Your first L1011/DC-10/MD-11 flight(s)

PennPal · Mon Aug 07, 2017 4:29 pm

A topic started in the Civil Aviation forum about wide-body tri-jets got me thinking about my flights on these wonderful aircraft, and I though it would be interesting to know what routes were flown on everyone's first flight on one. Mine:

L1011: Eastern Airlines, ATL - BUF July, 1976

DC-10 National Airlines MIA - EWR August 1977

MD-11 Delta Airlines ATL - LGW December 2002

I miss seeing these beautiful jets, especially an MD-11 (my favorite) on final with gear down and full flaps. Just amazing!!

L410Turbolet · Mon Aug 07, 2017 5:15 pm

L1011 - Delta - FRA-CVG 08/93
DC10 - United - LAX-HNL 08/97
MD11 - Varig - MXP-GIG 11/01

Too bad I didn't get a chance to fly MD11 again before KL retired them.

DaveFly · Mon Aug 07, 2017 5:16 pm

L-1011 TWA August 1974 SFO-JFK

DC-10 AA June 1973 LGA-BUF

MD-11 Never been on one

Yflyer · Mon Aug 07, 2017 5:52 pm

I, unfortunately, have not had the pleasure of flying on any tri-jet whatsoever.

PatrickZ80 · Mon Aug 07, 2017 6:50 pm

Yflyer wrote:
I, unfortunately, have not had the pleasure of flying on any tri-jet whatsoever.

Neither have I, but to me it doesn't matter that much. I guess they were from before my time.

11725Flyer · Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:15 pm

My memory isn't nearly as good as others, but I was a regular on EA's L1011s in the 80s. MIA-PHL/MCO/NYC/ATL were the routes I traveled most often. I was also an early customer on their DC10 service from MIA-LGW. I was bumped up from coach to first class in the infancy of frequent flyer programs.

ER757 · Mon Aug 07, 2017 11:21 pm

DC-10: CO ORD/LAX July 1973
L-1011: EA MIA/FPO April 1984 or 1985(can't remember which)
MD-11: Never had the pleasure

I have probably taken more flights on the DC-10 than any other aircraft except the 737. I lived in the Chicago area for many years and UA used to fly them all over the USA. I travelled regularly for business ORD/SEA in the 1980's and almost always was on a DC-10. Also flew for leisure to places like LAX and SFO which were usually DC-10's too. Loved that airplane

CairnterriAIR · Mon Aug 07, 2017 11:41 pm

L-1011....November 1979, Eastern BDL-BOS-SJU
Dc-10...August 1978, United DEN-ORD
MD-11....Never flew aboard one.

attyavgeek · Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:45 am

Delta L-1011: JFK-DFW 1989/90 - (I remember this flight like yesterday, we started our take-off roll and then some ways down the runway we came to screeching halt. Captain came on over the intercom and said some indicator light went off in. Everything got cleared up and we got back in line and took off)
PIA DC-10-30: JFK - ISB 1982/83
AA DC-10-10: LGA - DFW 1982/83
MD-11 (never flew on - but got to sit on one as an aviation explorer scout at DFW in AA maintenance hanger)

charles022 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:00 am

L-1011: Royal Air Force - we went up to tank RAF Typhoons and then a second time during the TriStar's farewell event where two flew in formation together.

DC-10: Airtours and then Biman Bangladesh when they brought the -10 over to the UK for a farewell event.

MD-11: KLM MIA-AMS. then a further 2x flights AMS-DXB.

ojjunior · Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:47 am

DC-10: Cargo version only- Varig Cargo GRU-MAO-GRU (amazing ride indeed) in 00's
MD-11: Happily several times, 1st one Varig GRU-LHR-GRU in 00's
L-1011: Unfortunately never had the chance

SJCMSP · Tue Aug 08, 2017 12:09 pm

I've only been on the DC-10 of the three. My first was in August 1985 on AA, SFO-ORD.

OneSexyL1011 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:05 pm

L1011 - Delta 1998'ish ATL-BOS
DC10 - NWA 2004 MSP-AMS
MD11 - KLM 1997 IAH-AMS

dfwjim1 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:18 pm

DC-10 for me only, SFO - HNL and back on a Western Airlines DC-10.

KLMatSJC · Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:21 pm

Never flew the L1011 or the MD-11, but my first DC-10 was my first flight: June 1998 SFO-HNL on AA

HELyes · Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:08 pm

DC-10: Finnair HEL-SEA (of the HEL-SEA-LAX route) in summer 1986, my first and only DC-10 flight.

MD-11 short haul: Finnair HEL-STN charter in 1991, probably crew training. Those days package trips to inexpensive (!) London were popular...

