Oh wow, one of my old TWA L011s, with 3 of my Rolls Royce RB211 engines. I was an engine overhaul engineer at TWA's Kansas City overhaul base in a former lifetime. The RB211 smoked like crazy on startup, burning up leaked residual oil throughout the 3 spool shafts, after shutdown. On takeoff, it always sounded like a monster. Our Pratt & Whitney JT9Ds powered our 747s. On takeoff, at full throttle, it had the buzz saw sound, until throttling back above 4,000 ft or so. Thanks for posting. Brings back a lot of memories. Flew on one just about every weekend for years. Wonderful aircraft.
Excellent footage, love the old days, the classic planes, the cloudy sky and even the vintage quality of the recording all adds to a time when things seemed much better...
I was only 5 years old in 1991, and I definitely KNOW in my heart that it was a much better, simpler time. I am so lucky that I got to grow up in the 90's just before everything started going down the toilet.
On our 4 trips we had years ago to Hawaii we flew several 747s and a DC10, and a TWA L1011 and I have to admit the L1011 had the most roomy open designed interior and as I can recall quiet until those Rolls Royce RB211s roared on take off.
Flew TWA L1011s at least a couple times - once London to JFK in 1987, I remember the five restrooms at the rear pressure bulkhead. I flew another probably in summer of 1989 or 1990 from St Louis to San Francisco - there was duct tape on holding one of the overheads in place. Once Carl Icahn got his teeth into TWA, it never really recovered.
What an awesome clip. That video was dated 1991. 23 years later, the clip was a glimpse into a different era. Airlines were still flying people around in half empty airplanes. The camera panned out into the cabin. I saw people stretched out in seats. For just a two hour flight to Florida? Fast forward to 2014, a flight to Florida, American Airlines would have us packed into a Super 80 like sardines. I miss TWA.
FR T-Rexx-- American flew half-empty planes around as well in 1991. They are no different, and no smarter, than any other airline back then (except SWA). They have survived through grotesque size, buyouts and pure greed.
I was a Flight Engineer for Rich International on the L-1011. One of the best experiences of my life and still my favorite aircraft of all time. It was so far ahead of it's time.
It breaks my heart knowing that I will NEVER get to ride on one of these :'( All I get is 777-300ERs now. ( was 747-400s, my airline has only 3 left and is phasing them out for all 777 fleet, and its going to hurt saying goodbye to the 747 when I ride it one last time next month.) This was recorded a couple weeks after my 1st birthday ( born April 5th. 1990 ). It is so nice that you got to record this flight, especially with the monstrous video cameras back in the 90s. Thank you soo much for this video sir :)
+Reflex Point Yes right the times changed. But the Tristar was "777" in that days and it was a pioneer in almost every flight category, carrying 5 electrical redundancies, DLC system to make an approach with the same angle, the first with autoland CAT III C, etc etc... Very high cruise speed. Now this the thing: the tristar 500 has better thrust/weight ratio than 777. The pilots says it is one of the most powerfull aircraft until these days...sure GE90 is phenomenal and favourite on these days but the tristar...😊
Chris H. Sadly the 787 Dreamliner is the demise of the big jets :( 787 is same size as a 767 but they are dominating long haul :( one day they will replace the 777 with tiny Dreamliners. The L1011 has gone, Concorde has gone the 747 is going. 787s are boring. Why has progress got to be so damn boring?
@@ELPaso1990TX I think the 787's are very comfortable to fly on, with the big windows and all. But I totally agree with you on the boring, twin-engine designed planes of today. If you've seen one, you've seen them all!
I suppose the 757 is similar because it also has the RB-211, but even then they are being retired at an alarming rate. Don't tell me we're gonna be stuck in a future with soundless engines.. I want some noise behind that power to make it believable that I'm really flying!
The L10-11 was one of the finest commercial liners ever produced. Every pilot who flew them lauded its ease of handling and simplicity of operation. Sad it was to see the fleet go.
Vincent Vuoto I am surprised at the number of us who love the L-1011 and continue to wish it were still in service somewhere. It was indeed the last of a generation of superb airliners.
robert glenn Had the great pleasure of flying Tristar 500s Toronto-Frankfurt and Toronto-Bridgetown (Barbados) and they were the best flights I'd ever had!
robert glenn There are a few still in active service. I think Britain’s Royal Air Force operates an L-1011 but I don’t know what the series is and there’s a Pakistani charter service that has 3 or 4 but I don’t think it’s like regular service. They were really nice planes. My Dad and I went to the Holy Land in the late 80s and we flew in a Pan Am 747 from JFK and back. A few months later we flew on an L-1011 from San Francisco to Raleigh/Durham. I can tell you the first thing I immediately noticed was just how quiet the overall flight was in the Lockheed compared to the 747. We sat over the wings in both flights and the 747 didn’t start to quite down until we were at cruising altitude and takeoff sounded like the whole plane was coming loose from all of the rattling noises. The L-1011 just seemed and felt the more solid built between the 2. But I flew a Lufthansa 747-8i back to JFK and was surprised at how much more quiet she was over the A380. The 747 is just a beautiful aircraft. Out of all the trijets of the 60s and 70s (including the HS Trident) the Whisperliner was the best.
All good things has an ends... Those days were of oil boom and new discoveries and new frontiers were opened and all the good in L10 11 was there came to an end...Those golden years I was in Saudi Airlines in Jeddah. I had the oppertunity to travel in L10 11, wow those royal bucket types of large and wide seatings I still remember comparative to todays where one airline compete with another and sequeezed the seating. Very passenger unfriendly.We also remember an accident with Tristar L10 11 soon after take off from the Dhahran airport the aircraft caught fire and afterwards the aircraft returns to the Dhahran airport safely but the airport security and the apparatus in those days was not what we have today and the whole passenger section caught fire and everyone perished beyound recognition.Later on the Govt. of saudi Arabia phased out all those tristars L1011 to the junk yard. Never sold to anyone dont know the policy behind. All of those planes i think rotten and rusted, its more than 30 years.
