concorde007 From United States of America, joined Mar 2010, 10 posts, RR: 0 Posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 15880 times:
Here is a little Friday morning fun for all the obsessed aircraft lovers on this site. I would like to know what the oldest (by manufactured date) aircraft are still in revenue service are. They can be commercial or cargo, Jet or Prop, any country... Any aircraft with pictures would be greatly appreciated... Lets cap the list at the 15, the 15 oldest aircraft still in service... TGIF, and happy weekend to all!!!
metjetceo From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 385 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 15701 times:
Braniff747SP From United States of America, joined Oct 2008, 2631 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 15651 times:
Quoting aloges (Reply 2): Built in 1943, this converted DC-3 is operated by Kenn Borek Air for Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
He said revenue service, so I assume that does not count. DC-3 does have to bee on the list, though.
The 747 will always be the TRUE queen of the skies!
oly720man From United Kingdom, joined May 2004, 6191 posts, RR: 11 Reply 5, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 15536 times:
Bennett123 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2004, 6363 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 15491 times:
I would define rev flights as fare paying passengers rather than employees of the owner/operator.
MEA-707 From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4117 posts, RR: 37 Reply 7, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 15439 times:
Buffalo Airways flies revenue pax between Yellowknife and Hay River with a DC-3.
There are also pax DC-3 flights to Zanzibar although that airline might have ceased ops. And there's also a pax DC-3 in Honduras, but not sure if it does regular flights. Most DC-3s are built between 1942 and 1945.
From the 50s, there are Convair 580s to Chatham Islands and domestic in Tonga. Also in Canada there are a lot of DHC-2 Beavers, for instance from Vancouver. For the rest most bigger pre 1984 turboprops have disappeared from passenger routes, Air North has some BAe-748s, maybe one or two F-27s in Sri Lanka and Burma left.
Jets; the final Northwest DC-9-40s are built in the late 1960s. When they retire, Aserca in Venezuela has still some 30s built around 1970. The final 707s (Saha), 727s (Iran Air, Ariana, Aerosur, Iran Aseman) are from 1975 and later.
nobody has ever died from hard work, but why take the risk?
nomadd22 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 1562 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15379 times:
The last passenger DC-3 I rode was Brazzaville to Pointe Noire in 92.
Catalina flying boats still uses 4 DC-3s. I think Everts uses DC-6s.
metjetceo From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 385 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15314 times:
akelley728 From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 2101 posts, RR: 6 Reply 11, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15225 times:
You can still catch flights in a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor:
jpiddink From Netherlands, joined Feb 2009, 104 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15185 times:
DDA (Dutch Dakota Association) flies so called 'Dakota Sunday' tours every month in the summer period. Everyone can show up and take a ride for 45 mins, paying €115. They also do business trips. Does that count as revenue service?
aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8358 posts, RR: 47 Reply 14, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 14784 times:
Concorde007, can you please clarify if you meant scheduled service or revenue service? In my view, the latter includes every service involving payment to the operator. The former could be divided into scheduled transport and "other scheduled", since even Lufthansa's Ju-52 flights are scheduled but don't exactly serve the purpose of transportation:
concorde007 From United States of America, joined Mar 2010, 10 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 14221 times:
Sorry if I was unclear before, I was referring to aircraft in regularly "scheduled" service.
aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8358 posts, RR: 47 Reply 16, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 13586 times:
Thanks for the clarification, do you include joyrides and sightseeing as well? If you do, the above Ju-52 does have a pretty good chance since it's operated on a schedule by a regular scheduled airline.
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
concorde007 From United States of America, joined Mar 2010, 10 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 13241 times:
aloges, while I admire your creativity, my original intention was to find aircraft that would fit in to the "travel from point A to point B somewhere on the seven continents and not be an aviation buff" type... Oldest regularly scheduled, high possibility that Johnny six-pack would fly on, commercial or cargo aircraft...
123 From Bolivia, joined Nov 2003, 739 posts, RR: 4 Reply 18, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 12826 times:
If anyone knows when the B727-200 CP1367 of LB was delivered, it belongs to the list. Flying daily, retrofitted with winglets, for Transporte Aereo Militar (TAM) Bolivia. Great sight, with retrolivery.
