! A dove of a craft.
Lockeed you ARE the best.
But under Frank Bormann was the worst and not TBTF.
When I flew a lot in the mid 80's in the U.S. I was soooo happy when the plane was an L-1011. Loved them!!!!!
I worked at the Lockheed Palmdale plant from 1971-1974. I worked on interior trim putting in lights, carpets, seats, etc. Was a good, well paying job. Driving out to Palmdale from Sylmar, CA was a bit much, especially when it snowed in Palmdale. Hi to all my fellow L-1011 workmates! The L-1011 was unsurpassed in my opinion.
thank you 1978 1989 loved that old bird and still do
Hey Larry - You got it right. The Tri-Star was a sweetheart of a plane. It had an air of Royalty about it. Rolls Royce engines, flying stabilizer, curved s-duct for the rear engine, first polarized window shades and don't forget the advanced fly-by-wire automatic flight control system (AFCS). The DC-10 which was our main competitor was a POS.
StellarBlue1 You folks did a fabulous job, hats off for helping to produce at least 40;000 of the 200;000 Delta Skymiles I racked up. They were the best 40;000 miles
StellarBlue1 the DC-10 was a rush job, too many lives were lost before they corrected their design mistakes.
(5 years late) Hey, thanks for helping to make perhaps my favourite widebody airliner to ever take flight!
I truly enjoyed my contribution to the L1011 RB211 engines at Eastern, as a Project Engineer in Propulsion Engineering, for almost 11 years. It will always be my favorite commercial airplane.
Versions of the RB211 were also used on the Boeing 757 (of which Eastern was the launch customer) and 747-400.
But it wasn't commercially viable, not your fault. We have six or seven industries supported by Deep State that don't meet the test of the market -- aircraft, autos, banking, housing, railroads, postal, and health care. This circumstance is bound to get worse under the Dems.
@@robertfeinberg748 LOL. What a nut. I'm a conservative, and even I wouldn't post such a ridiculous statement. I'm guessing this was post 8892342 of yours saying the same thing. Better double up on the tinfoil on your hat.
@@bigman55434 I was in good form. I stand by it. Dems support failing and flailing industries to support Demigarchs.
@@robertfeinberg748 So republicans had nothing to do with the state of any of these industries? Of course they did. And what is a demigarch? Another made up word by that nutcase MTG? None of this has anything to do with the L1011, so go troll somewhere else (like with the other 10 subscribers on Truth social). I swear that Trump brought out all the lunatics from the far right fringes of the republican party, just like AOC and her nutjobs brought out the left wing nuts. Both fringes need to crawl back under their rocks.
For me the best plane ever
I remember first flying a Delta L-1011 from Philadelphia to Atlanta in 1981. It was so smooth and quiet.
What a glorious grand lady! I had the honor of flying for Eastern for five years, but I was always too Junior to get on this bird. Nothing flying, then or now had the style, grace and beauty of the L-1011 TriStar. It's so great to see her again in the Eastern colors, where she belongs. It certainly was a different world back then. So sad to see what has happened to air travel today.
whata wrong w air travel today....
@@bradleysmall2230
It sucks.
Thats all...
@@alhanes5803 is it the frisks, crowded seating or the wait times.. i know its all but what is worse or have i left som out.. been decades since i flew.. i guess the food ism the least of your worries
@@bradleysmall2230
Hi Brad.
Biggest thing for me were the aircraft.
I've only flown domestic, but late 70's, 80's and early 90's, I flew to FL alot from Chicago, (lived in NW Indiana) and majority of the time, flew L1011's, and DC-10 's.
It was paradise compared to being crammed in a narrow body.
It was cool going to the gate, to pickup friends, or being dropped by friends.
I'm 60 now, and the whole dressing up thing to fly was cool too. I flew the last time in 04, and I didn't have a problem with TSA.
How old are you, if I may ask?
@@alhanes5803 late 60s- you have the same name as the pilot that survived but has passed now- the sioux city incident and a dc 10.. dad worked at lockheed on the l1011 and was on trip around world trying to sell them.. my under standing is a guy after that crash was ok and got off plane but re-entered to get his carry on stuff and was found at the airport bar.. wonder what he ordered..dan gryder has a solution to db cooper hijacking on you tube...
Surely the prettiest of the first-gen widebodies.
The take off at the end and the funky music totally matched the anti collision red lights like a boss! No other plane like the L-1011! Love the dramatic pause too!
