Planes close to your heart?

[pons399]

As avgeeks, I assume everyone here has a particular airframe or two that you remember fondly. What are some regos you'll never forget?


For me, #1 is HL7636. It hosted my first flight on a 747, which also happened to be my first time trying out a quadjet. I've flown on this aircraft twice, and had a great time on both occasions.



Another one is HL7733. Back then I was unaware of alliance liveries, so seeing this thing at the gate instead of a baby blue Pepsi plane was a shocker. The pizza on this flight was oddly delicious as well.


And of course, 9V-SHN. It satiated my decade-long dream of flying on an A350. I was a huge fan of the raccoon before, and am an even bigger fan after this flight (plus one on SMR).

 

[JJ Skippy]

N301NW, American Boeing 737-823 since it was the first aircraft I ever flew on. I have one in my collection but I would love to have this specific registration.

 

[josecolme]

There are too many really. But the one, unfortunatley I'm not 100% sure but it is very likely that my first flight was in PH-DTD. KLM DC-10. I flew on several other KLM DC-10's that I remember through names, not regs as I was very little. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Maurice Ravel.

 

[Purpleplane]

I have too many also, but I do have my top 3.
My very first flight on a jet airliner was Delta 727-232 N474DA, which also happens to be the 1000th 727 built.

Next would be my 2nd flight and only flight I ever took on Braniff. 727-27C N7276 in the 2 tone green scheme.

Probably the most memorable one of all is Federal Express 737-2S2F N204FE. It was the first "mainline" aircraft that I ever worked:

 

[OscarBravo992]

VH-OJU. My final flight on a Qantas 747 before they were retired. QF29, MEL-HKG in August 2018. I would kill for a model of this aircraft.



VH-OGG. The last Qantas 767 I flew on, only one week before it was retired.



VH-EBD. My first time into an Airbus cockpit, and unfortunately this airframe has seemingly been slated for retirement.



I'm unsure of the exact registration, but it was an A330-300 flying the brushwing that took me on my first international flight, MEL-HKG.



VH-OEF. My first Qantas 747 flight. QF30, HKG-MEL.



The exact registration is buried somewhere in a logbook, but it was a Dragonair A321 that first introduced me to mainland China.

 

[Aviation Enjoyer]

I just now realized I don't fly enough in my life to have one. I'll have to change that next year!

 

[Irish]

I haven’t flown a ton of aircraft like other people have and haven’t kept track a ton of my flights but now I do here’s my more recent chunk of sentimental flights.

1. N671DN, for those who know, yes recently I figured out it wasn’t N684DA, it happened to be the callsign I confused with the registration all along, so this is the true one. Regardless this one is my all time closest as I was returning back home from SLC finally after one of my lowest and darkest points of life so it meant a ton being able to go back home and I’m sure if you had a situation similar you would feel the same way I did. Additionally it was my first 757 and a non winglet variant too! During covid which was even crazier and the base ticket price was only $99!



2. This MAX 8 N17254 (Aviate sticker) took me from ORD to Carbondale’s airport near SIU to tour the campus for the United Airliners Career Day they hosted. The flight was free, a first come first serve basis and was one of the best days I had this year! Definitely another one close to me and was one of those times I was in a place I felt like I truly belong.



3. As I don’t fly too often and haven’t kept track of everything this is probably the last one I can include. N8850Q was my first MAX 8 I had been on and I don’t remember being this excited for a flight other than the top two. It also highlighted a fun Florida going from RSW back up to ORD!

 

[Mikeymag]

My very first A321 ride and in the new American colors too, N196UW.

 

[Purpleplane]

I also can't forget the first "airliner" I ever flew on and worked, and my first employer in the airline industry...
Indiana Airways Piper Navajo N27196 delivered brand new in November, 1977. I was hired for the very first day of service on November 15, 1977. We flew several daily flights between IND (where I worked out of) and the airline's LAF (Lafayette, IN) headquarters. Expansion to Columbus, Indiana followed in 1978, and we added 1974-built Cessna 402B N1401A to the fleet (we named her "Emma" as her previous registration was D-EMMA)
Here's Piper Navajo N27196.

and Cessna 402B N1401A at CVG (started service there in early 1979)

I remained at Indiana Airways until December 1979 when I hired in at Federal Express.

 

[Phantom]

While I love collecting diecast airliners and building airliner models, I don't really care about particular real ones - at least none of the modern.
727-200, OY-SEZ, would be one of the few as I had several rides on before it was retired.

Other Sterling 727s also fondly remind me on my summer vacations on the island of Samos. Those weekly 727 take offs for Copenhagen were spectacular as they often made it barely above the fence (and the beach just behind that fence)

Real fond memories I have in particular for F-4F with tac. sign 38+00. Spent many hours on this one in my military days. It hurt badly when I watched an excavator tearing it apart some years later. Sistership 37+61 - on which I also have memories - had more luck and is preserved as a gate guard but the J79s keep silent now...
That's how she looks like in 2023:
070723_3761 by Alexander Kern, auf Flickr

 

[The_SingingAvgeek]

I have one very special Cessna 172 that is very close to my heart.

