For those of you who are fond of this classic, like myself, here is a video that I would like to share with you.
Ah the good old days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMsd8h_TSds&feature=fvsr

My thought: The 727 is a big classic in civil aviation like Shakespeare is a big classic in English literature.

We miss her.

Great video. I recall this montage being included in an old Paul Havis video on the 727 from the early 90s. I believe it is stock footage from Boeing. Nice to see "Ju Ju" in there!  

When I see these videos I am pleased with how far aviation has progressed  

Best-looking airliner ever produced, in my opinion. The tail is simply majestic.

Great video. The 727 was such a great looking machine.

Thanks for posting that - what a treat, all eye-candy!

I'm among the minority that never liked the 727. Always a Boeing fan, but never liked the 727.

By the late '70s / early '80s the -200Adv was the 'must have' airliner for short-haul use. It seemed to be everywhere.

Sadly, I only ever got to fly on five of them: Dan-Air, Delta, Continental and Aerolineas Argentinas (2). Great planes.

Quoting American 767 (Thread starter): My thought: The 727 is a big classic in civil aviation like Shakespeare is a big classic in English literature.

Back in the day when I was a punk kid non-revving on EA all the time, I remember thinking, "Aw man, not another 727!" when getting on a flight, as I was hoping for an A300 or L1011.

And of course now I'd kill for the opportunity to fly a commercial flight with B727 equipment! Funny thing, perspective...

A classic for sure

I got to fly B 727's with

Pan Am
Mexicana
American Airlines
Sterling Airways
Lufthansa

For those of us of "a certain age" the 727 was the most common aircraft type flown, particularly in North America. Over the course of several decades, I've managed to fly 727s on:
Pan Am
TWA
American
United
Eastern
Delta
Continental
Northwest
National
Western
Piedmont
US Air
Air Canada
Air Jamaica
Lufthansa
Royal Jordanian
Iran Air
Air Afrique (wet lease from JAT)

Edited to remove funky code errors on defunct airlines

[Edited 2012-01-20 23:23:43]

Quoting CODC10 (Reply 1): I recall this montage being included in an old Paul Havis video on the 727 from the early 90s.

I actually still have that Paul Havis Video...it was called "Building and Test-Flying the Boeing 727 and 747". I probably watched that video once or twice a week when I was in middle school...I had the whole thing memorized by 8th grade  There was a similar montage for the 747 also; not sure if that ever made it to YouTube.

Quoting PM (Reply 7): Sadly, I only ever got to fly on five of them: Dan-Air, Delta, Continental and Aerolineas Argentinas (2). Great planes.

You're lucky that you got to fly on any of them...while I remember seeing countless 727's flying into both SJC and LAX (as well as SFO, but I didn't go there as often as a child), I never had an opportunity to fly one...flew on countless MD-80's and JT-8D-powered 737's, but never got a 727 flight.    Magnificent ship, although she can't take the "most beautiful" crown away from the mighty 707 IMHO. The 727 can share the #2 spot with the 747 on my list  

Quoting PA110 (Reply 10): For those of us of "a certain age" the 727 was the most common aircraft type flown, particularly in North America. Over the course of several decades, I've managed to fly 727s on: Pan Am TWA American United Eastern Delta Continental Northwest National Western Piedmont US Air Air Canada Air Jamaica Lufthansa Royal Jordanian Iran Air Air Afrique (wet lease from JAT) Edited to remove funky code errors on defunct airlines

Oh, you make me jealous you!

Quoting PA110 (Reply 10): For those of us of "a certain age" the 727 was the most common aircraft type flown, particularly in North America.

I'm 'of a certain age' too, however, in this part of the world 727's were few and far between ( although our neighbours, the Aussies, had plenty of them) so I have had a grand total of 1 727 flight , in 1988, on UA from YVR-SEA ( I had actually been ticketed on a CP flight operated by a 737-200, but they canned the flight and rerouted me. It seemed appropriate to me to arrive in Seattle in what was still at that time Boeing's most successful airliner. Amazing to think that back then a route such as YVR-SEA was flown by mainline aircraft.

The 727 was the best plane I ever flew. A pilots dream. I wish I could go back to it.

This is my all-time favorite aircraft to fly on. And one of the most beautiful planes ever. Since my first 727 flight on TWA back in the 1960s I have been in love with it. Fortunately, over the years, I was lucky to be able to fly it uncounted times on various airlines, including up and down California on PSA a few times.

