Here is an ex PanAm 707Now configured as a "Drogue and Probe" tanker, visiting Avalon, Australia.

ExPamAm707.jpg (30 Kb, 489 downloads) Boeing 707

Gosh, the above 707 is much larger than I remember. Of course the last Boeing 707 I flew on was back in the early '70's so I have forgotten just what size those aircraft actually were.

Doug Vernon

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Originally posted by Doug:
Gosh, the above 707 is much larger than I remember. Of course the last Boeing 707 I flew on was back in the early '70's so I have forgotten just what size those aircraft actually were.

Doug Vernon

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Doug,
It was parked across from the HARS Connie and yes, it was a lot bigger.

There was a B727-100 parked next to the Connie and they were about the same size.

David

My experience with the 707 is limited. My first commercial flight was in a PAN AM 707 from Chicago non-stop to Frankfurt for 7 1/2 hours in 1976. The airplane was in an "all-charter" 6 abreast configuration. The next and last time was on a TWA 707 from Seattle to St. Louis in the early 80's. It was nice to look out the window and see the two engines there. As I recall they flew quite well. The next time a 707 crossed my path was in 1984. A 707-138 dropped by our company (which I was working for while on a lay off) for maintenance. It had a custom interior, self-contained forward air stair and it's own APU. It's nice to see that John Travolta's 707 is in such nice shape.

I was lucky enough to fly on Qantas B707-138Bs, BOAC B707-436's, Air India B707-441's (both these latter 2 were RR Conway powered)and Qantas B707-338C's on many occasions.(The Qantas B707-138B was the shortest of the variety.)

Rather comfy and as Ralph said, comforting to be able to look out and see at leat 2 engines.
6 across in coach class was common.

The RAAF still uses them as transports and tankers, so every now and again, one shows up in these parts.

There are still a lot of 707's flying, most of them as Cargo, Tanker or AWACS. Visit http://www.aviation-friends-cologne.de/html/Boeing707/Boeing707.htm

for an overview. Sorry it's in German...

enjoy,
Frank Sangers

The "new" USAF "J-STARS" airplanes are in fact, ex airliners. The 1st 3 were 2 x former Qantas 707-338C's and an American 707-323.

My sixth grade class got to visit a brand new Pan Am 707 at SFO in the early 60s. I was amazed to see an old WW 2 military surplus vacuum tube APN 9 Loran A set installed in the sparkling new 707. Recognized it because my Dad had one on his commercial fishing boat. Most kids preferred the 707 during the SFO visit but I liked the UAL DC 6 better. We saw an old Stratocruiser with no titles taxying and leaving large volumes of smoke. Tower men told us it was going to fly to Israel.

377 must be a person of perception and taste - the 707 would have had the wow-factor in the early 60s, but the DC-6 is definitely more interesting. I spent many happy hours on UAL DC-6s as a kid, and Dad even snuck me into the cockpit for a night landing once. DC-7s were even more interesting, because of that audacious blue flame that is visible from the exhaust stacks on a night takeoff. Many a night I fought off sleep as a toddler, with my nose glued to the window, watching the flame change from blue to orange to a wispy yellow as they pulled the mixture back to cruise settings.
Ah, those were the days!

I remember having a look inside an RAF AVRO Vulcan Mk 2 Bomber at an airshow in the early 1970's. A real privledge as getting inside one of those was not an easy task and not for the unfit. Climbing ladders up through nose wheel wells etc.

They were still using the WW2 vintage "H2S" bombing radar. Either that system was really good or there was a budget constraint over developing a replacement.

I suspect a bit of both.

I love the first generation jetliners, and hope that there are some efforts underway to preserve these aircraft in airworthy condition.

707's are a rare sight in the USA today.

In 1964, my first flight was aboard a Pan American 707 from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska with a stop at Annette Island. The return trip was made by Pacific Northern Airlines Boeing 720. This would be my sole flying experience with the 707's, but I've been a fan ever since.

The DC-8 is another favorite, and I enjoyed some 1970's-era flights aboard United DC-8's. My last DC-8 experiences were in 1986, aboard ex-United DC-8's flying for Fawcett Peruvian on the routes from Lima to Iquitos and Cuzco.

As I drive to the office each morning, I often have the thrill of watching a cargo DC-8 landing at Boeing Field. More graceful and elegant jetliners have not appeared in the decades since the 707's, DC-8's, and C-880/990's were introduced.

Well, there are still a lot of 707/720 flying, but only a few in PAX. Visit http://samchuiphotos.com/IranUAE2004Trip/IranUAETripReport.html
(scroll down a little bit).
And an overview of all active, static and other 707's : http://www.aviation-friends-cologne.de/html/Boeing707/Boeing707.htm

Once a third (ore more?)hand 707 flew me from AMS-Schiphol to Rhodos (Greece). It was leaking water, due to condensation. Anybody who knows where this aircraft flew after it's Transavia Holland-time?

Thanks,
Frank Sangers

b707-transavia-small.jpg (169 Kb, 1016 downloads) It was a PH-TVA 707-123B, C/N 17646.

The same thing happened to me on my last flight on a 707/720: condensation forming a minor river over my head!

It was an El AL? 720, on a flight from TLV to Liverpool in August 1987-pretty late for a 707/720.

Only have two experiences on 707/720 aircraft. First was in 1962 on a Western Airlines B-720 from Seattle to Los Angeles. A very good flight. Second was on an Air Force KC-135R in July 1993 from Dobbins AFB near Atlanta to Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton. We sat on the ground at Dobbins for about 45 min prior to engine start, and without a engine running, there's no A/C. We're in Air Force camo uniforms and the sweat is puddling in our boots. Sitting in what appeared to be a form of lawn chair along the sides of the cabin, with all our gear piled in the middle under netting. Luckily we came back to Dobbins on a C-5B. What a difference!!

Walt

To Frank Sangers,
A pity you didn't say when you rode a Transavia 707, as they had five over the years. My records show them as follows:-
All passed through several hands
PH-TRF -355C Prins Bernhard 1968. Finished up with Okada Air ret 1984

PH-TRV -327C Prinses Irene 1970-1. To Trans Mediterranean crashed 1979

PH-TRW -365C Prinses Irene 1970. Last heard leased to Aerobrasil 1991

PH-TVA -123 Provincie Zeeland 1972-6. via,via,via to Boeing Military Airplane Co. 1983 Broken up for parts for KC-135E programme

PH-TVK -329C 1976. To NATO 1986

Hope you can find which was yours.

A piece of history and nostalgia for all you 707 lovers.
Taken at Franfurt I believe.

B707-338C_VH-EAB_Winton.jpg (120 Kb, 231 downloads) VH-EAB City of Winton