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Boeing 727 Holiday jets.

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Boeing 727 Holiday jets.

Old 26th May 2021, 18:03
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Thanks for putting that picture up Sean....very pretty aeroplane

On the big brother 737 thread it has been confirmed that the Pan Am 737's ran charters at weekends, in particular to Palma from Berlin. Anyone recall if the Euro based 727's of TWA, United and Delta had similar bucket and spade outings? I note Pan Am was on the starter list.
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Old 26th May 2021, 18:22
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The Wardair B727 CF-FUN often used Kangerlussuaq (BGSF) in Greenland as a tach stop.
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Old 26th May 2021, 18:27
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Originally Posted by TCU
Thanks for putting that picture up Sean....very pretty aeroplane

On the big brother 737 thread it has been confirmed that the Pan Am 737's ran charters at weekends, in particular to Palma from Berlin. Anyone recall if the Euro based 727's of TWA, United and Delta had similar bucket and spade outings? I note Pan Am was on the starter list.
arrived In Dubrovnik on a JAT charter in 1989 and parked next to a Pan Am 727. Not sure if charter or schedule though.
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Old 26th May 2021, 21:40
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Originally Posted by Sotonsean
Wardair Boeing 727-11 CF-FUN operated transatlantic flights with a refueling stop in Gander, Newfoundland. CF-FUN also had additional fuel tanks fitted factory fresh for the transatlantic flights.
We actually went in it in 1968, Gatwick-Sondrestrom (Greenland)-Vancouver. I've written about it here in the past so won't repeat that. It spent the summer on Transatlantic work and the winter on flights like Vancouver to Acapulco. It spent most of its time in western Canada; Wardair's base was in Edmonton, they started off becoming known in Vancouver/Calgary/Edmonton, and only later moved into the Toronto market, especially that year when it was their first jet. With refuelling each way it couldn't quite make round transatlantic trips within 24 hours, but would do two or three days together. Definitely a holiday jet. Apart from Gatwick, and a few times a year at Manchester or Prestwick, Amsterdam seemed their other destination, and if they had any spare time in Europe they put themselves straight in the hands of a broker for any sudden subcharters - if they turned up in the Med, that's what they were doing.

Probably not many here who have been to Greenland. A few years ago on a December BA 744 Heathrow-Vancouver I could see we were going to route directly over Sondrestrom, presumably a beacon there. Looking down, eventually there it was, about five lights in the winter darkness.
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Old 26th May 2021, 22:08
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Air Holland - Lineas Aeraes Canairies - Germania
Also recall an Aerolineas Argentina 727 operating in Europe
Air Algeria
Air Slovakia
Torosair
Istanbul Airlines
Air Malta - leased from peru
Nomads 727
Cyprus Turkish Airlines
Abatros
Air Alfa
Talia
Noble Air
Sultan Air
Baltic Air
Air Atlantis

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Old 26th May 2021, 22:53
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Originally Posted by GBYAJ
Another hard one after the initial list but how about

toros air - turkey

lineas areas canaries - one leased for a summer.


Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 727-287 LV-MIM was originally chartered by the Irish operator Talia but was sub chartered by Lineas Aereas Canaries on the 15 May 1988.
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Old 26th May 2021, 23:04
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Originally Posted by Liffy 1M
Irish operator Club Air, an offshoot of Club Travel, operated a total of three leased 727s in the 1987-1989 period, though never more than two at any one time IIRC.
The Irish operator Club Air certainly had an extremely hybrid livery on their former Eastern Airlines Boeing 727-225. As well as holiday flights Club Air operated a Luton to Dublin route on behalf of Virgin Atlantic in the late eighties with the Boeing 727-225.