Flew on one of these from St. Louis to Orlando in 1981, and got a free upgrade to 1st Class. What a plane! Never will forget it. Just beautiful in every way.
I loved working on this aircraft when I was flying for Eastern from 1976-1989 based in SJU and MIA, The galley R2 position was the most fun. Was so much better than the DC-10.
YOU MEAN DEATH 10!
@@solomonpilot2510
No that's not what he meant.
Goes up
Like both the L-1011 and DC--10, and flew on both, but of the two, the L-1011 is definitely the better aircraft in every way.
First time I ever entered a L-1011 Tristar cockpit I tought I had entered a country club saloon.
As a passenger I too loved flying on the Tri Star, my last one in 1991 returning from Desert storm on an American Trans air L-1011. It was a comfortable air plane to travel long distances I thought. Even better than the 747's I flew on occasionally. Having said that, the usual method of world wide travel back in those days was in the back of a C-141 Any commercial jet was a major improvement!
Miss Eastern Air Lines and the L1011.
I flew on an Eastern L 1011 Tristar from San Juan to Miami on May 22 1983. Loved it ever since!
These were among my favorite airliners to fly on.
The quality of this film is fantastic! Best I've seen for this subject matter. Thank you for sharing!
The Tristar was one of the most beautiful Airplanes ever built.
These certainly are the most beautiful machines of the 20th century! I have so many fond memories of flying on the Lockheed Tristar through out the 1980s! It makes me sad to see them out of service now! I sure miss them! They certainly were a piece of fine artwork!
Good summary of Tri Star flight test program. I got my Initial F/E flight training on some of those flights, and flew on production flight tests, and some customer crew training flights.
Yup.. too much tech, not enough PLANE!
I think the TriStar L1011 was the best passenger aircraft ever built!
DON'T THINK IT IS 4 SURE !
ANSWER MY QUESTION DUMMY ?
The L-1011 was closer to the 747 in sophistication and, cosmetically, much sleeker than the DC-10...such a shame the delays with the Rolls Royce engines caused it to be third out of the starting gate. Looking at the footage of the Paris air show it's hard to communicate to younger generations that at that time, VERY few people in the world would have flown on a wide body, so the first glimpse of its interior would have been eye-popping. After a number of years on 737s and that legendary medium range workhorse, the 727, my first glimpse of a wide body WAS an L-1011 in 1975. It was the be the first and only time I flew on one, but its beauty is seared in my memory.
The L-1011 was actually significantly more advanced the the classic 747's.
The L-1011 was a wonderful airplane that was loved by flight crews, and passengers alike. The airplane was a big hit in the '70s, but it was still legging behind the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. For a tri-jet, the L-1011-1 was appreciated by airlines as a medium to long-range airplane. The L-1011-500 had that long-haul that was also suitable for the Boeing 747. What Eastern did was put their tris-stars on more of intercontinental hops. They were very popular for the Miami routes since this would allow Eastern to utilize them for Caribbean routes. It was a very versatile airplane as far as pilot comments were concerned. They loved it too much.
For 15 years, I worked for Lear Astronics (originally founded by Bill Lear of Lear Jet fame) in Santa Monica, CA. We engineered and manufactured the flight control computers for the L-1011
That was an awesome ending ! L1011 takeoff pause in the sunset with dual anti collision light aglow!
Great footage of early L1011 testing. Gone now but never forgotten. My favorite 1st generation widebody, with A300.
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This is a fascinating look into the aircraft. I love all of the testing and touring that was done to inspire confidence and generate excitement about its arrival. Thank you
I remember flying on my favorite plane L-1011 into Atlanta and the pilot came on and said I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news the good news is we’re going to land the bad news is the airport is closed due to heavy fog. That plane landed so perfectly and we never saw the runway until we felt it hit the wheels. My 30 minute layover in Atlanta turned into almost 9 hours on a Sunday in a dry county with no alcohol! Oh the humanity of it all😂
Beautiful footage, I love the tri star L-1011, a beautiful plane.
Thank you for the video. ❤
Used to fly across the Atlantic on Air Canada's L-1011-500 from London Heathrow to Gander Newfoundland in the early 80's. What a blast!
Some of the best and interesting comments for any TH-cam video. Thank you gentleman for sharing all of your expertise with your comments. I enjoyed reading them.
flew in these gorgeous planes in the late 70-80's, SFO to Logan regular, sometimes only 3 pax on board, that was TWA then, sad they and the birds all gone.
