#convair jet 880

[stone-cold-groove]

Fastest... Finest... for the new jet age!

[flyingprivate]

Elvis Presley’s 1962 Lockheed 1329 JetStar,

For decades, Lockheed’s JetStar was the executive jet of choice for countless A-listers, recognized dignitaries and star-studded celebrities, and this 1962 Lockheed 1329 JetStar is no exception, as it was once owned by the king of rock ‘n’ roll: Elvis Presley. Presley acquired it from OMNI Aircraft Sales Inc. on December 22, 1976 for the princely sum of $840,000.

When Elvis took ownership of this particular JetStar, registered with the FAA as N-20TF, the entertainer was no stranger to luxurious aviation acquisition. He had already amassed a modest fleet, which included a custom Convair 880 named the “Lisa Marie” that went by the call sign of Hound Dog 1, along with a second JetStar identified by its call sign of Hound Dog 2.

With a busy touring schedule, these crafts were needed to transport the singer, his TCB band, backup groups, Col. Tom Parker and the ever-present Memphis Mafia to venues, concerts and appearances all around the country. Elvis kept several pilots on retainer that were ready to fly him to adoring fans at a moment’s notice.

This JetStar is one of several private jets owned by Elvis Presley, with two currently on display at Graceland. Inside, the cabin features wood paneling and red velvet upholstery with gold-finish hardware. There’s seating for nine by way of six plush chairs that swivel and recline, along with a couch. An onboard entertainment system is tucked away in a media cabinet, featuring a television, RCA VCR player and audio cassette player, and headphone ports with audio controls are located at every seat. A galley contains storage and a meal-prep area complete with a Kenmore microwave and beverage dispenser. At the rear is a lavatory along with additional storage and cubby areas.

In the spring of 1977, the jet was sold, later ending up with a Saudi Arabian company. The JetStar was then moved to Roswell International Air Center (ROW) in Roswell, New Mexico, where it’s been stored for decades and resides to this day. The aircraft will require disassembly to be shipped, and coordinating assistance is available. Documentation joining the jet includes a copy of the Aircraft Security Agreement document signed by Elvis Presley, a copy of the Aircraft Bill of Sale and Official FAA Blue Ribbon documents. While the P&W engines and many cockpit components have been removed and no engines or replacement parts will be included with the sale of Elvis’ jet, it serves as an incredible restoration opportunity and a chance to create a unique Elvis exhibit for all the world to enjoy.

This JetStar is a truly rare bird with immense appeal and one that will do nothing but shake up the crowds at Mecum’s 2023 Kissimmee auction. Elvis and his effect on the music industry are known the world-over, and this opportunity for a new owner to acquire an extravagant piece of his aviation past is a momentous occasion with untold room for flights of rock ‘n’ roll fancy.

[eptodaytommorowforever]

Events In The History And The Life Of Elvis Presley Today On The 18th April In 1975.

18 April 1975 –  Elvis Presley bought a Convair 880 Jet, recently taken out of service by Delta Airlines, for the then-substantial sum of $250,000. After refurbishing, the total exceeded $600,000.

He immediately rechristened it the Lisa Marie.

The plane was in a hangar at Meacham Field in Fort Worth and For months Elvis Presley took great pleasure in flying friends out to check on the progress as the interior of the plane was refurbished to his design requirements are very specific (he bought another plane to make those trips – a smaller Lockheed JetStar). Elvis Presley wanted a seating area, a conference room and a private room in the plane (with space for a reading library in flight). He picked fabrics, decided on color schemes, chose the system audio-visual board and even approved the gold fixtures in the bathrooms (he counted heavily on some of the entrance of Priscilla, too, the aesthetic).

Elvis Presley was particularly pleased with the fact that the design team had previously customized Air Force One. The craft slowly came together as a mixture in a state of airworthiness of the modem function and the elegance of Graceland. He called It Is Fying Graceland.

Close in size to a 707, the Lisa Marie was customized with bed, a bedroom with a queen bed on measure, a bathroom executive with faucets gold attica plush and a sink in the gold, a system of video cassette linked to four televisions and a stereo system with fifty-two speakers and a conference room finished in teak.

