Mystere IV A
January 13, 2003, 02:22 PM
Back in the 1960s and '70s, when jet travel became a common experience, many Americans took their first plane ride in a Boeing 727.
The sleek, narrow-bodied plane with three engines mounted around the tail opened up jet service to many small and medium-sized cities. At one time, more 727s were in the skies than any other type of commercial jet.
Today, Northwest Airlines retires the last of its 727s still in regular passenger service. The final flight will be from Denver to Northwest's hub in Minneapolis.
"The stalwart of the industry is retiring from Northwest," Timothy Rainey, Northwest's senior vice president for flight operations, said Monday.
Introduced by plane manufacturer Boeing Co. in 1964, the 727 has carried billions of passengers worldwide, including millions of Detroit-area travelers flying out of the Northwest hub at Metro Airport.
Until Boeing introduced the 727 in 1964, jet travel was still mostly for upscale passengers flying from major cities. The 727 helped change that. It could take off and land on shorter runways, thus providing jet luxury to smaller cities.
It was also the first commercial jet to sport three engines at the rear, instead of two or four engines hung from the wings. The silhouette of the 727 became synonymous with sleekness.
The earliest 727s had coat closets by the rear doors and racks for hats; overhead bins were not developed until the early 1970s.
Boeing made 1,832 of the planes, and Northwest operated 100 of them. After today's final regularly scheduled flight, Northwest will fly a half-dozen 727s on charter service for a few more months, including shuttling several National Basketball Association teams.
While the pioneering jet of the short-haul route is retiring from Northwest's fleet, the need for such a plane continues. Northwest has been replacing its 727s for several years with Airbus 319 and Airbus 320 aircraft made in Europe.
A generation or two of innovation has made the newer planes remarkably more efficient than the older 727. The A320 burns 803 gallons of fuel an hour compared to 1,245 gallons for the 727. In addition, the A320 has a significantly longer range.
Labor costs are cheaper, too. The 727 required a three-person cockpit crew, while the A320 and other new models get by with two-person crews, thanks to modern computerized controls.
Retiring its 727s will help Northwest bring down the average age of its fleet. Northwest's 447 aircraft of various types average about 20 years of service, the oldest fleet among major airlines -- a distinction Northwest will retain, with 165 older DC9s remaining in service through at least 2010.
Airline officials are quick to point out that age means little because jets are thoroughly overhauled at regular intervals. Consider: The B52 bombers flown by the U.S. Air Force average about 40 years of age, and with proper maintenance are expected to fly another 40 years.
Fly High :windsock:
:pilot_2:
The sleek, narrow-bodied plane with three engines mounted around the tail opened up jet service to many small and medium-sized cities. At one time, more 727s were in the skies than any other type of commercial jet.
Today, Northwest Airlines retires the last of its 727s still in regular passenger service. The final flight will be from Denver to Northwest's hub in Minneapolis.
"The stalwart of the industry is retiring from Northwest," Timothy Rainey, Northwest's senior vice president for flight operations, said Monday.
Introduced by plane manufacturer Boeing Co. in 1964, the 727 has carried billions of passengers worldwide, including millions of Detroit-area travelers flying out of the Northwest hub at Metro Airport.
Until Boeing introduced the 727 in 1964, jet travel was still mostly for upscale passengers flying from major cities. The 727 helped change that. It could take off and land on shorter runways, thus providing jet luxury to smaller cities.
It was also the first commercial jet to sport three engines at the rear, instead of two or four engines hung from the wings. The silhouette of the 727 became synonymous with sleekness.
The earliest 727s had coat closets by the rear doors and racks for hats; overhead bins were not developed until the early 1970s.
Boeing made 1,832 of the planes, and Northwest operated 100 of them. After today's final regularly scheduled flight, Northwest will fly a half-dozen 727s on charter service for a few more months, including shuttling several National Basketball Association teams.
While the pioneering jet of the short-haul route is retiring from Northwest's fleet, the need for such a plane continues. Northwest has been replacing its 727s for several years with Airbus 319 and Airbus 320 aircraft made in Europe.
A generation or two of innovation has made the newer planes remarkably more efficient than the older 727. The A320 burns 803 gallons of fuel an hour compared to 1,245 gallons for the 727. In addition, the A320 has a significantly longer range.
Labor costs are cheaper, too. The 727 required a three-person cockpit crew, while the A320 and other new models get by with two-person crews, thanks to modern computerized controls.
Retiring its 727s will help Northwest bring down the average age of its fleet. Northwest's 447 aircraft of various types average about 20 years of service, the oldest fleet among major airlines -- a distinction Northwest will retain, with 165 older DC9s remaining in service through at least 2010.
Airline officials are quick to point out that age means little because jets are thoroughly overhauled at regular intervals. Consider: The B52 bombers flown by the U.S. Air Force average about 40 years of age, and with proper maintenance are expected to fly another 40 years.
Fly High :windsock:
:pilot_2: