My rarest airliner flight was on-board a Caravelle, ex-Alitalia, from Guayaquil to Quito, on SAETA. Plane was threadbare, but spotlessly clean, excellent service (passed around a dish of home-made candy!), very comfortable and quiet as could be. There was a live turkey in checked baggage - in a burlap sack, cord tied round its neck.

Same trip, also flew a Fawcett BAC111 (I think it was ex-Braniff), from Trujillo to Lima (I think).

Less rare as a type, but very rare frame, I flew the Braniff Calder DC-8 from Panama City (the old airport) to Miami.

Got to fly the 146 on both PSA and Air Cal when I lived in SoCal.

trijetsonly wrote:

Additionally the Tu-114 is not only extremely rare but also magnificent!

It didn't really register at the time, but what I really find amazing now is that it subbed for an IL-62 which was to do SVO-SNN-YUL. I assume SNN was a fuel stop as the TU-114 flew non-stop SVO-YUL. We arrived only about 30 minutes late in YUL!

No only was it fast enough that without the stop, it almost kept up with a jet, but ... it flew 3800 nm nonstop, amazing for 1968.

Inside, it was about as noisy as a Vanguard (not quiet), but the damned thing was huge. A comfortable ride for the 40 or so passengers in a 160 seat cabin.

Western Airlines 720B, LAX-SAN-PHX-DEN, ~1965.
LA Airways, Sikorsky S-61L, 30-passenger helicopter, LAX-BUR also in the 1960's.

longhauler wrote:

A comfortable ride for the 40 or so passengers in a 160 seat cabin.

Oooh, those were the days of fun load-factors indeed :p

(in fact some very brief research shows me most Il-62s were configured for between 168 and 186 passengers so you were onto a winner even if you didn't care for logging the Tu-114)

I have a few rare birds:

Airliners:
Malaysian 747-300M (combi)
Continental (ex-People Express) 737-100

Military/Warbird:
C-130D
C-141B
B-17
B-24
B-25

General Aviation:
PZL Wilga

Rare types I've flown:
B717
B757-300
B767-400

Some of these types were rare at the time. Others are only rare now.

Dornier 328 Jet: SkyWay Airlines (Midwest Express Connection)


Avro RJ-85: Mesaba Airlines (Northwest Jet Airlink)


McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30: Northwest Airlines


McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50: Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines



McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30: Delta Air Lines


McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40: Northwest Airlines


Boeing 717-200 (MD-95): Delta Air Lines


I have also flown the following types that are starting to become rare: MD-83/88, B737-300, and the CRJ-440, the 44-seat version of the CRJ-200 (does that count?)

BAC 1-11 and Tu-134A

A few rare aircraft for me:
Lockheed Electra L188
Douglas DC-9-21
Fokker F27
Boeing 747SP
Convair 880
Dornier 328-100

Not sure how extremely rare they are:

- Dash 7
- SAAB T-17 supporter (Royal Danish Airforce)
- Tupolev 134
- Boeing 757-300

An old Delta L-1011 tristar and a NWA DC-10.and Boeing Steerman biplane wich I was able to take the controls for a couple mins. Pan Am DC-8 , 707 or both

US:

-Ex Piedmont F-28 (Rare for the USA)

-Dornier 328 Turboprop (I believe that US Express/PSA was their only north american operator?)

CO:

An ex PE 737-100 out of a rare destination for CO-- BNA (They served Nashville for a short time in the 1990s)

Convair 580 - the famous Air Chathams one
BAe ATP
Ilyushin Il-96
Skywork Do328 prop
Brit Air CRJ1000
Conviasa A340-200
Air Koryo Tu 204-300

and some others which were only rare when I flew them like the DC10-30, L-1011, A318, Metroliner, 727-200, 747-300..

oldannyboy wrote:

L1011 wrote:

I've been on many, including the DC-6B, DC-7B, Lockheed L-188 Electra, Convair 440, Martin 4-0-4, Vickers Viscount, Vickers Vanguard, Comet 4B, Caravelle, DC-3, Nord 262, DHC-7, Boeing 707, among others. My favorite was the Electra. The Vanguard was 6-abreast with large oval windows similar to the Viscount. The Comet was 5-abreast with the 2-seat section on the starboard side, like Delta's MD-88s.

How noisy was the Vanguard, compared to say the Viscount and the Electra? Were those huge Allyson engines noisier than the Tyne?

I really don't remember it being any louder than the Electra. The Viscount was quieter. The noisiest turboprop I have flown on was the Convair 580. The flight attendant passed out ear plugs to all passengers.

longhauler wrote:

This thread makes me feel very old! When I see aircraft mentioned here, that I recall when they were brand new is frightening.

I have flown on the jets mentioned.... DC-8 (20, 40, 50, 60, 70), 707, 720, VC-10 (Super, but not Standard), IL62, CV 880, CV 990, Caravelle (3, 6R and 12), BAC 111 (200, 400 and 500), Trident 2, F-28, Comet 4C, Mercure and Concorde.