Took a TWA L-1011 back and forth between Boston and San Francisco in 1978. Great ride. Great crew(s). Great aircraft. One of the coolest 'liners ever made and you captured it and gave it to the world! Very cool! Thanks for the trip!
As an airline staff, i took many ,many memorable flights back in the 90's and i remember L1011's business class were my favorite. Flew many times on Hawaiian to Hawaii and TWA to Europe. Both on the jump seat and business class. Many years later i took a L1011 flight leased by an iranian airline from Tehran to Bangkok.!!! That was my last ride. Nice memories. RIP the best trijet of history.
Thank you for posting this. The L-1011 was my all time favourite airliner. Flew with Delta many times on return trips from Montreal - Miami & flew with TWA in Europe a couple of times. She was a pleasure to travel in and my heart would always skip a beat when I found out she would be the plane we would board. Smooth ride, comfortable & spacious cabin, she was a dream to be aboard. She was also a beautiful aircraft to look at too. I had the privilege of being invited into the cockpit and spending a good half hour with the crew, way back in the late 70's when you could still do those kind of things. It's always one of my go to aircraft when I fly on Microsoft's Flight Simulator. I miss seeing the old gal in the skies and I cherish the memories I have of her & those days!
She was the pride of our fleet. Unfortunately, during the late 80's and early 90's, they were becoming more and more cost inhibitive to fly, due to massive maintenance issues, related to the aging of the airplane. Parts were difficult to source, forcing us to cancel many flights.
What a neat video. Unfortunately, it shows just how far we have fallen as a society. No one is bothered about the lack of in-seat IFE, and there seems to be decent legroom onboard. What is most telling is the fact that the two boys are entertaining themselves with pencil and paper as well as enjoying the scenery below. No one is connected to an electronic device of any kind and yet, the passengers are perfectly content. Technology has its merits, but overall, it has hindered more than helped us as a society. Thank you for posting this look back in time.
Hard to believe that technology took over and changed as much as it did. Still, no ipad is ever going to replace the thrill of looking out the window during the takeoff and landing. On another note, I suspect IFE/WiFi is the reason behind those weird tumor-looking bumps that each plane seems to have on the top of its fuselage these days. Things just aren't as pretty as they used to be..
What you don’t mention is that the change you criticize has also made aviation much safer today than in 1991. Major accidents used to happen yearly whereas now we haven’t had a major crash since 2009. We haven’t “fallen” as a society, we’ve just changed to a technological society which is a logical evolution. Society will be barely recognizable in 100 years and that’s ok. It’s normal to be hesitant or reject change which is one of the many reasons people like to romanticize the past. Going backwards is not a good thing.
Nic S-- Umm, the L-1011 came out a little later than "the 50s" but, you are correct, it was one of the most advanced airliners in the world when it came out.
Man this takes me back. A ride in a delta L-1011 when I was about the age of the kids in this video is one of the foremost memories I have of when I firmly decided I wanted to be a pilot. Thanks so much for posting and sharing this!
Loved this plane. Most people never knew that it had an actual elevator mid-cabin that took f/a's down to the lower galley to cook the in-flight meals b4 they were brought up to be served. So cool!
Love the L-1011 awesome jet. we had them out of CLT to ATL on Eastern back in the good old days when CLT was a small airport. Today it is getting bigger every day....but now you don't need to go to ATL..so that is Good. Never forget family time in the air it is the best...
The Tristar was the finest wide-body ever made and the flight guidance was second to none in its time. I spent 15 years on the old girl and could of retired on her but time moves on. She also had the best Auto-Land system in the industry. Simply a great airplane.
I remember the days of having different airlines flight schedules in a book...as a kid i once went out of my way to fly the L1011...i took a flight from DCA to LGA...then took L1011 from LGA to Atl...man the memories on that plane....loved the tri-jet era...727 second favorite.
I loved the l1011.. I flew in it with TWA.. NYC . Arizona and back stopping in St Louis.. it was quiet and magestic..it amazed Me that this huge aircraft could even lift off.. I miss it..
I knew a TWA career employee, he said the the L-1011's rattled like crazy on takeoff and landing, but TWA employees loved them... never had the opportunity to fly one.... was also said to be the most advanced aircraft of the time and that pilots loved them.... thanks for the nice video...
I was lucky enough to be a pilot in all trijets made in America, B727, DC10 and L1011; all of them great and each one my favorite for diverse reasons. I retired on 777/787 and still prefer the TriStar. Heavy on the controls, superb autoland and features that just now are appearing on the 787.
FTW are you talking about dipshit. Flexible structures are more reliable and safer. Why do you think they design skyscrapers to sway in the wind? LULZ Try next time
Ignore him. He's clearly one of those Airbs "rigid wing" fanboys. Airplanes with flexible wings perform astronomically better in high action aerodynamic events such as turbulence or crosswind landings. That guy seems a little nutty!
Great video! As a long time former TWA employee, I love watching these! Even though the footage was shot 27 years ago, it appears as if it was shot last week. Such great memories of that amazing aircraft, the L-1011, not to mention the B-707, B-727 and B-747! Douglas DC-9's and MD-80's were great too!
we can share the same Feelings me also former European TWA emplyoee. when i watched that Video it was just like yesterday like TWA never stopped operating. TWA for the best of America!
Love this! I was born 6 years after this so I’ll never know the joy of the simpler times and experiencing the 1011 first hand. So many cool planes and vintage liveries back then.
