Kalitta Charters II retires last Boeing 727

My first time on a commercial flight was a Braniff 727 from Denver through Amarillo to Dallas Love Field, then another to Shreveport. I think it was 1966 when I was 8. We got to deplane using the rear air stairs once which was really cool.

I was working at United Airlines SFO maintenance base in 1970. Walking thru the 727 dock one night a group of mechanics yelled at me “ hey come over here” they explained that after doing a #2 engine change and trying to test run it they figured out they had left the cardboard cover on the front of the replacement engine!
They were all either middle age or hefty and I was young and skinny.
Would I be willing to be lowered down the center intake S duct and remove the cardboard?
They took me up in cherrypicker and tied a rope around my waist. As I stared down with a flashlight in my mouth so I could use both hands they called out. “ don’t slide down as the duct had vortex generators on the inside”!
I made it down and removed the cardboard and got pulled back up and out.
Definitely one of my most unusual accomplishments my work day life.

Only + memories after many dozens of weekly business shuttles between YUK and YYZ back in the day on AC. Power to spare and solid as a rock. For some reason, I distinctly remember the dropping of the slats in prep for takeoff. THUD. Ahh,,, the days when engineering was front and center.

I flew all three seats on the 727. Flew it USA, Asia, South pacific, South America,
One of the best planes ever. And I have flown all the Boeings from 727-787

The first time I visited the US was back in 1998. I had flown from LHR to DEN on a new UA 777 and had seen the amazing all-glass cockpit and was truly amazed.

However, when I boarded my connecting flight of DEN to BIL, it was on a 727. When I looked in that cockpit I was terrified! I had no reason to be of course, other than at that time I had only been on a few aircraft. It was a beautiful bird. The acceleration was mind boggling and the flight amazing.

Like so many, I'm sure I am sad to see another work-horse consigned to the desert. That year, and many after than, I flew on the 747, L10-11, DC-10, A300 and an A310. They're all retired now. And, while the new aircraft are miracles of technology, I miss the older ones. I flew medevac on C-17s many times, but the C-130 was always more of an adventure!

Goodbye 727! We will miss you.

I have over 9000 hours left seat on the B-727-200 at Western Airlines and Delta Airlines and the old girl never let us down. It was not a great climber but once you got into cruise the 727 was one of the fastest airliners in the air. The only problem was the fact it was quite noisy in the cockpit
and is the reason I have lost some of my hearing.

Continental throughout Micronesia in the 70's and 80's, landing on gravel airstrips and VFR approaches through thunderstorms! As close to bush pilots as a et could get.

1981 Alaska panhandle island hopping vfr around mountains, landings and take-offs on gravel runways......in a 727! Great memories

I always loved working on and flying in the 727... One of the Best Planes ever designed and manufactured!

Ironic that it was called the whisper jet. Extremely quiet for the passengers, but the cockpit was a cacophony of noise. I often wore earplugs with my right ear and my molded ear piece in my left and even then, we used hand signals for gear up and various other things, but one of the greatest planes ever produced.

Like the previous post, I flew all three seats on the -100 & -200 variants and instructed on it for 12 years. Nothing like it before or since.

My first commercial flight on Eastern Airlines Wisperjet BUF to MCO 1967 Still remember thrill! Never thought I would go on to log over 20K hours

Flew em for two years at Kittyhawk Air Cargo. Met some outstanding pilots there. And was absolutely thrilled to learn what the 727 had to teach me about bein a pilot!

A sentimental day…and a smile at you gents that got to fly this ol girl on her last trip, and tuck her in for some well deserved sleep up at Oscoda.

Memories of too many corporate trips coast-to-coast across Australia aboard 727s (and DC9s), watching the sunsets over the outback which lasted for half the 4.5 hour flight on the westbound trip. Left side smokers, right side non-smoking back then :-( . Best cabin service was the seats next to the rear galley, but the engine noise was huge back there.

My first commercial maintenance job was on 727s. After that airline went bankrupt, I got a job with one of the majors. Unfortunately most of the next 20 years was working on DC9s. I will take a Boeing any time.

Noisy beautiful birds.

Flew many a 727 in the 80's, particularly on Lufthansa. I did fly to Keflavik Iceland on an Icelandair 727 Combi-freighter once. My most enjoyable Lufthansa experiences was on the 727 named after my hometown of Heidelberg. It was first put into service on June 17, 1974. I flew on it three times from 1986-1988.

As a youngster in the 1960's growing up in Phoenix flew a lot of 727s. Western, Continental, and my favorite; American Airlines Astrojet.

My absolute favorite aircraft. Spent many, many hours and miles in Delta 727's. Loved every one of them.

I'll join the reminiscing. My first commercial flight was to Chicago in 1968 for USN basic training.

727 from DFW to LAS, 2/3 of the way back there was a galley. My friend went to the restroom and came back saying "that's a party room back there! they're all drinking and smoking"...( too bad it was full..ha)

Nine Years ago when I was working the ARFF detail at Gary Regional Airport (KGYY) met the flight crew while they were dropping off cargo at the Gary Jet Center. The crew was accommodating to my fellow ARFF crew members they took the time to explain the aircraft to us as far as how to respond to an emergency involving this aircraft. On the KGYY page there a couple shots of this aircraft.

I loved the Lufthansa Boeing 727 flights every week from Zürich to Frankfurt and return til 1991 every week. No 737/800 trash😎😂

"Yes" to all of the below (except,perhaps, one).

I'm D.B. Cooper..