Tbird From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 851 posts, RR: 22 Reply 1, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1837 times:
Greetings:
Up until the late 80's TWA used 727's in Europe as feeder service from many of their Trans Atlantic destinations such as Paris and Frankfurt. Getting them across the Atlantic they simply installed ferry tanks. Extra fuel tanks placed in the main cabin.
Av8trxx From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 657 posts, RR: 7 Reply 2, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1788 times:
The TWA 727 was based in Europe, as was the crew. It was scheduled to fly from Athens to Rome when it was hijacked by two Lebanese Hizballah terrorists and forced to fly to Beirut in 1985. So, that is well within the range for a 727. Getting them across the pond with a stop in Greenland isn't too hard either.
AirFranceJFK From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 475 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 1728 times:
The flight in question is TWA flight 847, piloted by captain John Testrake. The aircraft originated in Cairo, and made a brief stop in Athens, where the hijackers boarded the flight. The aircraft took off from Athens bound for Rome. Enroute to Rome, it was hijacked by Shiite Muslim terrorists who demanded the aircraft be flown to Beirut. On approach to Beirut, Christian Druse militiamen who controlled the Beirut airport attempted to block the runway with armed vehicles to prevent the aircraft from landing. Eventually, the aircraft lands and is refuelled. The aircraft shuttles between Algeirs and Beirut several times. During one of the approaches to Beirut, militiamen on the ground once again attempt to prevent the aircraft from landing. At this point, the hijackers shoot one of the passengers, a navy diver named Robert Stethem. His body is dumped on the tarmac at BEY after the aircraft is given permission to land.
Incidentally, this was not the only occasion where TWA was targeted by terrorists on this particular route. On
02 April 1986, 4 passengers were sucked out of the main cabin of another TWA Boeing 727-231 (reg. N54340), after a bomb exploded in the cargo hold, as the aircraft was flying from Cairo to Athens.
The B727 used by TWA were for ferry flights between the lucrative Mediterannean markets and its Western European hubs, where they would connect with its long haul fleet. Pan Am also used this same method, by scheduling B727's on some European routes, which would eventually connect with Pan Am's long haul jumbos. This was the case with Pam Am 103 routing FRA-LHR-JFK. The Frankfurt-London route was flown with a B727, whilst the London-New York route was with the B747.
B757300 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 4114 posts, RR: 25 Reply 4, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1697 times:
A bit of trivia. The movie "Delta Force" is based on this hijacking.
VirginA340 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 15 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1685 times:
The Delta force version was a 707 and the airline was called American Trans World. The head FA was german and I think she looked like the real head FA involved in the hijacking. Hell the pilot in Delta force looked like Trestake and even the infamous seen on the hijacker holding a gun to the pilot's head looked so damn real!
LMML 14/32 From Malta, joined Jan 2001, 2559 posts, RR: 7 Reply 6, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 1622 times:
I am presently reading Capt John Testrake's book about this hijacking. Stetham was shot on the ground and not in the air. The #1 FA was not German but she spoke the language fluently.
Delta also had B727's stationed in Europe. I think even United had some. Pan Am was the only Western airline to operate from Berlin at the time.
Does anybody have the registration of the 727 in question? It was in this forum recently but I lost it.
Fanofjets From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 1895 posts, RR: 3 Reply 8, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 19 hours ago) and read 1539 times:
Other US airlines that had 727s and other short- to medium range aircraft in Europe were United, Delta, and American Trans Air.
Aerolineas Argentinas used to fly a 727 from Miami to various cities in the US and Canada; sadly, this beautiful plane has since been scrapped.
NorthStarDC4M From Canada, joined Apr 2000, 2804 posts, RR: 40 Reply 10, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 1487 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW CHAT OPERATOR
Just one little point...
