Rare aircraft you have seen.

[bull153]

I was able to see a restored B-17 fly in and out of Buchanan Field, near Travis AFB, in 2004 while I was attending advanced accident investigation school at the hotel adjacent to the airport. I was stationed at Travis in 1984 when the last flyable C-124 was flown in to be added to the Travis Air Museum.

[ScatterbrainKid]

I grew up in the 1960's and the sight and sound of Vulcans blew my socks off and terrified us kids, they were like huge primeval alien birds of prey..
I think there are just one or two still flying today (below)

[fxsttcb]

On occasion I find myself in the Willow Run(KYIP) neighborhood and on the off chance of catching some Yankee Air Museum activity I cruise the perimeter, I-275->Ecorse Rd W->Beck Rd S. I've caught their B-17, B-25, and Stinson in all phases of prep and Flight over the years...Don

[eagleworks4u]

I got to admit scatterbrainkid they sure dont make them like they should still be making them what a awesome bird. The Brits and Russians sure put flair and style into their aircraft.

[ScatterbrainKid]

Yeah, the incredibly sexy beautiful Concorde is another one that's flown into history, never to be seen again, it's almost unbelievable that civil aviation took a backwards step into the subsonic stone age by scrapping it.
At least we'll be able to boast to our grandkids "I saw the Concorde flying"

PS- You'd have thought major world governments would have chipped into a fund to keep Concorde flying so that Presidents, Prime Ministers, Heads of State and assorted key politicians would be be guaranteed to quickly get to important summit meetings around the world especially in times of crisis, for example just 3 hours New York to London..

[benEggleston16]

I see the original post has been edited, presumably after museums and airshows were mentioned!
It depends what you mean by rare, I see Jetstream 41s everyday, there are always some on the tarmac at EGNT when I fly and I from my school I can see every plane taking off and landing. That's because EGNT is a base for Eastern Airways who have about a third of all the jetstream 41s in the world (90 in the world), so even if you lived near JFK, LHR or another huge airport, you might never see one but I do all the time , just about the only 'interesting' plane regularly at EGNT (therefore hypocriting 'interesting'). Also, what about Avro RJs, common in Europe but no where alse. And the Fokker 70, seen almost everywhere in Europe thanks to KLM CityHopper but again, no where else. Suprising (if you live in Europe) to find out, there are less than 50 in the world. Probably rarer than DC-3s, 727s and some warbirds then!

That's about the only interesting plane I can positively identify, (airline+type+rej+photo) I've seen a DC-3 once about 4 years ago, I think it was Altantic Airways when the EU allowed them to be used for passenger flights, I actually think the one I saw might have been the one from the farewell tour, I've never seen one before or since. But as mentioned, at one time they were as far from RARE as could be, but in Europe in the 21st century, rare probably is a fair description

I've seen a 727 in Auckland, as well as loads of BN-2s (in New Zealand. In fact, they pulled off the most amazing display I've ever seen from 9-seater props when four took off from the same runway within 30 seconds! This was after about 10 hours of IFR conditions at Milford Sound Flightseeing, so they had probably been waiting all day for that moment)

I've seen most of the RAF birds including the TriStar (that was the best), a Nimrod too (the loudest thing I ever heard before I saw a Eurofighter at an airshow) trailing huge black smoke on take off. Harrier Jump Jet too (not rare if you live in UK, yes rare anywhere alse apart from perhaps US and Germany). Loads of stuff at RAF Hendon museum, and Sunderland Airshow including the Vulcan (only one flying, and that nearly was suspended a couple of years ago. Now apparently they have funds to do the DIamond Jubilee flyover). Obviously the Red Arrows, about 5 or six times, but only three not at an airshow (if you count airshows, they are probably the most seen planes in the world!)

While at LHR last March, I think I saw some sort of Royal Flight (not the UK's), it was an all-grey 747 with a crown on the tail. WHen I saw it I thought at the time it was UNITED (their old livery) but reviewing my pictures the grey was just all over, no blue stripe. But the 747 definitely isn't a rare plane, especially at LHR! I've also seen an ACJ at Kuala Lumpur, I think it was Oman air force or something like that.

In conclusion:
DC-3
BN-2
727
TriStar
Nimrod
Harrier
J41
F70
Nothing too special

[benEggleston16]

Yeah, the incredibly sexy beautiful Concorde is another one that's flown into history, never to be seen again, it's almost unbelievable that civil aviation took a backwards step into the subsonic stone age by scrapping it.
At least we'll be able to boast to our grandkids "I saw the Concorde flying"

PS- You'd have thought major world governments would have chipped into a fund to keep Concorde flying so that Presidents, Prime Ministers, Heads of State and assorted key politicians would be be guaranteed to quickly get to important summit meetings around the world especially in times of crisis, for example just 3 hours New York to London..

Was Concorde loss making, there seems to be some uncertainty, not suprisingly with the number of documentary-tributes. The plane itself was pretty old when it was retired, first flight was only 6 years after the 727, but its long wait until introduction makes it A300 vintage (amazing isn't it, when people think of it as so futuristic). It was old in 2003 (some of my earliest memories are about the retirement of Concorde, I'm 14 years old now and very sad I only saw COncorde once, permanently static at Heathrow last year), and now that's nearly a decade ago.
Also, if it's not too political, our (UK's) spending cuts mean we can hardly keep a BAe146, so forget a uniquely specially-needed publically-regarded-as-'unsafe' and nearly half a century old Anglo-French exploit
That said, I do love COncorde, I just don't see why people say 'I can't believe it was retired!'

[ScatterbrainKid]

..Was Concorde loss making, there seems to be some uncertainty...

Yes that's why i suggested world governments could have easily subsidised it.
Mind you, the yanks always hated Concorde and were jealous because they never had a supersonic airliner themselves, and they even banned it from New York for a while on the grounds that it was too noisy and polluting, huh!

[angels355]

T38 making a wide turn to final approach, had a hard time concentrating on the heavy freeway traffic. It looked so graceful.

[mbish01]

I grew up in England in the early 50's. Saw a Bristol Brabazon fly over my house! Colossal!!! I also watched Neville Duke in
his RED Hawker Hunter setting the speed record (I think 1952?)

Mike