It could contain a maximum of 29 people, but usually there would be about eight or 10. When the work of final paint has been applied to the outside, there was a logo ” TCB ” prominent on the tail. Rare Candid B/W Fans Photo Of Him Boarding The 880 Convair Plane Is Commercial Plane The Lisa Marie In Cinncinatti the previous year in 1976.

[rabbitcruiser]

Millbrae, CA (No. 2)

The City and County of San Francisco first leased 150 acres (61 ha) at the present airport site on March 15, 1927, for what was then to be a temporary and experimental airport project. San Francisco held a dedication ceremony at the airfield, officially named the Mills Field Municipal Airport of San Francisco, on May 7, 1927, on the 150-acre cow pasture. The land was leased from the Mills Estate in an agreement made with Ogden L. Mills who oversaw the large tracts of property originally acquired by his grandfather, the banker Darius O. Mills. San Francisco purchased the property and the surrounding area expanding the site to 1,112 acres (450 ha) beginning in August 1930. The airport's name was officially changed to San Francisco Airport in 1931 upon the purchase of the land. "International" was added at the end of World War II as overseas service rapidly expanded.

The earliest scheduled carriers at the airport included Western Air Express, Maddux Air Lines, and Century Pacific Lines. United Airlines was formed in 1934 and quickly became the key carrier at the airport, with Douglas DC-3 service to Los Angeles and New York beginning in January 1937. A new passenger terminal opened in 1937, built with Public Works Administration funding. The March 1939 Official Aviation Guide shows 18 airline departures on weekdays—seventeen United flights and one TWA flight. The August 1952 chart shows runway 1L 7,000 feet long, 1R 7,750 feet, 28L 6,500 feet, and 28R 8,870 feet.

In addition to United, Pacific Seaboard Air Lines flew between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1933; the Bellanca CH-300s flew San Francisco–San Jose–Salinas–Monterey–Paso Robles–San Luis Obispo–Santa Maria–Santa Barbara–Los Angeles. Competition with United led Pacific Seaboard to move all of its operations to the eastern U.S., and rename itself Chicago and Southern Air Lines (C&S). It became a large domestic and international air carrier. Chicago & Southern was acquired by and merged into Delta Air Lines in 1953, giving Delta its first international routes.[14] Delta used the route authority inherited from C&S to fly one of its first international services operated with Convair 880 jet aircraft from San Francisco to Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Caracas, Venezuela, via intermediate stops in Dallas and New Orleans in 1962.

Source: Wikipedia

[airsllides]

airsLLide No. 13175: N806TW, Convair 880-22, ex TWA, Mohave CA, March 28, 1997.

Althoug officially registered to Charlotte Aerospace for trading, the erased double globe logo on the tail and the early TWA jet-age livery still indicate that famed Trans World Airways was the Convair's last user. TWA retired its entire fleet of fuel-guzzling CV-880s, initially 30 units strong, in the spring of 1974, namely after the first oil shock had hit the industry. Around 17 of them were stored in Mohave, in the Southern California desert, the rest remained at the airline's base in Kasas City.

While the ships in Kansas City remained parked and were scrapped in 1979, the ones flown into storage in California were subsequently sold to various aircraft dealers in an attempt to either find new customers, convert them to freigters or strip them for spare parts, but little of that happened.

Although a handful were converted and fitted with a large cargo door, there simply was almost zero demand for the Convair 880s. Their narrower fuselage and first generation turbofans, coupled with the small production run of only 65 airframes made them inferior to the large number of Boeing 707s and McDonnell Douglas DC-8s available on the second-hand freighter market.

Only four of the Mohave CV-880s left the field and went to new owners, but that didn't spell good fortune either: Two went to the FAA where they were used for destructive fire suppression tests, and two went to the US Navy at Patuxent River where they flew missions during cruise missile tests from 1991 until 1995. By then they too were used in destructive tests, assessing typical damage of explosives detonating.

The rest of the unwanted former TWA Convairs remained in Mohave until December 1999 when the airport authority pushed forward with cleaning the ramp from long term residents. Two museums managed to at least salvage a cockpit section for display.

