Calling All 757 Aficionados

richiemo · Sun Mar 15, 2015 4:22 pm

To my brethren. Just what is it about this plane that keeps our loyalty despite all the other amazing aircraft out there. Last week I flew on an A330, a 777, a 320 and finished off my trip with a 757. The 332 is a mighty beast. Big and beautiful with her nicely tapered end section, her graceful winglets and her beautiful rolls engines. The 777 is a monster, with awe-inspiring engines, and the massive perfectly round body. The 320 reminds me of sporty BMW coupe. Short and compact, with the winglets as a nice finishing touch. But when I finally hopped aboard the 757, and sat immediately in front of the engines, I thought to myself, nothing beats this. I always come home to the 757. Is it the heavy feel even though she technically isn't a heavy? Is it the steep climb as the PWs roar with a sound that represents the power of this bird greater than that of any other aircraft? Is it the feel you get looking out at the great PWs, with their over-sized appearance, that gives a certain sense of safety, never having the sweaty palms during turbulence that you do in other planes? From outside, is it the way the rounded windshield contours to the body so smoothly, and how she sits up so high, like a bald eagle looking over her domain. I believe it's all of the above. But no matter how often I stray, I find you can always go home again. And while we mourned the final days of the DC-10, the L1011, and recently the MD-11, I'm afraid that the final days of the 757 will truly be the loss of a great friend, a true friend. May that day survive my own mortality.

flylku · Sun Mar 15, 2015 4:26 pm

Power to weight and, like the 747, a certain almost human look that gives this inanimate thing a personality.

S75752 · Sun Mar 15, 2015 4:28 pm

I think the thing that makes it a real winner in my book was the engines (for the 43,000 rated models). That seems like the perfect amount of power.

trnswrld · Sun Mar 15, 2015 4:51 pm

Anyone else here get to experience what it's like in the cockpit of an empty 757 with an approved pilots request for a high performance takeoff with an unrestricted climb to 14,000? Let's just say I will never forget that experience!!! I have much respect for what that plane is capable of! Thanks N706TW

Sooner787 · Sun Mar 15, 2015 5:46 pm

My favorite 757 memory was "launching" on an AA 757 from SNA

more than a decade ago. The departures from SNA are always an adventure,

but I've never been pinned back in my seat like I was when they released brakes

and hurdled down that short runway.

Closest thing to a military fighter jet takeoff I'll ever get

[Edited 2015-03-15 10:47:00]

fxra · Sun Mar 15, 2015 6:02 pm

DL pilot I knew back in the 90's once said all the crews love the 757, it's like driving a race car. And helps she has "big boobs and long legs on a thin body" referring the the engines and landing gear.

Luckily, i'll be able to catch rides on them for a while, even if it's the freighters. Launching out on an nearly empty freighter is a rush.

Fixinthe757 · Sun Mar 15, 2015 8:43 pm

I'm fortunate enough to fly in the cockpit of the 757's we perform PtoF/c checks on for our test flights. Always impressive no matter how many of these I go on. It's one thing to see and work on them, but when you're on the finished product it gives one a proud feeling of accomplishment. Incidentally another impressive takeoff feeling was the 727's with the -217's mounted on 1 and 3. I've been up front on a number of different types, 747, DC-10, A300, 727, and 757, gotta say the 757 is the most impressive, IMHO.

JoeCanuck · Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:24 pm

I've flown on just about every Boeing airliner, (and Airbus, if anyone asks), but I've never been on a 757. Thank goodness they will be around for a while yet, so the opportunity is still there.

aviatorcraig · Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:51 pm

I've flown on many 757s with many different airlines, but they have all been RR powered. I want to fly on a PW 757 while I still can to see if the experience is any different (I suspect any difference is minimal).

I love flying on the over-powered stick insect and although she is not the most efficient airliner these days, she has loads of passenger appeal. It will be a sad day when the 757 lands for the last time.

strfyr51 · Sun Mar 15, 2015 11:26 pm

I will not mourn the 757 personally because I'm looking forward to what's going to replace that Beauty.
When the 757 and 767-300 were proposed It was not a foregone conclusion that the 757 was even needed with the 767-200. -300 in the stable.
The 757-200 beat out the 767-200 though they both carried nearly the same passenger load and the 767-200 became redundant as a passenger airplane.
Now the 767-300 is the workhorse, the combination of the 757-200 and the 767-300 will never be equaled as far as I'm concerned until the 787-9 and the 797 take the mantle .
Hopefully they'll both carry the same pilot rating like the 777 and 787 do today and the 757 did with the 767.

