|
|
| Although
no Australian airline ever operated TriStars, this was not through any lack
of effort on the part of Lockheed. As will be seen elsewhere on this page,
Lockheed did actively promote the TriStar to the three major Australian
airlines. Nevertheless, components for the L-1011 were produced by Australian
industry under offset contracts. The first TriStar to visit Australia was JA8506 (MSN 193P-1070) of All Nippon Airways which arrived in Brisbane from Nadi, Fiji on 20 May 1974. This aircraft was leased by Lockheed for a demonstration tour of Australia and south-east Asia during its delivery flight to Japan. TriStars were not common visitors to Australia although Cathay Pacific did operate a regular service to Perth and Air Lanka operated TriStars into Sydney and Melbourne. One TriStar did come to Australia but sadly it came here to die! Cathay Pacific Airways L-1011-1 TriStar VR-HOF (MSN 193E-1027) was parted out and broken up by ASTAAS (AeroSpace Technologies of Australia Aircraft Services) at Avalon, Victoria. The aircraft had previously served with Air Canada as C-FTNE and Air Lanka as 4R-ULK. Although it has been reported that the aircraft departed Hong Kong on 5th November 1994, Curt Johnston, who was the First Officer on the ferry flight to Avalon, states that the date was 8th November 1994. His logbook records that the flight took 8hr 19min. It will be noted from the photos that the aeroplane arrived at Avalon in full Cathay Pacific livery and titles although the titles were removed before the dismantling process began. During an airshow at Avalon in March 1995, VR-HOF was sighted in a hangar. By 24th September 1995, the aircraft had been stripped and moved outside. By 7th October 1995, the aeroplane had been moved near to the control tower. By 14th October, a scrapper's guillotine had arrived on site and on 16th October 1995 VR-HOF was reduced to scrap. At the time of writing, there is only one TriStar operational worldwide. This aircraft is L-1011-385-1-15 (MSN 1067) N140SC Stargazer registered to Orbital Sciences Corporation of Mojave but recently noted with Northrop Grumman in Florida. |
 |
||||||||||||
|
Air Canada L-1011-1
TriStar C-FTNE
(MSN 193E-1027) on the flight
line at Palmdale in March 1973. The aircraft flew for the first time on
18 March 1973 and was delivered to Air Canada on 12 April 1973. Acquired
by Guiness Peat Aviation in December 1986, it was leased to Air Lanka
as 4R-ULK until April 1988 when it was returned to GPA and subsequently
sold to Cathay Pacific as VR-HOF. Sadly this aeroplane came to Australia
to die after many years of service to Cathay Pacific.
Picture: Ron Cuskelly Collection (AI221) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
Cathay
Pacific L-1011-1 TriStar VR-HOF (MSN
193E-1027) in happier times and familiar
surroundings at Kai Tak in February 1990.
Picture:
Ron Cuskelly Collection (AI237) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
VR-HOF
(MSN
193E-1027) being broken up at Avalon. Click
on the image for a series of photographs of the scrapping process.
Picture:
David Campbell |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
The first TriStar to
visit Australia was All Nippon Airways' L-1011- 1 JA8506 (MSN 193P-1070)
which arrived at Eagle Farm, Brisbane from Nadi, Fiji on 20 May 1974 at
the start of a demonstration tour for the benefit of the Australian airlines.
The TriStar operated a local demonstration flight on 21 May and departed
for Melbourne the same day. The aircraft operated Melbourne-Canberra-Melbourne
on 23 May before departing for Sydney the same day. Ironically, the white
hangar in the background at right is the heritage listed Hangar 7 where
captured Japanese aircraft were assembled for evaluation during WWII.
Picture: Ron Cuskelly (F116) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
Soon
after JA8506 (MSN 193P-1070)
arrived at Eagle Farm, Brisbane from Nadi, Fiji
on 20 May 1974, the aircraft acquired a Qantas "zap" marking on the starboard
nosewheel door.
Picture:
Ron Cuskelly (F118) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
It is common practice
for aircraft manufacturers to court potential customers with models of
their aircraft in the customer's livery. This model of the L-1011 TriStar
has been painted in a Qantas livery which never saw the light of day.