MD-11 long haul: Finnair HEL-BKK in 2003

pvjin · Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:15 pm

My first and only flight on a trijet was a return flight from Larnaca to Helsinki on board AY MD-11. Don't remember anything at all from it since I was so young, I think it was around year 2000-2001 or so.

BA2037 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 7:58 pm

These are my journeys on board the mentioned trijets.

L1011 - Caledonian Airways (the former British Airtours) LGW - MCO - LGW Jul/Aug 1988. This was my first and only time on the Tristar and was also my first ever trip on board a 3-holer

DC10 - United Airlines LAX - HNL, HNL - SFO, SFO - EWR/JFK (not sure) July/Aug 1992. First and only time on the DC10 while on my trip to HNL. This aircraft only flew the internal flights within the US while different planes did the TATL to/from LHR. (Did UA's DC10's ever fly internationally I wonder?)

MD-11 - Never been on one of these, and never will unfortunately as no one operates them anymore it seems.

ACDC8 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 8:18 pm

DC10 1975 LH YYZ-FRA
L1011 1985 AC YVR-LHR-DUS
MD11 1996 KL YVR-AMS

global2 · Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:01 am

[quote="DaveFly"]
DC-10 AA June 1973 LGA-BUF

Imagine flying on a widebody from La Guardia to Buffalo!

As for me:
DC-10 United SEA-DEN July, 1975 (where we transferred to a DC-8 to EWR)
MD-11 Finnair HEL-BKK some time around 2007 or 2008

Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to fly on a L-1011.

aerorobnz · Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:15 am

I had just the one MD11 Flight. LAX-AMS, and the aircraft felt like a dragster sitting on it's tail and boosting into the sky.. It is one of my top 5 flying experiences. The flight was very pleasant and I loved the chromed finish wings.

AntonioMartin · Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:45 am

11725Flyer wrote:
. MIA-MCO.

Not meaning to get off topic but I ALMOST flew that one. I was returning to Orlando on Dec. 81 and my family decided we'd take a couple days in Miami as well. Alas I came down with a pneumonia and the trip was cancelled. Eastern used the L-1011 on quite a number of short routes...I flew one of theirs on the SJU-SDQ run during that same year!

And Pan Am also used three holers on very short routes, they flew DC-10s on MIA-Tampa...ahh the good old days lol!

AntonioMartin · Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:52 am

L-1011, Delta on my VERY FIRST FLIGHT ever! 10-10-80, SJU-MCO..I also flew the return flight on a DL L-1011 and, as mentioned above, later on June or July 81, flew Eastern L-1011 SJU-SDQ and back.

Unfortunately, never got on a DC-10 or an MD-11...hoping that the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380...(all Airbus aircraft for that matter as I have never flown an Airbus) do not join those two on the list of planes I never flew....

readytotaxi · Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:54 am

L1011 - British Airtours LBA-PMI 1988 :old:

DC10 - Continetal LGW-DEN 1989
MD11 - KLM AMS-AUA 2005

AntonioMartin · Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:54 am

global2 wrote:
DaveFly wrote:
DC-10 AA June 1973 LGA-BUF

Imagine flying on a widebody from La Guardia to Buffalo!

That's what I mean!

Or MIA-MCO, or MIA-Tampa...or even SJU-PSE, which Eastern once did on their L-1011 as well!

Noshow · Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:23 pm

TriStar?
Around 1985 AMS-JFK and back with Alia, Royal Jordanian. I remember they seemed to have Sky Marshalls on board back then.

longhauler · Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:55 pm

Air Canada's innaugural L1011 flight ... March 15, 1973. AC 105 YYZ-YVR, then hopped right back on AC 148 back to YYZ. Both flights were on time, which I came to understand was quite rare with the L1011.

I had just turned 13, and it was the first time my parents let me travel on my own on an Air Canada Employee pass. It was the start of many many day trips on my own ... just because I could!

TUGMASTER · Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:57 pm

L1011 - Caledonian Airways LGW - BAH - GOI

DC10 - British Airways LGW - SJU

MD11 - American Airlines LHR - JFK

PennPal · Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:41 pm

AntonioMartin wrote:
global2 wrote:
DaveFly wrote:
DC-10 AA June 1973 LGA-BUF

Imagine flying on a widebody from La Guardia to Buffalo!

That's what I mean!

Or MIA-MCO, or MIA-Tampa...or even SJU-PSE, which Eastern once did on their L-1011 as well!

The first post on this thread mentioned my first L1011 flight was ATL-BUF. That plane continued on to YYZ...a very short direct flight across Lake Ontario! I thought I read somewhere that some pilots flew that route without ever retracting the gear. And, if I remember correctly, EA at one time had an L1011 flying MIA-FLL!!

