I will as you fly past.

Me too

Air Canada economy is still one of the best choices for international flights; far superior to Air France, Lufthansa, American, etc. All the airlines are packing in more passengers, using thinner, narrower seats and reducing the number of toilets. Air Transat has installed rows of 3-3-3 in 20 year old planes which were designed to have 2-4-2. On my last flight with them to the Algarve, the flight attendants couldn't squeeze their food carts past the bulkhead between the economy and Club Class. They had to bang them repeatedly against the seats/bulkhead gap to force them through the too narrow aisle opening.

They're still using 20 yr old planes? Eeeeeeeeek!

Anyone else?

Some of the planes we're flown to work on are 40 years old.

Some training planes can be over 50 years old. At least the airframe is. The engines have usually been replaced or overhauled

Yeah training planes, but I mean the ones that carry me across the pond and ensure that I don't end up in the pond

I'm sure Schnooks is reading this as she's taking off and now will not sleep on her flight home. Safe flight Schnooks!

I'm reminded of a plane I hired to do some biomass burning research in Southern Africa in 1991. It was a modified WW2 Douglas DC3 which had been fitted with turboprop engines and lengthened by 1 metre ahead of the wings to rebalance it for flight. I think the locals referred to it as a C47.


The cabin wasn't pressurized but with the more powerful engines it could reach FL 260 (oxygen recommended).

Oh, what fun we had!

I suppose the highpoint was when we coordinated flight plans with the NASA DC8 for an intercomparison leg. NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratory | NASA

You should have seen the Yanks' faces.

Made it to Toronto, just waiting for bags. Was on a far more civil 767-300 (3-3-3 configuration). Very sleepy, it's 01:37 for us, but at least we are in Toronto... had we waited for our normal flight which ended up cancelled we likely would not have made it back until tomorrow!

Husband agreed that the new seat back entertainment on the sardine flight was far superior... and that was its only redeeming feature!

Thanks for the waves, hehe! You guys are awesome.

Welcome back.

Now about my avatar....

Not much I can do at the airport but I will sort you out tomorrow work. Promise!

Sleep well (when you get a chance).

Twenty years isn't really a problem for a modern jet. The limit is likely to be the number of flights and flying hours, not the age... and most are likely to be retired in favour of newer, more efficient aircraft before then, to save money. The last DC-10 in passenger service was just retired, and that was built in 1971.

I believe all B-52 bombers are now at least fifty years old, and are expected to be in service for decades to come. I seem to remember reading an article about a new B-52 pilot who was flying the same plane his grandfather flew?

Yeah, the C47 was the military version of the DC-3. Lots of them going cheap after WW2.