Retired Controller here. I jumpseated about a dozen times in my career and my one trip on an L-1011, was my most memorable. Huge cockpit, great view! Smoothest flight, including Takeoff and landing. Just an awesome jet - the best!
Thanks for sharing, a nice rare view of the cabin. I was lucky enough to fly the 1011 on a few occasions. MCO to ATL on DL in the early 90s. ALQ to STL on TWA, again, early 90s. I wish I had videos like this of my experiences.
The L-1011's were my favorite plane to fly on when they were still around. They creaked and groaned on the taxiway, but once they were in the air, they flew smooth and effortlessly. And with only 9 seats across in coach, along with no overhead bins over the center seats, the cabin felt like a gymnasium!
I remember how astonishing wide-body planes like the L-1011 were for me, in that it was around 8 years since I was traveling in DC-6s, DC-7s and Super Constellations. I liked the L-1011, having been aboard TWA and Eastern L-1011s.
Excellent video of one of my favorite aircraft in my favorite livery. There was just something about these TWA L1011's that spoke to me. I still remember arriving at Lambert St.Louis (KSTL) in 1996 as a 10yr old. There wasn't a plane in sight as we arrived at the terminal drop off when; All of the sudden, with the iconic roar of the RB-211 engines, a Trans World L1011 came into view from behind the terminal as it rotated and climbed off runway 30L. Seeing that L1011 in TWA livery at high speed lifting from the Earth was nothing short of spiritual and is one of the defining moments that inspired me to become a pilot. On a side note, at about 1:18 in the video a Trump shuttle 727 taxis by and the guy behind the camera states "what a joke". That was great! Thanks!
at least he tried an airline, its not easy as most go broke. what did biden do? nothing. l1011 was a great plane, my favorite, it almost was 2 engine which would have be huge for lockheed!
Wow. I wasn't around for much of the 90s, as the kids in the video are probably at least 10 years older than me by now (if not more). Looking back on this footage is crazy, because jets from airlines in old paint jobs that I haven't seen for more than a decade are casually lining up on the tarmac like ghosts from the past. By the time I got interested in airplanes as a kid, the tristars were on their last legs and the dc-10s were soon to go. I can't imagine how much different aviation must feel for people who were used to the glory of these jets in the "old" days, but it's starting to hit me because even planes like the 757 that have been around forever (at least in my life) are starting to be retired and converted into fedex freighters. It's crazy how aviation changes in such a short time, and it's also crazy how time has a bad habit of slipping by ever so slightly.
+Rea1mHD Thanks for the thoughtful reply......the kids are me and my brother. We're now 30 and 27. Seems like a lifetime ago. They always served us a hot breakfast with sausage and eggs. The smell of sausage links still reminds me of early morning flights on TWA
Contrary to what most television broadcasters would have you believe, there are ramps, taxiways, and runways, but not a single location referred to as a tarmac at any airport.
Awesome footage. I was still very young back then, but this somehow brings back memories and feelings of nostalgia. Going on a plane was still a novelty and a privilege, and people still enjoyed a sense of awe and wonder with the whole idea of air travel. The Tri-Jets were magnificent planes.
My first flight on an airplane ever...1988 from JFK to PBI on the TWA L1011...my goodness what an experience that was!! Even got to see the space shuttle lifting off in the distance as we approached PBI. Needless to say I was hooked on flight from there on!!!
What a glorious bird & such a joy to fly. I remember flying L1011's while doing sorties over Naum back in 68, & bringing one of those birds back all shot up & riddled with holes. Indestructible air bus for sure.
great vintage footage.absolutely love this airplane.grew up in the 80s and 90s so I remember when these birds were regular sights at airports around the world.used to love going to JFK to see tons of trijets and Pan Am 747 classics.miss those days.I like how Lockheed was really the pioneer of plenty of technologies on this aircraft.also the real pioneer of curved ceilings (well, semi-curved) that the triple 7's sport now.look how spacious those vaulted ceilings looked with the ones configured without the center bins!and strangely the 2-5-2 configuration made the cabin seem wider in appearance,at least to me, because you see five seats in the center instead of three in today's ubiquitous 3-3-3 config.Even the 747 classic cabin seems more spacious than that of a 747-400 or 8i to me since the smaller overhead bins revealed those sidewalls more and emphasized how completely vertical they were which is unique to the 747 (and also the A380 main deck now I guess).great video though.glad you included the cabin shots.brought back memories of my experiences with the tristar.what video camera were you using?circa 1990,my dad was still using the huge hundred-pound shoulder-mounted camera that held a full VHS tape.When we went on a trip to Europe,it was in a separate case that looked like a another luggage.lol.
Had the pleasure of flying on a Delta Airline's L-1011 non-stop from Atlanta to Paris....and then back. Extremely cavernous inside and a dream to fly on. Thanks for sharing this.👍
26 years flying the TriStar. Best airliner ever. I’ve got 14 years in the 747-400, and while the 747 is a fabulous airplane it’s not a TriStar on its best day.
I worked this flight from time to time.... it was a great flight too! Easy beverage and snack service....we served the turkey w/ swiss cheese on a roll and roast beef with cheddar on a Kaiser roll....first class usually got cheeseburgers w/ potato salad, or clam chowder with turkey and ham sandwiches on swiss cheese and marble bread....Those were the good old days! :)
British airways had loads of L1011 when I was a child in 1980s in London . So many airlines like saudia , gulf air , Even made them more spectacular and famous.😊
This takes me back, I soloed at PBI two days before the video was shot. You can see the small runway and my FBO right in the last few seconds of this video. Been an airline pilot for over 20 years now. Thanks for the memory!