NYPECO · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:33 am

The 757 is a unique and awesome aircraft. No matter how much they stretch the A321, it will never be nearly as good as the 757, especially in performance.

Quoting richiemo (Thread starter):
even though she technically isn't a heavy

It depends on their load. A fully loaded 757-200 is considered heavy, and all 757-300s are heavy.

res77W · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:35 am

It truly will be a sad day when these beauties are retired. I flew my first 757 on NW back in 2007 from LAS-MSP. The rotation and climbout were the most exhilarating feelings I've had the pleasure to experience.

richiemo · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:52 am

Is it true that a 757-200 can be classified as a heavy depending on load? Would they refer to it as a heavy in the flight crew/ATC communications? I remember a number of years back they debated classifying 757s as heavies due to their wake turbulence and it created quite a stir because there are limits (I believe) on how many heavies can be in the cue at any airport, and with so many 757s, airlines were afraid it would have a serious impact on flight schedules. At least that's what I remember.

777Jet · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:52 am

Quoting flylku (Reply 1):
Power to weight and, like the 747, a certain almost human look that gives this inanimate thing a personality.

The powerful rocket-like takeoffs are hard to beat...

And the 757 looks mean, just mean...

When I ride in a 757 I feel that I am in an over-powered and very capable plane and if an engine was lost during takeoff I'd rather be in a 757-200 than in any other twin.

northwestEWR · Mon Mar 16, 2015 3:07 am

I'll tell you why we love the 757 in Flight Control/Dispatch. (And also why the financial folks hate it)

The 757 is the only aircraft I can think of that can do just about any mission without hesitation and where I as a dispatcher can be completely confident that it can get the job done every single time. That's primarily because it's capability is so outstanding and it provides a great deal of flexibility--it's just as happy on a 30 minute hop as it is heading out over the Atlantic for 9 hours.

I also don't have to worry about payload capability. If you can load it--the 757 can take it. Day in and day out. That just isn't true on anything else. (Except maybe the 744) As more and more god awful 737-900ERs come online, it makes me appreciate the 757 even more. A great example is when I last ran the numbers on the 739 vs 752 for SNA-ATL. The 757 is taking every passenger, any cargo and mail I want with room left over. The 737-900ER is doing good to take enough fuel to make it to ATL, the crew and somewhere between 3 and 5 passengers.... Seriously.

It's such a wonderfully capable airplane! Unfortunately the finance folks hate it because it carries around extra capability where it may not be needed and so they're sticking us with the 739. Long live the 757.

Quoting richiemo (Reply 12):
Is it true that a 757-200 can be classified as a heavy depending on load? Would they refer to it as a heavy in the flight crew/ATC communications? I remember a number of years back they debated classifying 757s as heavies due to their wake turbulence and it created quite a stir because there are limits (I believe) on how many heavies can be in the cue at any airport, and with so many 757s, airlines were afraid it would have a serious impact on flight schedules. At least that's what I remember.

It's not classified as a heavy based on weight but it is treated by ATC as a "heavy 757" because it does have a large wake turbulence. They increase the spacing some but it's not too big of a deal.

birdbrainz · Mon Mar 16, 2015 3:09 am

I'm going to out on a limb here and suggest that we love the 757 because there's nothing else like it.

It is unique (at least as far as western aircraft) in its size and capabilities.

The 737 is a small twin which (to a first order) is like the A320.
The A330 is a big twin that is (to a first order) is like the 777*.
Please don't shoot me, but the A380 is a big quad like the 747.

Nothing else is like the 757. Of course, it helps that performs like a rocket.

* disclaimer needed: The A330 rocks, but the 777 always makes heavy take-offs and climbs look effortless.