It was definitely becoming maintenance intensive, I suspect, if my final three flights on it are any indication. Two DL and one UA, and all three of my last 727 flights were delayed due to mx issues. But they were all fixed, and we did depart on those flights, although late.

Very cool video! I'm also of the age where there was a time where nearly every flight was aboard a 727. I've flown aboard 727's operated by:

TWA
Delta
Eastern
American
UsAir
Continental
Peoplexpress
Mexicana
Northwest
Republic
Piedmont
Pan Am

Let's see.....I flew on B727's from the following:

Eastern: 100-200
Delta: 200
American: 100-200
Continental: 100-200
United: 200

I had a number of 727 flights with Pan Am's European operation, and a few domestically as well. My overwhelming memory is of the loudness. They were louder than JT8D-powered twins, louder than turbofan-powered DC-8s, louder than pretty much anything else I ever flew on.

But they sure do look pretty.

I remember watching my Dad climb up into the AA 727s (with the old lightning bolt stripe) from the rear stairs on his business trips. We'd all head out to the airport in Tucson to wish him goodbye and then he'd head out across the tarmac to the rear entrance. I was green with envy!

Some may think I'm nuts, but I used to ask the gate agents if there were any seats in the last couple rows of a 727. Back there I usually had a row of seats to myself and I could sleep to the hum of those engines.    I miss the good ole 727.

Quoting jetpilot (Reply 14): The 727 was the best plane I ever flew. A pilots dream. I wish I could go back to it.

I feel so lucky to be on it right now. Too bad I'm on it towards the end of it's life, but at least I made it.  

I flew on 727's from the early 1980's to the mid-1990'sa number of times including on TWA, Eastern, PanAm, PeopleExpress, Trump, UA, US, including LGA-DCA, EWR/LGA to Florida and probably a few other places. I even remember using the tail stirs on them to exit af few times.

They were true workhorses, probably the first commercial a/c many were on in their era. The few today are freighters, a few pax charters or private a/c. Unfortunately, they did age, hours and cycled out, too noisy, became more difficult to fix and less affordable as to fuel usage. Of course some of their 'DNA' still exists in the 737, 757 and in part is connected to the great 707.

I flew in 727s several dozen times. My flights were on:

United (100s and 200s)
American (200s)
Eastern (100s and 200s)
Delta (200s)
Piedmont (200s)
US Air (200s)
PeoplExpress (200s)
Kiwi Int'l (200s)
Continental (100s and 200s)
Air Canada (200s)

Lovely airplanes!

Other than the 747 and if built the 2707, the 727 is the best looking airliner that was design by Boeing. It even looks like it want to go fast.

First 727 flight ...July 1967 UA 727-100 "California Commuter" (all Y class) SAN-LAX coming back from SeaWorld on my 9th birthday with the stewardesses singing "Happy Birthday"

Last 727 flight...August 2000 UA 727-200 Portland-Denver, with the senior F/A barking "Lunch?" and tossing foil wrapped cheeseburgers at us!

In between hundreds of memorable rides on the 727, especially commuting on PSA in the late 70s! Until around 2000, I think had logged more 727 flights than any other aircraft.

When I worked at MX we flew 45 727s at one point. I was an OPS guy at LAX and SFO and did countless weight and balance sheets on these birds in my 20 years. Fill it up with 155 pax, max out the pits, float the caps on the tanks and it would fly nonstop SFO-MEX with no problem. I experienced many jumpseat rides up front and loved the back exit row seats on the -200 across from the galley. Those were some of the most memorable times in my career.

I truly miss the 3-holer. Thanks for the memories!

Tom SJC

Not sure about AC having the 727 as it's backbone but it came close. It had a similar number of passenger DC-8-'s from 1974-1983.


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Photo © Pierre Langlois

The B-727-100s were the backbone of LAN Chile's jet fleet from the late 1960's through the mid-1970's.

LAN Chile B-727-116C at MIA:

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Photo © Ellis M. Chernoff

That's a nice video. It was great seeing Eastern in there, as my family flew Eastern 727s several times, along with TWA, Delta, and United 727s over the years. My last ride on one was quite a long time ago though, probably 1993 or 1994. The 727-200 was my favorite aircraft when I was a kid and still is - it's a great looking aircraft, rakish and perfectly proportioned. Living in the pattern for LGA for many years made the 727 and it's faint smokey trail a very familiar sight.

