Check this out: a 52-year-old 727-100 still utilized by Freight Dogs for Lineas Aereas Suramericanas out of Bogotá, Colombia. This was a cargo trip from Bogota to the island of Curacao in the Caribbean. Captain Oscar lands this baby Old School Manual. I enjoy watching the flap setting wheels rotate. Talk about way manual.
The last 727 was built back in 1984. This particular airframe, #162, was built back in 1966. And oh yeah.
The 727 was known to be the most glide-friendly aircraft ever produced by Boeing. It would glide for miles absent propulsion. Which is, of course, an issue unto itself.
BZ
My favorite airplane, while they were still out there.
Didn’t the airlines give ’em up because they required three crewmembers on the flight deck?
By God, I think you’re right. No one “does” a flight engineer any more. Funny thing is, only until recently did the last 727 fly:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/boeing-727-last-flight-scli-intl/index.html
Here is the video: https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/1084467829636820992
That was as of January 13th, 2019. That’s a hell of an accomplishment, considering the first 727 rolled off the assembly line in 1962. That’s 57 YEARS of airframe service!
BZ
Yep, nobody wanted to pay the FEs. That was no longer a starting position with an airline either. Lots of pilots, back in the day, started as FEs, then moved up to copilot, then eventually pilot. 72s were also FAST! 🙂
A friend had over 3,000 hours as FE in the USAF. In preparation for getting his ATP for civilian life, he was at first disallowed to use any of his FE time towards the ATP. After much haggling, a deal was made that he could use no more than 1/3rd of that time towards the ATP.
Then, of course, the airlines considered that time of little value. But his airline made this new hire pilot an IP because he knew so much. Ugh!
Another thing people don’t talk about: the 727 could glide, unpowered, farther than any other jet aircraft then and now.
BZ
Pilot flying asks pilot not flying if they are cleared to land. The response is ‘Roger.’. I hate that crap. This is a case of miscommunication gotten by reassignment of definitions of terms. ‘Roger’ means ‘message received’. The proper response would be a direct affirmative (yes) or negative (no).
That the pilots may be well acquainted with each other – flown together a lot – is often insufficient to overcome that miscommunication.
The pilot flying allowed the condition to continue to exist since he did not press for a proper reply. That’s how metal gets bent and flesh torn.