L-1011 Tri-Star

[XTW]

.

, and it is fast (although the 747 and 777 are faster). .

I don't know what the speeds are for the 747 or 777, but our L10's were Vmo'ed at .90, although normal cruise was .84-.86 above 26000', 375kts 10,000- 26,000', and 350kts below 10,000'.

I remember, as a new-hire FE, walking down the concourse as a class with our instructor, to do a walk-around on an airplane that was at the gate. As a group, we were easy to pickout as eager new-hires to the seasoned crewmembers that we were passing. On our way to the airplane, a senior Captain approached us and asked us what airplane we had been hired on to. We told him the L1011. With that, he asked to examine one of our classmates index finger. He said, "Hmm, you'll get a callous on that soon enough!"

You see, all the switches on the engineer panel were push button type as opposed to toggle switches.


M. St. Lawrence- Captain J.S.Hart had many fond memories and stories of flying with you. I wish I had the pleasure also.


XTW

 

[AA717driver]

XTW--Is M. St Lawrence one of us? Or did Capt. Hart fly with him in the military?

Good thing I still have the callous on my button pusher. I use it too much these days...

Take care.TC

 

[XTW]

Callous Palms

TC,

Captain St. Lawrence retired just around the time we were hired. From the stories J.S.H. told, I'm sorry I missed him, he sounded like quite a character. Another part of the colorful history!

XTW

PS. Still got my callouses too. It happens after 5000+ hrs. of switchlight pushing and all!

 

[Whirlwind]

For anyone interested, AIRLINERS ( the magazine ) a year or so ago had a special edition dedicated to the L-1011. In addition to amazing photos, the article really got into the race between Lockheed and McDonnel Douglas in who could bring their new state of the art aircraft to the market place first.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that one of the main problems is that the market wasn't quite big enough to support both airplanes (and the 747 was big enough over those two to make its own market), which is why in the end their companies ended up giving the commercial airliner market over to Boeing.

If the MD-11 is so good, why doesn't Boeing build another similar design with 2 engines? Or is that just too far into the "not invented here" syndrome?

 

[ArcticFlier]

Its awsome to see others have the same enthusiasm and love for the TriStar. ITs an awsome machine, and aperantly it has touched the lives of many. As its weared to see machine do that because normaly people are the ones to touch others lives not machines....

As far as TriStar stories, as a kid my First trip was on a TriStar was in 1982. I was 8 years, and I remember it like yesterday, i even remember the inflight movie, it was Star wars.

Since that date I ended up probably sitting in the Jump seat in the cockpit over 300 hours if not more. As I grew up and travelled the wrold from Singapore in the east to LAX in the west. As my Father was a Captain on the TriStar for an over seas Carrier, they use to allow special people like your airplane loving kids to sit up front. (Ahh the good old days).

Anyways, many memories and valuble lessons I learned from sitting and observing in the cockpit of the TriStar.


AS far as stories go, The best are a take off from JFK going over seas for a 11 hour flight. IT was a late August muggy and humid New york night, and thunderstorms where all over the place. We lined up on the runway and I was sitting on the High jump seat right behind the Captain. and I can see the Radar sweeping left and right with these MAgenta colors right infront of the nose of the plane and the sky was lite up by lighting bolts like fly zappers.. anyways, we line up and the thrust is advanced to the Take off position and the F.E then fines tunes the Levers to the correct EPRs and down the runways we accelarated. I guess we where so heavy that we needed all the power the RB-211-524 can give, so the packs where off line, and it was awsome, because in the absensce of the noise normaly heard from the airconditioning , all we heard was the noise of the engines roaring as we accelerated down the runway and ate up every foot of pavement. Then as we broke ground, and sucked the gear up we went into a left bank to avoid then Storms as the Magenta was getting closer. IT was the most awsome Take off I have ever seen in my Life, That was over 16 years ago, and I can still remember it as it was last night.


Other cool memories, is watching a CAT III landings into AMS and VIE, and how the Auto throttle would mover the thrust levers bythem sellf and then watched that baby set her self so gracefully back on the pavement and the spoiler lever would move back by itslef.

Then as we Taxi, we would pass the center line by like 20 feet and then swing the nose there... it was awsome.

So many sweet memories. The sound of the RB-211 -524 when it lityes off. and the rumble you feel and hear....

Just today I was taxxing to the gate DFW and saw an ATA L-1011 take off 17R, must been a ferry flight because they where off the ground in like less than 3000 feeet..... It was sweet....

Too bad Iwill never get to fly my dream machine.

Happy memories.

T.

Who did your Dad fly the Tristar for?



AF

 

[Vector4fun]

My Dad was on the L-1011 for at least a dozen years. I got to spend a few days in the jumpseat with him.

I recall you can get at least 7 in the cockpit comfortably, especially if some are female. With the Pax asleep over the Pacific, and the door open, a dozen folks could party between the Capt's Chair and the forward galley.

Don't ask me how I know this......

 

[Snakum]

If I remember correctly, as a young Infantryman, all my TWA flights to FRA in the late 80s were on L1011s. I always thought they were a very sexy bird. Even the old cannibalized TriStar at Tradewinds' maintenance shop still looks sexy coming in on 5 at GSO.

Shame I will never get to fly one.

Minhommad the Mad Muslim Pig Farmer