[propadv]

1958 Convair's Jet 880 and Convair's supersonic B-58. Two Of A Kind ... the world's fastest!

Source: Time Magazine

Published at:  https://propadv.com/aircraft-ad-and-poster-collection/convair-ad-and-poster-collection/

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.3 (after 1960)

1960 – The land that would become the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is established by an Act of Congress after a year-long legal battle that pitted local residents against Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials wishing to turn the Great Swamp into a major regional airport for jet aircraft. 1961 – U Thant is unanimously appointed as the 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations, becoming the first non-European individual to occupy the post. 1964 – Lyndon B. Johnson is elected to a full term as U.S. president, winning 61% of the vote and 44 states, while Washington D.C. residents are able to vote in a presidential election for the first time, casting the majority of their votes for Lyndon Johnson. 1967 – Vietnam War: The Battle of Dak To begins. 1969 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard M. Nixon addresses the nation on television and radio, asking the "silent majority" to join him in solidarity on the Vietnam War effort and to support his policies. 1973 – Mariner program: NASA launches the Mariner 10 toward Mercury. On March 29, 1974, it becomes the first space probe to reach that planet. 1975 – Syed Nazrul Islam, A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman, Tajuddin Ahmad, and Muhammad Mansur Ali, Bangladeshi politicians and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman loyalists, are murdered in the Dhaka Central Jail. 1978 – Dominica gains its independence from the United Kingdom. 1979 – Greensboro massacre: Five members of the Communist Workers Party are shot dead and seven are wounded by a group of Klansmen and neo-Nazis during a "Death to the Klan" rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. 1980 – A Latin Carga Convair CV-880 crashes at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Venezuela, killing four. 1982 – The Salang Tunnel fire in Afghanistan by kills 150–2000 people. 1986 – Iran–Contra affair: The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reports that the United States has been secretly selling weapons to Iran in order to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon. 1986 – The Compact of Free Association becomes law, granting the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands independence from the United States. 1988 – Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries attempt to overthrow the Maldivian government. At President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's request, the Indian military suppresses the rebellion within 24 hours. 1992 – Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton defeats Republican President George H. W. Bush and Independent candidate Ross Perot in the 1992 United States presidential election. 1996 – Abdullah Çatlı, the leader of the Turkish ultranationalist organization Grey Wolves, dies in the Susurluk car crash, leading to the resignation of Interior Minister Mehmet Ağar (a leader of the True Path Party). 1997 – The United States imposes economic sanctions against Sudan in response to its human rights abuses of its own citizens and its material and political assistance to Islamic extremist groups across the Middle East and East Africa. 2014 – One World Trade Center officially opens in New York City, replacing the Twin Towers after they were destroyed during the September 11 attacks. 2020 – The 2020 United States presidential election takes place between Democratic Joe Biden and Republican incumbent President Donald Trump. On November 7, Biden was declared the winner.

[southangelvideos-blog-blog]

LISA MARIE & HOUND DOG II JETS - GRACELAND - TENNESSEE

Coordonnées GPS:  35.04705, -90.02573

Lors de notre visite à Graceland, nous avons également visité deux avions ayant appartenu à Elvis Presley.  Ceux-ci, un Convair 880 et un Lockeed JetStar, sont situés à proximité du bâtiment abritant les musées dédiés à Elvis.

Le Convair 880 a été surnommé "Lisa Marie" en l'honneur de sa fille.  Cet avion somptueux lui a permis de le transporter à travers les États-Unis dans le cadre de sa tournée.

On remarque, sur la queue de l'avion, le dessin d'un drapeau américain ainsi qu'un logo avec l'acronyme TCB qui signifie "Taking Care of Business", expression couramment utilisée par Elvis en référence à sa carrière.

L'avion comporte quelques sections dont, une chambre principale, une chambre d'amis, un coin salon, une salle de conférence ainsi que deux salles de bain avec des accessoires en or.

La cabine comporte également des boucles de ceinture plaquées or, des tables recouvertes de cuir et des canapés en daim.