Is it just me or does the TriStar come across as the most expertly created and developed aircraft of them all.
It's not just you - it was by far the most advanced of the first-generation widebodies. I flew it and loved it, and I never met anyone else who flew it who didn't love it!
My favorite plane, especially with the Delta Airlines paint scheme.
So sad... this is one of the great jets I have never flown on. And the Eastern Livery is so boss on this craft!
3:39 5:36 6:59 7:28 8:41 Looks incredible
1:06 3:28 10:36 15:56 Spectacular takeoffs and landings
Most beautiful, capable, bird ever in the air, oh what I would give to be able to fly on a 10-11 again.
Devonne West
A Beautiful comment. Worked for Eastern and flew many, many miles on the L 1011. but will never fly one again unless there is one to take us else can I say
Devonne, it looks so lovely that I would buy one if I could afford to.
L.1011 tristar is the best aircraft .. king of the sky . 💝💝💝👍
My dearest father, i share this magnificent video and all it means to you and to me with all my heart and gratitude! Thank you father! Inlove you!!!
That ‘on the deck’ flyby @8:32 was cool 😎
I flew the Tristar from London to LA with British Airtours. Nice plane.
These are still perfectly good planes. They look as modern as anything flying today. There was no need to retire them.
I wish they were still around but considering that they haven't been built for nearly 40 years, parts would probably be an issue by now to keep the L-1011 flying.
Great aircraft. ♥d it.
Tri-Star L-1011, Super Connie, C5 Galaxy, SR71 Blackbird. 4 of my favorite airplanes of all time and I'm also a fan of many Boeing airplanes. Lockheed built serious, serious legends, both technologically and aesthetically.. It's a shame they don't build commercial airframes anymore.
It is indeed the finest Airliner in History! It's one of the BEST of the Jet Age. I agree with you that Lockheed never should have gotten out of the commercial aircraft business.
Lockheed has built some of the most important aircraft in History. Especially the ones built, under the uncontestable Kelly Johnson!!!
I had the honor of meeting him, when I was only 12 years old!! At the time, he was working with my Dad on the D-21 Supersonic Drone, at Groom Lake.....
That's ALL I've ever been allowed to know!
My Dad FLEW the incomparable SR-71 Blackbird!!! Never once, did I ever know WHERE he and Capt. Lee Ransom went..... But the thought of it was a thrill that very few will ever understand.
Hermoso documental de una aeronave clasica de todos los tiempos y ademas avanzada para su epoca , saludos desde chile.
I was lucky enough to fly on the L1011 tristar, back & forth to Honolulu a number of times I believe, from 1986 till 2008 I flew back & forth, many many times, some flights were other aircraft like the 757 etc but the L1011 will always be my fave Jetliner in the old school figuration, and those RR engines whined baby!!!
there never be a better airplane better than the l-1011 she was a great aircraft that was the good old days
I loved this plane!
My father HATED to fly except when an L1011 was booked. I still haven't met anyone who flew on that awesome plane and had anything negative to say about it. It was an 'over-engineered' masterpiece. Had quadruple redundancy in many critical areas throughout the plane. If Lockheed made the 737Max- it would have worked and those unfortunate people on those 2 flights would be alive today. I'd pay more for a flight today to fly on an L1011 or anything made by Lockheed. Boeing has lost its way after the merger with MD.
L1011 one of the most beautyful aircrafts in the world
wonderfull air plane endeed
Phenomenal footage, thats my favorite airplane right there, God bless you for sharing
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Flew on my first L1011 from Charlotte to LAX to Honolulu in '89 for my wife and I honeymoon. I'd flown several times before, but she hadn't ever flown. But at the end, she was a pro.
excellent video! I shall miss this beautiful plane!
I consider myself lucky to have been able to fly Eastern on these beauties during the 70s. Classic! Not like the awful experience of being stuffed in some of the planes of today. No longer a great experience IMO.
This was a Good little Flick.
Such an elegant and beautiful bird! I wish they'd do like they have with cars and come out with a retro/modern L-1011 like they have with the Dodge Challenger/Charger. All updated glass cockpit, new wings, composite fuselage, and efficient engines. It's been said there just isn't any need for three engines anymore wit the reliability of the new twins, however I imagine you could make it bigger whereby three engines would match with the power it needs. Of course it'd have to be bigger than the twin engine 777.
aerlial360 omg I've been wishing this for years!!!
