Sterling Airways - Trivia
Their 727's flew their main routes to Southern Europe, but also to San Francisco, Miami and Toronto as well from Copenhagen. The SFO trip may have included 3 stops, Keflavik, Bangor or Iqaluit and Omaha.
The 20 hour trip in a seat with a pitch of 29-30 inches plus a non-stop duty free bar was just one of the incredibly popular trips that made Sterling an icon of the Nordic region.
Boeing saw what Sterling were trying to do, but also saw a way to advertise the advances that Boeing was making with the continued development of the 727.
The Advanced 727's for Sterling were the highest gross weight 727's ever built, with an MTOW of 208,000lbs using JT8D-17 engines and seating for up to 189 passengers.
By 1987 the airline was celebrating it's 25th Anniversary, and was one of Europe's largest charter company.
While most routes were shorter flights to Southern Europe, one of the airlines most popular routes was from Oslo to Gran Canarias some 2,270nm making it the longest direct 727 flight, all with six flight attendants serving 189 passengers with literally tonnes of drinks and duty free both on the outbound, and also before arriving back in Copenhagen.
Sterling was the launch customer for the Valsan Silent 727 modification in 1988 and also home to the European centre where other 727's were re-engined and modified.
Super 27 - Silent 727
Speed increased by 50 mph, due to replacement of the two side engines with the JT8D-217 used on MD-80, along with the addition of a hush kit to the centre engine. Winglets were added to some of aircraft to increase fuel efficiency by 5%. This modification was originally developed by Valsan Partners, but was later marketed by Quiet Wing Technologies.
The Valsan program was intended to make 727-200s compliant with the Stage 3 noise rules. The outer (#1 and #3) JT8D-9 -17s are replaced with JT8D-217s, which have a higher bypass ratio and are quieter. The centre (#2) engine, being buried in the tailcone, could not be easily replaced, so instead it looses its thrust reverser and gets an internal (bypass/core) mixer, to lower its noise signature.
The first modified aircraft, for Sterling Airways of Denmark, re-entered service in October 1988.