Flying in Comfort?
Discussion
Received the following photos from a reliable source (my father-inlaw who works at RBA)of the Sultan of Brunei's latest addition.
Yes, the sinks are solid gold and one of them is Lalique crystal. The Sultan bought the aircraft brand new for roughly $100M. He had it flown to Waco from the Boeing factory and had the interior completely removed. Then he had the folks at E-Systems install $120M worth of improvements inside and outside.
Puts Branson to shame :D
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Yes, the sinks are solid gold and one of them is Lalique crystal. The Sultan bought the aircraft brand new for roughly $100M. He had it flown to Waco from the Boeing factory and had the interior completely removed. Then he had the folks at E-Systems install $120M worth of improvements inside and outside.
Puts Branson to shame :D
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I think he operated a Boeing 767 before this addition and a 747SP before that.
You would be suprised at the number of VIP fitted out large airliners that are around - usually in the hands of middle eastern rulers and their families.
By the way, why would it have been flown from the Boeing factory when it is an Airbus A340?
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 4th July 10:58
You would be suprised at the number of VIP fitted out large airliners that are around - usually in the hands of middle eastern rulers and their families.
By the way, why would it have been flown from the Boeing factory when it is an Airbus A340?
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 4th July 10:58
Is it worth mentioning the Sultan of Brunei is a piston head too ?
www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3200.asp?id=10495
www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3200.asp?id=10495
Just reminds me of that Virgin mobile ad with the rappers...'Bling!'
I can see that in the background for MTV's new smash hit show...
PIMP MY PLANE
Following on from the success of Pimp my Ride, MTV US ups the ante, with Xzibit meeting jaded dot.com millionaires and pimping their plane.
Expect a lame-assed British version featuring a low-buget Ali-G clone hosting it featuring a couple of hang-gliders and a microlight....
Chri
PIMP MY PLANE
Following on from the success of Pimp my Ride, MTV US ups the ante, with Xzibit meeting jaded dot.com millionaires and pimping their plane.
Expect a lame-assed British version featuring a low-buget Ali-G clone hosting it featuring a couple of hang-gliders and a microlight....
Chri
We look after a number of very large VIP aircraft, including 747-400’s and we will have the first VIP A380 on our books as well.
One thing when you fly on one is how tacky they all are. After the initial ‘oh I just took a dump on a gold bog’ wears off its really like flying in a fancy caravan!
Not really my cup of tea, but they are still nice to look at I guess.
>> Edited by Extra 300 Driver on Monday 4th July 13:33
One thing when you fly on one is how tacky they all are. After the initial ‘oh I just took a dump on a gold bog’ wears off its really like flying in a fancy caravan!
Not really my cup of tea, but they are still nice to look at I guess.
>> Edited by Extra 300 Driver on Monday 4th July 13:33
xxplod said:
One of the Sultan's old planes, a VC10 is on display at the Brooklands Museum. It is preserved with its 1970s interiors etc.. and these pictures are also on show in the plane. Well worth a visit.
Ahhhh, VC10. Probably the best passenger plane ever made. When I was t'lad BOAC flew those things out to Singapore. Most impressive take off I have ever experienced from Columbo airport.
s2art said:
Ahhhh, VC10. Probably the best passenger plane ever made. When I was t'lad BOAC flew those things out to Singapore. Most impressive take off I have ever experienced from Columbo airport.
What!!
These would be the same VC10's that the South Africans gladly flogged to us to use as air to air refueling planes cos they cost the same to maintain in 3 years as they did to buy new.
Apparently the operating costs were horrendous, the only people daft enough to operate them for any length of time was, um, us. Doh!
We're only now getting rid of them. One of the reasons its taken so long is because they consume so much money we can't afford new planes....
Andy
South Africans?
South Africa NEVER operated VC-10s, neither the national airline South African Airlines or the South African Air Force.
The RAF has operated VC-10s since the mid 1960s. No 10 Squadron has been flying them as long range troop transports since then and since the mid 1980s, the RAF has also operated them in the tanker role. The tanker VC-10s were conversions of retired airliners, mainly ex-BA and a couple of ex-Gulf Air (which were originally BOAC and BA machines anyway).
The VC-10 is one of the nicest airliners ever made. For their day they had tremendous performance - not surprising really as they were designed to operate from short African runways in hot and high conditions. As a result they could out perform the contemporarey Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s. Unfortunately for Vickers/BAC, they were relatively uneconomic to operate compared to the 707 and DC-8 and most African countries modified their airports to accomodate the American aircraft rendering the raison d'etre of the VC-10 superfluous. However, they gave sterling service to BOAC/BA, Ghana Airways, East African Airways, BUA/British Caledonian, Air Malawi and, of course, the RAF.
South Africa NEVER operated VC-10s, neither the national airline South African Airlines or the South African Air Force.
The RAF has operated VC-10s since the mid 1960s. No 10 Squadron has been flying them as long range troop transports since then and since the mid 1980s, the RAF has also operated them in the tanker role. The tanker VC-10s were conversions of retired airliners, mainly ex-BA and a couple of ex-Gulf Air (which were originally BOAC and BA machines anyway).
The VC-10 is one of the nicest airliners ever made. For their day they had tremendous performance - not surprising really as they were designed to operate from short African runways in hot and high conditions. As a result they could out perform the contemporarey Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s. Unfortunately for Vickers/BAC, they were relatively uneconomic to operate compared to the 707 and DC-8 and most African countries modified their airports to accomodate the American aircraft rendering the raison d'etre of the VC-10 superfluous. However, they gave sterling service to BOAC/BA, Ghana Airways, East African Airways, BUA/British Caledonian, Air Malawi and, of course, the RAF.
Eric Mc said:
South Africans?
South Africa NEVER operated VC-10s, neither the national airline South African Airlines or the South African Air Force.
I stand corrected. It wasn't South Africa, sorry.
They are still very expensive planes to own though. Made more difficult as they are now so old.
Andy
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