Thanks for the information, robbreid. This aircraft had an interesting history.
We put âeyes onâ the Florida and Texas Jet Star IIâs in the last month. I am exited to get typed and get going on the old girl. I will update as time goes by.
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First time I saw what one was in the movie âHellfightersâ looked pretty cool back then.
N375MD c/n 5227 for sale.
The interesting story here is; N375MD was originally c/n 5209 which was destroyed during Hurricane Wilma at FXE on Oct 24/05.
Then there was the movie FaceOff with John Travolta, who used Jetstar 5227.
At the time it was registered as N171SG, which after the movie was sold to Singer Alan Jackson. The first photo is at Edmonton Alberta Intl Airport, and still sports the âFaceOffâ paint scheme. 2nd photo is departing out of Ft. Wayne Indiana with Alanâs paint scheme.
Alan then sold the jet, currently flying Westwind II N21HR, N117AJ became the ânewâ N375MD and is currently for sale.
Really? Most peopleâs early memories of the type are of the one used in the film âGoldfingerâ, which preceded âHellfightersâ by four years, and was memorably flown by Pussy Galore.
Should probably change âmostâ to âmany.â I, for one, didnât know it was in Goldfinger. My earliest memory of the aircraft is seeing it in a magazine.
Pussy Galore and her squadron
N711Z Owner Auric Goldfinger/pilot Pussy Galore.
Apparently two Jetstars were used in the film, the first N711Z, the second was a TWA Jetstar N1007.
Interesting note; TWA Jetstars - among their Jetstar fleet, one was configured as a B727 trainer, and one as a B707 trainer.
According to aviation historian Robert Serling, Eastern Airlines JetStar which it acquired as a gift due to delays in Lockheedâs deliveries of the L-1011 jetliners. The aircraft was reportedly used by its then CEO Sam Higginbottom for trips not related to his work. In fact the aircraft was known by Easternâs workers as âThe Wings of Sam.â
I was unaware that major U.S. airlines of the day used Jetstars for any reason. Is there more history regarding this usage? I would like to learn more. Correct me if Iâm wrong, but I believe that Pan Am used Dassault Falcon 20s on the recommendation of Charles Lindbergh.
Pan Am marketed rather than used the Falcon.
The following excerpt is from Falconer Online.
It all started in 1963, when a team of Pan Am tech reps and mechanics was sent to France to work on modifications of the Myste (Falcon) 20. Those who know Dassaultâs history are familiar with the story - Charles Lindbergh was sent by Pan Am chairman Juan Trippe to scout out a business jet to market in the United States. Lindbergh was in Bordeaux for the Myste 20âs first flight (in May 1963) and called home immediately, declaring heâd found the plane they were seeking. On August 3rd, the final contract was signed for 40 aircraft, with an option for 120 more.
Speaking of business jets operated by airlines, National Airlines operated Jet Commander 1121 registered N1300M.
Background; Serge Dassault in person, headed a delegation to the 1962 NBAA in Pittsburgh to canvas the market for the companyâs business aircraft and discover the American marketâs interest. Which leads into the story above.
At the time Pan Am World Airlines was looking to diversify into business aircraft distribution. Several execs, inluding vp Frank Gledhill, and Charles Lindbergh visited the Mystere 20-01 prototype.
The first Fan Jet Falcon - as Pan Am renamed them - was delivered in the summer of 1965.
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Mr. Maytag was the last of the dashing airline owners in the likes of Continentalâs Bob Six and Braniffâs Harding Lawrence. He sold his controlling interest in Miami-based National Airlines to Pan Am who was in a bidding war with Frank Lorenzoâs Texas Air Corporation and Eastern Airlines for control of National.
Mr. Maytag was born on August 5, 1926 and died in September 1990. His grandfather, Fredrick Lewis Maytag (1857 - 1937) started the Maytag Company. His father, Lewis B. Maytag, took over Maytag Company from his grandfather. Bud Maytag owned Frontier Airlines, based in Denver, and was President of Frontier from January 1959 to April 1962 when he bought National Airlines from George T. Baker.
N1300M Rockwell Jet Commander 1121 c/n 78
I think the most well known American owned biz jets were Continental Sabreliner 60âs, because it was very common to see one parked outside their hangar at LAX.
N743R Sabre 60 c/n 306-11 Accident report, was replaced with Sabre 60
N231A 306-72.
Japan Airlines also had three Falcon 20Eâs based in California, and were common visitors to the Southern California airports.
N131JA Falcon 20E Japan Airlines flight trainer.
The most well known airline biz jet in Europe, which also visited America, was Aristotle Onassis Learjet 25B-074 SX-ASO Accident report which was replaced by Lear 25C-094 SX-CBM Accident Report (after sold in the USA).
Others include SIA Lears, VASP Lear, and afew in the Middle East, Libyan Arab Airlines, Jetstars, Falcons, Saudi, Royal Arab Wings/ALIA Jordan, Syrian Falcon 20, Iraqi Airways Falcon and Jetstars etcâŚ
and of course Fred Smithâs first of 36 Falcon 20âs, N1FE FedEX;
Libyan Arab Airways Falcon 20C 5A-DAG still in service.
Sterling (Denmark) Aerospatiale Corvette OY-SBR
PH-CTF Citation 500-0177 1 of 7 KLM flight school once operated.
9V-ATG Lear 45 of Singapore Airlines, flight school now in Australia.
The Jetstar also served as Air Force One at one time, though not as the official aircraft. However, many presidents flew on the USAF Jetstars, designated Lockheed VC-140B. Three are currently preserved. The Air Force One designation is given to any Air Force aircraft that the President of the United States is flying on. The same is true for Navy, Marine, and Army aircraft. Marine One is the designation used for the presidentâs helicopter.
VC-140B Fact Sheet from the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB (KFFO) in Dayton, Ohio.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=574
Does anyone know the staus or where abouts of N1BL. Belonged to Bud distributor Bernie Little before passing away. He was also the owner of the Hydro Boats Ms. bud.
Registration is expired N112TJ aircraft was last spotted in storage inside a warehouse at El Mirage Airport California.
No ones mentioned Lockheedâs own Jetstars. Designed at the Skunk Works before being sent to the commercial aircraft division. They didnât have the slipper tanks & they only had two engines (the Bristol Orpheus). The four JT17s were added to get a US military contract as the US govt. would not buy it with British engines. Four engines were required to get the needed thrust; slipper tanks were needed to feed four engines.
Lockheeds sn 1 kept the 2 british engines and added the slipper tanks & sn 2 went to 4 engines as the prototype of that configuration.
The last Jetstar ?sn204? built went to the Iraqi Govt in 1980.
As the thread began with the Jetstar II, until it went sideways!, there was a link on the first page with all the info on the first two Jetstars.
I just found a new link with some amazing pictures from NASAâs JetStars. I posted it at the bottom of the first page of my website (along with a few other website links to articles, etc.) Check it out, scroll all the way to the bottom:
lockheed-jetstar.com
Some facts about the ones on my site:
5112 was Paxson Communications and supposedly John Mccain has ridden in it.
5227 belonged to Alan Jackson
5201 was the Hornets plane
5150 belonged to Chi Chi Rodriguez
To see the serial numbers not listed on the for sale page just change the URL to the new serial number to see the archived page.
Michael (broker)
Nice Jetstar shots, the entire NASA site is pretty kool.
Your Alan Jackson Jetstar, rent the movie FaceOff and youâll see your Jetstar.