My list includes some turboprops somewhat rarer ... Viscount 700, Vanguard, CV580, CV 640, Dart Herald, F-27, FH-227, Electra, IL-18 and even once on a TU-114 (substituted for an IL-62 from SVO to YUL).

I find the piston transports on my list are likely the rarest ... DC-3/4/6/7, even a DC-4M (the TCA version of the Argonaut, called the North Star ... I was an infant and do not recall this flight), CV440, L749, L1049.

Some of these were in regular airline operation and some I had to actively chase as they were nearing extinction. But I was an airline nerd since a young age. When flying on the TU-114 at the age of 8, I was well aware even then how lucky I was and how rare the aircraft was.

It's good to be old man!! And older men are sexier!!

Seriously, you have some pretty amazing memories there....I seriously envy you for having flown on the Tu-114...Wow...that has to take the cake.

As always, thanks for your excellent contributions to this site. People like you are those who make this a special place!

L1011 wrote:

oldannyboy wrote:

L1011 wrote:

I've been on many, including the DC-6B, DC-7B, Lockheed L-188 Electra, Convair 440, Martin 4-0-4, Vickers Viscount, Vickers Vanguard, Comet 4B, Caravelle, DC-3, Nord 262, DHC-7, Boeing 707, among others. My favorite was the Electra. The Vanguard was 6-abreast with large oval windows similar to the Viscount. The Comet was 5-abreast with the 2-seat section on the starboard side, like Delta's MD-88s.

How noisy was the Vanguard, compared to say the Viscount and the Electra? Were those huge Allyson engines noisier than the Tyne?

I really don't remember it being any louder than the Electra. The Viscount was quieter. The noisiest turboprop I have flown on was the Convair 580. The flight attendant passed out ear plugs to all passengers.

Ha!
Interesting stuff! I would have guesses the Vanguard to be quieter than bot the Viscount and the Electra, given that it was powered by the Tyne, with the Dart-powered (screeching high-pitch anyone??) Viscount being the loudest of the three... I guess not!
Not surprised about the Convair. I know the piston CVs were quieter than the conversions.

Thanks L1011

Regrads,

danny

Not RARE by any means, but less common as at the point in time I flew on them

B744 ER
B777 LR
ATP
727-100

oldannyboy wrote:

I would have guessed the Vanguard to be quieter than both the Viscount and the Electra, given that it was powered by the Tyne, with the Dart-powered (screeching high-pitch anyone??) Viscount being the loudest of the three... I guess not!

In cruise, it was pretty hard to hear the high pitched whine of the Darts. I found that in cruise with the higher prop pitch it just sounded like a low moan. It was the same on the F27, Dart Herald, CV640 and Avro 748.

The Tynes on the Vanguard were the same, a low moan in cruise, but there was this ... vibration ... that never went away. Front to back, it was there. I understand that dihedral of the horizonal stabilizer was to address that, and to some extent, it may have. But everything in the aircraft vibrated to the same frequency, it was like sitting on an old Harley.

In the aft cabin of the Vanguard the vibration was worse, but engine noise was far less. I remember my Dad put a bottle cap on the tray table and we watched it dance around to the vibration.

I only flew on an Electra a couple of times, I don't recall the noise being that noteworthy. The CV440 was quieter than the CV580, but had the typical piston engine vibration. The CV580 just felt powerful. Both the Electra and CV580 made the coolest engine noise during start. It must have been unique to the DD Allison engines.

longhauler wrote:

oldannyboy wrote:

I would have guessed the Vanguard to be quieter than both the Viscount and the Electra, given that it was powered by the Tyne, with the Dart-powered (screeching high-pitch anyone??) Viscount being the loudest of the three... I guess not!

In cruise, it was pretty hard to hear the high pitched whine of the Darts. I found that in cruise with the higher prop pitch it just sounded like a low moan. It was the same on the F27, Dart Herald, CV640 and Avro 748.

The Tynes on the Vanguard were the same, a low moan in cruise, but there was this ... vibration ... that never went away. Front to back, it was there. I understand that dihedral of the horizonal stabilizer was to address that, and to some extent, it may have. But everything in the aircraft vibrated to the same frequency, it was like sitting on an old Harley.

In the aft cabin of the Vanguard the vibration was worse, but engine noise was far less. I remember my Dad put a bottle cap on the tray table and we watched it dance around to the vibration.

I only flew on an Electra a couple of times, I don't recall the noise being that noteworthy. The CV440 was quieter than the CV580, but had the typical piston engine vibration. The CV580 just felt powerful. Both the Electra and CV580 made the coolest engine noise during start. It must have been unique to the DD Allison engines.

Wow, interesting - as always my friend, very interesting. Thanks!
It would be fun to somehow make a comparison of the vibrations of the Vanguard vis-à-vis the infamous ones of the IL-18!!!

