Speedbird741 From Portugal, joined Aug 2008, 654 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 2 months 1 week 11 hours ago) and read 1705 times:
I would like this thread to serve as a mean to pay homage to particular aircraft that, for whatever reason, will always be in your memory and in your heart. Amongst us enthusiasts, this might be taking our passion a dash to far, but for others, such as myself, this is very much what aviation is about. I must confess that I could not resist starting this thread after seeing a picture of D2-TEA baking in the Johannesburg sun, awaiting its end. I knew where this aircraft was, and what its situation is, but seeing the picture was somewhat of a punch in the stomach. So, without further ado, share with us an aeroplane or aeroplanes that are now retired, and will always be in your memories and hearts, as well as the story behind them if you wish to do so.
My two birds are G-BNLB and D2-TEA. The single most memorable flight in my life was onboard G-BNLB. It took me from Miami to London, and it was one of the first times that I ever flew in First. I was flying with my family and two friends and had the cabin for ourselves. Everything from the crew, to the company, to the food was absolutely spot on. I'll never forget how magical it was to see that particular sunrise over the Atlantic. At the end of the flight, we stayed onboard chatting with the cabin and flight deck crew and left the aircraft at the same time as they did. Frankly, it was the perfect flight. I got the chance to fly LB only twice after that flight. As for D2-TEA, well, it's an aircraft that I have flown on since a child, countless times. I'll never forget the times that I flew in the cockpit of that bird, or of TEB, which is also retired, on the Luanda-Lisbon-Luanda hops, either because we knew the captain or because the cabin was full (that's the old days of TAAG for ya'). May these birds remain as glorious as ever in our memories =)
fbgdavidson From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 3687 posts, RR: 32 Reply 1, posted (1 year 2 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 1698 times:
G-BOAD - supersonic LHR-JFK, need I say more?
G-VIIG - the BA 777 that I emigrated to the US on. Have flown it a handful of times since, most recently as yesterday and although it's not BA's finest 777 it's always good to see it at the gate...
Those are the only two I can really think of, I don't take note of the registration unless it's for a trip report.
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
RyanairGuru From Australia, joined Oct 2006, 2493 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (1 year 2 months 1 week 2 hours ago) and read 1640 times:
I generally don't note registrations, so I don't keep tabs on if I fly a plane twice. However there is one very special bird for me...
G-CEAF
I had dreamed forever of flying on a 737-200 and by the 2000s it was looking like it would never happen, especially in Europe. And then in 2002 we went to Greece on a package holiday, with the flights on European Aviation Charter. Well I was over the moon, I was finally going to get a 732! And then I got the same one both ways, so since then she's always had a special place in my heart...
She started life back in 1 June 1974 with Sabena as OO-SDD (she was a -229), lease in Spantax from 1987 to 1988 and re-registered as EC-EEG. She then remained with Sabena until 1993 (with a brief sabbatical at Sobelair).
From what I can gather she was stored from 1993 to 1999, when she returned to service with EAF. She was initially registered at G-BYRI and then G-CEAF. In 2001 she was leased to the short-lived FlyEuropa, and then from 2003 t0 2008 she wore Palmair titles. In the 18 months between returning from Europa and going to Palmair she was all-white.
She was retired on 1 December 2008 (34.5 yo) and scrapped
This is her in all-white as she was in 2002.
(Incidentally in 2005 my KQ flight from NBO-MBA was subbed from a 733 to a 732 so I got a third one - by that time KQ had retired the type from regular scheduled service so it was nice to get on one of their last flights)
rwy04lga From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2142 posts, RR: 7 Reply 3, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 1611 times:
VT-ESO, rode in the cockpit during takeoff in 1995 and filmed it. 6 weeks later flew the same plane back to JFK. 7 years later, again same plane to LHR, 3 weeks later on the return to JFK, yep! VT-ESO for the 4th time! All 4 flights I've ever taken on Air India, all at least 3 weeks apart, same plane. Check YouTube for 'ecw11563' for the video. There's 2 postings of the same video, look for the 'newer' one.
Eastern Electra on the LGA-DCA-LGA run was always a favorite. BEA Vanguard form EDI to LHR in '72 was sweet. G-AWNA for BOAC was this boys first 747, and as an UMNR!
The early bird gets the worm, BUT...the second mouse gets the cheese!
GBLKD From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2011, 345 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 1575 times:
First one is Air Atlantique DC-3 G-AMRA, my first ever fixed wing flight. It's been on T.V. a few times and has been flown by Bruce Dickinson in his series "Flying Heavy Metal"
Second one is G-BLKD (see my username) which was a B733 owned by Orion Airways which was my first ride on a jetliner. It was only about a month old at the time and took me from BHX to Treviso for my first ever foreign holiday. It's now N692SW now, I'm guessing that if it's not been consigned to the desert yet it can't be long coming.
icarus75 From France, joined Oct 2003, 766 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 1556 times:
For me is the Caravelle Super 12.
It was my first domestic flight in France between PGF & ORY with Air Inter.
It has also been my first international flight between ORY & ATH with Corse Air International
airportugal310 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 3056 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1508 times:
Mostly the A310-300...in particular CS-TEX and CS-TGU if I had to pick a few
Memorable flights on both, always flying BOS/EWR-LIS (v/v)
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