When I was a kid in Pueblo, CO, United did 727 pilot training out of the local airport. We had a new house on the very east end of town, and you could literally see the airport out the back window on a nice day. I'd often sit out back on a large dirt pile and just watch them do countless touch-and-go landings.
Most memorable flight I ever had on a 727 was Seattle to Salt Lake about 30 years ago. We were behind schedule, and I was concerned about making my connection in Salt Lake - as we started our takeoff roll the center engine surged. I was sitting near the front of the aircraft, but it was still so loud only my seat belt kept me in my seat
(I've heard several engine surges during flight testing in the years since, but none were anywhere near that loud inside the aircraft). After the initial shock from the bang, my next thought was 'damn, I'll never make my connection now' but they continued on with the takeoff as if nothing had happened
. When I was getting off after we landed in Salt Lake, I was in a rush but I still took a minute to ask the pilot standing in the flight deck door about continuing the takeoff after the surge. He immediately started into an explanation of what a surge was but I quickly cut him off - 'I work jet engines and I know what a surge is - I was just surprised you continued the takeoff after the surge'. 'Oh, well if we'd aborted I just would have turned around and tried again - so we just retarded the throttle, made sure it recovered, then advanced it and continued...'
I know well that the 727 center inlet was prone to separation that could cause a surge, and that the JT8D engine was unlikely to suffer damage from a surge. I'm also sure the pilot in question had experienced his fair share of JT8D surges, but I was never quite as comfortable flying on a 727 after that...