TriStar500.net News

CS-TEB active again

2008-04-16T21:31:00.006+01:00

After long term storage at Abu Dhabi due to cracks and corrosion that were found, and after some important structural repairs, CS-TEB finally landed today at Lisbon!

A short and successful test-flight was accomplished previously last 12th of April, in Abu Dhabi.

Here is a photo of this beauty after landing in Lisbon under the pouring rain. Welcome again CS-TEB!

CS-TMX the end has come

2008-04-16T20:36:00.008+01:00

Last 10th of April CS-TMX msn 1206 was scrapped for good! After being cannibalized from all its reusable parts, the cutting machines left this once great machine in thousands of pieces.

The last owner of the aircraft was euroAtlantic airways and some of the parts were saved to keep their L-1011 CS-TEB flying.

The last flight of CS-TMX was done in June of 2006 and since then it was stored at LIS airport.

(photos via Manuel Morais)

Fleet Updates

2008-02-02T19:54:00.000Z

CS-TMX, msn 193H-1206, euroAtlantic airways

Still waiting for the axe in front of TAP's Hangar5 (photos taken on 1st February 2008)

OD-ZEE, msn 293B-1239, Globejet Airlines

Spotted still parked at VVI (Santa Cruz Bolivia) on January 8, 2008
Factfile updated

CS-TEB, msn 293B-1240, euroAtlantic airways

Still stored at Abu Dhabi. To return soon.

CS-TMR, msn 293B-1241, LUZair

Finishing C-check works at Victorville

TL-ADW, msn 293B-1242, Privilege Jet

Seen at Jeddah during last January, doing Hajj flights; new name "Farah"
Suffered a tire burst during take-off: Africa-Bound Pilgrim Plane Aborts Takeoff
Factfile updated, including a photo taken on 6th January 2008

XT-BRK, msn 293B-1243, Kallat Elsaker

Seen at Jeddah during last January, doing Hajj flights; new name "Mabruk"
Factfile updated, including a photo taken on 1st January 2008

CS-TMP, msn 193H-1248, LUZair

Leased to Meridian Airlines (Nigeria) from 24th November until 14th December 2008
Operated Hajj flights between cities of Abuja, Minna, Kaduna and Kano (in Nigeria) and Jeddah
In December also operated some flights for TAAG and Blue Panorama
Leased again to Meridian Airlines from 1st January until 22th January 2008 for Hajj outbound phase
Factfile updated. The number of flying hours and cycles of this aircraft was also updated
Aircraft is now at Amman for maintenance

List of all L-1011s spotted by me at Jeddah during Hajj:

CS-TMP, LUZair
9G-BSM, Air Charter Express
TL-ADW, Privilege Jet
XT-BRK, Kallat Elsaker
N194AT, Med-View

N194AT @ Jeddah

B707 record was broken: 25 years of L-1011 in Portugal!

2008-01-15T14:02:00.000Z

15th January 1983

25 years ago, arrived in Lisbon the first L-1011-500 for TAP Air Portugal. Since then, the type has been continuously in operation in Portugal. Until today 8 L-1011s were registered in Portugal and 7 of them belonged to TAP. TAP phased-out the type in 1997, but some charter airlines kept the TriStar flying in Portugal until today. These days, only CS-TMP from LUZair is flying (old CS-TEG at TAP) but the fleet will hopefully grow up again with the return in service of CS-TMR and CS-TEB.

With 25 years of operation in Portugal, the TriStar is now the longest time jetliner in this country after the B727 which operated from 1967 until 1993 (TAP + Air Columbus).

Kallat Elsaker's L-1011 fleet with new reg. numbers

2007-12-05T10:14:00.000Z

OD-MIR (msn 1246) and OD-JOE (msn 1243) recently bought from Globejet Airlines are now respectively XT-RAD and XT-BRK.

See photo at Airliners.net.

Their factfiles were already updated.

MSN 293B-1242 changes registration number

2007-12-01T20:55:00.000Z

Privilege Jet Airlines' TriStar 500 YK-DLC has now become TL-ADW. Privilege Jet's website is active again although under construction.

www.privilegejetairlines.com

MSN 293B-1242 factfile's will be updated as soon as possible.

Globe Jet sells their L-1011 fleet

2007-11-17T20:27:00.000Z

Kallat Elsaker Air, a libyan operator, has bought OD-MIR (msn 1246) and OD-JOE (msn 1243) from Globe Jet.

The most beautiful plane in the world

2007-11-13T08:23:00.000Z

Did you know that...

2007-11-04T18:56:00.000Z

1. Pan Am was the first airline to operate the TriStar 500 with extended wingtips/active ailerons, in 1980?
2. The first TriStar 500 models delivered to British Airways in 1979 did not originally have the wingtip extensions? They were retrofitted later.

3. The extended wingtips/ active ailerons were first installed and tested in the L-1011 prototype (N1011)?

N1011 - standard lenght TriStar - with active ailerons

You can read more about active ailerons/active control system here.

TWAHistory.com

2007-11-04T18:41:00.000Z

TWA (now absorbed by American Airlines) was one of the most important airlines in the world. It was also one of the main L-1011 operators.

If you are interested in airline history and memorabilia perhaps you will enjoy spending some minutes visiting this blog:

URL: www.twahistory.com

This site was added to our links' section.