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Old 26th May 2021, 23:04
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Originally Posted by Clueless In CLK
Air Malta - leased from Peru
A particularly sad moment. Air Malta developed a procedure of chartering in medium-term each summer season from a variety of operators, they had several 727s, from JAT, American Trans Air, etc, in 1990 it was Faucett from Peru who sent over a 727-200 for 6 months. At the end of the season they set off home with their establishment, they had supplied several crews, flight deck and cabin, and engineering, some of whom had taken families. Routing through Keflavik, they were overdue at Gander and last heard of with a Mayday that they were out of fuel over the Atlantic and preparing to ditch. Nothing heard of them again. Not equipped with over-ocean navigation of course.
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Old 26th May 2021, 23:27
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Originally Posted by WHBM
A particularly sad moment. Air Malta developed a procedure of chartering in medium-term each summer season from a variety of operators, they had several 727s, from JAT, American Trans Air, etc, in 1990 it was Faucett from Peru who sent over a 727-200 for 6 months. At the end of the season they set off home with their establishment, they had supplied several crews, flight deck and cabin, and engineering, some of whom had taken families. Routing through Keflavik, they were overdue at Gander and last heard of with a Mayday that they were out of fuel over the Atlantic and preparing to ditch. Nothing heard of them again. Not equipped with over-ocean navigation of course.
I've only just learnt about this incident as Wikipedia has a page dedicated to it, very sad indeed.

Faucett Peru Boeing 727-247 OB-1303 ran out of fuel and lost communication and crashed 180 miles southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland, Canada on the 11 September 1991.

On a side note....Exactly ten years later to the day an event that changed the world occurred.

Here's a photo of the aircraft in question... Faucett Peru Boeing 727-247 OB-1303.


​​​​​​​
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Old 27th May 2021, 06:39
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We seem to be missing Sabre and Cougar aviation.
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Old 27th May 2021, 08:02
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The loss of the Faucett Peru 727 occurred in 1990, so eleven years before 9/11.
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Old 27th May 2021, 08:28
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Faucett/Air Malta - what a dreadful story.

Back in the late 70s/early 80s there was a 727-200 lying semi derelict to the east of the runway at Corfu. It had either overrun or left the runway and ended up in the "lagoon" beside the runway. I think it was even supported by oil barrels.

Some while after I first saw it there, it was recovered, repaired and returned to service with Dan-Air. It was distinctive because it had a 4 metre (or so) brace on the top of the fuselage from just behind the crown point to about abeam the leading edge. Apparently a support for where the aircraft had broken its back. The repair was probably a lot more sophisticated then my schoolboy interpretation, but nevertheless I believe it did many years of sterling service once it was back in action.

Could it have been G-BMLP?

Saw it because at the time I was flying that other icon of the IT holiday charter market - the 737-200 for a UK airline.


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Old 27th May 2021, 08:47
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Originally Posted by BSD
Could it have been G-BMLP?
The 'humped back' 727 that Dan Air operated was indeed G-BMLP, but apparently the hump was an ADF aeriel/air-con ducting flairing, not a repair.
Thread about it here:-
https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=418899

Last edited by DH106; 27th May 2021 at 09:13.
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Old 27th May 2021, 09:17
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Boeing 727 users

Originally Posted by DH106
The 'humped back' 727 that Dan Air operated was indeed G-BMLP, but apparently the hump was an ADF aeriel flairing, not a repair.
Thread about it here:-
https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=418899
From feb 1978 until Oct 1980 I was working near Oran in Algeria and used to fly back to london every six weeks via Marseille or Geneva etc and flew in many 727s of Air Algerie.
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Old 27th May 2021, 12:48
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early 727 charter ops

Someone here said the The 727 wasn't really very suitable for European operations - whereas the 737 was perfect.

Well the 727 came first in the mid 1960's and both the Germans (Condor) and the Swedes (Transair Sweden) loved them for their comfort 131 pax, and the long legs to have the range to fly to the Canary Islands non-stop, also Icelandic used their 727's too.

Dan Air in 1973 got some 727-100's (3 at first, then soon 5 then 8) and added some extra aft doors and put in 146 pax (5 of the 727 had this mod)
This was the start of their Comet replacement on Dan's longer routes, basing the 727 at LGW, MAN, and also at Berlin TXL for the German IT market.

Re long legs - Into LGW from 1966 onwards saw the new 727 of Wardair crossing the pond followed by World AW, AFA and TIA all on Affinity Group charters.
Wardair fuelled up in Greenland or Iceland, sometimes SNN and I gather the odd non-stop made it to PIK>?
Wardair's 727 had 117 seats. I flew on it Summer 1972 from Dubrovnik to LGW operating a Sub charter for a BCAL 1-11 500.

