The rarest plane you've flown in?
Discussion
One for the older contributors perhaps (awaits Eric's epic tales from the cockpit of a Bleriot XI). but what is the rarest plane you've flown in?
Trawling the memory banks I suspect the HS748 - or possibly a DC3 - would be the rarest things I've flown in. So, not very rare at all really.
What about you?
Trawling the memory banks I suspect the HS748 - or possibly a DC3 - would be the rarest things I've flown in. So, not very rare at all really.
What about you?
As far as I can remember,I have never flown in anything particularly exotic or rare. I've crawled over rare and historic aeroplanes, but not flown in any.
Of course, some of the airliners I flew on in past years are rare now - or even extinct, such as the Trident, Boeing 727, Series 200 737 or BAC 1-11. But they weren't rare at the time.
Of course, some of the airliners I flew on in past years are rare now - or even extinct, such as the Trident, Boeing 727, Series 200 737 or BAC 1-11. But they weren't rare at the time.
jonnyb said:
According to Wikipedia they only built 117 Tridents, so I would say they were pretty rare.
Depends on context. If you were flying anywhere between the UK and the Continent (or Ireland) between 1964 and 1985 there was a high probability that you would fly in a Trident - so it anything but a rare occurrence for those of us living in the British Isles.If you lived in the US, it not only would have been rare, it would have been virtually impossible.
Probably a McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
This was a modernised, stretched version of the DC-10 tri-jet, with new wings and avionics. They only built approx. 140 of the passenger version, and no UK carrier operated them. As far as I’m aware, the only carrier which operated them into the UK was Delta, which is how I flew on one from MAN to ATL in 1999.
The MD-11 proved hopelessly uncompetitive against the A330 and 777 widebody twinjets and developed an appalling safety record which meant it was quickly dumped by passenger airlines. Most were converted to freighters and still operate in this role.
This was a modernised, stretched version of the DC-10 tri-jet, with new wings and avionics. They only built approx. 140 of the passenger version, and no UK carrier operated them. As far as I’m aware, the only carrier which operated them into the UK was Delta, which is how I flew on one from MAN to ATL in 1999.
The MD-11 proved hopelessly uncompetitive against the A330 and 777 widebody twinjets and developed an appalling safety record which meant it was quickly dumped by passenger airlines. Most were converted to freighters and still operate in this role.
Finnish Air Force Valmet Vinka (only 30 made), during an international exchange when I was in air cadets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmet_L-70_Vinka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmet_L-70_Vinka
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