Boeing 727 Operators... any left???

[Captain Smithy]

Hi folks,

Was just wondering if there any Boeing 727 operators (freight or pax) left in the UK or Europe for that matter?

The 727 happens to be one of my favourite aircraft, so I'm merely curious to see if it still operates in the UK /EU.

Would be interested to hear from any current or previous 727 pilots, just to find out what it's like to fly and how it compares to more modern airliners.

Regards

Captain S

[Sleeping Freight Dog]

I know there are still quite a few in the States, Champion Air, Amerijet,
Kitty Hawk, Capital Air Cargo, FEDEX, DHL to name a few.
Wouldnt DHL Europe also still have the ole B727 operating?

[jetstream7]

In Europe, not much. Comings and goings of some exective / private 727s, but not sure any of these are European registered.

Think there is a cargo operator in Spain that operates a 727 - Swiftair / Plaza if I remember correctly

[PAXboy]

Republic of South Africa. These are in pax service:
http://www.flynationwide.co.za/aboutourfleet.php

Many others around that continent, as the noise regulations are not the same as built up Europe. Some used for freight but it is not just the noise that is restricting them, on account of being so fast - they drink fuel very fast too.

[kriskross]

Fabulous aircraft to fly, but totally outdated even by the 90s when I last flew them. The Super 72 would match a NG 737 in performance, except for fuel and noise of course.

And that is why they have virually disappeared!!!

[HZ123]

There are regularly 2 to 3 at Southend, last week VP-BAB and VP-BAA and there is a P4 reg undergoing major at ATC. All are VIP stuff.

[Evening Star]

Missed the end of the thread and do not think I properly searched, so going to ask here instead. Did they (being the authorities in whatever form) ever find the B727 that was apparently TWOCed in Africa a while ago?

[IcePaq]

Prince Bandar's sister has one.

[Off Stand]

With reference to the Super 72, are all 3 engines replaced? What about avionics or the flight deck lay out? Sorry if that seems like a dim question, but thanks in advance for your time.

[Newforest]

It has not conclusively been found.
http://www.iasa.com.au/folders/Security_Issues/727disappears.html

[HZ123]

Futher to my remarks on 727's at SEN i returned yesterday from Tampa having worked also for a couple of days at MCO. There were several white tailed 27's visible at both ports and liveried DHL's.

[PaperTiger]

Did they (being the authorities in whatever form) ever find the B727 that was apparently TWOCed in Africa a while ago?This guy seems to have spent some effort trying to figure it out, but still none the wiser as far as I can tell:
http://nosuchblog.blog-city.com/missing_727_june_2005_update.htm
I still think it (and the crew) is at the bottom of the Indian ocean somewhere.

[K.Whyjelly]

http://http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/kwhyjelly/dsc00873.jpg



See this one parked up everytime I taxi out for Rwy 09 at BGI. Anybody know where it goes.....USA, other Caribbean??

[world]

Aviogenex (charter carrier) was the last pax operator in Europe AFAIK. In 2005 it was sold. Aviogenex was using it on popular tourist routes from Belgrade, Serbia. They had 2 B727s

[Avman]

Captain Smithy specifically asks for B727 operators in the UK / EU and a bunch of you tell him about all the B727 operators outside the UK / EU :ugh:

As Jetsream states, the only remaining European B727 airline (cargo) operation is based in Spain with a couple B727s.

[world]

Actually he said:

Was just wondering if there any Boeing 727 operators (freight or pax) left in the UK or Europe for that matter?




Since there are not too many operators of B727 this question could also be applied to the whole world....or at least Europe.

[Whitehatter]

Super 727s only had the left and right engines replaced. It would be major surgery to replace the centre one as it's inside the fuselage and the larger engine wouldn't fit.

So the conversion replaces the two outboard ones and adds some hushkitting work to the centre engine.

[Off Stand]

Cheers Whitehatter, appreciated.

[HZ123]

In other words there are no 727 operators left in the Uk or EU. Three a/c present at SEN VP-BAA, P4-MMG (wingletted version) and VP-CSA I beleve. For infomation all 3 aircrafts are regulars at SEN and so to is VP-BAA which I believe is also wingletted.

[world]

Is 727 even alowed to fly in EU (I am not talking about hushkited or super etc.)

[Hufty]

I saw one sitting on the cargo ramp at EDI this morning. Only from a distance though but it appeared to be one of the short ones in white with green on the tail. Any idea who operates this and what is reg is??

[HZ123]

I am sure the 727 can fly still within the EU but unless Stage 3 hushkitted it cannot serve a number of major airports and only under exemptions can it fly pax but as a private jet or cargo there are few conditions. I do recall last summer there was a bit of publicity surrounding MUFC travelling from MAN to USA on a private 727 which may be the property of the American owners of MU.

[tanoshiende]

Hi My name is Al and I flew the B-727 10 years. Let me say it was quite a machine to fly. One of the fastest Commercial jobs ever built.
Cruise Mach 84. In decent below 25,000 indicated airspeed of 420 Kts.
Flew into Saint Thomas many times when the runway was 4600 feet with a 500 foot overrun. Could stop and turn of at mid field or just a little beyond, sometimes. The B-727-100 could stop at max landing weight in 1600 feet
and we were very light with a VREF Speed of 108 Kts.
A fabulous aircraft to say the least

[jamie2004]

I believe there is a 727-200 now based at biggin hill, i was told it was registered N31TR but has now been re-registered as VP-CMO.

