707 First Officers

[andyandlinda]

Just noticed on PPJN that Parc are advertising for a First Officer on the 707 based in Africa.

Cant be many of them left flying in the world let alone anyone floating around with a type rating.

Anyone know who the airline is am just intrested in who is flying them now.

Can remember standing as a young lad at Heathrow watching them blast off great sound with that long trail of black smoke out the back.

[mwafrika]

Very interesting. I think Sudan Airways is still operating them. Might be the only operator in Africa. I dont fly in Africa but don't most airports have noise restrictions on them? The 707 was a thunderous beast in its days as one of the pioneers of commercial jets. The last time I spotted one was a few years ago as a US stratotanker. I've also seen, on TV albeit, ex Airforce 1.
Anyone holding a type on 707 is a real aviator. I can only imagine what flying it would be like with the five million round dial instruments.

[BelArgUSA]

Was a great plane...
Last I flew to its "permanent desert retirement" was about 1993.
Some former civilian 707s still flying nowadays in South America.
Argentina, Brazil have a few. But they are operated by the military.
If any other still flying in Africa would be Congo-Kinshasa, besides Sudan.
There are a few flying with JT8D low-noise STC...
Saw a fairly recent picture in a magazine of one.
Many of the NATO AWACS are ex-civilian 707s...
xxx

Happy contrails

[bond7]

Travolta's B707

Travolta is the only private citizen in the U.S. to own and operate a Boeing 707. He employs a cockpit crew of six, who along with Travolta wear navy-blue uniforms and jaunty white caps. "He uses the 707 as the family van, the Gulfstream is his sports car."

There's a clip on you tube where Tex Johnston barrel rolls a B707 during a company demo. Brilliant Pilot!!

www.707sim.com/texjohnston.html - 24k

[atpcliff]

Hi!

I flew the KC-135R. In learning to fly the -135, I found out it was the next model in the series after the -707, and if it was a civilian plane, it would've been called the -717. That is why the Boeings went from a -707 to a -727, "skipping" the -717 designation. The "skip" was the -135.

I have been wondering the same thing about ads asking for currency in older jets, such as the -707, -727, DC-10, L-1011, etc.

cliff
KMRC (today, based KYIP)
DC-9 Captain
USA Jet Airlines

[Jumbo744]

oh i would love to fly one of those! used to be a passenger plenty of times when travelling on MEA from Lagos to Beirut in the 90s! Unfortunately by the time I get my ATPL, there will almost be none in service.

[BelArgUSA]

N707jt

Travolta's 707 is a very special one, a 707-138B - real ex-Qantas machine.
These were lighter weight, shorter fuselage 707 rocketship. I flew one once.
Max T/O gross was reduced to 258,000 lbs.
Got the chance to visit "N707JT" in Las Vegas. All I had to show was my 707 rating.
xxx
Last I checked on his FAA ratings, he did not have a 707 rating yet.
I am sure he will get that soon. I saw that he had a CPL Citation rating.
Must be happy that oil barrel is dropping below US$65.oo.
xxx

Happy contrails

[JanetFlight]

In USA we have N88ZL still flying...and AFAIK we still have a few "Gods of the Skies" flying around Mighty Africa. Some on a Cargo Basis, some on State Basis...but all of them Beautiful as Hell

[Metro man]

I heard about one in Angola a while back, flying arms into dirt strips at night. Must have been an interesting job.

[Old Fella]

B707's into dirt strips at night.

Metro Man. Flying a B707 into a dirt strip at night would not only be interesting but also extremely unlikely. A product of a vivid imagination I would say. One thing for sure, If it got on okay it would be most unlikely to ever get airborne again. Those JT3D's just would be four big cleaners sucking up the dirt. Maybe the informant had been on something stronger than Lucky Strike cigarettes!!!

[LittleMo]

Old Fella: it's true, used to hapen in the late 70's/early 80's quite a bit. Don't want tmention names but i'm sure if you ask the ex Rhodesians who used to fly for that mad chap who unfortunately isnt with us anymore (the one who perished in his Spitfire) They'll relate some seriously interesting stories of landing 707's and DC8's in the bush. Interesting times called for some extraordinary flying...

[MIDSEVEN]

Midseven

The B707 was a frequent nocturnal visitor to Dr Savimbi during the war. The 707 transported diesel into dirt strips at night illuminated by a flarepath. No approach aids. Happened every night for a long time. Africa is not for sissies. Transafrik also operated B727's into dirt strips at night for over 12 years. Garmin GPS letdown to 100'

[ferrydude]

"There are a few flying with JT8D low-noise STC... "


Currently there is only one JT8D powered 707 flying and it is the development aircraft, not being used in revenue service. At 20 million plus per conversion, highly unlikely that there will ever be any JT8D powered 707s in commercial service.

[RobinB]

9Q-CLK

and of course there is always this one - if you accept the associated risk........

JetPhotos.Net Photo » 9Q-CLK (CN: 17702) Democratic Republic of Congo - Government Boeing 707-138B by Rob Boyes

[four engine jock]

The Lady of the Sky!

The B707 Has to be one of the BEST aircraft ever built.
I flew The 707 for over 18 years straight as an FE. Was a sad day when I stoped flying her.
Would go back to fly her any day.

[cochise]

Sudanese States Aviation operates one or two of them. I'm not sure they're the kind of outfit you would want to work for though.
Was on the ramp in Juba a few weeks ago and one of their new captains from the Congo came over and was asking for any spare charts we had.
Alot of these companies operating the classic jets are struggling to keep up with fuel and maintenance costs. I guess some things take a back burner

[JTrain]

Hewa Bora in the DRC has at least one B707 freighter.

jt

[bond7]

hewa bora 707

I would guess maintaining her and the current gas surge, leaves little if any or no margin for keeping her flying!!

[metrodriver]

Government of Mali has a B707-300 TZ-TAC that until recently flew for the government of Togo (5V-TGE)
Beta Cargo and Skymaster in Brazil were still operating 707's in 2006

[perceval]

So nobody has any idea who is offering that job and where it's based then ?? Anyone applied ??