To cross the atlantic, you never have to install ferry tanks, you just stop along the way. There are enough airports (like Gander, Keflavik, Narsarsuaq, Iqaluit, Kangerlussuaq, etc etc) to cross the atlantic in any jet airliner today (and since WW2) without extra tanks. 727s can make it with one stop easily, even non-stop in a baseline 727 has been done eastbound. They do the same to get to Asia/Africa/Australia, by crossing the atlantic then continuing on across Europe and so on. About the only place you need extra tanks to get to these days is Hawaii.
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
LMML 14/32 From Malta, joined Jan 2001, 2559 posts, RR: 7 Reply 11, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 4 hours ago) and read 1426 times:
O 20844 1065 B727-231(A) JT8D-9A 09/05/74 TRANS WORLD AIRLINES N64339 4339 [LRF 30SEP00][STD @ VCV 16NOV00][ST AEROTURBINE 21AUG01]
Above is the link showing the history of this plane. Last movement shows that it was sold to Aeroturbine on 21 Aug 2001. What is this company? Is it a parting out facility?
Rapo From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 395 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 1408 times:
I have a TWA 727 handbook given to me by a former (well I guess they're all "former" now) 727 pilot. In it are listed all TWA's 727's with their registration #'s & nicknames. N64339 is called the "Swine Star of Beirut". The plane where the bomb exploded in the cargo hold (N54340) was called "Bacon Bomber". He told me that he had flown N64339 many times after it was repaired. It's interesting to note that all the nicknames given to TWA's B727's all contain some form of the word "pig" (swine, pork, lard, bacon, hog, etc.). Funny, eh?
LMML 14/32 From Malta, joined Jan 2001, 2559 posts, RR: 7 Reply 13, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 1402 times:
I don't suppose those nicknames were painted on the planes
How many more were nicknames and why? This will make very interesting and amusing reading to all I'm sure.
ATA L1011 From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 1361 posts, RR: 7 Reply 14, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 1361 times:
That 72S was one of the last ones operated by TWA as well.
Cody From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1918 posts, RR: 10 Reply 15, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 1329 times:
It was the last 727 operated by TWA from MSY to STL. That 727 has more history behind it than any other airplane out there IMHO. Do a little research on it and you will see what I mean. Uli Derikson, the purser on 847, was a born in Sudenland (sp?) which I believe is now part of Germany. Hopefully someone can clarify this. She could speak German and English fluently and learned Arabic while living in Saudi Arabia with her husband. He was a TWA Captain (I think he just retired) and was training Saudi pilots. Her initial conversation with the hijackers was in Arabic and then after realizing one of them could speak German, she translated from German to English for the crew. It's a good thing she was on there or things could have turned out much worse. As for the hijacked 727, you could still see where the bullet holes were plugged up in the cabin. Apparently the aircraft was shot at during the episode. I had the opportunity to fly the 727 that had the hole blown in the side of it by the bomb. No scars from what I could tell. As for the crew of 847, they were New York based, but were operating the intra-european routes on that particular day. TWA used to deadhead crew members from JFK to Athens where they would put them up in the Athens Hilton. Then they would spend much of the month flying within Europe. Can you imagine an airline doing that today?
VirginA340 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 15 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1298 times:
Didn't DL used to have some small intra Euro service? When did that end? I thought when PA sold their service it was either to Lufthansa or DL. Which airline got the ex TW intra Euro service or did AA get that when they bought TW? I don't think AA will do it since they are all about economics and intra US airline service to them isn't profitable.
Konstantinos From Greece, joined Jun 2001, 389 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (11 years 4 months 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1251 times:
Delta Force was a good action movie. I also have it on video. However, there was a lot of propaganda, and Chuck was, well, I can't find the words. Someone wana help out with what Chucky was ?
Fanofjets From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 1895 posts, RR: 3 Reply 21, posted (11 years 4 months 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 1237 times:
Does the word "Rambo" come to mind?
I agree with Konstantinos that Delta Force was a good action film but fraught with propaganda. Suspenseful but hardly a classic. The tagline was: "They don't negotiate with terrorists... they blow them away!"
However, I was able to put my ill feelings aside as the film presented a lot of great footage of a beautiful old non-fan 707-120 (I believe an ex-Pan Am bird).
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