Old stuff, still in regular service up in the sky

[theboymoon]

We've had the ultimate this and that, we've even discussed the meaning of the word extinct...

but i was wondering if you guys know what old planes are still doing their thing. Not WW1 stuff brought out for the odd airshow, but old crates still earning their keep moving people or stuff across the sky.

what have you got?

[Tsippy]

I saw something called 'Ice Pilots' (possibly snow pilots) based around cargo pilots in extreme Canada. They were using aircraft from WW2, will try and find the names


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Pilots_NWT

There we go

Edited by Tsippy on Wednesday 8th December 13:23

[Eric Mc]

Lots of DC-3/C-47s still around - all 65 years old or older.

A handfull of DC-4/DC-6s (around 55 years plus)

Some Lockheed Electras (50 years old)

A small number of Curtiss C-46s.

The places to find these geriatrics are Alaska and South America.

All the remaing B-52s in service are over 48 years old.

The vast bulk of the KC-135s in service are over 50 years old.

Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 8th December 13:24

[BliarOut]

Tristars?

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

Lots of DC-3/C-47s still around - all 65 years old or older.

A handfull of DC-4/DC-6s (around 55 years plus)

Some Lockheed Electras (50 years old)

A small number of Curtiss C-46s.

The places to find these geriatrics are Alaska and South America.

All the remaing B-52s in service are over 48 years old.

The vast bulk of the KC-135s in service are over 50 years old.

Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 8th December 13:24

RAF VC-10's are all 45+ years old.

DC3/C-47's are the prize winner though, a high number will still be 'working' until AVGAS is no longer available.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Some Lockheed Electras (50 years old)



The places to find these geriatrics are Alaska and South America.

Or East Midlands Airport!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Airlines_%28...

[aeropilot]

BliarOut said:

Tristars?

1970's...... so old, but not that old.

[aeropilot]

Plenty of these still being used commercially out in the Pacific Islands and Canadian lakes etc., and the very youngest would almost 45 years old now, and most will be 50+ years old.

[Dr Jekyll]

aeropilot said:

DC3/C-47's are the prize winner though, a high number will still be 'working' until AVGAS is no longer available.

..and then get a turboprop conversion and run on AVTUR.

[BliarOut]

aeropilot said:

BliarOut said:

Tristars?

1970's...... so old, but not that old.

Soooooooo slow, I never knew how long runways were till I flew in a Tristar

[magpie215]

Dr Jekyll said:

aeropilot said:

DC3/C-47's are the prize winner though, a high number will still be 'working' until AVGAS is no longer available.

..and then get a turboprop conversion and run on AVTUR.

yes....went to view the demonstrator when it first came into the UK circa 89/90 amazing conversion

[perdu]

There's an Electra that flies over my house every night at about nine o'clock heading southwardly, but too high to be heading to BHX.

BHX traffic comes over me at rather low altitudes when landing to south.

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

There's an Electra that flies over my house every night at about nine o'clock heading southwardly, but too high to be heading to BHX.

BHX traffic comes over me at rather low altitudes when landing to south.

Probably the East-Midlands based ones outbound?

Work colleague who lives in Worksop says Electras fly over regularly, turned out they are the Atlantic Airlines ones.

[perdu]

dr_gn said:

perdu said:

There's an Electra that flies over my house every night at about nine o'clock heading southwardly, but too high to be heading to BHX.

BHX traffic comes over me at rather low altitudes when landing to south.

Probably the East-Midlands based ones outbound?

Work colleague who lives in Worksop says Electras fly over regularly, turned out they are the Atlantic Airlines ones.

I always know when it's an Electra too

The Allison turboprops always sound different to most other engines, sort of "burry" instead of "whiney" like the Darts of the day used to.

[eccles]

The older RAF Hercs are all late 60's and the Swedish airforce have the oldest ones in Europe dating to the early 60's.

[dougc]

The USAF B52 fleet.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

aeropilot said:

RAF VC-10's are all 45+ years old.

The C1 (now C1K) started entering service in December 1966. The K2 and K3 in the mid '80s, and the K4 in the 90's after extensive conversion/refurbishment.


With the demise of Canberra, the oldest type in operational service with the RAF is the Dominie T1 which entered service in 1965 (aside from the pair of Chipmunks at the BBMF).

[Eric Mc]

The tanker VC-10s all had an earlet life with airlines such as BOAC and BA. Granted, they were extensively refurbished before being transferred to teh RAF as tankers.

[kiteless]

eccles said:

The older RAF Hercs are all late 60's and the Swedish airforce have the oldest ones in Europe dating to the early 60's.

I've got a 1951 edition of the Observers Book of Aircraft, and that contains an entry for the C-130.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

eccles said:

The older RAF Hercs are all late 60's

C130K entered service in 1967.

I don't think any are currently airworthy.