I hate flying but the 1011 made it tolerable. Enjoyed every time I flew on it. Not at all like the sardine cans of today. Miss this plane.
Parkwaymania I flew that jet about 10 times on the lax to Honolulu route in the late 90s to early 2000s. No other jet like it. Love those dual anti collision lights. None other like it!
+ Parkwaymania --- WTF ?? The L-1011 was the epitome of a flying sardine can. My flight on this ugly piece of crap was miserable all the way.... The older narrow body jets with wider seats and more legroom were far superior to the disgusting wide bodies like this one ..
Stratus 262J still loved by millions of pilots and passengers alike ;)
Stratus 262J Did you sit in the shitter the entire flight?
@@bendover9411 - Probably with his head up his keister.
First flew on L1011 as a guest at "Transpo '72" held at Dulles Airport.
How strange to see Floyd Hall, CEO of EAL at the time, with Frank Borman, who would later oust him. My Dad was an EVP for EAL at the time, and he was tossed out in the same coup that took out Sam Higginbotham. Turned my life inside out, but that was still more than two years out then, and Flight 401 with delays always gave the L1011 a bad rap against the DC-10 that would work out fatally for the 10 in the end. The 1011 was a superior plain with cutting edge materials and engines, but that's the aviation biz (even before deregulation - when EAL came close to dying long before the nineties). Really loved this plane!
StatelessPerson
Don't forget about the ghost of flight 401.
Even from today's perspecitve - absolutely impressing. Unfortunately. nowadays people have to give their work life only for profit, not for serving others on their profession
my compliments to everyone who made this aircraft possible, and who was in duty on this aircraft
I used to fly these from SF to ATL on eastern and the DC-10 to Houston as my last big hub to get to the panhandle of Florida. I always liked the way the L1011 looked and flew. The stewardesses always acted like they were on the A team... not cocky but seemed like they knew they were in some hot shit.
Best plane ever.
As a passenger and as an aviation enthusiast, I loved the L1011. It had bad luck and it cost Lockheed dearly in the end. The L-1011 was technically far superior to the DC10. The RB211 has a lovely growl too.
I remember taking a flight from Tennessee to JFK when I was in the Marine corps in a L-1011 it was a night flight and the plane had maybe 10 people on it .To this day I don’t know why but it was a comfortable flight for me.
I had a similar experience when flying from Boston to Atlanta in 1985...the L1011 had maybe 20 passengers. I was able to occupy 3 or 4 seats horizontally!
please tell me someone knows the title of the tune beginning at 13:00
Try Shazam.
I got to fly on the American Trans Air L-1011-100s and -500. Miss the orange sherbet ice creams prior to arrival into PHNL :)
If only Lockheed were able to clinch either the KSSU or ATLAS order, the Tristar woulda had a share of the long range market. That woulda made the program much more survivable.
Oddly enough, ship #2 never flew for TWA. It was delivered to Eastern as N301EA. Ship #3 (painted as N301EA) was later delivered to Eastern as N302EA.
So what was the registry number of TWA's first TriStar?
In the 80's a charter airline (Five Star) out of Boston leased 2 TWA L10's ..they were 01 & 02 ...in the late 90's #02 burned in JFK runway
N31001 was TWA's first. It was #13 off the line.
📽🛩This film is about as old as I am! 😮😁
So much cleaner looking than the dc_10
Very good airplane
I liked spacious interior because of no overhead bins for middle seats
Apparently some L-1011s had motorised coat closets which retracted into the ceiling, but I've yet to see a photo of them.
the Tri-star was the most advance liner in its day.
Nice
Miss the 1011. Only got to fly on it twice with TWA. Flew the DC10 a lot though with AA. I think the 1011 was overall a better plane than the DC10 although I liked both.
Oh I want to add, the only jumbo I have ever been on where you can actually hear the “moan” engine sound BEHIND the wing is the 1011. I love that moan engine sound but on 747’s, DC10, 767, and 777 behind the wing there seems to be no moan sound.
it's really incredible how far ahead of its time the L-1011 is, sadly by the time I was born (1999), these were all retired, such a beautiful and cool plane, and a real shame it didn't succeed, I think if it succeeded, Lockheed could easily compete with Boeing for industry leader in commercial aviation
They were still flying in 1999. Air Transat operated them until 2004, for example.
@@nkt1 In the US they were all retired by 2001, Delta was the last operator here. I was not even 2 years old when they were retired, so I have no memory of them actually flying sadly.