Lineas Aereas Canedo also use a DC3, yet no idea what era it´s from.
Aero Sur has some vintage 732's but is quickly modernizing the fleet, it already operates B734/744 among others.
MEA-707 From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4117 posts, RR: 37 Reply 19, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 12474 times:
Quoting 123 (Reply 18):
If anyone knows when the B727-200 CP1367 of LB was delivered, it belongs to the list. Flying daily, retrofitted with winglets, for Transporte Aereo Militar (TAM) Bolivia. Great sight, with retrolivery.
Lineas Aereas Canedo also use a DC3, yet no idea what era it´s from.
CP-1367 is from 1978 but only counts when normal people can walk to the TAM office and buy a ticket on it. Do you also know if they still fly their F-27? If both are flying scheduled civil passengers, I'll probably head back to Bolivia sometime.
Canedo's DC-3/C-117 is also from around 1946, they also have a C-46 from 1944. Two friends and I were in june this year the only fare paying passengers it ever took in the last 10 years though
nobody has ever died from hard work, but why take the risk?
aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8358 posts, RR: 47 Reply 20, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 11996 times:
Quoting concorde007 (Reply 17): aircraft that would fit in to the "travel from point A to point B somewhere on the seven continents and not be an aviation buff" type
I was just asking.
With these criteria, I think the Saha Air 707s flying in Iran stand a good chance. An American Joe Sixpack won't be flying on them anytime soon, but his Iranian cousin may very well end up on one.
But if you're on vacation in British Columbia and decide to splash out on a quick trip to the countryside, you may find yourself in this, built in 1940:
123 From Bolivia, joined Nov 2003, 739 posts, RR: 4 Reply 22, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 11867 times:
Quoting MEA-707 (Reply 19): CP-1367 is from 1978 but only counts when normal people can walk to the TAM office and buy a ticket on it. Do you also know if they still fly their F-27? If both are flying scheduled civil passengers, I'll probably head back to Bolivia sometime.
Canedo's DC-3/C-117 is also from around 1946, they also have a C-46 from 1944. Two friends and I were in june this year the only fare paying passengers it ever took in the last 10 years though
LB's 727-200 is a regular sight for me - it is sleek, clean, elegant, and a thrill to see every time it's possible.
You can purchase TAM tickets at any travel agency in Bolivia, and if you fly with the 727-200, the crew says "thank you for flying Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, flying on behalf of our partner TAM".
As to their (TAM) F27, I have not seen them in the air a long time;
As to the Canedo aircraft, you do hear them roaring sometimes above CBB yet I have no idea where they fly too. It´s a seldom sight but not an inexisting sight.
5L will discontinue their 727 service soon I fear and if you feel like flying "vintage" do so soon, because as per actual law also LB's 727 would stop flights next year.
canoecarrier From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 2657 posts, RR: 12 Reply 23, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 10890 times:
Quoting aloges (Reply 20): But if you're on vacation in British Columbia and decide to splash out on a quick trip to the countryside, you may find yourself in this, built in 1940:
Kenmore Air still operates a number of DH Beavers out of Seattle along with a number of other operators with scheduled flights in the YVR area. I don't know for sure, but I'd guess they all were built in or around the '50s.
Kaiarahi From Canada, joined Jul 2009, 2579 posts, RR: 24 Reply 24, posted (2 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 10533 times:
Quoting connies4ever (Reply 9): Quoting MEA-707 (Reply 7):
Buffalo Airways flies revenue pax between Yellowknife and Hay River with a DC-3.
This service is operated by DC-3 C-GPNR (c/n 13333). A/c was built in 1942. It might just qualify.
Buffalo's DC-3s can be ski-equipped for winter ops. Buffalo also operates a Curtiss C-46 and DC-4s on scheduled freight routes.
Somewhere recently I saw an article on a Grumman Widgeon operating scheduled service - I'll try to find it. I flew on these in the 60s around the Hauraki Gulf islands in NZ - land on the sea, taxi up onto the beach. Fred Ladd was the legendary pilot, and celebrated the opening of the AKL harbour bridge in 1958 by flying the Grumman under the main span.