Though I do remember them being loud (particularly if you were anywhere near the back), they were just as nice to ride on as the 737s that replaced them. And I remember a couple of WN 733's feeling almost as loud inside.

Sadly these days, 727 movements are extremely rare in their ancestral home of Seattle, so I hardly ever get to see any except the two up at PAE, one of which hasn't moved in years and the other of which has had it's wings clipped.

Quoting American 767 (Thread starter): For those of you who are fond of this classic, like myself, here is a video that I would like to share with you. Ah the good old days.

Great video! I especially got a kick out of the young boy feeding Bambi right as the 727 was rolling by.

I was fortunante to fly the 727 as co-pilot and flight engineer for World, Piedmont and USAir from 1985 to 1991. My favorite airliner of all time - it was the definition of a pilot's airplane - you didn't have to work very hard to look good! Everyone I've known that flew the 727 feels the same. It set a standard for safety and performance and was a tremendous advance in the state of the art in it's day. I'll take it over the 737-200/300/400 any day.

Quoting jetpilot (Reply 14): The 727 was the best plane I ever flew. A pilots dream. I wish I could go back to it.

My all-time favorite to fly as well. Outstanding handling qualities, unbelievable short runway performance and a flight engineer to handle the walk arounds, company communications and PAs! The only pilots I ever heard complain were some 737-200 guys who thought it flew like a truck. Since I came from the DC-8 it flew like a fighter to me!

[Edited 2012-01-21 23:04:59]

What a great video, certinly brings back memorys of Ansett and TAA later to become Australian applying their trades across Australia. Only flew 727 twice from HBT to MEL and remember my very first trip to the States and we flew AA 727s great plane.

I honestly wish I was born a few years earlier, I started spotting when some of the very last 732s were flying around, I literally just missed the whole era in aviation that I wish I could of been alive through. I rarely ever see a 727 these days, the occasional one from FedEx comes into Tampa in the mornings. I did luck out and fly Delta Express the last year they were around and fly on Song numerous times through the years they were around. Still gotta put my two cents in and hand it to the 727 as a true great airliner.

My favorite plane (next to the L1011). I remember working the DL Shuttle flights and I would walk down the back air stairs and sit and watch the planes at DCA before boarding started. I always felt so safe in that plane. It was like a tank: 3 engines, 3 pilots,4 F/A's (when I started). We were struck by lightning once from BHM-ATL and we hardly noticed!
Loved that plane!

Quoting PA110 (Reply 10): For those of us of "a certain age" the 727 was the most common aircraft type flown, particularly in North America. Over the course of several decades, I've managed to fly 727s on: Pan Am TWA American United Eastern Delta Continental Northwest National Western Piedmont US Air Air Canada Air Jamaica Lufthansa Royal Jordanian Iran Air Air Afrique (wet lease from JAT) Edited to remove funky code errors on defunct airlines

The Three Holer was definitely the backbone of the domestic fleet as the young Eastern non rev'er stated, I too used to think, oh, another 727, and in the early to mid 70's used to try to fly on the 707, 720, DC-8, CV-880 and wide bodies if I could rather than the venerable 727. My first 727 flight was on a UA 727-22 from DEN to ORD in March of 1964.
My log includes the following but I will call the short body the 100 although for most airlines, there was no 100, just the two digit airline Boeing code after 727, nor will I distinguish between the original -7 powered 200 lead sleds and the Advanced 200 models. My last flight was on a Delta -232 in 2002.

United 100 & 200
American 100 & 200
TWA 100 & 200
Eastern 100 & 200
National 100 & 200
Northwest 100 & 200
Continental 200
Frontier 100 & 200
Braniff 100 & 200
Delta 100 & 200
Allegheny-US Air 100 & 200
Republic 200
PSA 100 & 200
Western 200
Pan Am 100 & 200
Piedmont 100 & 200
Hughes Airwest 200
Peoples Express 200

I never flew on a 727 outside of the US, but the domestic versions I missed were the
Continental 100
Pacific 100
Northeast 100 & 200, although I flew on these airplanes after they were acquired by Delta
Alaska
Southwest 200 (leased from Braniff)
Air Atlanta 100
Kiwi 200
Air Florida
Carnival 200
Sun County 200


The 727 was the backbone of the fleets at many airlines. When the last one was built, #1832, and delivered to FedEx in 1984 after 21 years of production, many felt that record for airliners of one type produced would not be surpassed. Of course the 737 blew by that number, but the 737 has had many more models, where the 727 really only had two, with improvements made to the basic -200 model with updated systems and more efficient engines. While 737-300, 400 & 500 are considered classic 737's along with the original 737-100 & 200, the former were more than just updated or stretched 737-200's. The 300,400 & 500's had completely different power plants, and tail assemblies

If Douglas had just used sub type numbers the way Boeing has, the DC-4, DC-6 and DC-7 aircraft could have been considered one type. Certainly, the DC-6, DC-6A, DC-6B, DC-7, and DC-7B had as much or more in common than the 737-100 through 500.

