"A friend of mine was BEA (later BA) flight crew based Heathrow when the BOAC 707s were in service. He lived somewhere south of Heathrow, and remembers that when operating easterly departures (involving a 180 degree turn after T/O to head west to the 'States) the 707s would pass over his house very low and very loud. It seems they were a tad underpowered, and couldn't climb much, if at all, during that post T/O 180 degree turn.
Also, in the video, is a 707 on short final to what looks like Kai Tak. Note the nose-down attitude of the aeroplane, quite unlike today's jets which, when slowed down to final approach speed, are pitched noticably nose-up. Why was that 707 so nose-down right to the threshold?"
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I recall positioning back from Tokyo to London (via Moscow) on a BOAC 707 and it was a "curvature of the earth" take off if ever you saw one!!
Seemed to be glued to the ground forever-with a barely perceptable climb rate for what seemed like a lifetime afterwards.
Likewise 707-freighter take offs from Dubai-were always planned to be at night due to performance issues.(Fortunately no high rise buildings there either then!!)