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Friday, June 2, 2017

Elivis Presley's last owned Private Jet to be auctioned ~ though without engines.

Lockheed Vega is an American six-passenger high-wing monoplane airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation starting in 1927. It became famous for its use by a number of record-breaking pilots who were attracted to the rugged and very long-range design.   In between, if you are to buy something in a Shop or auction, what will be the prime consideration – its value, its usability, or the pleasure of owning it ???

Even modern technology,  ships  do not last for more than 30 years and sometimes much lesser depending on its usage and purpose – they are then broken.  An aircraft's lifespan is measured not in years but in pressurization cycles. Each time an aircraft is pressurized during flight, its fuselage and wings are stressed.  Technical experts say that it  is usually based on takeoff and landing cycles. The fuselage is most susceptible to fatigue, but the wings are too, especially on short hauls where an aircraft goes through pressurization cycles every day.  There are 747s out there that are 25 or 30 years old," says Petrakis in airspacemag.

I am so fond of Sujatha, the great intellectual writer, who raised the level of Tamil novels to hitherto untouched echelons.  His brainchild Ganesh-Vasanth lawyers, possessed the best brain, but perhaps owned a Premier Padmini car !  ~ in English fiction,  things are far different.   Have read a couple of English novels; by John Grisham.  In ‘the Summons’,  Ray Atlee, is a law professor with a good salary at the University of Virginia. He has a brother, Forrest, and a father, known to many as Judge Reuben V. Atlee. Ray is sent to his father's house in Clanton, Mississippi, to discuss issues regarding the old man's will and estate.   In ‘The King of Torts’   which on publication in 2003 debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list, remaining in the top 15 for over twenty weeks.  The hero - Clay Carter is a poorly-paid lawyer at the Office of the Public Defender. He dreams of one day joining a big law firm. Reluctantly, he takes on the case of Tequila Watson, a man accused of a random street killing.  Soon it develops to be one of a pharmaceutical conspiracy.  In such stories, heroes would upon realizing a good earning would by a Ferrari, a Private Jet, a red Lockheed at that. 

The news is - Elvis Presley's last privately-owned jet will be auctioned on May 27, after sitting for more than 30 years on the tarmac in Roswell, New Mexico. The 1962 red Lockheed JetStarOne, which has been referred to as the 'lost' jet, is expected to fetch between $2million and $3.5million, according to  liveauctioneers.com, which is the site handling the bidding. The aircraft is one of three jets owned by the King of Rock and Roll throughout his lifetime, and was particularly special to him as he owned it with his father, Vernon Presley.

The cockpit, along with the rest of the jet, has never been restored; the plane has no engines; Presley customized the interior of the plane completely, 'down to the the gold-tone, woodwork, inlay and red velvet seats and red shag carpet- and the  jet is currently owned by a private collector, who has not been named. The owner has kept the collectors' item its original condition all this time.

This rare airplane is one of only 204 aircraft manufactured between 1957 and 1978 in a private collaboration between Jetstar and Lockheed. The bidding has already started with a $10,000 offer, despite the fact that the plane currently does not have any engines. It is part of a larger celebrity memorabilia sell-off, including 315 lots in total. The auction is being run by GWS Auctions, Inc out of Agoura Hills, California.

Interesting !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

20th May 2017.

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