Somewhat late to this thread, but perhaps a few interesting types and subtypes not yet mentioned among my list below:

Agusta 109A-II
Airbus 310-300ET
Airbus 319-100LR
Airbus 340-200
Antonov An-12BP*
Antonov 26B-100*
Antonov 30M*
Antonov 72-200*
Antonov 140-100
Antonov 148-100B
BAe 146-100A
BAe 146-200A
BAe Jetstream 32EP
Boeing 720-047B
Boeing 737-700BBJ
Boeing 747-100B
Boeing 747-SP
CASA/IPTN CN 235-110
De Havilland Dash 7-102
De Havilland Dash 7-110
Douglas DC 10-15
Fokker F28-1000C
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 2A
Kamov Ka-26*
Ilyushin Il-76M*
Ilyushin Il-96-300
Ilyushin 114-100
McDonnell Douglas MD-600N
Mil Mi-2*
Mil Mi-26T*
NAMC YS-11-500
Short 360-300
Sikorsky S-61NM*
Tupolev 204-100B
Yakovlev Yak 40K
Xian MA-60

*Not rare aircraft in their own right, but rare to have flown in as a passenger,

[/photoid]It depends indeed what do we understand under the term rare

Of that which is not much produced I'd point: Be-200, Il-114. Be-103, Ka-29, Mi-26, An-22













As about old staff: Po-2, Il-18, C-47, DH-82.

Probably the rarest bird I've flown on were the Saudia MD-90s. These had a nonstandard glass cockpit for commonality with the MD-11. 29 built (+1 for Royal flight but I'm no Royal!)

Yeah, nothing special compared to other commenters here!

-duplicate post, sorry-

United Air Lines (two words) 1954 or 1955, Catalina Island Airport to Burbank, DC3.
Western Airlines 1955, Salt lake to Jackson Hole and back, DC3.
Los Angeles to Salt Lake via LAS and one of the Cedar Cities, Western Airlines I think, Convair 440.
Salt Lake to Los Angeles, Western Airlines, 1955, DC6B.
Pacific Airways, F-27, Fresno to I think Burbank, not sure of year.
Caledonian Airways charter out of LAX to LGW, 1969, Boeing 707, likely a 320.
More 727 flights on PSA than I can count.
Both Delta and Eastern,Lockheed L-1011, various flights out of the southeast for Los Angeles, or to San Juan. EXCELLENT flying.
Flying Tigers, Travis AFB to Kadena AFB via Anchorage and Yokosuka, 1977, Douglas DC-8 stretch, not sure of series.
Flying Tigers, back the other way to Travis, then down to LAX, 1979, DC-8 stretch, not sure of series.

I worked on the Electra IIs and they were very rare at that time, I also worked on the 707s until their retirement

My very 1st flight was on this:

GRU-MCZ-GRU - Feb'96
Former RAM bird, still with full RAM identified onboard stuff and signs, even food carts.
Sorry, didn't have any camera on hands back then.
This bird is now long gone...

The most special one and the rarest ( the only one ):

Busy Bee Boeing 737-2R4C:

From 1980 the airline operated a single Boeing 737-2R4C. The aircraft was bought through a partnership with the Norwegian Armed Forces, in which it was specially equipped to meet military needs. Specifically, it was a combi variant, which encompassed a side loading door and the possibility to quickly rearrange the interior between all-passenger, all-freight, combined passenger and freight, as well as VIP configuration. The aircraft was designed to be able to operate out from gravel runways ( gravel kit ) and was also as the only 737 certified to be used for parachuting.

You can read about it here: https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive ... 01528.html

and here:

Well, I´ll make a distinction between (1) rare because (relatively) few were built and (2) rare because extinct or limited / not flying anymore ...
I just won´t list all the extinct (sub-)types I´ve flown on when they were plenty at the time (e.g. B737-200, L 1011-500, etc.)

Here´s the list of those noteworthy from my perspective:
(1)
Dornier 328-300 (jet) Sun Air of Scandinavia
AMD Mercure (Air Inter)
DHC-7 / Dash-7 (Wideroe, Maersk Air, Asian Spirit, Berjaya Air)
(2)
Swearingen Metro II Man, that was noisy inside - in fact the noisiest aircraft cabin I´ve ever flown to date. Airline: Salair (Sweden)
A 310 (Pan Am / German domestic flight from/to Berlin + KLM,Lufthansa)
H.S.748 (Dan Air / British Airways)
Bae ATP
B 727-100 (TWA / German domestic from/to Berlin)
Shorts SD 3-30 (Air Europe)
TU-134A (Interflug)
DC 9-21 (SAS)
SE 210 10R Caravelle (Aero Lloyd)
IL-62M (CSA)
Do 228-100 (NFD)
Jetstream 41 (Loganair)
Beech 1900 C (Avanti Air) Rarity might be questionable for Americans but here in Europe it was and still is.
Beech 1900 D (BSF) Rarity might be questionable for Americans but here in Europe it was and still is.
Agusta A-109 Mk II (Alidaunia) Yes, it was a (public) scheduled flight ...
Sikorski S-61N (British International) Scheduled flight here as well.
IPTN CN-235 (Asian Spirit)
B 737-600 (SAS)
Bell 412 (INAER) ... and again: scheduled flight
AVIC MA-60 (Zest Air)
A 318 (Air France)
Do 228 NG (New Central Air)
AS 365 N1 (Toho Air) Scheduled flight ...