FighterControl

RAF Tristar Retirement

Originally designed as a civilian airliner in the 1960’s the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar later become a vital asset to the Royal Air Force transport fleet. March 2014 brings to an end the RAF service of the famous ‘trijet’.

Whilst Wikipedia lists Air France as a TriStar operator, this was never the case. Air France did however use an Air Transat TriStar 500 (C-FTNA) on services between Paris Orly and Algiers in the late 1980s. The aircraft was brought in on an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) lease and as such operated by Air Transat on behalf of Air France.

Martin

Hammy wrote:Whilst Wikipedia lists Air France as a TriStar operator, this was never the case. Air France did however use an Air Transat TriStar 500 (C-FTNA) on services between Paris Orly and Algiers in the late 1980s. The aircraft was brought in on an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) lease and as such operated by Air Transat on behalf of Air France.

Martin

So Air France did technically operate a Tristar...

Dunk wrote:

Hammy wrote:Whilst Wikipedia lists Air France as a TriStar operator, this was never the case. Air France did however use an Air Transat TriStar 500 (C-FTNA) on services between Paris Orly and Algiers in the late 1980s. The aircraft was brought in on an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) lease and as such operated by Air Transat on behalf of Air France.

Martin

So Air France did technically operate a Tristar...

Nope, Air Transat operated a Tristar with Air France painted up the side.

Hammy wrote:

Dunk wrote:

Hammy wrote:Whilst Wikipedia lists Air France as a TriStar operator, this was never the case. Air France did however use an Air Transat TriStar 500 (C-FTNA) on services between Paris Orly and Algiers in the late 1980s. The aircraft was brought in on an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) lease and as such operated by Air Transat on behalf of Air France.

Martin

So Air France did technically operate a Tristar...

Nope, Air Transat operated a Tristar with Air France painted up the side.

So no-ones allowed to state the RAF operate the A330 Voyager either?

MikeB wrote:So no-ones allowed to state the RAF operate the A330 Voyager either?

Where did I state that? Nowhere.

The Voyagers aren't on ACMI leases, whilst owned by AirTanker, they're flown by RAF crews.

Hammy wrote:

Dunk wrote:

Hammy wrote:Whilst Wikipedia lists Air France as a TriStar operator, this was never the case. Air France did however use an Air Transat TriStar 500 (C-FTNA) on services between Paris Orly and Algiers in the late 1980s. The aircraft was brought in on an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) lease and as such operated by Air Transat on behalf of Air France.

Martin

So Air France did technically operate a Tristar...

Nope, Air Transat operated a Tristar with Air France painted up the side.

Air France did however use an Air Transat TriStar 500 (C-FTNA) on services between Paris Orly and Algiers in the late 1980s.

Surely 'using' an aircraft is technically 'operating' it"... It 'operated' as an Air France service right?

Hammy wrote:

MikeB wrote:So no-ones allowed to state the RAF operate the A330 Voyager either?

Where did I state that? Nowhere.

The Voyagers aren't on ACMI leases, whilst owned by AirTanker, they're flown by RAF crews.

I was just curious, I wasn't aware that a company had to provide their own crews to be considered operating it.

Thanks for the insight.

Air France flight, Air Transat aircraft. Air Transat operate the aircraft on an Air France route. Air France passengers flew on an Air Transat aircraft. Another three ways of putting it, in none of them Air France actually operated anything.

On the other hand, the RAF are actually operating the Voyagers, they are using their crews to fly them for their missions, and ground crews are also RAF (I think?) - it's an RAF operation, the aircraft are technically owned by AirTanker, however.

It's like saying your local travel agent operates A321s and B757s. They don't, they just sell seats on behalf of someone else. Same principle, if not the same application.

Well I can only apologise for my lack of research into each of the operators stated and the other 55 which I included in the total, in addition to my lack of understanding of what is considered an operator in this pedantic world we live in. At least we can all sleep safely at night now we've established the definition of operator!

Great article though Mike, I enjoyed reading it because I remember seeing all of the RAF Tristars when they were with BA and Panam.

Another sad but inevitable loss, much like the VC-10s, Tornado F3s & Harriers etc., etc....................