An article from AirlineReporter

It was published by AirlineReporter a comprehensive article about the L-1011 and what made this aircraft so unique.

This article starts with a brief description of the historical context of the time where the L-1011 developed and the goal of Lockheed of designing a product that made the difference by employing advanced technology and unique features.

Then it proceeds with the inputs of the airlines on the L-1011 and with special cabin details that made the TriStar a pleasurable aircraft for the passengers.

It even includes the proposed self-dimming windows (a concept very similar to what we find today on the Boeing 787) that unfortunately did not make it into production aircraft:

Self-dimming windows © AirlineReporter/Lockheed

Another interesting curiosity revealed was that the L-1011 flight deck was proposed in three different colours to the operators: grey, blue and olive. TAP's original L-1011s were delivered with their flight decks in tones of blue.

Finally, the article tells about the remarkable TriStar's AFCS, whose systems are also described in this website's Specialties page.

• AirlineReporter: Requiem For a Trijet Masterpiece - The Lockheed L-1011

TAP TV Commercials in the 80s

With the renewal of the fleet in the early 80s and with the arrival of the first L-1011s, TAP advertised its new product in a typical Portuguese way. The L-1011 is the aircraft shown in these adverts, being presented as a "race horse". In the last advert we can also see a nice view of the original Economy Class interior. This is a sequence of three TV commercials by TAP:

Voe Português, Voe TAP Air Portugal

LTU L-1011 video footage

It was recently made available on YouTube a footage about a Düsseldorf-Fuerteventura flight on a LTU L-1011 that shows what a charter flight looked like in the 80s.

Video uploaded by Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture

AGD Systems takes six TriStars from RAF

Defense Contractor AGD Systems announced recently that it will operate six ex-Royal Air Force TriStars which will return to civilian operation (these aircraft once belonged to British Airways and Pan Am) and will be available for military contracts.

The six aircraft have already the following N-numbers assigned:

• msn 193V-1157 | N304CS
• msn 193V-1164 | N405CS
• msn 193V-1165 | N309CS
• msn 193V-1174 | N705CS
• msn 193Y-1186 | N507CS
• msn 193Y-1188 | N703CS

Ex-British Airways examples (193V) are air-to-air refueling capable while the two ex-Pan Am (193Y) are in ordinary passenger configuration. These aircraft are intended to be deployed on the very same missions they performed for RAF such as "refueling, cargo, personnel and medivac missions globally".

• PR.com: AGD SYSTEMS Corp Announces Capabilities with Addition of Six (6) Tristar Tankers

Stargazer turns blue

Following the recent merger of Orbital Sciences Coporation with Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Stargazer - the only active L-1011 left in the world - got a revised paint job that reflects the new corporate identity.

N140SC © Orbital ATK

At least two more launches of the Pegasus rocket are scheduled until 2017.

N91011 is ready to fly

N91011 © TriStar History and Preservation, Inc

According to TriStar History and Preservation, Inc, N91011 (ex-CS-TMR) is now ready for its ferry flight to Kansas City where it will be preserved in TWA colors.

The L1011 (N91011) now effectively ready to fly resides at its restoration site Pacific Aerospace in Victorville, California.  We’ll ferry it to Kansas City as the next steps for painting and parking are finalized.

It has been a long marathon to bring the aircraft back to an airworthy status so let's hope everything goes fine for the flight to its final resting place.

TriStar Inc's related newsletter can be read here.

TWA's TriStars and Court Line footage

We would also like to suggest a very interesting video on Youtube about Court Line's L-1011 and some of its special features:

Also, Jon Proctor's full article about TWA's TriStars is now available for reading on its own website.

TWA L-1011 © Jon Proctor

• Jon Proctor: TWA's TriStars

Airways Magazine - TWA's TriStars

Airways' issue nº 225 (November 2014) has an interesting article about TWA's L-1011 written by Jon Proctor.

Jon Proctor was a TWA's DCS (Director of Customer Services) and had a long experience with the L-1011.

Some nice details like the record transatlantic cargo load carried by a L-1011-50 on a flight between Lisbon and New York and the fact that a TWA's RB211 engine completed 20,000 hours from service entry until it was removed from its wing are well explained in this article.

Airways Magazine - November 2014

TWA was one of the main and most enthusiastic operators of the L-1011.