[Springer1]

Phantoms and 727's. I think I can go to my grave with a smile on my face.

[tomtom_91]

Any idea what the one at Biggin is being used for... hured it land the other day! Dam it made some loud sounds!!!!

I am flying tomorow I shall try and grab a photo of it!

Tom

[stilton]

She could easily cruise at .86 Mach and I took one to MMO once which was
.92 Bit noisy...


Imho the best handling narrow body Airliner ever made.

[trident3A]

Prettiest airliner around! Still see the odd one going in to Heathrow - always a special sight

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Not certain of the avionics, but I think all 3 engines upgraded, winglets.
I will be there next week, and will ask.

glf

[powerstall]

well if you're going to include Indonesia. TRI MG still operates 2 727's. :ok:

[MarkerInbound]

The Valsan conversion replaced #1 and #3 with JT8D-217s and left #2 a -7 without a reverser. Some of them have since been upgraded to -219s and I know one has a -17 in the center. I can not imagine how that plane must go. Dee Howard put RR Tays on all three positions and there is a lot of new pneumatic plumbing in the back end. And the cockpit was updated.

Vmo was .90, I've been up to .885. Ours were limited to 350 kts, light weights could go for 400. A great plane for what it was designed to do, go 200-1500 miles between smaller airports when fuel was 10 cents a gallon. Some of the VIP planes have aux tanks to the point almost half the TO weight is fuel, pushing 80,000 pounds of Jet A. I'd hate to sign that reciept at today's rates.

[con-pilot]

Oh God, don't get me started about talking about 727s. I flew 727s for ten years as well, ended up with a little over 7,000 hours in it.

Simply put, you could do things in the 727 that just could not be done in its rivals. I did get to fly a -200 with the full Valsan conversion, now with a light load that thing was a rocket. You did have to be very careful not to out climb the wing.

There are some sport teams, mostly professional basketball teams, that operate 727s here in the US today. I've been in a couple, they were the full Valsan conversion and had glass cockpits.

If won a huge lottery I would buy a corporate 727 to run around the world in.

Flew into Saint Thomas many times when the runway was 4600 feet with a 500 foot overrun. Could stop and turn of at mid field or just a little beyond, sometimes. The B-727-100 could stop at max landing weight in 1600 feet
and we were very light with a VREF Speed of 108 Kts.
A fabulous aircraft to say the least

Agree with all of the above, it was astonishing just how fast you could stop a 727. Even with flaps 30, now with flaps 40 in a -100 it was even more astonishing.

My only two complaints on the 727 is where they put the APU, I do understand why they placed it where it is, I just wished it was back in the tail. My other complaint is the main landing gear, I wish that were four tires per boogie rather than two, if Boeing had done that, there are a lot more airports that you could operate at that is now prohibited because of the weight foot print, which is about the highest of any airliner, especially the 200A. We had a regular RON in Phoenix and we had to park on metal plates at the FBO or we would sink into ramp.

I miss flying the 727 more than another aircraft.

[CockpitJunkie]

Lovely aircraft. :ok:

I still get to fly a 200 every day I go to work.

Although with possible staff cuts pending does anyone know of 727 operators looking for crew?

[rgbrock1]

Wasn't the 727-200 one of the first aircraft using the 3-p altimeter? From my understanding, the 3-p was a bit of a bear at times to read correctly.

[Da Do Ron Ron]

DHL have six 200's based here in Bahrain, worked hard running around the Gulf, Iraq & Afghanistan.

Al Rais Cargo have two 200's based in Dubai but don't seem to fly a lot....

[MrMash]

You could try MK Airlines in Bristol, England.

This was a reply to cockpit junkie by the way.

[Evening Star]

My other complaint is the main landing gear, I wish that were four tires per boogie rather than two, if Boeing had done that, there are a lot more airports that you could operate at that is now prohibited because of the weight foot print, which is about the highest of any airliner, especially the 200A. We had a regular RON in Phoenix and we had to park on metal plates at the FBO or we would sink into ramp.

Or six for that matter, like the infamous Tu-154 copy of the 727 and adapted for use on gravel runways:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/8/5/2/1569258.jpg

Actually, do wonder if some of the trident3a's observations at LHR might be Tu-154M's used by Rossiya as presidential transport.

[trident3A]

Actually, do wonder if some of the trident3a's observations at LHR might be Tu-154M's used by Rossiya as presidential transport.I've definately seen both types!

The 2 727s most often in are A9C-BA & HZ-SKI

[zimoke]

Anyone know who the crew are for vp-cmo at biggin? who owns the aircraft. Are they looking for crew?

[Merchant Banker]

I remember the last time I had the pleasure of a ride in 72.
Sabre, LBA-AGP-LBA think sometime back late 96/ early 97.
Fantastic!

[GK430]

One of the best looking and still flying - OMDB last week

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp250/StanleyAirways/z-LGSS0779.jpg