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Aviation Flashback

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Aviation Flashback

Every picture tells a story! Most pics are scans from Fuji Film Slides.

Here I post photo's taken by myself (Peter Bakema) since 1984, first a simple DDR Praktia camera, later with Olympus and Canan Equipment.

09/05/2026

Throwback to Luxembourg Airport, December 2012! 🇱🇺✈️

An unusual visitor at Findel: Polet Flight Ilyushin Il-96-400T RA-96102, photographed on 2 December 2012.
The Il-96-400T was the freighter version of Ilyushin's four-engined widebody, and only a handful were ever built. RA-96102 had entered service with Polet in 2009 and was one of the relatively rare examples to be seen outside Russia.

But its story didn't end with Polet. After the airline went bankrupt in 2013, this aircraft returned to the VASO factory and underwent a rather remarkable transformation — from cargo aircraft into a special passenger/VVIP aircraft for the Russian government. It was delivered in its new configuration in 2016 and became part of the Russian state aviation fleet.

It's not often that you see an aircraft go from freighter to passenger, rather than the much more common conversion in the opposite direction. So this was a particularly interesting one to catch at Luxembourg!

📷 Photo by Peter Bakema
📍 Luxembourg Airport (ELLX)
📅 2 December 2012

08/13/2026

Flashback to Luxembourg Airport, October 2010! 🇱🇺✈️

A classic cargo aircraft from an era when Luxembourg Airport regularly saw some real variety. Seen here is Cielos Cargo McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30F N305FE, named “Petete IV”, photographed at Findel in October 2010.

Built in 1980, this aircraft was originally intended for Lauda Air but was not taken up. It eventually entered service with Federal Express (FedEx) in 1984, where it remained until 2003. It was then acquired by Cielos del Perú, becoming N305FE and joining the airline's fleet as “Petete IV”.

Cielos del Perú was a Peruvian cargo airline based in Lima, operating a fleet of DC-10 freighters on international cargo services. By 2010, Cielos was no longer a regular visitor to Luxembourg, making this particular appearance at Findel a nice surprise for local aviation enthusiasts.

N305FE was already around 30 years old when I photographed it and would continue flying for Cielos for only a short time afterwards. The aircraft was eventually retired and broken up at Orlando Sanford International Airport in 2015.

A proper old-school freighter — three engines, plenty of character, and sadly a type that has almost completely disappeared from the skies today.

📷 Photo by Peter Bakema
📍 Luxembourg Airport (ELLX)
📅 October 2010

07/04/2026

✈️ A veteran of post-Soviet aviation in one of Europe's most spectacular settings.

Moskovia Airlines' Tupolev Tu-154M RA-85743 "Yuriy Sheffer" rolls out after landing at Tivat Airport, Montenegro, on 8 August 2009.

Built in 1992, this classic tri-jet began its career with Aeroflot before flying for Vnukovo Airlines, Siberia Airlines (S7) and Atlant-Soyuz, eventually joining Moskovia Airlines in 2006. The aircraft carried the name of celebrated Russian test pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Sheffer, making it more than just another Tu-154.

By the time I photographed her in Montenegro, the era of the Tu-154 was already drawing to a close. Little did I know that this was also the final summer of RA-85743's operational life. Just six months later, in February 2010, the aircraft was withdrawn from service and placed into storage, never to fly commercially again.

Today, photographs like these preserve the memory of an iconic Soviet tri-jet and a fascinating chapter of aviation history that has almost completely disappeared from our skies.

📍 Tivat Airport (TIV/LYTV), Montenegro
📅 8 August 2009
✈️ Moskovia Airlines Tupolev Tu-154M RA-85743 "Yuriy Sheffer"

06/21/2026

A classic Schiphol cargo ramp scene from April 1985: Martinair Holland McDonnell Douglas DC-10CF PH-MBG "Henry Dunant" resting between flights on a wet Amsterdam afternoon.

What stands out just as much as the aircraft itself is how different aviation photography was back then. In those days you could simply walk through the cargo area warehouses at Schiphol and take photos like this without anyone asking questions. No security fences, no spotting platforms, no permits—just a camera, some film, and a bit of curiosity.

PH-MBG was delivered new to Martinair in 1975 as a DC-10-30CF (Convertible Freighter), allowing the aircraft to be operated in both passenger and cargo configurations. Named "Henry Dunant", after the founder of the Red Cross, it became one of the best-known aircraft in the Martinair fleet during the airline's rapid long-haul expansion in the 1970s and 1980s.

After nearly two decades with Martinair, PH-MBG left the Dutch carrier in 1993 and continued flying with several operators around the world. Remarkably, the aircraft remained active well into the 21st century, serving in both passenger and cargo roles before eventually being retired after a flying career spanning more than 40 years.

A different era for both aviation and aviation photography.

📍 Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS/EHAM)
📅 April 1985 See less

06/16/2026

British Airways BAC One-Eleven 402AK G-BBME City of Shropshire at Düsseldorf Airport in July 1985.

This classic British-built twinjet was likely operating one of British Airways' West Berlin services, possibly on a routing between Birmingham or Manchester, Düsseldorf and Berlin-Tegel. During the Cold War, the unique status of West Berlin meant that only airlines from the United Kingdom, France and the United States were permitted to operate scheduled services to the city. German airlines, including Lufthansa, were not allowed to fly these routes, making British Airways a familiar sight on the Berlin corridors.

