A dream come true for me!

[UAL Tripple 7]

I'm sure everyone on here by now knows that I am an aviation fanatic. One thing in this world is responsible for making me this way. The Lockheed L1011. That is the plane that made me take notice of aviation. The first time I saw one was after moving to Atlanta. I remember seeing this huge plane rocketing over my house on takeoff. I lived about a mile from the end of the runway so the plane was still pretty low. I thought it was the coolest looking machine I had ever seen. My pops booked 2 tickets to fly from Atlanta to Chicago and back just so I could ride on the L1011. Time went on and all of the domestic airlines retired all of the L1011 except for ATA. I always regretted not having taken a picture of one when I had the chance. This was long before the days of digital cameras. I often would day dream about if I was to come across one now days I could get a pic. I was at the point of thinking I would never see another L1011 in my life time. Well a few days ago my company sent me too Canada. I was supposed to fly from Calgary to Dallas and home to Chicago the next day without getting off of the plane. As luck would have it, my flight to Chicago got canceled due to bad weather. I ended up getting off of the plane to head to a hotel in Dallas. I looked out the window on the jet bridge and to my surprise an L1011 was parked right next to us. It was like seeing a long lost friend. I could hardly take the picture since my hands where shaking so much. Both of the pilots broke out cell phones and started snapping pics to. We looked like a bunch of kids. Sorry for the long story, but I just had to give a back drop as to why this is now one of my most cherished pictures. The pic itself sucks but its still my favorite. To this day I still think this is the coolest looking airliners ever built although I'm sure many would say the Concorde. The Rolls Royce engines on this bird sound so sweet. Its hard to believe something this cool was designed back in 1968.

[G-spot]

It looks like it was designed recently. Compared to the modern ones I see at airports. This hasn't been retrofitted, right? Stock original parts?

[UAL Tripple 7]

Thats the way it looked the day it was built. I did some research on this plane which is N163AT and the only real mod done to it was having an extra door added to it after it was sold to ATA from Royal Jordanian Airlines. Its sad, but less than 32 of these planes are still flying today. The rest have been destroyed and sold for scrap metal.

[4-G-rim]

I used to be a HUGE airplane junkie when I was younger back in the days. Being my dad being in the Navy, the warplanes were the greatest things to me...besides cars of course.

When my dad was stationed here in Orlando, we lived in a Naval housing base literally next to Orlando International airport and my dad would take me to where you could see the airlines fly right over you right before they landed. I remember seeing those planes alot and thought they were pretty cool too.

[rez887]

this is my dream:
747 SP

[RAZ_76]

this is my dream:
747 SP

It's not carring any Nuclear Bombs, is it?? Jk

[UAL Tripple 7]

Hey Rez the 2 planes in that last pic are in DC all the time. I took a pic of the 767 a few months ago and I took a pic of that 747SP over the summer. I still remember when United Airlines flew the SP. They looked too funny like someone squished up a regular 747.

[98GalantDriver]

i like cessnas... ide like to get my PPL, but thats a little ways off rite now... :P

[Stewi]

So the SP is essentially the short bus of airplanes?


LOL...j/k

[VegasMatt]

I have flown on L1011 Tristars many times when I lived in Saudi Arabia. At the time, Saudia Airlines had flown those domestically between Riyadh and Dharan and Jeddah. I even sat in the cockpit for one of the flights to Cairo.


Old Livery

[SkylineG1]

Yep those are sweet planes.

here:






you can find a ton more at www.airliners.net

[djflex167]

America Airlines is the best! great service!

[VegasMatt]

I have seen the 747 and 767 parked in Vegas for a while, that is where the pic was taken. Any idea who owns these planes? Private jets for a casino, or person, or a charter jet?


NM: Just did some homework and found out they are owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corp. Owners of the Venetian and Palazo Casinos here in Vegas and and the Sands in Macau. The 4th richest man in the world owns those jets, and I read they are hooked up inside, wish I could find some interior pics.