Le second avion, un Lockeed JetStar, a été surnommé Hound Dog II.  Ses caractéristiques sont similaires à celles du Lisa Marie.  

Lors de la mort d'Elvis, ces deux avions ont été vendus par la famille d'Elvis, avant d'être rachetés et exposés à Graceland.

***************

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[brn1029]

On this date, the good stuff, in music history….

April 17th

1998 - Linda McCartney

Linda McCartney died after a long battle against cancer. Married Paul McCartney in 1969 when she was working as a photographer. As well as a being a member of Wings, she became an animal rights campaigner and launched her own brand of vegetarian food.

1994 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with The Division Bell, their fourth No.1 album.

1993 - David Bowie

David Bowie went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his eighteenth studio album Black Tie White Noise. It was his first solo release in the 1990s after spending time with his hard rock band Tin Machine.

1983 - Felix Pappalardi

Felix Pappalardi, producer and bass player with American rock band Mountain was shot dead by his wife Gail Collins during a jealous rage. Collins was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. Pappalardi who was 43 had produced the Cream albums 'Disraeli Gears' and 'Wheels of Fire.'

1982 - Vangelis

Vangelis was at No.1 on the US album chart with Chariots Of Fire, he later also won an Oscar for the album for best original score.

1975 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley bought a Convair 880 Jet formally owned by Delta Airlines for $250,000, which he re-christened Lisa Marie. Presley spent a further $600,000 refurbishing the Jet to include personal quarters, a meeting area and a dance floor.

1974 - Vinnie Taylor

Vinnie Taylor guitarist with US rock 'n roll revival band Sha Na Na was found dead in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Charlottesville, Virginia from a drug overdose. Sha Na Na played at the Woodstock Festival, their 90-second appearance in the Woodstock film brought the group national attention. The group appeared in the movie Grease as Johnny Casino & The Gamblers.

1973 - The Eagles

The Eagles released their second studio album Desperado. Recorded at Island Studios in London, UK, two singles were released from the album 'Tequila Sunrise' and 'Outlaw Man'.

1973 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side Of The Moon went gold in the US. The LP went on to stay in the US chart for more than ten years and became the longest charting rock record of all time.

1971 - George Harrison

All four Beatles had solo singles in the UK charts, Paul McCartney with 'Another Day', John Lennon 'Power To The People', George Harrison 'My Sweet Lord' and Ringo Starr 'It Don't Come Easy.'

1965 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's second studio album 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan was at No.1 on the UK chart. The album opens with 'Blowin' in the Wind', which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary.

1960 - Eddie Cochran

Touring in the UK, 21-year-old US singer Eddie Cochran was killed when the taxi he was travelling in crashed into a lamppost on Rowden Hill, Chippenham, Wiltshire, (where a plaque now commemorates the event). Songwriter Sharon Sheeley and singer Gene Vincent survived the crash, Cochran's current hit at the time was 'Three Steps to Heaven'. The taxi driver, George Martin, was convicted of dangerous driving, fined £50, disqualified from driving for 15 years, and sent to prison for six months.

[brianfrench1995]

TWA 880 Postcard

[stone-cold-groove]

Convair Jet 880 ...the plane with the Midas touch.

[elza32358]

Fastest…Finest…for the new jet age! 1957 ad for the Convair Jet 880.

[eptodaytommorowforever]

On This Day On The 21st October In 1975 Pilot Of The Lisa Marie Milo High flies Elvis Presley Girlfriend Linda Thompson And Is aunt, Delta Biggs, and Memphis Vet Mike McGregor to Boston MA to pick up Is pet chow, Getlow who had to have a serious operation that couldn’t be performed in Memphis Tennessee as Elvis Presley had to take is Pet Chow Getlow To A Specialist in Boston MA Photo The Lisa Marie In Flight And On The Runway At Boston MA Airport In 1975.

The Lisa Marie Elvis Presley’s Delta DC 10 880 Convair Commercial Airplane. He Purchased In 1975 Named After Is Daughter. True Facts;

Crew: Required a crew of four (Elvis always used the same crew).

