Remnants of abandoned aircrafts might trigger our fear of flying, but while some of them
were indeed the result of unfortunate aerial accidents, others have actually found a new
purpose on land.
But regardless of how they ended up, these carriers offer us a glimpse into their rich
history filled with famous passengers, unexpected tragedies, and fascinating technology that
proved to be ahead of its time.
Keep your seatbelts fastened because we’re boarding the 8 Most Amazing Abandoned Planes!
What's up, fact-natics!
This is Discovery Amuse, serving up your daily dose of the most outrageous, outlandish, and
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Our number one pick is literally pockmarked with bullet holes that serves as a grim reminder
of its turbulent past!
“Cabin crew, prepare for take-off!”
#8: The King’s Jet Put on your blue suede shoes for this one!
If you happen to be in the area of Roswell in New Mexico, why not check out this decrepit
private jet that has become a tourist attraction in its own right.
Although it definitely has seen better days, this custom 1962 Lockheed Jetstar 1329 was
actually once owned by The King himself, Elvis Presley!
The velvet upholstery and gold-tone woodwork give visitors first-class access to the high-flying
lifestyle of the rock and roll legend.
The aircraft had been sitting on a runway in Roswell for more than 30 years until it
was finally put up for auction in 2018.
However, it ended up being a tough sell given that the aircraft is missing an engine and
the cockpit needs some serious restoring.
Still, it could make for snazzy memorabilia for the highest bidder.
All it needs is a big-a big-a big-a hunk o’ love!
Stay tuned because our number one pick is bound to make you shudder in horror!
#7: Epic Aircraft Fail In 1962, famed aircraft designer Robert Bartini
proposed an amphibious vehicle that was capable of vertical take-off and could land on almost
any surface, including on water.
Think a helicopter, an airplane and a ship all rolled in to one!
It was indeed an ambitious feat of aviation engineering, but Bartini had been making a
name for himself with his innovative aircraft designs.
The amphibious design became the basis for the construction of the VVA-14 aircraft in
1972, which was meant to be used to detect enemies and perform rescue operations both
on land and at sea.
It was a bumpy journey creating the vehicle to say the least, and the VVA-14 never really
lifted off the ground properly.
When Bartini passed away in 1974, the makers of the aircraft had a hard time perfecting
the ambitious project, until further developments were finally stopped in 1976.
In 1987, the prototype was turned over to the Soviet Central Air Force Museum, where
it’s condemned to be grounded forever.
#6: Trapped in Ice If the kingdom of Arendelle had its own airline,
it might look something like this.
When the C-121 Lockheed Constellation plane, also known as Pegasus, took off on October
8, 1970, the pilots already knew they were in for a wild ride.
There was a fierce storm over Antarctica at the time, and the lack of fuel didn’t make
it possible for them to fly back to New Zealand.
And when Murphy’s Law kicked into high gear, the snow and ice erased all visibility, the
harsh winds thrashed the plane 30,000 feet above the ground, and poor Pegasus was sent
crashing toward the frozen Antarctic desert.
Miraculously, all of the 80 people abord the Pegasus survived the nosedive mostly unharmed.
But the aircraft itself was another story.
Until today, the Pegasus can still be seen in its crash site near the McMurdo station,
resting under layers of snow.
Tourists who brave the harsh weathers try to dig parts of the plane in order to get
a good photo, and even carve their names onto the aircraft’s walls.
#5.
Aircraft Restaurant I bet airplane food has never been this fresh!
At one point, this restaurant gave customers a taste of what it’s like to eat on an airplane
without having to actually fly!
In 2000, a South Korean couple bought this Boeing 747 airbus, which was the very first
commercial aircraft of its kind ever built.
During its heyday, the Pan Am aircraft nicknamed the Trippe after the airline’s founder,
flew to nearly every continent for decades.
But when it was sold in 2000 for $1 million, the Korean couple transformed it into an aviation-themed
restaurant, in the hopes of giving new life to this once shining symbol of the golden
age of air travel.
However, the restaurant business didn’t exactly soar high, and the owners decided
to close up shop in 2005.
For the next five years, they tried to find a buyer for the dilapidated aircraft, to no
avail.
