The Planespotting/General AV Geek Thread

[kelvedon]

Is it a Convair 340?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Is it a Convair 340?

I wish I knew. It was too far away to be sure. I had to zoom the iPad big time. My first guess was DC-3 but the vertical stabiliser is too angular. Anyone else?

 

[david1]

Good guess kelvedon! A bit of searching leads me to think it's N371FL (Pictures: Photo Search Results | Airliners.net), a Convair 5800, which is a modified C131 Samaritan, which was the military version of the Convair 240/340/440 family. Or something like that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_CV-240_family. This particular plane has been photographed at PHX before.


BTW, I'm liking the photos in this thread

 

[kelvedon]

Good guess kelvedon!

It matched the picture in my Avatar! I remember flying in these planes as a very excited young boy from LHR to ZHR many times. I have the impression they left after midnight so I don't know if there was a curfew in those days. I still have one of the tickets somewhere. A child's fare was £12.

Interestingly, of the 12 Convair 440's Swissair bought, only 6 died of "old age". The other six crashed, including one which never even made it to them, and crashed on its delivery flight!. Flying these days is so much safer.

Fleet - Convair CV440

 

[david1]

6/12 is not a great ratio! Air travel has come a long way very quickly. Great story too!

 

[UP4014]

A hour ago in Sydney at the private parking site.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/15264656@N02/20435157452/in/dateposted-public/

 

[petercr]

Not for Bronwyn Bishop by chance?

 

[PaulST]

Does that replace their old 757?

 

[petercr]

Looks like a C40A and according to Wikipedia, the C40-class are generally used by high ranking military staff whereas the C32 (757) is used by US cabinet and congressional leaders.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Anyone in DRW or transiting DRW tomorrow (Tuesday) should keep their eyes open for a treat. I'm sworn to secrecy, but the songs Love Shack and Rock Lobster spring to mind for some reason.

 

[coriander]

A hour ago in Sydney at the private parking site.

Boeing C-40C (737-7DM(WL)) (09-0540 USAF United States Air Force Boeing C-40 - cn 40706 / ln 3512 - Planespotters.net Just Aviation)

 

[petercr]

Anyone in DRW or transiting DRW tomorrow (Tuesday) should keep their eyes open for a treat. I'm sworn to secrecy, but the songs Love Shack and Rock Lobster spring to mind for some reason.

Something that's Big, Ugly and probably twice as old as the pilots flying it?

 

[kelvedon]

Anyone in DRW or transiting DRW tomorrow (Tuesday) should keep their eyes open for a treat. I'm sworn to secrecy, but the songs Love Shack and Rock Lobster spring to mind for some reason.

Does it have eight engines?

despite a proposal by it's manufacturer to replace the eight Pratt and Whitney's with four RR RB 211's

 

[Captain Halliday]

As promised...

 

[Captain Halliday]

You don't see these very often in DRW. In this case EK415 (A6-EGG) which was SYD-DBX but diverted with ~3 hrs on the ground. Apologies for poor pic, the iPad wasn't handy when I heard the unusual engine noise.

 

[Tazza_0712]

I took this photo from the Air NZ Lounge in Syd whilst waiting for my flight to LAX last month. I've seen this plane a few times. I'm sure some of you know what it is. Excuse the poor quality - iPhone 6 zoom :-|

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Thought it was a C-17 Globemaster but it looks more like a C5 Galaxy - they both have similar tails.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Yeah it's a C-17

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Okay here's one from the 'Vintage Oz' files from 1982 when our family went to Lindeman Island. B727-276 VH-TBK "Central Australian". There was also another TAA a/c with a theme which was DC-9 VH-TJL "Coral Islander".

We flew TAA SYD/BNE/PPP then took a Britten Norman Islander from Lindeman Aerial Services from PPP/LDC. On the homeward stretch it was LDC/MKY/BNE/SYD.

 

[lastrow]

Great picture ozbeachbabe. It would be great to see more pics from the old days. Many of us need a memory jog to remind us of the time we flew on these aircraft on every trip.
Is there a nostalgia thread on this site?