last 727 Pax Flight
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I used to fly in and out of Albuquerque on TWA quite a bit. TWA flew both 727s and 707s in and out at the time. The 727s didn't quite have enough energy to depart up through the "pass" whereas the 707s did. Both were great airplanes in their day.
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I flew both for TWA. Even with the performance of the 707 there was no IFR procedure for departing straight-out to the east. If you experienced that, the captain would have had to request a VFR climb.
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It was possible to consistently make good landings in the 727 once you "broke the code."
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aterpster,
As I recall, it was always clear (VFR) conditions going up through the pass, never cloudy. In the pass, at times the ground looked to be rising upward as fast as the 707 was climbing, probably not the case, but seemed that way.
If you experienced that, the captain would have had to request a VFR climb.
What was it about the 727 which made it so hard to land consistently? - I once got whiplash from a landing while I was snoozing on the jumpseat - really painful - I thought I had awoken to the end of the world!
But sorry TriStar - it's got nothing on the 72's looks - I think it's the rakish lines and clean wing. Loved the 'nicotine' orange aura of the cockpit too.
But sorry TriStar - it's got nothing on the 72's looks - I think it's the rakish lines and clean wing. Loved the 'nicotine' orange aura of the cockpit too.
The aircraft was a fantastic hand flying platform. Very stable with excellent control balance. We rarely ever shot a coupled approach since it was such a joy to hand fly.
http://www.airlinereporter.com/wp-co...8/DSC_1179.jpg
Some airlines actually eventually had plates bolted across the flap-handle quadrant to prevent selecting flaps 40.
But the pros as above will know more about the exact - situations, aerodynamics, and "special sauce" needed.
OMG, fond memories of the 727 Flight Engineers course back in '00.... was never much use... a lot of material was supplied on VHS tapes... I am sure I have somewhere still. Absolutely classic piece of Boeing, first class.
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I saw a couple of 'watch this' demos of flaps 40 with pax onboard decades ago. With the power off the glide ratio was like that of a Coke machine.
Indeed. Not pax operations, of course, but I just love "riding along" with the cockpit videos of the AmeriJet 727Fs "leaning" into the river valley to join visual final into DOM(inica) as the alt. alert calls "500...400...300." Not a place where the traditional definition of "stable" approaches can be used.
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This thread brings back memories....PanAm IGSīses last THF-STR-THF with a 727...the guys broke all rules in the book during that last approach into what was then RWY 08 at EDDS and a trainee of my dad - who had worked as an ATCO with PA IGS thru its best days and was good friends with several PA pilots - had him come out of retirement and issue the last take off clearance - I was sitting in my KingAir as no 2 to depart and the silence after the acknowledgment of that last T/O clearance was deafening. We all watched it until the smoke trail was gone...My dads gone, PA is gone and now the mighty 27 is gone.
Last edited by His dudeness; 17th Jan 2019 at 13:08.
Rugged and reliable but not terribly comfortable and very noisy by today's standards - a real workhorse that tends to be forgotten
One of my favourite 727 videos: VFR into Engadin airport, Switzerland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js4WQd7XSs8
Flaps AND speed brakes :-)
Flaps AND speed brakes :-)
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The ground would have been rising had he had an engine failure.
