Six ex British Airways Series 500 aircraft were acquired in the early 1980s and my first sighting was at the Brize Norton Open Day in 1984 when ZD948 was on show still wearing its BA codes and blue undersides.
Tristar 500 ZD948 242 OCU RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrThe ex BA aircraft became either KC1 aircraft with a large cargo door on the forward left fuselage, or in the case of ZD949 and ZD951 K1 tankers with no cargo door. The ex BA aircraft also gained a refuelling probe and were painted overall white with a dark blue cheatline as seen here on ZD951 arriving for Finningley's Battle of Britain at Home Day in 1987.
Tristar K1 ZD951 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrIn addition to the six BA aircraft, a further three were acquired from Pan-Am, one of these is seen landing at Brize Norton during the Families Day still sporting its shiny natural metal undersides.
Tristar C2 ZE705 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrIn 1991, with the onset of the Gulf War and the UK's participation as Operation Granby, the two tankers were painted in the temporary RAF desert scheme and garnered the nickname of "Pink Pigs" and referred to as "Pinky" and "Perky" after the TV characters. Here is ZD951 again seen in September 1991 landing at its home base about a week before heading back to Marshalls to be put back in its white scheme and missing the photocall held at its home base that year.
Tristar K1 ZD951 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrZD953 was the first converted aircraft to be handed back to the RAF and is seen here at Finningley in 1991 with four Tornado F3s from 111 Squadron.
Tristar K1 ZD953 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrThe three ex Pan-Am jets were never converted for aerial refuelling duties, so were designated C2 with ZE706 being a C2A apparently due to a different avionics fit. None of these were fitted with receiving probe either. ZE706 is caught here at the 1993 Brize Norton photocall. So far its the only one of the Pan-Am jets to serve the RAF to be scrapped.
Tristar C2A ZE706 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrOver the next couple of years the other six jets lost their refuelling probes as well, the Tristar's range being perfectly adequate without AAR. ZD952 is arriving at Fairford IAT in 1994. It was scrapped at Kemble in 2014.
Tristar KC1 ZD952 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrZE705 is one of the two aircraft designated a C2 and is at its home based photocall at Brize Norton in 2000
Tristar C2 ZE705 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrTwo shots of tanker K1 ZD949 four years apart, still in its hi-viz scheme at Cottesmore RIAT in 2001
Tristar K1 ZD949 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrAnd departing Fairford RIAT in 2005 sporting a toned down look with pale blue chaetline and lacking Royal Air Force titles. It was the first Tristar to be withdrawn and returned to Cambridge where it was eventually scrapped still in this scheme.
Tristar K1 ZD949 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrLike all old timers, the remaining aircraft went grey, at least it was gloss I suppose and ZD948 is seen landing at Brize Norton off its final mission on 24th March 2014.
Tristar KC1 ZD948 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on FlickrThe remaining six aircraft were flown into Bruntingthorpe for storage and potentially selling on to a new operator, but by the look of their condition now, it seems very unlikely. Here are ZD948 and ZD951, the latter sporting 30 years of service markings gained at the end of 2013 soon after their arrival at the Leicestershire airfield.
Tristar KC1 ZD948 ex 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on Flickr
Tristar K1 ZD951 ex 216 Squadron RAF Brize Norton by Paul Downes, on Flickr