Summary

  • Elvis Presley's private jet fleet included a Convair 880 and two Lockheed JetStars, with the Lisa Marie being one of the most well-known.
  • The ex-Delta Airlines jet underwent a complete overhaul before being purchased by Elvis, adding a range of luxurious features.
  • Named after Elvis's daughter, Lisa Marie, the aircraft is now on permanent display at Presley's former estate, Graceland.

It's no secret that Elvis Presley had a soft spot for private jets. Hot on the heels of the rock 'n' roll icon's recent biopics, we thought we'd take a look at one of the most familiar planes in his fleet - the Lisa Marie.

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What Happened To Elvis Presley's Fleet Of Private Jets?
Elvis had three planes: A Convair 880 and two Lockheed JetStars.

A complete overhaul

The Lisa Marie is a former Delta Air Lines Convair 880, with the Atlanta-based carrier taking on the unit in October 1960 as N8809E. The aircraft served with the airline until 1974 when it was repurchased by Boeing. Just over a year later, in April 1975, the jet found its way to Elvis, with the singer keen to get it up in the skies. After its delivery, N8809E was re-registered with the personalized registration, N880EP.

Nicknamed the Hound Dog I, and affectionately dubbed as The Pride of Elvis Presley Airways by the singer himself, this Flying Graceland had plenty to shout about. The Convair 880 was bought for a cool $250,000 (≈$1.2 million today); however, refurbishment costs set the King back over $600,000 (≈$2.9 million today).

N880EP was finally deployed in November 1975. The work paid off, with passengers noticing. Updates included an executive bathroom with gold taps and a penthouse bedroom with a custom queen-size bed.

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Personal choice

Elvis' gaudy decor was a noted hit with his friends and family, with a large contingent welcomed onboard for a special flight on Christmas Day in 1975. Elvis Australia outlined the eclectic design choices,

“The plane was in a hangar at Meacham Field in Fort Worth, and for months Elvis took great pleasure in flying friends out to check on progress as the interior of the plane was refurbished to his very specific design requirements.

"Elvis wanted a seating area, a conference room, and a private bedroom on the plane (with space for an in-flight reading library). He picked fabrics, decided on color schemes, chose the on-board audio-visual system, and even Ok'd the gold fixtures in the bathrooms (he counted heavily on some aesthetic input from Priscilla, too).”

With several promising specifications, the aircraft was a robust unit for its time:

Capacity: 28 (after Elvis modified the plane)

Range: 2,600 mi / 4,800 km

Engines: 4 x General Electric CJ-805-3 Pod Mount Jets

Length: 129 ft 4 in (39.42 m)

Height: 36 ft 3.75 in (11.07 m)

Wingspan: 120 ft 0 in (36.58 m)

Cruising speed: 470–534.5 kn (870–990 km/h)

Ceiling: 41,000 ft (12,000 m)

Operating cost in 1976: $404,000

No time to waste

Presley bought another jetliner as he waited for Lisa Marie to hit the air. His Lockheed JetStar "Hound Dog II" was actually more expensive than the Convair 880, trading for $900,000 (≈$4.3 million today). An earlier 1962 JetStar model spent several less than two years in his fleet; the eight-seater jet was purchased in 1976, before being sold on again in 1977.

The 1962 JetStar aircraft grabbed the headlines in early 2023 when it was put up for auction again, with Presley's ex-wife Priscilla in attendance. It was sold for $234,000 to YouTuber James Webb of Jimmy's World.

Webb tried to deploy the plane in the skies again, but after some research, determined that it would have been a mammoth task. Thus, he is now planning to turn the unit into a very unique RV. In a recent update, Webb shared that the plane had been cut into 3,000 pieces ahead of the conversion.

The Convair's fate

Named after his daughter, Lisa Marie, the 880 remains on permanent display at Graceland. It received a fresh coat of paint in 2018 for the public to experience what it was like on the legend’s personal jet during its heyday.

A tour of the aircraft is included with a trip to the mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. It's a great place to marvel at the history of both the music and aviation industry.

In total, 65 Convair 880s were produced between 1959 and 1962. The aircraft is now retired, but it saw plenty of famous customers, including TWA, Japan Airlines, Swissair, and none other than the King of Rock and Roll.

What are your thoughts about Elvis Presley’s Convair 880? What do you make of the overall features of the aircraft? Let us know what you think of the plane and its operations in the comment section.