*Really fantastic video, a lot (!!) of history - awesome sights in it. HUGE thanks to your dad...stuff like this is quite rare. Really 5star, THANKS for posting this.*
I flew on an Eastern L10-11 twice as a kid. From JFK to MIA. Amazing how we used to fly widebodies on domestic flights. I also flew on another domestic widebody National 747-100 in the early 70's from JFK to MIA as well.
Your fortunate to have these home movies. How wonderful to look back on your family trips. Two lucky boys that maybe have children of their own by now to share these with. Never flew on a L-1011, but looks similar inside to the only DC-10 that I flew on.
+Cathy Meyer Thank you for the nice comment. Our mom was a flight attendant and we flew non rev all the time. Rarely had a problem getting seats, as you can see in this video. My brother and I are now 27 and 30. Seems like a lifetime ago. No kids yet but soon hopefully and they'll certainly enjoy these videos.
Great to see this. I was only on one L1011 ever. It was a TWA flight from LHR (London) to JFK in May 1990. The plane had Gulf Air markings. Think they had an arrangement between them. I was on the right side (window seat) above a rear cargo door. My first trip to USA. I remember the plane feel like it was dangling patiently and smoothly in the sky in the final stages of the flight. Wish I'd had a camera on board back then, but the memories are good enough!
Great video! In '91 I was a Delta F/O on the 72. I might have been in that line for takeoff. I once needed a ride from ORD to JFK and a TWA crew was nice enough to offer me a jump-seat ride. They even let me ride on the crew van to their layover hotel on Long Island to save my folks from having to drive all the way to JFK. I was was sorry to see TWA fold.
Oh wow, one of my old TWA L011s, with 3 of my Rolls Royce RB211 engines. I was an engine overhaul engineer at TWA's Kansas City overhaul base in a former lifetime. The RB211 smoked like crazy on startup, burning up leaked residual oil throughout the 3 spool shafts, after shutdown. On takeoff, it always sounded like a monster. Our Pratt & Whitney JT9Ds powered our 747s. On takeoff, at full throttle, it had the buzz saw sound, until throttling back above 4,000 ft or so. Thanks for posting. Brings back a lot of memories. Flew on one just about every weekend for years. Wonderful aircraft.
Excellent footage, love the old days, the classic planes, the cloudy sky and even the vintage quality of the recording all adds to a time when things seemed much better...
Ignorance is bliss
Seemed much better??.. it certainly was much better! I'd take the 70 ,80,early 90's back any day.
I was only 5 years old in 1991, and I definitely KNOW in my heart that it was a much better, simpler time. I am so lucky that I got to grow up in the 90's just before everything started going down the toilet.
Wasn’t better years in aviation tho
@@bladi-senpai9398
You could fly from London to New York in about 2 hours.
Can you do that now?
The Lockheed L-1011 was the BSET aircraft ever built!
+Bryan Is NOT On Fire I worked at the factory so my vote doesn't cont, but I l love the L 1011
On our 4 trips we had years ago to Hawaii we flew several 747s and a DC10, and a TWA L1011 and I have to admit the L1011 had the most roomy open designed interior and as I can recall quiet until those Rolls Royce RB211s roared on take off.
@@Rwalt61 Whisper Quiet was the Trademark
To bad the L1011s have all been retired.
Flew TWA L1011s at least a couple times - once London to JFK in 1987, I remember the five restrooms at the rear pressure bulkhead. I flew another probably in summer of 1989 or 1990 from St Louis to San Francisco - there was duct tape on holding one of the overheads in place. Once Carl Icahn got his teeth into TWA, it never really recovered.
What an awesome clip. That video was dated 1991. 23 years later, the clip was a glimpse into a different era. Airlines were still flying people around in half empty airplanes. The camera panned out into the cabin. I saw people stretched out in seats. For just a two hour flight to Florida? Fast forward to 2014, a flight to Florida, American Airlines would have us packed into a Super 80 like sardines. I miss TWA.
Manning Taylor I loved loved having the whole row seats to myself. Now, you don't know if you even have a seat. First come first serve. Ugh..
++Manning Taylor. True. But see, TWA's no longer around, while American still is. Guess who was right?
FR T-Rexx-- American flew half-empty planes around as well in 1991. They are no different, and no smarter, than any other airline back then (except SWA). They have survived through grotesque size, buyouts and pure greed.
reverse thrust-- You got that right my friend! It's such a crappy place, socially, than we were 25 years ago.
reverse thrust
Okay grandpa. Go back to bed.
the trump shuttle comment was priceless, particularly at the moment. great video love these old birds.
I loved this Trump Shuttle comment, specially in this Times
one of his first of many bankruptcies !!!
Trump 2024
Look at that beautiful wing and listen to those RB-211 engines. I loved my 20 years working on the L-1011. The Lower Galley was my domain.
Todd Hollerson this was the time where you could still hear the engine noise when your at the back of the wing.
did yours have the green and pink chairs?
@@hurpaderpp Haha, we started with the greenish and baby poop colored seats and then changed them to navy blue.
You were one lucky dude. !
I was a Flight Engineer for Rich International on the L-1011. One of the best experiences of my life and still my favorite aircraft of all time. It was so far ahead of it's time.
It breaks my heart knowing that I will NEVER get to ride on one of these :'( All I get is 777-300ERs now. ( was 747-400s, my airline has only 3 left and is phasing them out for all 777 fleet, and its going to hurt saying goodbye to the 747 when I ride it one last time next month.)
This was recorded a couple weeks after my 1st birthday ( born April 5th. 1990 ).
It is so nice that you got to record this flight, especially with the monstrous video cameras back in the 90s.