UA735WL · Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:11 am

Quoting northwestEWR (Reply 14):

That's pretty cool that somebody actually crunched the numbers for a 739 out of SNA vs a 757...unbelievable (but totally awesome to see what a beast the 752 is

)

Jonas

Noise · Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:54 am

I love the 757 because she looks like a woman

maxpower1954 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:18 am

With all of the anthropomorphic descriptions now out of the way, I can state the the 757 is a very pleasant airplane to fly, with excellent crosswind abilities. The 757 and the 727 are the best handling Boeings I've flown. And the 737s are the worst, but I've only flown the classics.

Check out the conditions on the very first flight in 1982 - wind gusts to 40 knots!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygMTncjJtKg

keen2fly · Mon Mar 16, 2015 8:27 am

She's a beautiful bird, and if there's anything you can't do with a 757, no doubt the Royal New Zealand Air Force have tried it with their 757s. Here's a great clip showing a RNZAF 757 competing a low, fast pass with a steep climb at the end https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKRUGIjnEJI . You bet those Rolls Royces sound amazing.

I have not flown on a 757, been in the flight deck of one of the RNZAF birds, but there aren't many in passenger service in this part of the world so I'll have to come to the States and take a ride before it's too late.

aviatorcraig · Mon Mar 16, 2015 8:44 am

Quoting maxpower1954 (Reply 18):
Check out the conditions on the very first flight in 1982 - wind gusts to 40 knots!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygMTncjJtKg

Wow! I haven't seen that before. Amazing they flew the first flight in such gusty conditions.

Thanks for posting

BravoOne · Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:17 am

Quoting NYPECO (Reply 10):
It depends on their load. A fully loaded 757-200 is considered heavy, and all 757-300s are heavy.

How the airplane is loaded (weight wise) has nothing to with it's classification.

frostyj · Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:26 am

The take off angle and sounds and also the flexibility of what the aircraft can be utilised on

STT757 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:24 am

My first flight on a 757 was an Eastern Air Lines 757 Newark to Orlando in the Summer of '87. Compared with the 732s, 727s, L1011s and DC-10s I had flown on previously the 757 felt so modern even with Eastern's Brown, Cream and Orange interiors. I got a couple chances to fly on EA 757s, I've also flown on AA, DL, CO and sUA 757s as well as CO 753s. I've even flown Trans-Atlantic on the 757, EWR-BCN-EWR on a CO 757. Remarkable aircraft, still my favorite.

TC957 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:33 am

I think it is a great pity that Fed Ex didn't have their need for 90-odd 757F's until a couple of years after Boeing closed the line down. Had they wanted the frames then, I'm sure Boeing would have gone on and sold a good few more as well.
I recall Boeing doing a worldwide 757 sales tour in the final months of it's production run and it only generated a few sales from China plus a couple for Air 2000.

757225 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:17 pm

Checked out in this machine in 1984...5000 plus hours ...loved it then ...love it now!
There will never be a match for her .... great looks and great performance .
Give her a dime and she will give you ten cents change.
Boeing did this one right.

slider · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:31 pm

Quoting fxra (Reply 5):
And helps she has "big boobs and long legs on a thin body" referring the the engines and landing gear.

Yup--the 'big tits/long legs' mantra never gets old with the 757. It's a great aircraft.

garpd · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:37 pm

You haven't had the full 757 experience until you fly one with RB211's strapped to its wings.

ripcordd · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:42 pm

Quoting Sooner787 (Reply 4):

Mine as well back in 99 or 2000 I was going SNA-ORD when weather hit an delayed flights the put everyone on the earlier flight cause they didn't know if the 2nd one was going to get canceled I ended up on the 2nd SNA-ORD with 3 other passengers what a take off just amazing...

cathay747 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:58 pm

Rocket? Absolutely! I will never forget taking off on the short runway 15 @ DCA on a
fully loaded EAL flight to MIA...thinking to myself as we lined up, and I realized which
runway we were using...are they serious? But off we went...and probably left a rooster
tail in the Potomac!

futureorthopod · Mon Mar 16, 2015 2:47 pm

Do any of you prefer the 752 over the 753 or vice versa?