Portuguese TriStar fleet status 11/07

2007-11-03T19:59:00.002Z

euroAtlantic CS-TEB - stored at Abu Dhabi, waiting slot for further maintenance works
euroAtlantic CS-TMX - stored at Lisbon, to be scrapped soon
LUZair CS-TMP - active
LUZair CS-TMR- in maintenance at Victorville, finishing C-check works

Globe Jet lost its AOC

2007-11-02T20:08:00.001Z

Lebanese CAA has pulled the rights of Globe Jet Airlines (based in Beirut) to operate. It seems the three TriStar 500 are now in the process of being sold. Those were ex-TAP/Air Transat aircraft:

MSN 293B-1239 OD-ZEE (impounded at Santa Cruz)
MSN 293B-1243 OD-JOE
MSN 193H-1246 OD-MIR

After another transatlantic flight

2007-10-27T12:57:00.000+01:00

TAP long haul fleet

2007-10-21T16:44:00.000+01:00

The past and the present together...

Good old days!

Did you know that...

2007-10-17T06:52:00.000+01:00

Rear doors in the L-1011-500 are 10cm smaller with respect to height?

Arrival @ LIS

2007-10-15T10:36:00.001+01:00

Deplaning... Look how distant the engines are placed from the fuselage

TriStar's dolphin nose! Parked @ F06

Maintenance preparing the aircraft for the next flight

TriStar @ BRU

2007-10-15T09:03:00.000+01:00

TriStar's really nice and huge cabin! :)

Control Tower @ BRU at dawn

Wing view from 30K seat

Looking to the horizontal stabilizer. It has also a considerable span!

CS-TMP: back in service!

2007-10-12T00:48:00.000+01:00

Globe Jet's OD-ZEE

2007-10-09T20:04:00.000+01:00

L-1011-500, OD-ZEE, MSN 293B-1239 was impounded at Viru Viru International airport (Santa Cruz - Bolívia) after LAB ceased its operations, earlier this year. The aircraft is still stored at VVI and its future doesn't seem very bright unless the $4m owed is paid.

Here you can see a photo of this aircraft taken last September. OD-ZEE was the old TAP Air Portugal's flagship with registration CS-TEA.

Factfile was already updated.

Lockheed 2000 Freighter

2007-09-25T05:44:00.001+01:00

This was an old idea from Lockheed to convert some L-1011s to freighter aircraft. However, Lockheed never sold this mod program.

Portuguese TriStar fleet status 09/07

2007-09-21T21:55:00.000+01:00

euroAtlantic CS-TEB @ Abu Dhabi / GAMCO (C-Check)
euroAtlantic CS-TMX @ Lisbon (to be scrapped)
LUZair CS-TMP @ Amman / JorAMCo (A-Check)
LUZair CS-TMR @ Victorville / VAL (C-Check)

L-1011 vs DC-10

2007-09-12T02:53:00.001+01:00

We must be careful when comparing these two aircrafts. The main difference is: when did Douglas have its first DC-10 long-range aircraft? It entered in service in 1971 with DC-10-30 series!

Now the same question for Lockheed, when did it have its long-ranger? It entered in service in 1979! Almost one decade later! Of course Lockheed could not compete in the long range market.
There were sold 199 L-1011 -1,-100,-200 and there were sold 138 DC-10-10 and DC-10-15. Now this is a fair comparison!

Why long range version of the TriStar was delayed? Well, not because RB211 reliability problems or so. Just because its production and development for more powerful versions was halted almost for one year due to RR bankruptcy, which also affected initial sales. It was delayed even further due to overcapacity with the airlines and depressed market. The TriStar 500 could have been ready by 1977 and before that Lockheed studied -250 long range version with same -500 engines, MTOW and fuel capacity. But it never came to a production standard. There are only 6 L-1011-250 which were converted from -1 series in 1986, after end of production!

When TriStar 500 entered in service, it was too late. In early 80's it was facing competition not only from DC-10 but also from 2nd generation and more fuel efficient, two crew man, twin jets.

No doubt the L-1011 was technically superior and safer than the DC-10. However, the DC-10 when compared to the TriStar had a better payload-range having from the beginning a truly long range version.
The L-1011-1 was simply fine for USA coast to coast routes for which it was designed.

Why the DC-10 stayed longer with airlines? Easy. More aircrafts flying, more spare parts, effective technical support from McDonnell Douglas.

Finally, it seems McDonnell Douglas also never made money with DC-10. If it wasn't for KC-10 contract with 60 units built for USAF, which ketp production line opened until 1988, it would also have suffered big losses.

TAP - TriStar 500 cabin in the eighties

2007-08-30T15:44:00.000+01:00

It's amazing the sense of space! It was a very clean and bright cabin.

Globe Jet's OD-JOE

2007-08-02T05:05:00.001+01:00

This other ex-TAP L-1011 is still kicking around! Seen in service at Accra operating for Ghana International Airlines.
See cockpit photo here, cabin view here, and the updated factfile.

Also, OD-MIR (ex CS-TEF) from Globe Jet, has been flying for Fischer Air Polska.

YK-DLC

2007-07-30T20:14:00.000+01:00

Just to announce a little update in the factfile of aircraft MSN 293B-1242, registered YK-DLC with Privilege Jet Airlines.
Thanks to Holger Ludwig for the information about the current status of this ex-TAP L-1011.