Thank you soo much for this video sir :)
+Reflex Point
Yes right the times changed. But the Tristar was "777" in that days and it was a pioneer in almost every flight category, carrying 5 electrical redundancies, DLC system to make an approach with the same angle, the first with autoland CAT III C, etc etc... Very high cruise speed. Now this the thing: the tristar 500 has better thrust/weight ratio than 777. The pilots says it is one of the most powerfull aircraft until these days...sure GE90 is phenomenal and favourite on these days but the tristar...😊
Chris H. Sadly the 787 Dreamliner is the demise of the big jets :( 787 is same size as a 767 but they are dominating long haul :( one day they will replace the 777 with tiny Dreamliners. The L1011 has gone, Concorde has gone the 747 is going. 787s are boring. Why has progress got to be so damn boring?
@@ELPaso1990TX I think the 787's are very comfortable to fly on, with the big windows and all. But I totally agree with you on the boring, twin-engine designed planes of today. If you've seen one, you've seen them all!
It's fine. Northrop Grumman still flies one, and I'm not so sure if Barq Aviation in Jordan flies three?
The TWA Boeing 747 Fleet Is No More Due To TWA Flight 800 Exploding Over The Atlantic Ocean
Hard landing, dirty old plane, loud flaps sounds... I LOVE IT! ;)
Boy do i agree with that! I experienced these sounds growing up inthe 70's. L-1011's Delta airlines.
That was Real Excitment of Flying i presume i Also like it , nowdays Everything is quite too much health and safety rubbish
You dont hear engines like that anymore....cool video
I suppose the 757 is similar because it also has the RB-211, but even then they are being retired at an alarming rate. Don't tell me we're gonna be stuck in a future with soundless engines.. I want some noise behind that power to make it believable that I'm really flying!
The L10-11 was one of the finest commercial liners ever produced. Every pilot who flew them lauded its ease of handling and simplicity of operation. Sad it was to see the fleet go.
+robert glenn Thanks for the comment. It really was a unique airliner. Would have loved to take one on a longer flight....say to Europe.
Vincent Vuoto I am surprised at the number of us who love the L-1011 and continue to wish it were still in service somewhere. It was indeed the last of a generation of superb airliners.
robert glenn Had the great pleasure of flying Tristar 500s Toronto-Frankfurt and Toronto-Bridgetown (Barbados) and they were the best flights I'd ever had!
robert glenn There are a few still in active service. I think Britain’s Royal Air Force operates an L-1011 but I don’t know what the series is and there’s a Pakistani charter service that has 3 or 4 but I don’t think it’s like regular service. They were really nice planes. My Dad and I went to the Holy Land in the late 80s and we flew in a Pan Am 747 from JFK and back. A few months later we flew on an L-1011 from San Francisco to Raleigh/Durham. I can tell you the first thing I immediately noticed was just how quiet the overall flight was in the Lockheed compared to the 747. We sat over the wings in both flights and the 747 didn’t start to quite down until we were at cruising altitude and takeoff sounded like the whole plane was coming loose from all of the rattling noises. The L-1011 just seemed and felt the more solid built between the 2. But I flew a Lufthansa 747-8i back to JFK and was surprised at how much more quiet she was over the A380. The 747 is just a beautiful aircraft. Out of all the trijets of the 60s and 70s (including the HS Trident) the Whisperliner was the best.
All good things has an ends... Those days were of oil boom and new discoveries and new frontiers were opened and all the good in L10 11 was there came to an end...Those golden years I was in Saudi Airlines in Jeddah. I had the oppertunity to travel in L10 11, wow those royal bucket types of large and wide seatings I still remember comparative to todays where one airline compete with another and sequeezed the seating. Very passenger unfriendly.We also remember an accident with Tristar L10 11 soon after take off from the Dhahran airport the aircraft caught fire and afterwards the aircraft returns to the Dhahran airport safely but the airport security and the apparatus in those days was not what we have today and the whole passenger section caught fire and everyone perished beyound recognition.Later on the Govt. of saudi Arabia phased out all those tristars L1011 to the junk yard. Never sold to anyone dont know the policy behind. All of those planes i think rotten and rusted, its more than 30 years.
Took a TWA L-1011 back and forth between Boston and San Francisco in 1978. Great ride. Great crew(s). Great aircraft.
One of the coolest 'liners ever made and you captured it and gave it to the world! Very cool!
Thanks for the trip!
As an airline staff, i took many ,many memorable flights back in the 90's and i remember L1011's business class were my favorite. Flew many times on Hawaiian to Hawaii and TWA to Europe. Both on the jump seat and business class. Many years later i took a L1011 flight leased by an iranian airline from Tehran to Bangkok.!!! That was my last ride. Nice memories. RIP the best trijet of history.
Thank you for posting this. The L-1011 was my all time favourite airliner. Flew with Delta many times on return trips from Montreal - Miami & flew with TWA in Europe a couple of times.
She was a pleasure to travel in and my heart would always skip a beat when I found out she would be the plane we would board. Smooth ride, comfortable & spacious cabin, she was a dream to be aboard. She was also a beautiful aircraft to look at too. I had the privilege of being invited into the cockpit and spending a good half hour with the crew, way back in the late 70's when you could still do those kind of things. It's always one of my go to aircraft when I fly on Microsoft's Flight Simulator.
I miss seeing the old gal in the skies and I cherish the memories I have of her & those days!
She was the pride of our fleet. Unfortunately, during the late 80's and early 90's, they were becoming more and more cost inhibitive to fly, due to massive maintenance issues, related to the aging of the airplane. Parts were difficult to source, forcing us to cancel many flights.
I loved the L 1011 & the typical smoky engine start up they all had, specially on cold days!
Great video! Thanks for the share :) 25 years ago, geesh, I remember thinking in 1991 how super modern we were at that point in history. :)
+Larry Mentle Can't believe it was that long ago either. And that they were flying 1011's out of LGA. Thanks for the comment.