I remember my first flight on a CO 753 from IAH to LAX. The additional length only enhanced my feeling of being on a wide body. Still same great short take off with unbelievable power.

aacun · Mon Mar 16, 2015 2:56 pm

Had the pleasure to be on EA inagural 757 flight from ATL to TPA back in 1982. Ever since, I have loved the airplane. So I hope we keep them in Miami as long as we can. I would love to be on AA's last 757 flight. It will for the first time, close a circle that I opened up a long time ago.

simonriat · Mon Mar 16, 2015 2:56 pm

Hi all

Just wanted to add my 2 pennies.

Flew on several of Britannias birds, (during I think the very late 80s). My favourite livery on my favourite aircraft, closely followed by the a330.

Out of interest were the Britannia aircraft RR powered?

redzeppelin · Mon Mar 16, 2015 3:07 pm

Favorite 757 memory:
Flying the short RDU-ATL segment on a Friday evening in September. Very light load on a 752. We held on the ground in RDU for about 25 minutes before take-off after the captain announced that there was heavy ATC traffic overhead and we were being sequenced into the ATL landing pattern before takeoff. When our time to take off finally came, I had the distinct impression that our flight crew was trying to make it home to ATL in time for dinner. That was the steepest, most powerful takeoff that I can ever recall. I remember turning to the stranger across the aisle from me and we both just smiled and laughed like kids on a roller coaster. Awesome.

rj968 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:16 pm

Quoting maxpower1954 (Reply 18):
Check out the conditions on the very first flight in 1982 - wind gusts to 40 knots!

Interesting 727-100 at 0:32 in the background, hadn't seen that scheme before. Looks like AA with a white top, Boeing aircraft ?

RJ

ABQopsHP · Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:24 pm

Quoting Sooner787 (Reply 4):

Got to take our (HP) 757s out of SNA many times. It was a blast, from break release to throttle back after initial climb. Every single time they cut the engines back, you would hear a few people scream or take in a lot of air, thinking something was wrong, even tho the Capt would make an announcement giving people a heads up about it.

Quoting futureorthopod (Reply 30):

I will take the 200 any day. Had a chance to fly a CO 757-300 IAH-LAS on an 80deg Oct day. As a non-rev I got one of the last seats. It was a long take off roll with a flat climb out, I was not impressed. Cruise was like all 757s tho, nice and smooth the whole way, as was the landing.

JD CRP

frostyj · Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:30 pm

Quoting Slider (Reply 26):

I'm sorry but what has long legs got to do with aviation??????

TC957 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:34 pm

Quoting simonriat (Reply 32):
Out of interest were the Britannia aircraft RR powered?

Yes - all 757's that have been / still are operated by UK airlines have the RR donks.

BALandorLivery · Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:37 pm

I can tell you from personal experience that taking off in a 757 that's empty at max derate is phenomenal!

Taking off empty and with FULL POWER (which I've only done twice) is indescribable. The only way I can sum it up is that the takeoff and initial climb is over before your brain has even started to roll down the runway. A rare experience even for other pilots.

The 757 looks and is beautiful. A very charismatic aircraft and solid too.

Boeing717200 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:41 pm

Quoting richiemo (Thread starter):

To my brethren. Just what is it about this plane that keeps our loyalty despite all the other amazing aircraft out there.

No other plane can perform like it. There is something ridiculous about a plane that can jump off a runway like that. If it weren't for the fuel consumption changes over its life it would still be the perfect plane. Now a days it just burns to much dang gas compared to its competitors.

[Edited 2015-03-16 09:45:21]

seabosdca · Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:19 pm

Quoting NYPECO (Reply 10):
A fully loaded 757-200 is considered heavy, and all 757-300s are heavy.

A more accurate way of putting it: a 757-200 with the maximum MTOW option is heavy, and all 757-300s are as well.

slcguy · Mon Mar 16, 2015 6:57 pm

While all my 757 flights have been on routine flights and loads probably at derated power settings so nothing to get excited about. But at work I've seen a number of max performance takeoffs and landings. Seeing a plane that size rocket out using less than 2000' of runway and climbing steep is impressive but even more amazing is seeing one land and make a turnoff 2500' down the runway! Thank you UPS for that!

Amazing plane!