Picture: Lockheed Martin via Pete Clukey |
||||||||||||
|
This model of the
L-1011 TriStar has been painted in a Qantas livery which was introduced
with the arrival of the first Boeing 747 in 1971. It suggests a progression
in Lockheed's efforts to sell the TriStar to Qantas. It has been claimed
that Qantas was on the verge of ordering TriStars, ostensibly to serve
Wellington, when Lockheed terminated production. Although no documentary
evidence of a potential Qantas TriStar order has come to light, photographs
held in the Qantas Heritage Collection confirm that Qantas executives
visited the TriStar production line at Palmdale on 4 August 1970, 30 May
1973 and 6 January 1976. Qantas personnel in the photographs include Bob
Walker (Technical Development Manager), Phil Howson (Deputy General Manager
Technical) and Tony Foster (Director Commercial Services). The compiler
also visited the TriStar assembly line at Palmdale on 18 September 1980
but it is considered unlikely that his presence had any bearing on the
outcome! As will be seen from the following timeline, Qantas placed orders
for the Boeing 747SP almost two years before it was announced that TriStar
production would cease. Indeed, the first Qantas 747SP entered service
on trans-Tasman flights to Wellington in early February 1981, nine months
before Lockheed's announcement. This would appear to cast doubt on the
rumoured Qantas intention to order TriStars.
Picture: Qantas Heritage Collection/Colin Lock |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
Another Australian
operator which was courted by Lockheed's TriStar team was Trans-Australia
Airlines. This model of the L-1011 TriStar has been painted in TAA's "look
of the seventies" livery.
Picture:
Lockheed Martin via Carl Yelverton |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
Ansett too was courted
by Lockheed's TriStar team as evidenced by this model of a TriStar in
Ansett Airlines livery. This model featured in the auction of Sir Reginald
Ansett's memorabilia on 3 May 2006.
Picture: Charles Leski Auctions |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
During
the pilots dispute of 1989, Ansett Airlines and Australian Airlines combined
to charter the Hawaiian Air L-1011-50 TriStar N763BE Maui (MSN
193P-1082). It is believed that the aircraft operated only one Australian
domestic service and that was Sydney to Perth and return on 9th September
1989. This would have been during the aircraft's normal layover in Sydney.
The aircraft was photographed in June 1986, probably at Honolulu.
Picture: Ron Cuskelly Collection (AI216) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-100
VR-HHK (MSN 193T-1118) of Cathay Pacific at Perth on 2 October 1980.
Picture: Geoff Goodall (V269) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-100
VR-HHL (MSN 193T-1122) of Cathay Pacific at Perth in October 1980.
Picture: Geoff Goodall |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-100
VR-HHL (MSN 193T-1122) of Cathay Pacific at Perth in June 1982.
Picture: Geoff Goodall |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-200
G-BHBR (MSN 293C-1212) of British Airways at Perth in March 1985.
Picture: Geoff Goodall |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
| L-1011-500
4R-ULA (MSN 293F-1235) City of Sri Jayewardenepura of Air Lanka at
Melbourne Tullamarine on 26 January 1993. The Sri Lankan carrier operated
scheduled services to Melbourne and Sydney. Picture:
Paul Finnigan |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-
200 N92TA (MSN 193U-1201) of Gulf Air at Brisbane on 28 September 1981.
In June 1990 the aircraft was re-registered A40-TA.
Picture: Ron Cuskelly (U331) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-200
N92TA (MSN 193U-1201) of Gulf Air at Brisbane on 28 September 1981. In
June 1990 the aircraft was re-registered A40-TA.
Picture: Ron Cuskelly (U334) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-200
N92TA (MSN 193U-1201) of Gulf Air at Brisbane on 28 September 1981. In
June 1990 the aircraft was re-registered A40-TA.
Picture: Ron Cuskelly (U328) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
Although
devoid of any airline markings, L-1011- 200 9Q-CVN (MSN 193U-1201) Natali
was operating on behalf of Hewa Bora Airways of the Democratic Republic
of Congo when it visited Cairns on 16 December 2004. The aircraft previously
visited Australia in 1981 as Gulf Air's N92TA pictured above. This image
was scanned from a 2.25 inch square transparency by the late Paul Howard.
