Chaguaramas Military Museum

27/07/2026

26/04/2026

On this day, April 26, 1972, Lockheed delivered the first ever L-1011 TriStar to Eastern Air Lines.

The aircraft, registered N306EA, was the third wide-body airliner ever to enter commercial service, after the Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. It was built at Lockheed's Palmdale plant in California and powered by three Rolls-Royce RB211 engines.

Eastern flew the first commercial L-1011 service shortly after, between Miami and New York.

What made the TriStar so special was its technology. It was the first airliner certified for fully automatic landings in zero-visibility conditions. It was also the first commercial jet that could fly from takeoff to landing on full automation. Its cabin was famous for being quiet, spacious, and luxurious, earning it the nickname "WhisperLiner" from Eastern Air Lines.

But the TriStar struggled to find commercial success. Lockheed needed to sell 500 aircraft to break even. Only 250 were built. Two years of delays caused by Rolls-Royce's bankruptcy gave the rival DC-10 a head start that the TriStar never recovered from. After the last delivery in 1984, Lockheed pulled out of the commercial aviation business for good.

The last scheduled passenger flight on an L-1011 took place in May 2008. Today, only one TriStar is still flying. It is the Stargazer, owned by Northrop Grumman, and it is used as a launch platform for the Pegasus rocket.

A beautiful aircraft. A short commercial run. And a beloved memory for everyone who ever stepped on board.