727tiger · Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:11 pm

L1011 - Delta DFW-ATL November 1988
DC-10 - AA DFW-HON (later that same trip, AA DC10 HON-OGG and AA DC-10 HON-SFO).
MD-11 - never had the chance

ER757 · Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:07 pm

ER757 wrote:
DC-10: CO ORD/LAX July 1973
L-1011: EA MIA/FPO April 1984 or 1985(can't remember which)
MD-11: Never had the pleasure

I have probably taken more flights on the DC-10 than any other aircraft except the 737. I lived in the Chicago area for many years and UA used to fly them all over the USA. I travelled regularly for business ORD/SEA in the 1980's and almost always was on a DC-10. Also flew for leisure to places like LAX and SFO which were usually DC-10's too. Loved that airplane

Too late to edit my post but I have to update - my 1st DC-10 was in fact on CO in July 1973, but it was LAX/ORD, not ORD/LAX - the ORD/LAX flight was my first 747 flight - ahhhh the good old days before hub/spoke systems

redzeppelin · Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:58 pm

My one and only flight on any of these was also the first flight of my life:
SLC-JFK on a Delta L-1011, August 19, 1997. 20th anniversary is coming next week. How shall I celebrate?

LTU932 · Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:08 pm

L-1011: MIA-HAM, LTU, 02/89
DC-10: AMS-CUR-CCS-SJO, KLM, 01/90
MD-11: DUS-MIA-SJO, LTU, 07/93

YYZSpotter1991 · Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:18 am

I've never flown on either an L-1011 or a DC-10. I did however fly on an MD-11 once; that was from AMS-YYZ on 06/30/2013 with KLM (PH-KCE).

AntonioMartin · Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:47 am

PennPal wrote:
AntonioMartin wrote:
global2 wrote:

That's what I mean!

Or MIA-MCO, or MIA-Tampa...or even SJU-PSE, which Eastern once did on their L-1011 as well!

The first post on this thread mentioned my first L1011 flight was ATL-BUF. That plane continued on to YYZ...a very short direct flight across Lake Ontario! I thought I read somewhere that some pilots flew that route without ever retracting the gear. And, if I remember correctly, EA at one time had an L1011 flying MIA-FLL!!

MIA-FLL? I remember on Revenge of the Nerds II early on they board an American (I suppose the type was a) Boeing 727 from FLL to MIA and I felt that type was too large for such a short route! An L-1011, wow...back then some of the airlines flew short routes with jumbo aircraft...

(Dont get me wrong I count the 727, Boeing 737 and etc as a large-very large aircraft as well, certainly larger than the mid sized planes like CRJ and Bombardiers..however they are not jumbos)

SJU-SDQ was a pretty short route for an L-1011 and I flew it on Eastern (my 3rd and 4th flight and also 3rd and 4th on an L-1011 how about that?)

Eastern used the L-1011 also on MIA-Nassau routes, that was the type they were using when one of their planes had engine problems and had to return to MIA for an emergency during a flight to Nassau.

Man, if I continue, we are going to get so off-topic :lol:

jumpjets · Thu Aug 10, 2017 12:13 pm

I flew each of these three types once only:

L1011 - Britsh Airtours LGW-NAP circa 1988 [technically twice I suppose as I also came back to LGW on the L1011].
DC10 - Varig GRU-GIG, which was the first leg of my journey home to LHR which was immediately followed on the second leg GIG-LHR by Varig MD11. So two new types on one journey.

DesertAir · Thu Aug 10, 2017 12:27 pm

DC-10 UA. SFO-ORD 1980
LC-111 Delta 1985. SFO-LAX
1988 ATL-San Juan, Puerto Rico
DC-10 Western 1986 LAX-MEX

DaveFly · Thu Aug 10, 2017 1:19 pm

DaveFly wrote:
L-1011 TWA August 1974 SFO-JFK

DC-10 AA June 1973 LGA-BUF

MD-11 Never been on one

IIRC, it was one of the designs specs for the DC-10-10, the ability to fly from LGA on short/medium routes. I flew this route often to college on the DC-10. That includes, after 300+ other flights, the only one I could categorize as moderate-to-severe turbulence.

On one other flight to BUF, Northwest 6231 crashed in Harriman State Park (where I live now) on its way from JFK to BUF. At the same time we were en route. My mother had been listening to the radio while resting in bed. When she heard that a NYC-BUF flight had gone down, she said she actually levitated off the bed from fright! I didn't know about the crash until much later. No WiFi in those days.