In 2010, the couple finally bid bon voyage to the Trippe and had it demolished along
with their hopes for a successful business venture that ultimately failed to take flight.
#4: The Swamp Ghost The mosquito and crocodile-infested Agaimbo
swamp in Papua New Guinea is not just home to rich wildlife, but also to an actual Second
World War bomber plane!
But how the heck did it end up in this place and stayed there for almost 70 years?
Apparently, this B-17E Flying Fortress aircraft, piloted by Captain Fred Eaton, was intercepted
by Japanese forces in February of 1942, after it raided some ships in New Britain.
The plane suffered multiple shots but it ultimately came crashing down Papua New Guinea due to
low fuel.
Fortunately, Capt. Eaton and his men survived the plane crash and were ultimately reunited
with American troops.
The abandoned plane, which was nicknamed the Swamp Ghost, was only discovered in 1972 by
the Australian Force 30 years after its crash landing, since Capt. Eaton couldn’t remember
the exact location of the crash site.
Efforts to recover the bomber started in the 1980s led by antique plane collector and former
world war pilot David Tallichet.
But it wasn’t until 2006 that the salvage operations were completed.
In February of 2010, the aircraft was finally transported back to Hawaii, and is now on
display at the Pacific Aviation Museum for everyone who wants to get a glimpse of what
is now dubbed as the “holy grail” of military aviation.
#3.
The Aerial Workhorse It might not be easy on the eyes, but the
Bristol Type 170 Freighter was once the jewel of the skies for being both a freighter and
an airliner.
It was capable of carrying heavy cargo, even a 3-ton truck!
The aircraft was envisioned to be an air ferry that could fly passengers with their cars
in short distance routes.
Between 1945 and 1958, it underwent a lot of makeovers to accommodate various passenger
and freight forwarding needs.
However, on May 30, 1956, an unfortunate incident tarnished the aircraft’s reputation.
When one of the freighters landed on the Beaverlodge Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada, the pilot pushed
the brake when the left main gear went through the ice.
This resulted to the left wing hitting the ground and getting bent.
The 3-member crew was rescued but the plane had to be abandoned due to irreparable damages.
#2: Sunken Drug Plane Just off the shores of Norman’s Cay in the
Bahamas, you will be welcomed by this unusual islander—a full-size military transport
plane once owned by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar!
See, in 1978, Escobar’s men started taking over Norman’s Cay and turned it into one
of the Medellin cartel’s refuelling points while transporting cocaine from Colombia to
the US.
However, in 1980, a Curtiss C-46 Commando which was part of Escobar’s drug-running
fleet landed short of the runway.
The precious cargo was recovered but the smuggling plane was left abandoned in the middle of
the sandbank.
Today, visitors can snorkel in the area and get a natural high out of swimming with a
memorabilia of Colombia’s dark history.
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#1: Flying Yacht In the middle of a Saudi Arabian beach lies
an old PBY-5A Catalina aircraft that’s been stranded there for more than 40 years.
And the story behind it is a tale of one man’s dream retirement that quickly turned into
a nightmare.
In the spring of 1960, a businessman named Thomas Kendall wanted to travel around the
world with his family aboard a Catalina he bought from the US Navy which he converted
into a luxury flying yacht.
On March 22, 1960, they landed on the Strait of Tiran and anchored the aircraft offshore.
The next day, Thomas and his family were attacked by a group of men who fired machine guns and
automatic firearms at them.
They were able to get back to the aircraft and Thomas managed to move the plane about
800 meters, but the gunmen kept firing and the aircraft sustained at least 300 bullet
holes which damaged the fuel tanks.
The Kendall family had no choice but to swim back to the shore, where they were captured
by a group attached to the Saudi Arabian army.
They were eventually set free with the help of the American Ambassador, but the pockmarked
plane still sits on the beach as a reminder of its owner’s worst day ever.
So, which among these planes threw you for an aerial loop?
Let us know in the comments section below!
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Frequent fliers, listen up!
Because we’ve got more aviation wonders just for you!
Don’t miss our roundup of the 10 Secrets Flight Attendants Never Tell Passengers!
‘Til then, stay adventurous, fact-natics!
And see you in the next video!