Larry Mentle-- And 25 years from now we will be laughing at how super modern we thought we were today!
Those economy seats look more comfortable than what I'm used to on modern aircraft...
The most graceful airline of the skies !!!!!!!!!!
What a neat video. Unfortunately, it shows just how far we have fallen as a society. No one is bothered about the lack of in-seat IFE, and there seems to be decent legroom onboard. What is most telling is the fact that the two boys are entertaining themselves with pencil and paper as well as enjoying the scenery below. No one is connected to an electronic device of any kind and yet, the passengers are perfectly content. Technology has its merits, but overall, it has hindered more than helped us as a society. Thank you for posting this look back in time.
Hard to believe that technology took over and changed as much as it did. Still, no ipad is ever going to replace the thrill of looking out the window during the takeoff and landing.
On another note, I suspect IFE/WiFi is the reason behind those weird tumor-looking bumps that each plane seems to have on the top of its fuselage these days. Things just aren't as pretty as they used to be..
What you don’t mention is that the change you criticize has also made aviation much safer today than in 1991. Major accidents used to happen yearly whereas now we haven’t had a major crash since 2009. We haven’t “fallen” as a society, we’ve just changed to a technological society which is a logical evolution. Society will be barely recognizable in 100 years and that’s ok. It’s normal to be hesitant or reject change which is one of the many reasons people like to romanticize the past. Going backwards is not a good thing.
pwbuzzsaw I disagree. Nothing is much prettier than the 777.
Fuck off back to the 50s grandpa you realise that the L10-11 was one of the most advanced airliners in the world when it came out
Nic S-- Umm, the L-1011 came out a little later than "the 50s" but, you are correct, it was one of the most advanced airliners in the world when it came out.
Man this takes me back. A ride in a delta L-1011 when I was about the age of the kids in this video is one of the foremost memories I have of when I firmly decided I wanted to be a pilot.
Thanks so much for posting and sharing this!
I tell people today that they used to fly wide body aircraft in/out of LaGuardia and they think I'm crazy.
+speedrcer1 I agree with you.. they use widebody for long range such as new york to settle or LA... something like that.
+speedrcer1 hahaha......this 1011 was so light. Not many passengers and not much fuel for a flight to PBI
@@strassj LGA has perimeter restrictions, so widebodies couldn't go to the coast from LGA, even back when this video was shot.
@@strassj
No. LGA, had the 2000 mile rule imposed by the Port Authority who ran the airport. TWA only flew the 1011 to STL, and PBI from LGA.
I remember seeing American DC-10s at LGA, and L1011s from Eastern, TWA, and Delta all at one point.
That was an awesome jet. So roomy. Thanks for posting, really took me back
+sbentjies Thanks for your comment. Glad you enjoyed it. Check out the other TWA vids on this channel. Got a DC9, 757, and 747-100 flight!
These kinds of home movie are so important as historical documents, your dad has created little gems, like windows into aviation history, love it!
Wow, so many classic liveries on parade!
Loved this plane. Most people never knew that it had an actual elevator mid-cabin that took f/a's down to the lower galley to cook the in-flight meals b4 they were brought up to be served. So cool!
TWA was known for many years as "the airline of the stars," and the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was truly the "star" of its fleet.
This aircraft was revolutionary, breathtaking and so quiet. Loved it!
What a wing! Great vintage footage! Thanks for sharing!
Great video! I remember flying with TWA back in 1986 from JFK to Copenhagen, Denmark. 747 service! That was the glory days of flying!
Love the L-1011 awesome jet. we had them out of CLT to ATL on Eastern back in the good old days when CLT was a small airport. Today it is getting bigger every day....but now you don't need to go to ATL..so that is Good. Never forget family time in the air it is the best...
Love the flap noise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing! Great video! Wow a plane with space in the cabin you sure don't see that anymore!
The Tristar was the finest wide-body ever made and the flight guidance was second to none in its time. I spent 15 years on the old girl and could of retired on her but time moves on. She also had the best Auto-Land system in the industry. Simply a great airplane.
I remember the days of having different airlines flight schedules in a book...as a kid i once went out of my way to fly the L1011...i took a flight from DCA to LGA...then took L1011 from LGA to Atl...man the memories on that plane....loved the tri-jet era...727 second favorite.
I loved the l1011.. I flew in it with TWA.. NYC . Arizona and back stopping in St Louis.. it was quiet and magestic..it amazed
Me that this huge aircraft could even lift off.. I miss it..
Nice video......love the ol' Tri Star
I knew a TWA career employee, he said the the L-1011's rattled like crazy on takeoff and landing, but TWA employees loved them... never had the opportunity to fly one.... was also said to be the most advanced aircraft of the time and that pilots loved them.... thanks for the nice video...
The overhead bins rattled around like they were on a suspension system, it wasn't the plane rattling, the interiors are made by third party firms
When the engines started up I thought they were flying through clouds...
I was lucky enough to be a pilot in all trijets made in America, B727, DC10 and L1011; all of them great and each one my favorite for diverse reasons. I retired on 777/787 and still prefer the TriStar. Heavy on the controls, superb autoland and features that just now are appearing on the 787.
I love everything about this. What a slice of life!
Great video! Thanks for the memories! I worked at TWA from 1983 through 1999 in L.A.. The 1011 was my favorite A/C!
I miss the days with NO winglets or wing flex that makes paper look bad. The old birds were solid and tough.
wing flex is good. what are you talking about?
You miss my point. I'm fully aware of the importance of it.
FTW are you talking about dipshit. Flexible structures are more reliable and safer. Why do you think they design skyscrapers to sway in the wind? LULZ Try next time
Winglets cut down drag. Make flight control surfaces easier to control and reduces fuel use. Hahaha your probably 12 also.