Thunderboltdrgn · Thu Aug 10, 2017 2:16 pm

ESSA to LEPA and then back home a week later in the summer of 1995 with (it was a DC10 but necessarily any of these two aircraft):

longhauler · Thu Aug 10, 2017 4:32 pm

PennPal wrote:
The first post on this thread mentioned my first L1011 flight was ATL-BUF. That plane continued on to YYZ...a very short direct flight across Lake Ontario! I thought I read somewhere that some pilots flew that route without ever retracting the gear.

This is an (incorrect) urban legend. Of course the gear was retracted on the 25 minute flight between YYZ and BUF. Hell, the gear is retracted when doing 5 minute circuits or missed approaches!

The YYZ-BUF L1011 flights were before deregulation between Canada and the United States. EA (for example) had rights from YYZ-BUF ... from BUF they could fly anywhere to the United States as a direct flight. With pre-clearance out of YYZ, and through flights to YYZ, US carriers always had the advantage over Canadian carriers.

That is why before deregulation, you had flights like AA YYZ-ORD-SFO, or DFW-LGA-YYZ on a DC-10, or UA flying YYZ-ORD-DEN on a DC-10 or EA flying YYZ-BUF-FLL-MIA or YYZ-BUF-ATL on an L1011. It made for some pretty interesting short flights on wide-body aircraft.

b4thefall · Fri Aug 11, 2017 12:04 am

My only tri-jet flights have all been on the 1011.

The first was in 1989 from Belfast- Montreal (unscheduled refuelling stop) - Toronto. This was on Air Canada, presumably on one of their short range TriStars, considering we had to make that unscheduled stop? I can still remember sitting on the tarmac in Montreal, and they 'cracked' some of the cabin doors a few feet off the floor to let some air in. Maybe Longhauler can add more info on the use of the short range 1011s on Atlantic flights? The return flight was non-stop.

My second (and last) experience was on a family holiday to Florida in 1992 when we flew Belfast - Gander - Orlando and return on a Rich International machine. Looked lovely from the outside. I liked the simple, but bold livery, especially the RI on the tail, with the flames on top of the I. The inside however was a different matter. It had an incredibly worn old EA interior with the brown and orange seats. I also remember the carpet being thread bare in places, as well as the fact that one of the pulldown movie screens was broken, so they just projected the movie onto the bulkhead. I can't imagine passengers these days would be too happy with an aircraft interior in that condition. Interesting experience!

VapourTrails · Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:10 am

I flew on a DC-10 or MD-11 with GA in the 1990's, but I am not sure which! :embarrassed2:

Sounds embarrassing to say that here, but I had a lot going on at the time other than remembering or writing that stuff down, but when I saw it I remember thinking, wow, that's different.

I only have one photo of it, at the departure gate at LGW. I can't see the registration or the wingtip so I am still trying to figure out which one it is.

GA flew both types in the 1990's according to the A.net database. I think it is a DC-10. The route was LGW - AUH - CGK.

I've never seen a L1011 for real. I did like reading the thread about Qantas and how they never purchased any though! Reasons why. History and hindsight. All that.

AirAfreak · Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:39 am

L10 TWA
D10 Lufthansa
M11 Delta

Noshow · Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:14 am

DC-10-30 were quite common with Lufthansa for some time. I seem to remember I had one from FRA to BOS back then.

Airstud · Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:21 am

L1011: EA, BOS-MCO, late 1970's and again BOS-LGA in the mid 80's (we connected from LGA to either MIA or FLL, don't remember, but I'm wagering that would've been on a 727)

DC10: UA BOS-ORD, 1982? 83?

MD11: Nevva

PPVLC · Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:58 am

As an ex Varig you can imagine I flew the DC-10s and MD-11s a lot but I clearly remember that my first DC-10 flight was GRU-EZE, and my first MD-11 was GRU-CDG. I've never had the opportunity to fly the L1011, BA used to fly them to GRU and I even visited one but never got to fly on that beautiful machine.

capicua · Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:43 pm

DC-10: 08/76, UIO-BOG-CCS, IB
MD-11: 12/94, CCS-AMS, KL
L-1011: 06/96, SEA-SLC, DL

kordcj · Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:08 pm

I remember it like it was yesterday. My first flight alone as a 9 year old.
UA968 ORD-EWR Dec 31, 1989
I was terrified. It was my first and last flight on a widebody trijet.

DDR · Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:51 pm

L-1011 = TWA
MD-11 = Swissair
DC-10 = American

artof · Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:45 am

L-1011 Eastern JFK-MEX Oct -76
DC-10 SAS CPH-BKK Sep -75
MD-11 AY HEL-BKK Nov 2002

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