I just don't like the looks . Nothing against the plane and I pretty much know zero about planes but I know one when I see one. The DC10s are ugly. I love the looks of the Lockheed Tri Star though.
Boeing 727 thread (inspired from the Airbus thread)
- Thread starter Cujet
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I spent many an hour/mile commuting in the jump seats in the early 90s.
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First commercial passenger jet to have an APU.
727 could serve smaller airports that didn’t have an air cart or even air stairs ( had built in rear door that allowed passengers to board from ramp ).
727 could serve smaller airports that didn’t have an air cart or even air stairs ( had built in rear door that allowed passengers to board from ramp ).
MolaKule
Staff member
Some more history of the Seven-Two-Seven:
www.key.aero
Developing the Boeing 727
With the first commercial jet to smash the 1,000 - unit milestone about to celebrate 60 years since its initial roll-out, Sergio Goncalves explores the pioneering development that led to the Boeing trijet
www.key.aero
Great thread!
I flew quite a bit as a kid in the '70's.
727-200s: PSA, Hughes Airwest, United, Continental, TWA, Northwest Orient, Western Airlines
Yes, the 727's seemed fast- and sounded fast.
Made me reflect on the other relics I flew on quite a bit:
United DC8-61, TWA's L1011, 747-100, and in ~1980 TWA 707-300/320;
Republic Airlines & Hughes Airwest DC9-30, Air California 737-100, Frontier (original Frontier) 737-200, and later Air Cal BAE 146-200.
Little did I know, in that era, before deregulation tickets were big bucks- and the flights I was on were not sold out-
plus there was no riff-raff on the flights or folks wearing pajamas.
Thanks for the memories.
I flew quite a bit as a kid in the '70's.
727-200s: PSA, Hughes Airwest, United, Continental, TWA, Northwest Orient, Western Airlines
Yes, the 727's seemed fast- and sounded fast.
Made me reflect on the other relics I flew on quite a bit:
United DC8-61, TWA's L1011, 747-100, and in ~1980 TWA 707-300/320;
Republic Airlines & Hughes Airwest DC9-30, Air California 737-100, Frontier (original Frontier) 737-200, and later Air Cal BAE 146-200.
Little did I know, in that era, before deregulation tickets were big bucks- and the flights I was on were not sold out-
plus there was no riff-raff on the flights or folks wearing pajamas.
Thanks for the memories.
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- Feb 22, 2021
- Messages
- 902
“Plus there was no riff-raff on the flights or folks wearing Pajamas “
Golden era of flying in many ways.
I flew the 727 ( night freight ).
Despite flying past our normal bedtime , we all wore a uniform , no PJs.
GON
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In 2008 a person that worked for me asked me if I could drive her husband and her to the airport for their vacation. The airport was 120 miles away, and the pickup time at their home was 430 am.
When they came out of their home to get in my car the married couple were wearing matching pajamas. I said to them- "you are in pajamas- you forgot to get dressed this early". They replied back- this is how we fly, in pajamas. I had never ever seen that before..... ever.
I flew the 727 at United for about 17 of my 36 years, and absolutely loved it.
10 years as S/O (engineer) and 7 years as F/O (copilot).
I had come in from flying Twin Otters at a commuter, so the 727 was my first "real" jet.
When my number finally came up for Captain upgrade, I would have loved to get in the left seat on the trimotor. But I recognized that glass cockpits were the wave of the future and should do that ASAP, so I picked the 737-300. It was the proper decision, but still painful.
Based in Chicago, we flew to small-medium-large-cities all over the US. The Captains I flew with were wonderful; great people and outstanding pilots. Copilots when I was S/0 were excellent, only when I moved to F/O did I fly with some Engineers who were new on the airplane. Stewardesses were cute and friendly (I married one 50 yeats ago, still together). I could fill pages with 727 stories...
Jim
P.S.
Can't remember how to subscribe to this thread. Help!
10 years as S/O (engineer) and 7 years as F/O (copilot).
I had come in from flying Twin Otters at a commuter, so the 727 was my first "real" jet.
When my number finally came up for Captain upgrade, I would have loved to get in the left seat on the trimotor. But I recognized that glass cockpits were the wave of the future and should do that ASAP, so I picked the 737-300. It was the proper decision, but still painful.
Based in Chicago, we flew to small-medium-large-cities all over the US. The Captains I flew with were wonderful; great people and outstanding pilots. Copilots when I was S/0 were excellent, only when I moved to F/O did I fly with some Engineers who were new on the airplane. Stewardesses were cute and friendly (I married one 50 yeats ago, still together). I could fill pages with 727 stories...
Jim
P.S.
Can't remember how to subscribe to this thread. Help!
I recently drove my son and his family a short distance to the airport at 3.30am. I was wearing Pyjamas of course but I think that was excusable as I fully intended to go back to bed when I got home and did so.
I agree. I was in DC-10 S/O school at United when the American DC-10 crashed at ORD, my home base. It took a while for all of the facts to come out, but when we learned why most of the LE devices retracted on one wing, we were boggled that such a bad design feature was approved and then produced. Douglas came out with a Mickey Mouse fix and I was told later that another DC-10 had a similar failure on the TO roll, fortunately they aborted and when stopped, discovered the same LE devices on one wing were unlocked.
The DC-10 was a very nice Stick & Rudder airplane, especially considering its size, and very comfortable in the cockpit, but a mechanical mess. And weak. While I was flying them as F/O we got a bulletin that if we ever got slow enough to feel any aerodynamic tail buffet (could happen at high altitude without getting stick shaker), it was a mandatory writeup in the log and the airplane would probably need repairs before the next flight. One of the United test pilots said that the DC-10 was basically 10% "under-strength", but Douglas somehow fudged it through the certification process that way.
The tires were under-strength enough that we had a limited taxi distance out to the runway for takeoff, or we had to wait there a long time so the tires could cool.
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There are a lot of variables in the answer:
Altitude above seal level
Temperature
Gross weight
What -dash engines in the airplane
At United, we practiced two-engine-out landings but never practiced with losing two engines anywhere near the ground or with anything extended. The instructors told us that we were committed to land once we extended any flaps. I think that's a good general rule, but there would be exceptions based on the variables I listed above. I recall that if we got just 10 knots slow when maneuvering with flaps 2 (first extension setting), it took a long time to accelerate back to desired speed.
Glad I never had to try it, did all my years at United without ever losing an engine in flight or having to declare an emergency for anything except passenger medical problems.
One of my favorite experiences was riding in the jump seat of a 727 cargo flight before 9-11. I had a friend who was an FO for the cargo outfit that flew 727's and invited me to fly along for a night of his route. I really wanted to fly the 727 after that.
I was fun to watch pilots wing that 727 around the sky.
I was fun to watch pilots wing that 727 around the sky.
When I lived in Memphis, I rode motorcycles with a few FDX pilots, including one who was a flight engineer on the 27.
He eventually transitioned to FO, and is still flying for them, but I’m not sure which aircraft.
The 727 was one of my favorite aircraft. I was lucky enough to fly the 727-100 for FedEx Canada in the early 90's (Ex Eastern Airlines launch 727's) and then the 727-200 for Qatar Airways (Ex Continental Airlines) when they still had them. Was a pleasure to fly and remains one of my favorites.
A Planes cockpit is a magic place to be. Fixing the airfeight companies forklifts gave me multiple opportunities to have a coffee break with the A&P on duty in the freighters cockpits. The 747 is my favorite.
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