G-BBME was delivered to British Airways in 1974 and remained with the airline until November 1988. Unlike many of its contemporaries, its career did not end there. The aircraft subsequently flew for Birmingham European Airways, Brymon Airways and later Maersk Air UK, where it once again appeared in British Airways service under franchise arrangements. Sold to South Africa as ZS-OAG, it continued flying until its final retirement in 1998.

A wonderful reminder of a time when political agreements shaped airline route networks and the BAC One-Eleven was still a common sight across European airports.

06/10/2026

A classic Greek trijet at Düsseldorf.

Olympic Airways Boeing 727-284 SX-CBD "Mount Helikon" is seen on the ramp at Düsseldorf International Airport in August 1988, wearing the airline's elegant blue-and-silver livery and the famous Olympic rings on the tail.

Named after Mount Helicon, the legendary mountain of the Muses in Greek mythology, SX-CBD was one of the workhorses of Olympic's European network during the 1970s and 1980s. The aircraft was delivered new to Olympic on 7 February 1969 and, unlike many Boeing 727s, spent its entire airline career with the Greek flag carrier.

After nearly 30 years of service, SX-CBD left Olympic in 1998 and was registered as N727SR, but never flew for another operator. Instead, it was retired at Opa-locka, Florida, in October 1998 and ultimately broken up for parts—bringing to an end the career of an aircraft that had faithfully served a single airline since the days when the Boeing 727 was the backbone of short- and medium-haul jet travel.

A scene from an era when the distinctive sound of three rear-mounted engines was still a familiar part of airport life.

📍 Düsseldorf International Airport, Germany
📅 August 1988
✈️ Olympic Airways Boeing 727-284 SX-CBD "Mount Helikon" (1969–1998)

06/04/2026

Holidays in Different Times...

July 1985 at Düsseldorf Airport: Aviogenex Tupolev Tu-134A YU-AHX preparing for another charter flight to what was then one of Europe's most fascinating holiday destinations – Yugoslavia.
For many Western Europeans, Yugoslavia offered something different: sunny Adriatic beaches, historic coastal towns and surprisingly affordable holidays. Although the country was a socialist state and often considered to be "behind the Iron Curtain", it maintained a much more open relationship with the West than most Eastern Bloc nations, making it a hugely popular summer destination.

Back then, only three Yugoslav airlines carried the country's colours across Europe: JAT Yugoslav Airlines, Inex Adria Aviopromet and Aviogenex. Aviogenex was particularly interesting for aviation enthusiasts, operating a unique mix of Eastern and Western aircraft. Its fleet included Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-134s alongside Boeing 727-200s, with Boeing 737-200s joining later.

Seen here in the airline's red-and-white livery, YU-AHX represents an era when holiday travel was a little less uniform and airports offered a colourful mix of aircraft from both sides of the Cold War divide. Most holidaymakers probably never gave a second thought to boarding a Soviet-built Tu-134. Today many travellers would regard such an aircraft as unusual, exotic or even intimidating, but in the mid-1980s it was simply another airliner taking sun-seekers to the beaches of the Adriatic.

Ironically, aircraft like the Tu-134 and 154 were so common at major European airports in the 1980s that many spotters considered them rather ordinary. Aeroflot, Malev, Interflug, CSA, Tarom and the Yugoslav carriers were everyday visitors, and few of us realised that one day these Soviet airliners would disappear completely from Western Europe and become some of the most sought-after images in our collections. In the background, another piece of history is visible: Düsseldorf Airport's Terminal C under construction, a reminder that not only the aircraft but also the airport itself was in the midst of change.

A Yugoslav charter flight aboard a noisy Tu-134, bound for Dubrovnik, Split or Tivat, was all part of the holiday experience. It was a different world, a different Europe, and certainly a different time to travel. ✈️☀️

05/19/2026

Caught in beautiful light at Amsterdam Schiphol in April 1986, CP Air DC-10-30 C-GCPE was impossible to miss in its spectacular orange and silver colours ✈️🍁

Back then, Schiphol still welcomed some of the world’s most colourful classic widebodies, and CP Air’s tri-jets were always among the highlights.

This particular aircraft, C-GCPE, was part of the DC-10 fleet that helped CP Air expand its long-haul network across the Pacific and to Europe during the late 1970s and 1980s. Only about a year after this photo was taken, the famous CP Air name would disappear into Canadian Airlines following the merger era that reshaped Canadian aviation.

The slide itself sat in the archive for nearly 40 years before finally being scanned — and it even came with a little surprise. Look closely and you’ll notice a perfectly timed “photobomb” crossing right through the frame 😄📸

05/02/2026

August 24, 1991 — Zürich ✈️

Pushed back for departure is this beautiful Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 500 (N3140D) of British West Indian Airways — a type that, to me, remains one of the most elegant jetliners ever built. With its graceful curves and distinctive S-duct tail engine, the TriStar was as advanced as it was beautiful.

BWIA, proudly carrying the slogan “We are the Caribbean,” connected the islands and beyond for decades before eventually evolving into Caribbean Airlines. Their TriStars were a familiar sight across the Atlantic and the region in the 80s and early 90s.
This particular airframe would later be retired as the era of tri-jets faded, making way for more fuel-efficient twins — a quiet end for a truly iconic machine.

This day is extra special for me: it was also my very first flight as a passenger, on a Boeing 737-300 with KLM. One of their famous “Dagvluchjes” — a mystery day trip where you didn’t know the destination until you landed, only to turn around and fly back shortly after.

A first airliner flight… and a TriStar in the background. Not a bad way to start a lifelong passion for aviation. ✈️

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