[Edited 2015-03-16 12:00:10]

[Edited 2015-03-16 12:30:46]

[Edited 2015-03-16 12:32:25]

747400sp · Mon Mar 16, 2015 7:54 pm

The best take off I ever experienced! It was New Years 2009, I was still in the Navy at the time, and I was flying home from Norfolk on holiday leave, on Northwest's ORF-DTW and DTW-LAX routes. Well the ORF-DTW route, was done by a DC-9, but the DTW-LAX route, was done by a 757-200. Well we took off, and that 75 shot up into the air like a rocket, it was great! This was a Pratt powered bird, so it was cool to say I flew on a plane with two C-17 engines. I believe NWA PW 757s engines were rated at 37000 lb of thrust, so I know a 757 with 43000 of thrust, can pack a punch.

holzmann · Mon Mar 16, 2015 8:10 pm

Best take off I've ever had was a on a full DL 752 flight out of SLC for BWI. This was back in 2012/2013 I think.

It was a crisp, clear day. Not very hot out. We taxied to the runway, lined up. The brakes were set, the engines roared to full power and we just sat there for a good 5 seconds (felt longer)! Then the brakes were released and BAM! The take off approach was quite steep and off we went! It was a lot of fun.

I also think the 752 to have the most unique proportions of any AC out there. I love it especially with its winglets. I love how the cockpit sits so far forward of the nose gear. How high it sits. How the cockpit/nose design is so different from anything else out there.

cathay747 · Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:53 pm

Quoting BALandorLivery (Reply 38):
I can tell you from personal experience that taking off in a 757 that's empty at max derate is phenomenal!

Taking off empty and with FULL POWER (which I've only done twice) is indescribable. The only way I can sum it up is that the takeoff and initial climb is over before your brain has even started to roll down the runway. A rare experience even for other pilots.

Man does THAT sound fun!

777Jet · Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:01 pm

Quoting futureorthopod (Reply 30):
Do any of you prefer the 752 over the 753 or vice versa?

I prefer the 753.

I love the look of the flying pencil and IIRC it's currently the longest narrowbody in commercial / pax service

Whilst I prefer the more powerful takeoff feeling in the 752, I will always pick a 753 if I have the choice because they are much rarer and they take the already awesome look of the 752 and extend it!

Also, sitting at the very back of the 753 is fun during rotation - you seem to get very close to the ground and almost feel a 'double rotation' as if lifts away.

However, waiting to get off of the 753 sucks if you are seated at the back

757SanCam · Wed Mar 18, 2015 6:34 pm

Been out of country for a week, but by far my favorite ride. At SAN, rotating off 27 before the commuter terminal and a steep climb over OB, there's nothing like it flying out of my home airport. Being a UA ff, the friendly skies have all but eliminated 757 service here as they are cutting the fleet. I'm going to miss those rocket takeoffs, rather fantastic ride!

fanofjets · Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:35 pm

Judging from the monthly thread on trans-Atlantic narrowbody aircraft and the revival of the Boeing 757 production line, it would be fair to say that many of us here admire the versatility of that aircraft. I enjoyed my CO 757 flight, EWR to MAD. I liked the intimacy of the smaller cabin; she was a very pleasant bird to fly on. Maybe it also reminded me of my childhood flights aboard Boeing 707s and DC-8s. The Boeing 757 certainly has a lot of appeal and that certain je ne sais quois.

futureorthopod · Thu Mar 19, 2015 1:22 pm

Quoting 777Jet (Reply 45):
I prefer the 753.

I love the look of the flying pencil and IIRC it's currently the longest narrowbody in commercial / pax service
[quote=757SanCam,reply=46]
Been out of country for a week, but by far my favorite ride. At SAN, rotating off 27 before the commuter terminal and a steep climb over OB, there's nothing like it flying out of my home airport. Being a UA ff, the friendly skies have all but eliminated 757 service here as they are cutting the fleet. I'm going to miss those rocket takeoffs, rather fantastic ride!

SAN is my home airport as well. Delta still flies its 752s in and out of SAN

UA735WL · Thu Mar 19, 2015 2:14 pm

Quoting futureorthopod (Reply 48):
Delta still flies its 752s in and out of SAN

Not sure if it's regularly scheduled, but I flew an AA 757 SAN-DFW last week. Took a four hour mechanical delay because the flaps were stuck so a new hydraulic pump was installed...but wired in backwards. Totally worth the wait though

Jonas

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