I have almost 7000 hours on various models. i liked the -500 the best,you could fly it like a Cessna 150
I hope United orders more of these for their fleet
Some extremely rare footage there. And 3 people are weird.
As I recall, it was Eastern, colorabated with Lockheed, to get this wide body, in/out of LaGuarda airport, to MIA, and so it did, but the development of the RR RB-211 engine bankrupted RR, but this very engine went on to power several planes, even Boeing. T he aircraft, I have zero love is Airbus, but funny enough, Martin Bormann, was the first to bring the A 300 to the US,, but they had 'linear' ductwork for the a/c, the 2 port, and 2 starboard seats were hot, the ducts blew into the middle seats, folks used blankets.
Martin Bormann -- WTF? You mean Frank Borman, not a Nazi nut.
Incredibly advanced and beautiful plane. Lockheed waited too long after the Electra for a big passenger jet. Much too late after Boeing and Douglas to the wide body games.
Unfortunately Australian airlines used *Whispering T-Jets* (Boeing 727's), in their Government regulated two-airline policy which mandated that each airline (ANA and TAA) must purchase the _same make and model of aircraft, and to be purchased at the same time_ . How's that for free enterprise?
Thus we never got to have airline hostesses adopt _The Wonder Woman Pose_ in advertisements, nor experience the finesse of Lockheed's Tri Star 😯
Beautiful plane. Beats the DC10 technically and aesthetically. But Lockheed must hv known as early as the early 70's that the battle was lost when the DC-10-30 conquered the continental european market!
The L1011 was Lockheed's return to the airliner market after the problem-plagued turboprop Electra, and what a contrast. This time, the technical problems lay with Rolls-Royce, not a pioneering Lockheed design..
@@bobgreene2892 , that's probably what happens when you have something brand new, whether it's aircraft or engines. Rolls-Royce finally got the bugs worked out in due time, and later used what it learned when it introduced the current Trent series of jet engines.
@@johneddy908 It also did not help that the Trijet wide body market had enough demand for one successful aircraft, and as a result it was a buyers market both McD and Lockheed faced. Ahead of its time, and as history bore out, the DC-10's rush to market with some major design defects had enormous costs in life and fortune for beating the L-1011 to market.
I flew on the L-1011 many times in Eastern and Delta liveries. It one beautiful aircraft. I am sorry to see them all retired. I had heard that there was one copy still flying as a hospital but, that's been a long while ago.
*The song used at the end of this film is the now-famous "Funky Fanfare" by Keith Mansfield - ALSO USED BY QUENTIN TARRANTINO - You're welcome!!!*
Here's a link: th-cam.com/video/tUFwQjOpqJM/w-d-xo.html
Eastern Airlines didn't call it the WhisperLiner for nothing! 😎
As a 10 year Eastern mechanic it was such fun to work the L1011 in Miami. It later got me hired by Saudi Arabian Airlines. Damn shame to see the airline fall apart due to poor management and union/company discord. Then there was the asshole Lorenzo (reminds me of trump). In the words of a cool pilot, "If you die and go to heaven you must go through Atlanta". I just hope it's on a Tri Star. Ha ha
Jess W, he's not blaming it on Trump, he's blaming it on Frank Lorenzo, the corporate raider who mismanaged the company and forced it to lose money and eventually go bankrupt. It's been a year since you posted your comment.....looks like the comparison to Trump is even more relevant today.
What happened to this plane?
It compete with a plane made by Douglas Company, which Airlines prefer to buy because it is slightly wider. Also, this is Lockheed's first airliners and they've spent a lot of money developing it but they failed to reap high enough profit because of competition, so they didn't build a next version of it, and it is not sold anymore. There's few still flying.
The last time an airliner was designed to put the passenger first.
The L-10-11 was a far superior airplane than the DC 10.
50 Years
How could a plane back then fly and land almost by itself??
10.28 mins compressor stall #1 engine ?
Nice eye - not exactly where you'd expect one (relatively low power on final approach), but it somewhat looks like it!
@@AndreySloan_is_a_cnut bleed off valves maybe getting stuck
@@Nbolanos0624 - It’s been too many years since I operated the RB.211, so I cannot remember the specifics of its operation - but that sounds plausible, though again I’d expect compressor unloading devices to be operating at higher power settings (but it certainly could be possible on a short engine acceleration such as could occur on final approach).
This narrator sounds like the voice of the coffee break machine.