superjeff wrote:

aeromoe wrote:

zmatt1 wrote:

Worked for Western in SFO and PDX from 1968-1977. Great employer. Best years of my working career. My first flight was on a 720B SFO-LAX in 1968. Yes those were the days.

The WA 720B...sadly the one that got away from me. Saw them, photographed a couple of them, even had a flight booked on one in Dec 1978, but had to cancel it and two other associated WA flights. I did get to fly WA 727-200 SFO-DEN; 737-200 & DC-10-10 DEN-SLC-JFK-SLC-DEN; and The Londoner DC-10-30 LAS-DEN. Revenue passenger flights only. Nice flights as I recall (was a teenager at the time) but one of the JFK flights I was smack in the middle seat of five and that pretty much sucks no matter how you slice it. Thankfully I got to photograph *all* the Western fleet from late 1978 until the DL merger. Wasn't super fond of the "Bud Light" bare metal scheme but I'm glad to have known it.

My first flight on Western...HNL-LAX on a 707-347B... "

But they were a great airline.

superjeff wrote:

thanks for the correction. i don't remember the cargo door - I thought that was the only difference from the B.

CrewBunk wrote:

superjeff wrote:

thanks for the correction. i don't remember the cargo door - I thought that was the only difference from the B.

That and the auxiliary exit just aft of the wings. As far as I know, the 707-320B did not have that exit.

Wingtips56 wrote:

Actually, there was one brief summer in the around 1979-1980 when WA did operate a SMF-SJC-HNL service with a 707 or 720. It didn't last long, but I did at least get to see the machine on SMF Gate 23 a couple of times. Obviously not successful.

superjeff wrote:

CrewBunk wrote:

superjeff wrote:

thanks for the correction. i don't remember the cargo door - I thought that was the only difference from the B.

That and the auxiliary exit just aft of the wings. As far as I know, the 707-320B did not have that exit.

I worked for Braniff. Our 327B's had the auxilliary exit, so at least some of them did.

CrewBunk wrote:

superjeff wrote:

CrewBunk wrote:

That and the auxiliary exit just aft of the wings. As far as I know, the 707-320B did not have that exit.

I worked for Braniff. Our 327B's had the auxilliary exit, so at least some of them did.

Interesting to know. Have you any pictures?

I can’t find any record of Braniff having operated the 707-320B. I see the -227s, the -327Cs, the 138Bs and of course, the 720, but no -327Bs.

The only reason I can imagine an airline opting for the extra exit, without the cargo door, would be for a very high density passenger configuration. Most airlines just opted for the 320C, like Braniff for their extensive MAC operations.

cathay747 wrote:

CrewBunk wrote:

superjeff wrote:

I worked for Braniff. Our 327B's had the auxilliary exit, so at least some of them did.

Interesting to know. Have you any pictures?

I can’t find any record of Braniff having operated the 707-320B. I see the -227s, the -327Cs, the 138Bs and of course, the 720, but no -327Bs.

The only reason I can imagine an airline opting for the extra exit, without the cargo door, would be for a very high density passenger configuration. Most airlines just opted for the 320C, like Braniff for their extensive MAC operations.

You're correct...all of BN's 320's were -327C's, they had no B's, same as WA and to the best of my knowledge CO as well, and for the same reason as you stated...MAC charters. Any 707-320 with that aux. exit aft of the wings was (originally at least) a C...there was no high-density-non-C version with the aux. exit.

dangle wrote:

zmatt1 wrote:

Worked for Western in SFO and PDX from 1968-1977. Great employer. Best years of my working career. My first flight was on a 720B SFO-LAX in 1968. Yes those were the days.

I'd love to hear a little more about what you did for them and any specific memories you care to share.

KlimaBXsst wrote:

I used to really enjoy flying across the Mexican mountain ranges such as the Sierra < Madre> Occidental and Sierra <Madre> Oriental Mountains, when flying airlines like Northwest, Pan Am Braniff, Western, and others

before their rebranding upon such southern routes.

It is interesting how rebranding can be so imperious and important to the surviving airline management or ruling structure entities.

Guess Trans Worldly Airlines sounds better to some parties too sometimes. Sounds odd to me though, but I guess I am just not very revisionistic like some present North American generations and it may just be a fitting rebooted name for some future start up uh airline carrier.

zmatt1 wrote:

Worked for Western in SFO and PDX from 1968-1977. Great employer. Best years of my working career. My first flight was on a 720B SFO-LAX in 1964. Yes those were the days.

KlimaBXsst wrote:

Back to W E S T E R N now though, was the Boeing 720 the main reason Western skipped the 727-100? Truthfully it was probably a great skip, and am just wondering the decision making or timing regarding this fortunate 727-100 skip.

Wingtips56 wrote:

zmatt1 wrote:

We were unionized BRAC. Brotherhood of Railway and Airlines Clerks.

Thank you for that. I worked for WA in SMF for 4 months in 1982-83 when on furlough from AirCal. Joined BRAC after the third, qualifying month, but never knew what it stood for. Recalled back to AirCal, so that was it.

---
So to confirm something I heard before: Were the Combis 707-3xx's rather than 720s? I flew one on a redeye SFO-SEA and back a couple of nights later with my college band in 1977 or 78. I didn't realize it was a combi or that they existed, and instead thought they really separated First and Coach by making us schlep down the jetway stairs and across the ramp to back stairs. The cargo hatch was already closed, so that wasn't a clue. Not even the solid wall in front of the cabin or showing only the rear cabin on the emergency procedures card. (I had a lot to learn about the business.)

Anyway... the tab on the window shade said " Boeing 720", so I always assumed that's what is was, and had it in my list of aircraft flown. I guess it was just a replacement part? I was bummed when a past thread in here corrected me on the combi only being a 707. Still true?

Wingtips56 wrote:

That aux door (which I read somewhere in here a few years ago was referred to as a "hat rack" door) was at the front of our coach-only cabin, so the hard partition was just forward of that.

superjeff wrote:

Agree about the Bud Light livery - but I didn't like Eastern's either, and never liked the American Airlines Silverbird - they were all great when clean and polished, but . . .

AntonioMartin wrote:

superjeff wrote:

Agree about the Bud Light livery - but I didn't like Eastern's either, and never liked the American Airlines Silverbird - they were all great when clean and polished, but . . .

Also Flying Tigers, Hawaiian, Pacific Western, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Skywest and People Express wore similar, silver liveries. I liked them myself, but I guess I just like liveries lol...

FX1816 wrote:

AntonioMartin wrote:

superjeff wrote:

Agree about the Bud Light livery - but I didn't like Eastern's either, and never liked the American Airlines Silverbird - they were all great when clean and polished, but . . .

Also Flying Tigers, Hawaiian, Pacific Western, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Skywest and People Express wore similar, silver liveries. I liked them myself, but I guess I just like liveries lol...

When did People Express have a silver livery? Northwest .

AntonioMartin wrote:

FX1816 wrote:

AntonioMartin wrote:

Also Flying Tigers, Hawaiian, Pacific Western, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Skywest and People Express wore similar, silver liveries. I liked them myself, but I guess I just like liveries lol...

When did People Express have a silver livery? Northwest .

Well PE were silvery, I guess..and you are right about NW!

superjeff wrote:

AntonioMartin wrote:

FX1816 wrote:

When did People Express have a silver livery? Northwest .

Well PE were silvery, I guess..and you are right about NW!

PE was a beige background with the colored cheatline.