Picture: Paul Howard |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-
50 N192AT (MSN 193C-1057) of American Trans Air at Brisbane in January
1988. The aircraft was broken up at Victorville in January 2003.
Picture: David Sparks (AD314) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
| L-1011-
50 N189AT (MSN 193C-1081) of American Trans Air at Cairns in August 1991.
The aircraft was operating an exclusive tour with the additional titles
"Private Jet Around the World".
Picture: Geoff Goodall |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
L-1011-500
ZD951 (MSN 193V-1165) was originally delivered to British Airways as G-BFCD
on 15 May 1979. It was delivered to the Royal Air Force in December 1983
and subsequently converted to TriStar K Mk 1 tanker configuration. The
aircraft was photographed at RAAF Richmond in October 1988 during the
Bicentennial Air Show.
Picture: Ron Cuskelly (AE151) |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
| L-1011-500
ZD952 (MSN 193V-1168) was originally delivered to British Airways as G-BFCE
on 21 July 1979. It was delivered to the Royal Air Force in October 1985
and subsequently converted to TriStar KC Mk 1 tanker/transport configuration.
The aircraft was photographed at Brisbane on 26 February 2006.
Picture: Peter Gates |
( This is not intended to be a definitive listing. Regular scheduled operations are not listed)
|
REGN
|
MODEL
|
MSN
|
AIRPORT
|
DATE
|
SOURCE
|
REMARKS
|
| CS-TEB |
-500
|
293B-1240 |
PER
|
NOV01
|
2
|
Euro Atlantic Airways |
| CS-TEB |
-500
|
293B-1240 |
ADL
|
04NOV03
|
1
|
Euro Atlantic Airways |
| CS-TEB |
-500
|
293B-1240 |
SYD
|
18NOV04
|
1
|
Euro Atlantic Airways |
| CS-TEB |
-500
|
293B-1240 |
SYD
|
NOV05
|
1
|
Euro Atlantic Airways |
| CS-TMP |
-500
|
293H-1248 |
PER
|
15APR06
|
1
|
Luzair |
| G-BHBO |
-200
|
293C-1205 |
BNE
|
01FEB90
|
3
|
British Airways (Note: 1) |
| G-BHBO |
-200
|
293C-1205 |
BNE
|
16FEB90
|
3
|
British Airways (Note: 1) |
| HS-LTA |
-1
|
193A-1043 |
MEL
|
MAR98
|
1
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Kampuchea Airlines. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTA |
-1
|
193A-1043 |
PER
|
22JUL98
|
5
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Kampuchea Airlines. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTA |
-1
|
193A-1043 |
PER
|
10AUG98
|
1
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Kampuchea Airlines. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTA |
-1
|
193A-1043 |
MEL
|
OCT98
|
1
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Merpati. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTA |
-1
|
193A-1043 |
PER
|
04NOV98
|
2
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Kampuchea Airlines. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTB |
-1
|
193A-1055 |
MEL
|
JAN98
|
1
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Merpati. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTB |
-1
|
193A-1055 |
MEL
|
FEB98
|
1
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Merpati. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTB |
-1
|
193A-1055 |
PER
|
11NOV98
|
2
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Merpati. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTB |
-1
|
193A-1055 |
MEL
|
JAN99
|
1
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Merpati. (Note: 2) |
| HS-LTB |
-1
|
193A-1055 |
PER
|
10FEB99
|
5
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Merpati. (Note: 2) |
| JA8506 |
-50
|
193P-1070 |
BNE
|
20MAY74
|
4
|
All Nippon Airways. Lockheed demonstration tour. |
| N75AA |
-200
|
193U-1201 |
SYD
|
NOV00
|
2
|
Tradewinds Airlines |
| N92TA |
-200
|
193U-1201 |
BNE
|
28SEP81
|
4
|
Gulf Air |
| N163AT |
-500
|
293A-1229 |
SYD
|
13FEB00
|
1
|
ATA Airlines |
| N189AT |
-50
|
193C-1081 |
SYD
|
01JAN00
|
1
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N189AT |