Seating capacity: 28 (after he customized the plane)

Tower call name: '880 Echo Pappa'

Nickname: "Hound Dog One"

Elvis Presley called the plane: 'The Pride of Elvis Presley Airways' and his 'Flying Graceland'.

Range: 3,000 miles

Horsepower: 44,800 lbs. thrust

Engines: Four General Electric CJ-805-3 Pod Mount Jets

Length: 129' 4"

Wingspan: 120'

Tail height from ground: 36' 3"

Weight: 87,000 lbs.

Maximum weight: 184,000 lbs.

Cruising speed: 615 M.P.H.

Maximum altitude: 41,000 feet

Fuel capacity: 10,770 gallons

Fuel consumption: 1,700 gallons per hour; -- take off: 2,200 gallons

Operating cost for 1976: $404,000

Manufacturer: Convair

Maiden flight: January 27, 1959

Produced: 1959-1962

Number of aircrafts built: 65

[rabbitcruiser]

Millbrae, CA (No. 4)

The first nonstops to the U.S. east coast were United Douglas DC-7s in 1954. The airport's new Terminal Building opened on August 27, 1954. The large display of aircraft including a Convair B-36 Peacemaker bomber, was a marvel for its time. The building became the Central Terminal with the addition of the South Terminal and the North Terminal and was heavily rebuilt as the International Terminal in 1984 and then modified again as the current Terminal 2. Domestically, the April 1957 Official Airline Guide (OAG) lists 71 scheduled weekday departures on United (plus ten flights a week to Honolulu), 22 on Western Airlines, 19 on Southwest Airways (which was later renamed Pacific Air Lines), 12 on Trans World Airlines (TWA), seven on American Airlines and three on Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA). As for international flights, Pan American had 21 departures a week, Japan Airlines (JAL) had five, and Qantas also had five.

The jet age arrived at SFO in March 1959 when TWA introduced Boeing 707-131s nonstop to New York Idlewild Airport (which was renamed JFK Airport in 1963). United then constructed a large maintenance facility in San Francisco for its new Douglas DC-8s, which were also flying nonstop to New York. In July 1959 the first jetway bridge was installed at SFO, one of the first in the United States. On the cover of January 3, 1960, American Airlines timetable contained this message: "NOW! 707 JET FLAGSHIP SERVICE – NONSTOP SAN FRANCISCO – NEW YORK: 2 FLIGHTS DAILY"[36] Also in 1960, Western Airlines was operating "champagne flights" with Boeing 707s and Lockheed L-188 Electras to Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego and Portland, OR.

In 1961 the airport had helicopter service on San Francisco and Oakland Helicopter Airlines (known as SFO Helicopter Airlines, and as SFO Helicopter) with 68 flights a day. Helicopters flew from SFO to downtown heliports in San Francisco and Oakland, to a new heliport near the Berkeley Marina and to Oakland Airport (OAK). In its timetable, SFO Helicopter Airlines, which was based at the airport, described its rotorcraft as "modern, jet turbine powered Sikorsky S-62 ten passenger amphibious helicopters".

By 1962 Delta Air Lines was flying Convair 880s to SFO on one its first international jet services, San Francisco–Dallas Love Field–New Orleans–Montego Bay, Jamaica–Caracas, Venezuela.[15] Also in 1962, National Airlines began flying Douglas DC-8s San Francisco–Houston Hobby Airport–New Orleans–Miami.

Source: Wikipedia

[elvis1970s]

Although Elvis' jet, the Lisa Marie, is so identified with his touring operation in the 70s, he actually only acquired it in the Spring/Summer of 1975.

It was an ex-Delta Airlines 96-passenger Convair 880, which he bought for $ 250 000, but the total cost including modifications and refurbishment ended up at a little over $ 600 000.

According to biographer Peter Guralnick (Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley);

"...Elvis got caught up in every aspect of the design, which eventually comprised a penthouse bedroom with a custom-made queen-size bed, an executive bathroom with gold faucets and a gold washbasin, a videotape system linked to four TVs and a stereo system with fifty-two speakers, and a conference room finished in teak..."