Ignore him. He's clearly one of those Airbs "rigid wing" fanboys. Airplanes with flexible wings perform astronomically better in high action aerodynamic events such as turbulence or crosswind landings. That guy seems a little nutty!
Thank you for posting this, I enjoyed it very much
Great video! As a long time former TWA employee, I love watching these! Even though the footage was shot 27 years ago, it appears as if it was shot last week. Such great memories of that amazing aircraft, the L-1011, not to mention the B-707, B-727 and B-747! Douglas DC-9's and MD-80's were great too!
we can share the same Feelings me also former European TWA emplyoee. when i watched that Video it was just like yesterday like TWA never stopped operating. TWA for the best of America!
My dad and I are former TWA employees. Thanks for the share and bringing a flood of memories. Flown on this plane many times.
Beautiful plane, loved that L1011 and at a time when flying was enjoyable, comfortable, not packed in like sardines
The L1011 was better known as the Cadillac Of The Skies . What an awesome , comfortable airliner from Lockheed
Some classic aircraft and airlines in the taxi, in the days before winglets.
Hella beautiful throwbacks!...✊😎✊
Love this! I was born 6 years after this so I’ll never know the joy of the simpler times and experiencing the 1011 first hand. So many cool planes and vintage liveries back then.
Love me some L-1011!!!
Retired Controller here. I jumpseated about a dozen times in my career and my one trip on an L-1011, was my most memorable. Huge cockpit, great view! Smoothest flight, including Takeoff and landing. Just an awesome jet - the best!
Thanks for sharing, a nice rare view of the cabin. I was lucky enough to fly the 1011 on a few occasions. MCO to ATL on DL in the early 90s. ALQ to STL on TWA, again, early 90s. I wish I had videos like this of my experiences.
Thanks for posting! I loved the L10-11 and the DC-10, never got the chance to fly one.
MD-11 was another tri engine jet liner, flew it on last flight with FinnAir JFK - HEL before most were converted P2F
nothin' like a Tristarus Rex, folks :)
Wonderful video!! Thank you! It's as if I was on the plane. I worked for TWA and have some of my fondest memories from back then!
Haha I love it when the RB.211 coughs up a bit of cloud like a lifelong smoker before coming to life. Love it.
Seeing the Pan Am logo going by reminds me of one of the best flags ever flown on a commercial airline and the L-1011 the best plane ever built.
wow pan am, twa the best airlines, oh let's not forget eastern
wish I flew on an L-1011
The L-1011's were my favorite plane to fly on when they were still around. They creaked and groaned on the taxiway, but once they were in the air, they flew smooth and effortlessly. And with only 9 seats across in coach, along with no overhead bins over the center seats, the cabin felt like a gymnasium!
CrocDoc1 That's super interesting. The interiors certainly were nice.
Rugged old bird. Nice to see some vintage wing-view videos!
As a kid this was the aircraft I most wanted to get on. Missed out on it as well as the DC-8
I remember how astonishing wide-body planes like the L-1011 were for me, in that it was around 8 years since I was traveling in DC-6s, DC-7s and Super Constellations. I liked the L-1011, having been aboard TWA and Eastern L-1011s.
Excellent video of one of my favorite aircraft in my favorite livery. There was just something about these TWA L1011's that spoke to me. I still remember arriving at Lambert St.Louis (KSTL) in 1996 as a 10yr old. There wasn't a plane in sight as we arrived at the terminal drop off when; All of the sudden, with the iconic roar of the RB-211 engines, a Trans World L1011 came into view from behind the terminal as it rotated and climbed off runway 30L. Seeing that L1011 in TWA livery at high speed lifting from the Earth was nothing short of spiritual and is one of the defining moments that inspired me to become a pilot. On a side note, at about 1:18 in the video a Trump shuttle 727 taxis by and the guy behind the camera states "what a joke". That was great! Thanks!
Edit: 1:05 not 1:18
at least he tried an airline, its not easy as most go broke. what did biden do? nothing. l1011 was a great plane, my favorite, it almost was 2 engine which would have be huge for lockheed!
Back when everything was so much simpler and happier. I really wish I were alive during this era.
Wow. I wasn't around for much of the 90s, as the kids in the video are probably at least 10 years older than me by now (if not more). Looking back on this footage is crazy, because jets from airlines in old paint jobs that I haven't seen for more than a decade are casually lining up on the tarmac like ghosts from the past.
By the time I got interested in airplanes as a kid, the tristars were on their last legs and the dc-10s were soon to go. I can't imagine how much different aviation must feel for people who were used to the glory of these jets in the "old" days, but it's starting to hit me because even planes like the 757 that have been around forever (at least in my life) are starting to be retired and converted into fedex freighters. It's crazy how aviation changes in such a short time, and it's also crazy how time has a bad habit of slipping by ever so slightly.
+Rea1mHD Thanks for the thoughtful reply......the kids are me and my brother. We're now 30 and 27. Seems like a lifetime ago. They always served us a hot breakfast with sausage and eggs. The smell of sausage links still reminds me of early morning flights on TWA
Contrary to what most television broadcasters would have you believe, there are ramps, taxiways, and runways, but not a single location referred to as a tarmac at any airport.
L10-11 best airplane ever created. They were quiet and such a pleasure to fly on.
Awesome footage. I was still very young back then, but this somehow brings back memories and feelings of nostalgia. Going on a plane was still a novelty and a privilege, and people still enjoyed a sense of awe and wonder with the whole idea of air travel. The Tri-Jets were magnificent planes.
I was never born in the 90 but its so beautiful plane wish i could see it
L-1011 was known as "the limousine of the sky".