Sterling AW in the late 1970's ordered the latest 189 seat 727-200ADV HGW with -17 engines (The heaviest 727's ever built) and added extra fuel tanks aft where Boeing then added an extra (3rd) hold door for the rear bags to go in.
Sterling used them non-stop to the Canary Islands of course, and to the USA and Canada, plus down to Mombasa, the Maldives, Ceylon and Thailand.
Sterling were also the first 727 airline to opt for the Valsan Super Silent 727 RE package and had 2 aircraft modified.

Dan Air standardised their charter fleet with the 727-200, their 189 seat aircraft used as far as TLV and Eilat/Ovda.
Dan Air never normally used the 727 for their scheduled routes.

Of course in the 1970's many UK and German airlines were flying the BAC 1-11 300/400 and 500, but were not finding it suitable for longer holiday routes like Greece and the Canary Islands, and this is where the 737-200, especially when the ADV versions came along and the 737 won hands down, leading to new start up airlines like Air Europe and Orion buying brand new fleets.
Although even back then Paninternational of Germany flew their 1-11 500's to Mombasa.
Other airlines were flying a bunch of older jets like the 707/720 DC-8 and CV990, cheap to buy, plenty of seats, but soon to their cost found them too expensive to run causing many Charter airlines to fold.








Last edited by rog747; 27th May 2021 at 13:37.
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Old 27th May 2021, 13:34
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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.

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Old 27th May 2021, 13:42
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Originally Posted by BSD
Some while after I first saw it there, it was recovered, repaired and returned to service with Dan-Air. It was distinctive because it had a 4 metre (or so) brace on the top of the fuselage from just behind the crown point to about abeam the leading edge. Apparently a support for where the aircraft had broken its back.
Not a repair, although the aircraft was seriously damaged with its initial owner Mexicana and was sold off afterwards. It operated for a couple of other carriers before Dan-Air got it. All Mexicana's 727s were like this as they fitted JATO assistance bottles under the fuselage in case of hot/high engine failure departing from Mexico City, and the various services from that area had to be relocated, hence the hump. Mexicana kept most of their 727s for the full duration, so the others were not seen in Europe. After Dan-Air it moved on elsewhere and eventually was converted to a freighter. Various other Mexican operators did other modifications to deal with the high elevation as well; DC-10s there were a special DC-10-15 hybrid, with the intermediate DC-10-10 structure etc but the long-haul DC-10-30 larger engines.
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Old 27th May 2021, 14:41
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Both Wardair's and American Flyers 727s were also quite common at Glasgow (Abbotsinch not Prestwick) for a while.
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Old 27th May 2021, 17:01
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I flew on a Mexicana 727 from Puerto Escondido to Mexico City in 1989, would that have had JATO bottle fitted ? Also I did a few flights on PanAm 727's between JFK and MIA in 1993, would these have been the ones used in Germany back in the day, or later variants ? They were in full PanAm regalia internally and externally.
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Old 27th May 2021, 19:39
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Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack
I flew on a Mexicana 727 from Puerto Escondido to Mexico City in 1989, would that have had JATO bottle fitted ? Also I did a few flights on PanAm 727's between JFK and MIA in 1993, would these have been the ones used in Germany back in the day, or later variants ? They were in full PanAm regalia internally and externally.
I believe all the Mexicana 727-200s had it. They were more marginal than the original model. Mexicana had both.

Pan Am shut down in December 1991, and the various reincarnations that came and went were not running in 1993, so I guess this refers to a former Pan Am aircraft. It's a chance that it had been in the Berlin fleet. Back in the 1970s Pan Am's 727 fleet was about half and half between Berlin and Miami, maybe a dozen each, with about another three up to 1975 also at Bangkok whence they operated military charters into Vietnam (obviously not after the fall). The two fleets did periodic exchanges, which is how they turned up occasionally transiting Prestwick or Shannon. But after 1980 National Airlines was merged in, including the route you were on, which brought their own substantial 727 fleet into Pan Am. Furthermore Pan Am then brought various secondhand aircraft in addition. They gave up in Berlin in 1990, shortly after the Wall fell there, and the fleet returned to the USA, although in the final years it was pretty much 737s (secondhand and often looking decidedly down-at-heel, plus a couple of A300s. But 737s are over in the other thread !
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