The 1962 Lockheed Jetstar previously owned by Elvis Presley recently got its first sip of electric power after sitting for 40 years in Roswell, New Mexico. But will it fly again? Well, it needs millions of dollars to become flight-worthy but that's not the reason why it will remain grounded forever.
Having purchased the derelict Jetstar for a whopping $234,000 at auction, aircraft enthusiast James Webb was actually planning on spending more to get it airborne. So he commissioned the folks over at AeroDesign Services for a quick inspection and an estimate on what needs to be done and how much it costs. Not surprisingly, this 1962 Lockheed is estimated to swallow millions of dollars before it can fly again.
For instance, the initial overall inspection will cost a whopping $80,000, while an NDT check-up for corrosion and cracks will add another $20,000 to the bill. But these aren't as expensive as stripping, sealing, sanding, and repainting the airplane, which will set Jimmy back another $120,000. Fixing and/or replacing the flight controls is also estimated to cost up to $450,000 depending on damage while repairing the landing gear alone would fetch another $360,000.
But wait, this tab will get much bigger while fixing the electrical/avionics system and rewiring everything. Because this operation alone will cost a mind-boggling $1.5 million. But the fact that the Jetstar is missing all of its Pratt & Whitney JT12 engines is the biggest issue here. Not only because these turbojet mills are difficult to source, but because finding parts, fixing them, and getting them to pass inspection would cost around $2.2 million.
On top of that, Jimmy would also have to pay $100,000 for flight testing and about $450,000 to get the aircraft to comply with current Airworthiness Directive regulations. All told, fixing this plane and making it air-worthy would cost at least $5.7 million. Assuming Jimmy would be lucky enough to find four JT12 engines and that the airplane doesn't have serious corrosion under the skin.
But that's not the worst news he got from this initial inspection. According to the guys over at AeroDesign Services, this Lockheed Jetstar will never be allowed to lift off the ground. Even if it gets restored and passes all tests. That's because it won't be able to comply with current noise reduction regulations. Simply put, the aircraft is too loud to even be allowed to fire up.
But what about muffler kits? There are quite a few of them available for various types of aircraft. Well, apparently no company makes such a kit for the Lockheed 1329 Jetstar, which isn't surprising given that this specific model was built in limited numbers. Granted, Jimmy probably wasn't planning on throwing almost $6 million at this long-abandoned private jet, but it's still a shame that such a famous aircraft will never be allowed to fly again.
Does this mean that the Jetstar is stuck in Roswell? Well, Jimmy hasn't shared his plans for the aircraft as of this writing, but unless he decided to sell it to recover some of the $200K+ he spent on it, it sure looks like this Lockheed could become a nice Elvis Presley-themed Airbnb.
As a brief reminder, this Jetstar was one of Presley's many private jets from late 1976 until the spring of 1977. Elvis reportedly paid $840,000 for the Lockheed (about $4.3 million in 2023 dollars) and sold it to a Saudi Arabian company a few months before he passed away.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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