L1011 Flying Hospital - Any Updates? — Civil Aviation Forum

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L1011 Flying Hospital - Any Updates?

L1011dal From United States, joined Oct 2001, 118 posts, RR: 0
Posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1310 times:

Does anyone know the status of the Flying Hospital? I saw the aircraft parked in TUS in early 2005 and can't find anything on the status of this aircraft. Will it ever fly again? Who's the current owner? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.l1011.homestead.com/flyinghosp.html

13 replies: All unread, jump to last

AGM100 From United States, joined Dec 2003, 2459 posts, RR: 11
Reply 1, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1301 times:

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L1011dal, I will give a look for it next time I drive by the south ramp here in TUS. The aircraft was still here in May 06, the last time I went down that way.

Will let you know,

What ? You re-elected Murtha!! ? What happened to PA ?

L1011dal From United States, joined Oct 2001, 118 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 1131 times:

Thanks AGM100 for checking. Looking forward to any informtion on this aircraft. It would be nice to see the aircraft in operation again.

Quoting AGM100 (Reply 1):
L1011dal, I will give a look for it next time I drive by the south ramp here in TUS. The aircraft was still here in May 06, the last time I went down that way.

NASCARAirforce From United States, joined Feb 2005, 1656 posts, RR: 3
Reply 3, posted (2 years 5 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 998 times:

Wasn't it because Pat Robertson was using that airplane for his diamond mining operations in Africa 95% of the time rather than for what it was supposed to be for?

AGM100 From United States, joined Dec 2003, 2459 posts, RR: 11
Reply 4, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 807 times:

The aircraft is still sitting on the "South 40" in Tucson.

Quoting NASCARAirforce (Reply 3):
Wasn't it because Pat Robertson was using that airplane for his diamond mining operations in Africa 95% of the time rather than for what it was supposed to be for?

Not sure , but would not doubt it. I do know the aircraft is in fact equiped with surgery rooms and X ray equipemt.

What ? You re-elected Murtha!! ? What happened to PA ?

L1011dal From United States, joined Oct 2001, 118 posts, RR: 0
Reply 5, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 663 times:

Thanks AGM100 for the update.

FlyGuyClt From United States, joined Aug 2005, 537 posts, RR: 20
Reply 6, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 551 times:

All I will say is this. Actions speak louder than words. The man asked for money to get the airplane and many answered the call and sent him money. But where was the airplane during Katrina? It would have been a great asset to many at MSY when MSY was being used as a make shift hospital.

Safe Flying Smile

Florida Express, Braniff II and ......

TZTriStar500 From United States, joined Jan 2004, 768 posts, RR: 5
Reply 7, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 516 times:

Quoting FlyGuyClt (Reply 6):
All I will say is this. Actions speak louder than words. The man asked for money to get the airplane and many answered the call and sent him money. But where was the airplane during Katrina? It would have been a great asset to many at MSY when MSY was being used as a make shift hospital.

From the Operaion Blessing website "In light of rising terrorist attacks and world conflict, it has been decided Operation Blessing will not use The Flying Hospital on further missions at this time." It states it was last used in 2000.

An L-1011 is a very expensive aircraft to operate. It was probably decided it was getting too expensive that it outweighed the overall benefit. If it really hasn't been operated for about 5 years, its definitely not in a state of readiness any longer where a short notice trip to MSY could even have been possible. It would probabaly take months and 100s of thousands of dollars to make her operational now.

35 years of American Trans Air/ATA Airlines, 1973-2008. A great little airline that will not be soon forgotten.

TZTriStar500 From United States, joined Jan 2004, 768 posts, RR: 5
Reply 8, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 509 times:

Yes, actions do speak louder than words and Operation Blessing WAS helping in Katrina relief, just that the Flying Hospital was not there so don't be so quick to jump to conclusions. Check their website www.ob.org

35 years of American Trans Air/ATA Airlines, 1973-2008. A great little airline that will not be soon forgotten.

FlyGuyClt From United States, joined Aug 2005, 537 posts, RR: 20
Reply 9, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 449 times:

Quoting TZTriStar500 (Reply 8):

In case you missed it.

-This thread is about the airplane. NOT the entire operation.

-I only referred to the airplane and it was NOT in MSY.

-People did give money specifically to the organization for the airplane.

-Please don't read in to my post. I was talking about the airplane only.

Safe Flying

If the "Airplane" was too expensive after a short amount of use. Sure seems like a waste of people's donations to me. (My opinion, not doctrin)

[Edited 2006-07-14 19:57:48]

Florida Express, Braniff II and ......

Falstaff From United States, joined Jun 2006, 2887 posts, RR: 14
Reply 10, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 373 times:

Quoting TZTriStar500 (Reply 7):
An L-1011 is a very expensive aircraft to operate.

I am sure this has been brought up before, but what makes an L1011 so costly. I am sure it drinks fuel. Would the high cost be associated to the fact that there are not that many of them around and parts are more costly. Plus I assume that as aircraft age they get more maintainence intensive, much like a classic car. Are my assumptions correct?

My mug slaketh over on Falstaff N503

Aa757first From United States, joined Aug 2003, 2970 posts, RR: 10
Reply 11, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 326 times:

Quoting Falstaff (Reply 10):
I am sure this has been brought up before, but what makes an L1011 so costly. I am sure it drinks fuel. Would the high cost be associated to the fact that there are not that many of them around and parts are more costly. Plus I assume that as aircraft age they get more maintainence intensive, much like a classic car. Are my assumptions correct?

High fuel costs, high maintaince costs and there are three members of the cockpit crew instead of two.

AAndrew

TZTriStar500 From United States, joined Jan 2004, 768 posts, RR: 5
Reply 12, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 294 times:

Quoting FlyGuyClt (Reply 9):
In case you missed it.

-This thread is about the airplane. NOT the entire operation.

-I only referred to the airplane and it was NOT in MSY.

-People did give money specifically to the organization for the airplane.

-Please don't read in to my post. I was talking about the airplane only.

Safe Flying

If the "Airplane" was too expensive after a short amount of use. Sure seems like a waste of people's donations to me. (My opinion, not doctrin)

Ah sarcasm, very cute Yeah sure

How is it possible to bring up the movement of the aircraft without including the organization its a part of? The airplane does not operate on its own. The website clearly shows the many good things that the aircraft assisted in during the time it was in operation which outweighed its initial cost. Now, I would guess there is much more cost effective ways to help considering the cost of the aircrafts operation. Perhaps a DC10 would have been a better airframe.

35 years of American Trans Air/ATA Airlines, 1973-2008. A great little airline that will not be soon forgotten.

Da man From United States, joined Sep 2001, 887 posts, RR: 10
Reply 13, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 273 times:

Quoting TZTriStar500 (Reply 12):
Perhaps a DC10 would have been a better airframe.

Another consideration is the fact that the L-1011 airframe is a -100 model, originally a -1 for PSA, and upgraded by Lockheed to -100 for AeroPeru. Since it is a ex-PSA airframe it has the lower lounge where the forward cargo hold is on other L-1011s.

The -100 model still uses the same RB211-22B engines that are now becoming so hard to get spares for. If the Flying Hospital is ever reactivated it might be worth the expense of upgrading the airframe to -200 or -250 standard so it uses the RB211-524B4 engines that the -500 uses.

War Eagle!

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