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What Are The Oldest Operating Commercial Aircraft?
Commercial jet flight as we know it today has been around for almost 50 years. That is an amazing span of time across which many new technologies, aircraft, and even planemakers have arisen and made their names in the market– though some of them are no longer flying. (simpleflying.com) Daha Fazlası...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
In the early 80s flew on a Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle in Ecuador. Just a curtain between cockpit and cabin. The instrument panel had holes where some gauges should've been. Night flight thru a thunderstorm into Quito - my scariest flight ever.
This takes me back to when my wife and I flew from South Florida to Abaco in the Bahamas in the early 80's. Small aircraft, no separation at all between the cockpit and cabin. We're sitting on the plane waiting for the pilot, several instruments labeled inoperative. The pilot enters the plane through the window, not bothering with the door and says "hello, welcome! here's the safety briefing: If anything bad happens, just follow me because I'll be the first one out".
Once we got airborne and on the way, I felt OK, but on approach for landing at Marsh Harbour Int'l Airport, we flew over one plane wreck in the water and then saw another wreck shoved to the side off the runway. The terminal was a very small wood frame building. What an experience!
Once we got airborne and on the way, I felt OK, but on approach for landing at Marsh Harbour Int'l Airport, we flew over one plane wreck in the water and then saw another wreck shoved to the side off the runway. The terminal was a very small wood frame building. What an experience!
Is Western Airways still using the Wright Flyer...just asking.
If the definition of Commercial Jet flight is stretched a little, one of the earliest - but still flying & immaculate - is Clay Lacey's Learjet 23/24.
Was lucky enough to see it - and its incredible interior with its full portraits of other Learjet customers - at the 50th Anniversary. When I was peering through the cabin windows, Clay himself opened her up so I could see & photograph them clearly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVapjLaSyrY
Was lucky enough to see it - and its incredible interior with its full portraits of other Learjet customers - at the 50th Anniversary. When I was peering through the cabin windows, Clay himself opened her up so I could see & photograph them clearly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVapjLaSyrY
Sorry its more than 50 years. I flew on a VC10 from London Heathrow to Montreal (Dorval) on 11 Appril 1967.
The British De Havilland Comet made it's first test flight in 1949 and it's first commercial flight sporting BOAC colors (colours) on May 2nd, 1952. Too bad it had fatal problems and was short lived, but that's what can happen when you are the leader of the pack.