My first flight on an airplane ever...1988 from JFK to PBI on the TWA L1011...my goodness what an experience that was!! Even got to see the space shuttle lifting off in the distance as we approached PBI. Needless to say I was hooked on flight from there on!!!
When I flew it we were full most of the time. Loved that plane..it flew up hill the whole flight and on landing..
What a glorious bird & such a joy to fly. I remember flying L1011's while doing sorties over Naum back in 68, & bringing one of those birds back all shot up & riddled with holes. Indestructible air bus for sure.
Mom says Don't cry and on cue the kid starts wailing
Back in the day when LGA saw quite a bit of heavy metal. I miss the L-1011! Great footage, thanks for sharing this!
Best plane ever made.
Looking so nice! Thank you for sharing.
great vintage footage.absolutely love this airplane.grew up in the 80s and 90s so I remember when these birds were regular sights at airports around the world.used to love going to JFK to see tons of trijets and Pan Am 747 classics.miss those days.I like how Lockheed was really the pioneer of plenty of technologies on this aircraft.also the real pioneer of curved ceilings (well, semi-curved) that the triple 7's sport now.look how spacious those vaulted ceilings looked with the ones configured without the center bins!and strangely the 2-5-2 configuration made the cabin seem wider in appearance,at least to me, because you see five seats in the center instead of three in today's ubiquitous 3-3-3 config.Even the 747 classic cabin seems more spacious than that of a 747-400 or 8i to me since the smaller overhead bins revealed those sidewalls more and emphasized how completely vertical they were which is unique to the 747 (and also the A380 main deck now I guess).great video though.glad you included the cabin shots.brought back memories of my experiences with the tristar.what video camera were you using?circa 1990,my dad was still using the huge hundred-pound shoulder-mounted camera that held a full VHS tape.When we went on a trip to Europe,it was in a separate case that looked like a another luggage.lol.
I like how you can still hear the engine buzz from the back because of the engine on the tail/the back of the plane.
Flew on Delta L 1011 from Honolulu to San Diego and back in 1998. It was a great airplane sad they don’t exist anymore.
Had the pleasure of flying on a Delta Airline's L-1011 non-stop from Atlanta to Paris....and then back. Extremely cavernous inside and a dream to fly on. Thanks for sharing this.👍
26 years flying the TriStar. Best airliner ever. I’ve got 14 years in the 747-400, and while the 747 is a fabulous airplane it’s not a TriStar on its best day.
Thanks for sharing this, really awesome to see!
In my opinion, this footage is worth a lot. Would have loved to fly on that beauty of a plane!
I worked this flight from time to time.... it was a great flight too! Easy beverage and snack service....we served the turkey w/ swiss cheese on a roll and roast beef with cheddar on a Kaiser roll....first class usually got cheeseburgers w/ potato salad, or clam chowder with turkey and ham sandwiches on swiss cheese and marble bread....Those were the good old days! :)
British airways had loads of L1011 when I was a child in 1980s in London .
So many airlines like saudia , gulf air ,
Even made them more spectacular and famous.😊
This takes me back, I soloed at PBI two days before the video was shot. You can see the small runway and my FBO right in the last few seconds of this video. Been an airline pilot for over 20 years now. Thanks for the memory!
This was filmed exactly one year to the day before I was born!
Cool to see some of the more mundane things of life that I missed.
Awesome time! When people were still people!
Fedel ledef Yep, wtf has happend to the world
6:55 Yup your oldman was eyeing up the hostess Vince.
TWA was my favourite airline!
Thank you.
*Really fantastic video, a lot (!!) of history - awesome sights in it. HUGE thanks to your dad...stuff like this is quite rare. Really 5star, THANKS for posting this.*
I miss you T.W.A. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE BEST OF THE BEST, end of story !!!!!!!
Thank you. So do we.
I flew on an Eastern L10-11 twice as a kid. From JFK to MIA. Amazing how we used to fly widebodies on domestic flights. I also flew on another domestic widebody National 747-100 in the early 70's from JFK to MIA as well.
Great footage, thank you so much for sharing this video. I was on a L-1011 when I was a kid great memories.
Your fortunate to have these home movies. How wonderful to look back on your family trips. Two lucky boys that maybe have children of their own by now to share these with. Never flew on a L-1011, but looks similar inside to the only DC-10 that I flew on.
+Cathy Meyer Thank you for the nice comment. Our mom was a flight attendant and we flew non rev all the time. Rarely had a problem getting seats, as you can see in this video. My brother and I are now 27 and 30. Seems like a lifetime ago. No kids yet but soon hopefully and they'll certainly enjoy these videos.
Filmed on my birthday. 4 years later I’d be born. Crazy how time moves so fast
Last time i flew on a L1011, was late 90s with Airtransat, one of the last airlines still using them then.
Took Air Transat L1011 YMX-SJU in 2001, a few months before all the fun stopped.
I so clearly remember that overhead Rolls spooling up.
Thanks for the memories!
Great to see this. I was only on one L1011 ever. It was a TWA flight from LHR (London) to JFK in May 1990. The plane had Gulf Air markings. Think they had an arrangement between them. I was on the right side (window seat) above a rear cargo door. My first trip to USA. I remember the plane feel like it was dangling patiently and smoothly in the sky in the final stages of the flight. Wish I'd had a camera on board back then, but the memories are good enough!
An absolutely terrific airplane, like the DC-10 the engine sound is amazing
Great video! In '91 I was a Delta F/O on the 72. I might have been in that line for takeoff. I once needed a ride from ORD to JFK and a TWA crew was nice enough to offer me a jump-seat ride. They even let me ride on the crew van to their layover hotel on Long Island to save my folks from having to drive all the way to JFK. I was was sorry to see TWA fold.