I first flew it back in September 2016 on a Trial Introductory Flight and fell in love with the aircraft. Little did I know that almost 7 years later in July 2023, I would pass my Recreational Pilot's Licence Flight Test in it.

The aircraft is VH-NWZ, a 2000 Build Cessna 172R Skyhawk.

There is also another 172R which is close to my heart which is VH-RBB (a 1999 build) which I did my first solo flight in in June 2023.

The first aircraft I ever flew on will always have a special place in my heart. It is an Embraer ERJ-135LR formerly operated by JetGo Australia. I flew on it on Monday 28/09/2015.

 

[Jazajia]

I have too many also, but I do have my top 3.
My very first flight on a jet airliner was Delta 727-232 N474DA, which also happens to be the 1000th 727 built.
View attachment 24422
Next would be my 2nd flight and only flight I ever took on Braniff. 727-27C N7276 in the 2 tone green scheme.
View attachment 24423
Probably the most memorable one of all is Federal Express 737-2S2F N204FE. It was the first "mainline" aircraft that I ever worked:View attachment 24425

You must be extremely happy with AC's release of N204FE then!

 

[Jazajia]

Spent many hours on this one in my military days.

If you don't mind, it would be good to know more context. i.e. were you a fighter pilot?

 

[Jazajia]

Avensa 727-100 YV-89C. My dad took me to an airshow when I was around 4 at the local airforce base. When airliners were lining up for takeoff he would take me as close as we could to the runway. It terrified me to see those things rushing towards us, but it was the first time an aircraft created an impression on me. The majority of commercial traffic was composed of Avensa 727s and Aeropostal DC-9s, I remember being able to tell the number of engines was different. Decades later I found a video of that same airshow from a similar position where I was located (I could have been within 20 meters or so of the person filming it):

Turns out my first flight was also on board an Avensa 727, but I was too young to remember it.

I have a fleet of custom Avensa 727-100s.




Another airplane that is important to me is Cirrus SR-20 N609DA. It is the aircraft in which I completed my first solo, and also happens to be the aircraft featured in the first photo that I got accepted on JetPhotos.com, after years (years!) of trial and error. I have considered getting a GJ 1:72 SR20 to customize it.

N609DA | Cirrus SR20-G2 | Delta Connection Academy | Jorge A. Zajia | JetPhotos

N609DA. Cirrus SR20-G2. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 6 million screened photos online!

www.jetphotos.com

 

[Phantom]

If you don't mind, it would be good to know more context. i.e. were you a fighter pilot?

I can only wish. Never managed to go this way. I served as an aircraft mechanic (scheduled maint) on type. Was a great time to actually work on my favourite type instead of just watching it.

 

[Jazajia]

I can only wish. Never managed to go this way. I served as an aircraft mechanic (scheduled maint) on type. Was a great time to actually work on my favourite type instead of just watching it.

Still, quite an amazing job to have had.

 

[Atlspotter]

Avensa 727-100 YV-89C. My dad took me to an airshow when I was around 4 at the local airforce base. When airliners were lining up for takeoff he would take me as close as we could to the runway. It terrified me to see those things rushing towards us, but it was the first time an aircraft created an impression on me. The majority of commercial traffic was composed of Avensa 727s and Aeropostal DC-9s, I remember being able to tell the number of engines was different. Decades later I found a video of that same airshow from a similar position where I was located (I could have been within 20 meters or so of the person filming it):

Turns out my first flight was also on board an Avensa 727, but I was too young to remember it.

I have a fleet of custom Avensa 727-100s.

View attachment 26418


Another airplane that is important to me is Cirrus SR-20 N609DA. It is the aircraft in which I completed my first solo, and also happens to be the aircraft featured in the first photo that I got accepted on JetPhotos.com, after years (years!) of trial and error. I have considered getting a GJ 1:72 SR20 to customize it.

N609DA | Cirrus SR20-G2 | Delta Connection Academy | Jorge A. Zajia | JetPhotos

N609DA. Cirrus SR20-G2. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 6 million screened photos online!

www.jetphotos.com

I also don’t remember my first flight, it was on a Southwest 737-300 or -700, no idea

 

[Jazajia]

I also don’t remember my first flight, it was on a Southwest 737-300 or -700, no idea

Same here. My parents kept most of the boarding passes of flights I took since my birth up to about 5 years old, but back then Avensa did theirs by hand and did not specify the equipment. Most likely 727-100, small chance it was a -200.

 

[josecolme]

Same here. My parents kept most of the boarding passes of flights I took since my birth up to about 5 years old, but back then Avensa did theirs by hand and did not specify the equipment. Most likely 727-100, small chance it was a -200.

My mom kept my first boarding pass on the KLM DC-10 when I was three months old. Still have it.

 

[Phantom]

My parents weren't really font of flying back then so I can still well remember my first ride. It was a 727-200 of Dan-Air. Never forget boarding through the rear stairs and the noise of all the 1-11s at Gatwick.