Quoting bmacleod (Reply 26): Not sure about AC having the 727 as it's backbone but it came close.

I also wouldn't consider the 727 a backbone of AC's fleet. They were a late 727 customer (first one delivered 1974, a decade after most U.S. carries had been flying them). They had a much shorter career at AC than their DC-9 (and DC-8) fleets. I think the 722 was also somewhat limited in range for AC routes like YVR and YUL-YVR. If memory correct, fuel stops weren't unknown on some westbound flights on those types of routes.

Quoting milesrich (Reply 34): I never flew on a 727 outside of the US

The 727 was never a big seller outside North America which accounted for something like 73% of all 727 deliveries. A few carriers like AF, LH, IB and AZ had a reasonable number but those carriers seemed to see the benefits of 2 engines and 2 cockpit crew earlier than most major U.S. 727 operators.

[Edited 2012-01-22 12:32:13]

[Edited 2012-01-22 12:33:22]

Air Canada, Iberia and Air France...

Quite likely my favorite passenger airplane after the L-1011. The ones I've flown on

TWA 100 and 200
United 200
Delta 200
Western 200
Sun Country 200

Man, I'd LOVE to see/hear a 727 on approach over my house into our local commercial airport! My family lived under an approach path to MOB growing up - not a busy airport at all, but loved the sight & sounds of those DC9s & 727s (SO, EA, NA) flying low over our neighborhood. Used to mess with the TV picture back in those broadcast days!

I used to fly a lot between PDX & SEA back in the day just for fun, fares were cheap, flights were plentiful this was when almost every carrier flew the route as a tag from one place or another, always tried to take the wide bodies, 747, DC-10, A-300 or L-1011, despite my favor of the larger planes there were many times I flew the 727's, in just a few years from the early 80's on, I got to fly:

American 100 & 200
United 100 & 200
Pan Am 200
Continental 200
Northwest Orient 200
Republic 200
Hughes Airwest 200
TWA 200
Eastern 200
Delta 200
PSA 200
Western 200
Alaska 100 & 200
Wien 200
USAir 200
Braniff International 200 (Calder) Best 727 flight ever for me, I showed up at the gate for my BN flight and there was the Calder 727 waiting for me, I almost cried.

[Edited 2012-01-22 17:49:20]

[Edited 2012-01-22 17:53:16]

I managed to fly in the 727-100 the 200 and the 200 ADV.

If I remember correctly :

Mexicana
Western Airlines
TWA
Pan Am
Iberia
Taca
American Airlines
Eastern.

Good old days of Noisy take offs....

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Photo © Hans-Werner Klein

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Photo © Frank C. Duarte Jr.

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Photo © Frank Schaefer

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Photo © Richard Vandervord


...At least I got to fly a Canadian Registered 727! The list is small, but the flights memorable! Only wish I could have flown both CP Air and Air Canada.... *sigh*

♪ Memories ♫


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Photo © Paul Nelhams


Rode that plane to Grandma's house every December for years. Nothing but fond memories of the Pidemont 727 fleet.

I remember the 727s we used to get at LHR too in the late 1980s, LH, IB, FI, TP, AF, TK, LN, TU, AT, AH, JU, PA, TWA, RB, IA, OA....ah the there were a few odd leases like the Air Afrique one mentioned by someone earlier that was leased from JAT and returned to them (got a photo somewhere), Air Malta and even a Royal Brunei one too, all be it a government plane but in the full BI colours.....these were the ones I remember seeing in anycase. Then at LGW, Columbus Airlines, DA, Air Atlantis, Aviogenex, (never saw a IY one).

