Air Canada DC-8 at LGA?

[PhilDernerJr]

A buddy of mine was telling me that he has an early memory of being at Shea Stadium in about 1984, looking to the south while leaving, and seeing an Air Canada DC-8 on Expressway Visual.

Anyoen know if this could be? There seems to be many debates on the 4-engine aircraft that have visited LGA throughout its history, and considering Air Canada's experiences with equipment subs, I would believe this as long as the airport would be ok with the type coming in.

Anyone have any input?

[cancidas]

while i can't comment on the airplane being there, i know that DC-8 and 707 aircraft were, for a time at least, prohibited from landing at LGA. the banning of the types had to do with the gear loading on the piers that support the approach ends of RWYs 13 and 22, not necessarely the weight. DC-10s and 767-400s have landed there but thier gear are siet wider apart and are on bigger tires, spreading the weight of the airplane out on a bigger surface area than those of the DC-8s and 707s.

i believe that the piers have since been upgraded/ renovated to be able to support more weight in small areas but i'm unable to get a concise answer from the folks at PANYNJ. airnav, which i use for my flight planning used to list in the remarks that the airport was closed to DC-8s and 707s, but that remark has since been removed. also, they now list runway weight bearing capacity under the runway information sections. http://airnav.com/airport/KLGA

i have an old copy of the PA's Rules and Regulations pamphlet, it's pre-9/11. i'll check to see if there is any info in there when i get home tonight. right now though, it's time to fly!

[LGA777]

Phil, never heard this rumor before but allthough I never managed to get a shot or video footage but I can remember seeing at least 10-12 Air Canada L-1011's at LGA in the mid-to late 80's, quite a sight.

LGA777

[Tom_Turner]

Seems very unlikely - DC-8s were pretty much out of the Air Canada fleet by then, and to the extent they were around, typically cargo and the stretch version, both of which factor into arguing even further against it.

So hard to say what might've happened though.. there are (to me) seemingly credible accounts written of Northeast Convair 880s as well as United Caravelles operating either for a very short intervals or as special visitors at LGA. (pre-1968 at least).

I wonder if this aircraft might not have shown up...



Its an N registration and ended its days in Florida around 1984.

Tom

[Tom_Turner]

Phil, never heard this rumor before but allthough I never managed to get a shot or video footage but I can remember seeing at least 10-12 Air Canada L-1011's at LGA in the mid-to late 80's, quite a sight.

LGA777

Yes Ron! A shocking sight the first time I saw one of those on the LGA approach on a beautiful day while I was walking around lower Manhattan. I figured they were Air Canada flights, (and maybe they were) but also heard another airline had leased them for a bit (perhaps Eastern?) and thats why they showed up.

Tom

[727C47]

i remember around '72 a 707,in the arrival flow over Brooklyn for LGA, and through the 70s loved the sight of EAL L1011s curving round the expressway visual.

[Tom_Turner]

i remember around '72 a 707,in the arrival flow over Brooklyn for LGA, and through the 70s loved the sight of EAL L1011s curving round the expressway visual.

Thats very interesting. I don't doubt the 707 might've landed at LGA.

Just to play devil's advocate, in the early 1970s, though it was in rare instances, JFK traffic would cut across lower Manhattan (in clear weather) and cross the LGA arrivals - beneath them - heading towards JFK. They would cross the East River, just north of the Williamsburg Bridge...

But on occasion, when the LGA arrivals were elsewhere, the JFK traffic would come up over Downtown Brooklyn where you would typically see LGA traffic (only somewhat lower!) and then turn a hard right towards JFK. The last time I saw that it was a Pan AM 747. And, again, that 747 got just north of the Williamsburg bridge before turning towards JFK.

Tom

[LGA777]

Tom, I actually did a similar approach to 13L at JFK aboard a DL 738 a few weeks ago and it was awesome. At first I thought we where doing the Expressway visual to 31 at LGA.

LGA777