Note à moi-même - il faut respecter les cons.
25 aviateur: This gets too blurry. "Revenue service" can mean all sorts of things -- air taxi, charters, sightseeing flights, etc. How about this: What is the olde
27 777fan: Well, according to DL's website (as of 1 July 2010), their remaining DC-9 fleet averages 38+ years old. http://www.delta.com/about_delta/cor.../delta
28 canoecarrier: Anyone putting a jet powered aircraft in this thread needs to start hanging out in non-av. Really? Any model of 727 or 737 being mentioned in this thr
29 YVRLTN: Earliest ones are 1948/49, right up to the Turbo's into the late 60's. Harbour Air (the worlds largest float plane operator) have c/n 42 which dates
30 mrskyguy: Looks like props caught the early attention in this thread.. what about jets? Would the Saha 707 rank?
31 yenne09: Vancouver Island airways «VIA» are operating B18 on floats on the coast of British Columbia. But I don't know in what year their aircraft have been
32 canoecarrier: Show me a jet powered plane still in revenue service built before a late 40's DH Beaver we'll talk. There any Catalina's built during WW2 in regular
33 YVRLTN: 1952 & 1953. The Harbour Beaver has 4 years on it. I found Beaver C/n 14 with Walsten Air Service of Kenora ON, built 1948. They also have a Nors
34 Max Q: Doesn't United have a few Aircraft that would qualify..
35 canoecarrier: Based in Kenora? On regular service or is it a seasonal floatplane service to lodges on the lakes? Regardless, I'd love to fly in that plane. I spend
36 JQflightie: Im sure that the first QF 763ER VH-OGB first registered in Australia 20th October 1988. The 763ER's first flights were late 1987 with AA
37 Jalap: Maybe an Antonov 2 could sneak into that list too.
38 TheSonntag: Not really revenue service, but Ju-Airs Ju-52s are also quite old.
39 EDICHC: I wonder how old are Air Chathams Convair CV580s? These operate regular, scheduled passenger air services from CHC, AKL and WLG to the Chatham Islands
40 aerorobnz: 1953/1954 I believe. I flew on a couple of older Beaver/Otter float planes for Harbour Air.
41 aloges: Perhaps my source of information can help us out, I couldn't find anything on current operations in there: The latest photo in our database is from l
42 Viscount724: I think their oldest is the one below that began life as a Convair 340 in 1953, originally ordered by Philippine Airlines but not taken up and operat
43 UK_Dispatcher: I'm pretty sure that in terms of regular scheduled flights, it must be something like the Air Chathams CV580, as suggested already. For jets, I think
44 aerorobnz: I'll check it out...am heading back that way soon - would like to do a flight...what website to book??
45 ericaasen: Sorry, to be off-topic but my dad and I flew on it at the air show a few years ago and it was a blast. Amazingly loud, but the thing I liked best was
46 ZKCIF: 2 months ago I flew CV580 ZK-CIF n Tonga, TBU-HPA-VAV and VAV-TBU. I was kindly invited into the cockpit, and the most friendly pilots showed me the p
47 connies4ever: I think my earlier post about the Buffalo Airways DC-3 is off the mark, as Pacific COastal still has 2 Grumman G-21A Goose (Gooses or Geese ?) flying
48 jspitfire: The one in YVR was doing strictly charters, if there's no longer one based there then they may have lost those charters after the crashes.
49 falstaff: Those were built in the mid 70s, just like the DL DC-9-50s.
50 YVRLTN: They did lose the charters, but they used to come down for mx too. Anyways, according to the photo posted they are active, so I guess the mx is all d
51 mrskyguy: My point was "in the jet category" of this thread, would the Saha B707 rank? Apologies for not being clear enough.
52 Viscount724: Delta's soon-to-be retired DC-9-40s are up to 8 years older with several delivered to the original operator in 1968.
53 connies4ever: They did have the three, but one I recall was badly damaged when it hit a car that had failed to stop at a barrier blocking a runway crossing whilst