-50
|
193C-1081 |
SYD
|
18SEP00
|
1
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N189AT |
-50
|
193C-1081 |
SYD
|
02OCT00
|
1
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N191AT |
-50
|
193C-1084 |
SYD
|
15NOV98
|
1
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N192AT |
-50
|
193C-1057 |
BNE
|
JAN88
|
4
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N193AT |
-50
|
193C-1071 |
PER
|
28NOV97
|
5
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N193AT |
-50
|
193C-1071 |
SYD
|
27DEC99
|
1
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N193AT |
-50
|
193C-1071 |
BNE
|
02MAY00
|
1
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N193AT |
-50
|
193C-1071 |
MEL
|
04NOV00
|
1
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N193AT |
-50
|
193C-1071 |
PER
|
12NOV00
|
2
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| N196AT |
-50
|
193B-1076 |
SYD
|
20NOV99
|
1
|
American Trans Air. (Note: 3) |
| TF-ABT |
-100
|
193B-1231 |
SYD
|
OCT98
|
1
|
British Caledonian |
| VR-CZZ |
-500
|
293A-1249 |
SYD
|
JUN93
|
2
|
Private |
| XU600 |
-1
|
193A-1043 |
SYD
|
07SEP99
|
1
|
Kampuchea Airlines. (Note: 2) |
| XU700 |
-1
|
193A-1055 |
SYD
|
23JUL99
|
1
|
Orient Thai Airlines / Kampuchea Airlines. (Note: 2) |
| ZD948 |
-500
|
193V-1157 |
SYD
|
25MAY01
|
1
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| ZD948 |
-500
|
193V-1157 |
SYD
|
13MAY02
|
1
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| ZD948 |
-500
|
193V-1157 |
SYD
|
19MAY04
|
1
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| ZD948 |
-500
|
193V-1157 |
PER
|
19MAY04
|
2
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| ZD950 |
-500
|
193V-1164 |
SYD
|
25SEP02
|
1
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| ZD951 |
-500
|
193V-1165 |
YSRI
|
OCT88
|
4
|
RAF K Mk 1 (YSRI = RAAF Richmond) |
| ZD952 |
-500
|
193V-1168 |
PER
|
24JAN05
|
2
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| ZD952 |
-500
|
193V-1168 |
BNE
|
26FEB06
|
4
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| ZD953 |
-500
|
193V-1174 |
PER
|
20SEP94
|
2
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| ZD953 |
-500
|
193V-1174 |
SYD
|
19SEP04
|
1
|
RAF KC Mk 1 |
| 9Q-CVN |
-200
|
193U-1201 |
CNS
|
16DEC04
|
4
|
Hewa Bora Airways |
|
NOTES
|
|
|
1
|
G-BHBO was carrying H. M. Queen Elizabeth II to and from the Commonwealth Games in AKL. |
|
2
|
There are varying reports on which carrier this aircraft was operating for at the time. The aircraft was owned by Orient Thai Airlines and operated on behalf of several airlines with or without additional titles. |
|
3
|
American Trans Air operated a series of exclusive tours marketed as "Private Jet Around the World". At least one aircraft (N189AT) carried these additional titles. |
|
SOURCES
|
|
|
1
|
airliners.net |
|
2
|
https://www.yssyforum.net/board/showthread.php?t=6371&page=2 |
|
3
|
http://www.squawk.adastron.com/ |
|
4
|
Pictured on this page. |
|
5
|
Merv Crowe, Perth. |
|
6
|
http://flytristar.tripod.com/pagebackup/prodlist.html (for MSNs) |
|
7
|
Francillon, R.J. 1987, Lockheed Aircraft since 1913, second edition, Putnam, London (for MSNs) |
|
Issue
|
Date
|
Remarks |
|
4
|
29MAR20
|
Added images of G-BHBR and VR-HHL thanks to Geoff Goodall. |
|
3
|
26JAN20
|
Added an image of a model TriStar in the Qantas ochre livery sourced from the Qantas Heritage Collection by Colin Lock. The rumoured Qantas intention to order the TriStar is also examined. |
|
2
|
22JAN20
|
Added an image of Air Lanka TriStar 500 4R-ULA thanks to Paul Finnigan. |
|
1
|
20JAN20
|
Original issue. Thanks to Peter O'Connell and Curt Johnston for their notes on the demise of VR-HOF. Thanks also to Gordon Reid for his notes on the use of N763BE during the pilots' dispute of 1989. |
|
Return to the Lockheed File |
 |