Fortunate to fly on an Alaska Airlines ex-Braniff 227A N322AS PDX-SEA, a United Airlines 22 N7020U SFO-PDX and best of all American Airlines 23 N1972 PDX-ORD which was one of the earliest ones s/n was I think No. 21

I remember seeing DL, WA, PS, UA, AA, Republic, BN (blue/white colours), AS, MX, AC, PE, CO, ATA, PI, US on a few trips to the US, some of them in hybrid colour schemes due to various mergers etc. And countless Freighter versions, Evergreen, Fedex, UPS, CF Airfreight (something like that), FT.

I think my favorite from LHR were the LH ones with a blue cheat line (a fair better livery than the current white one) and the Pan Am billboard ones.

Funny to think they were the workhorse of so many US carriers in their time and yet there were only 1800 give or take a few built.

Also hard to imagine a certain Middle Eastern carrier started with a sole 727 in the mid-80s too.

Graet video! Thank you for posting.

Back in my high school, college, and early post-college days the 727 ruled the skies at medium-size airports like my home ROC. I was always happy on USAir, for instance, to get at 727 rather than a DC-9 or F-27 or F-100. So many medium-size and small markets back then enjoyed such a relatively-speaking large aircraft. But the economics and structure of the industry changed, and now multiple RJ's offer frequency rather than say two or three dailies that made a milk-run stop somewhere else on the way to the hub.

Since we're all listing: I flew on 727s of AA, UA, US (which still had its AL code inherited from Allegheny), PE, EA, and RC.

But on domestic connecting flights from big airports, I like EA CO AS was did n't want a 727, hoped for a jumbo....the things we enthusiasts could worry about in those days!  

Jim

Quoting N1120A (Reply 6): I'm among the minority that never liked the 727.

I agree with you. Detested that thing. Glad they are (almost) gone.

Quoting jetpilot (Reply 14): The 727 was the best plane I ever flew. A pilots dream. I wish I could go back to it.

Flew it. Hated it.

If you went to ORD in the late 70s, you would see 727s for the following either parked at a gate or somewhere on the field:

American
United
Continental
Braniff
Northwest
Eastern
Mexicana
Delta
Trans World

The plane was versatile, able to work short hops out of ORD to place such as IND, SDF, STL, and DTW, as well as longer flights to Florida, DEN, and SLC.

IIRC, when the price of oil went up in the late 70s and early 80s, AA decided to ground its 707 fleet. The origianl plan was to retire them as the 767s arrived, but fuel prices pushed up retirement. So, the 727s started flying some West Coast routes out of ORD, along with DC-10s.

A friend of mine who flies for AA stated out as a 727 F/E out of New York, before transferring to ORD. The 727-200 was able to fly ORD-SJU, which was part of almost every trip for about 18 months.

Canadian a.netters "of a certain age" might remember that one of the country's charter pioneers -- Max Ward -- bought a 727-100 to launch Wardair. As I recall he flew charters from western Canada to Europe with this aircraft, with a fuel stop in Iceland (or somewhere else). The registration was CF-FUN. Wardair grew significantly and ended up with a 747 and I think he managed to transfer that CF-FUN registration from the 727 to the first 747 he acquired. As a young reporter with the Calgary Herald, I was shipped off on a junket one weekend when Max Ward flew a bunch of people to Seattle to pick up that 747 and fly it back to Calgary. He had a press conference on the upper deck on the way back.

Wardair ended up with 747s, A310s, DC-10s before it got consumed -- but that 727 got the ball rolling.

Quoting DCA-ROCguy (Reply 45): Back in my high school, college, and early post-college days the 727 ruled the skies at medium-size airports like my home ROC. I was always happy on USAir, for instance, to get at 727 rather than a DC-9 or F-27 or F-100. So many medium-size and small markets back then enjoyed such a relatively-speaking large aircraft. But the economics and structure of the industry changed, and now multiple RJ's offer frequency rather than say two or three dailies that made a milk-run stop somewhere else on the way to the hub. Since we're all listing: I flew on 727s of AA, UA, US (which still had its AL code inherited from Allegheny), PE, EA, and RC.

I'm not as old as Jim. But I remember AA ,DL (of course!) UA and PE putting 727's into ROC. We still get a Cappy 727 every morning and sometimes it flies over as I walk into work.
Somewhere in my mom's photo albums there is a picture of my grandparents boarding an AA 727 in ROC before we had jet bridges during a snow storm. It was taken in the early 80's by the restaurant where we always used to watch the planes and stand on the heat runs. I'm sure DCA-ROC guy know where that was.

[Edited 2012-01-23 11:26:45]