Flying 46 Years Old Boeing 727 in Africa + Crazy Landing 

Retired 727 captain. Served in all three seats. Loved that airplane. Last flight 20 years ago this month. I was smiling through this entire video. Thank youl

That landing definitely bought ryanair some competition. Love the 727s!

There is something special about this era of less computerized machinery, cars have it too, they are raw and genuine. Thank you for showing us!

12:37 Airplane: "Terrain ahead! Pull up!" Pilot: "Disregard!" Classic! lol

I love the pilot's reaction to the landing. I don't know much Spanish but I think he sarcastically said " I found the planet ". I also like that he didn't try to blame anything else and just stated that it happens.

I was a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines in the 70’s and 80’s. I spent half my flying time on 727’s, short body and stretch. This was like seeing an old friend after 30 yrs. Thanks for the sweet memories!

Talk about venerable. These machines should never be scrapped. When retired they should be put on display.

I've got many thousands of hours on the 727 and in all of my flying career, it was the most pleasant to fly. I came from a fighter in the Marine Corps and the transition to the 727 was very easy. It handles like a fighter plane and is wonderful to hand fly. After many ILS approaches, I got to where I could get on glide slope and only manipulate the center throttle to maintain the approach. It was a very honest plane with no hidden tendencies. Engine out TOs were very easy to control and it had plenty of power. Loved that plane!

It always amazes me to see people from far away countries working in a totally different areas of the world and dealing with different people and languages. Like here we see a pilot from Panama/ central america, copilot and engineer from Bolivia/ south americaand an Indian/ asian cargo supervisor working in Africa between Somalia, Kenya and South Africa.

Paper charts, hand held GPS unit, NO glass, a real mans flight deck! What an absolute classic! Fantastic crew and wonderful video as always Mr. Chui! Legend!

At 12.55 in the video the F/E and F/O both grabbing hold of their seats and the Cpt looking at the F/O for forgiveness, is one of the greatest scenes in aviation. Thanks Sam.

I flew first as an engineer, then copilot and finally Captain on the B727. My last flight was just over 30 years ago. Your video sure brought back memories. Thank you, Sir.

Captain Rafael Reyes very nice experienced pilot in the 727 aircraft from Panama! We flew in the past together, I learned a lot with his knowledge and experience. That landing can happen to everybody. Mogadishu Airport is a challenge airport always landing with tailwind. Nice video! Congrats Captain

The "Harley" is what we called the "72" and I'd have been happy flying her for my entire career which later included the B757/767, and then B777. All of 'em are awesome jets with the B777 being the absolute best aircraft of anything I've ever flown but the 727 will always have a special place in my heart. The B727 is fast, handles great (but is unforgiving as far as smooth landings as we saw in the video ! :-) and is a pilot's absolute joy to fly ! The aircraft would give you exactly what you asked for, nothing more nor anything less... As you pointed out in the video, the aircraft has a relatively simple autopilot but what wasn't mentioned is, the 72's autopilot has a tactile "feel" to it that no longer exists in more modern jets and was fun to fly even on autopilot but it did take experience to fly the jet smoothly through the autopilot. If you'll notice the A/P mode selector, there is a "MAN" position which enables the jet to be controlled through a separate Pitch and Roll control knob located to the right of the mode selector. The Pitch and Roll knob is quite sensitive and very responsive to pilot input and one could "feel" the aircraft through that little knob with the A/P engaged and MAN selected. That feel varied depending on aircraft speed, altitude, and configuration just like the feedback through the yoke which is one of the things that made the 72 unique. Ex: If one wanted a quicker roll rate, you would roll the knob quicker in the desired direction of the turn and pitch was either forward or back and responded the same way up to the point of inducing negative-G ! It was very easy to embarrass oneself (not to mention probably scaring the beejesus out of passengers and other crew) with sloppy ham fisted input. I remember one or two that never seemed to get the hang of it but just like the yoke and rudder pedals, you'd "feel" your way into desired aircraft response and the 72 would respond exactly to pilot input. Like most Boeing aircraft, the 727 has a very balanced and stable control feel in all three axis while being pleasantly responsive to input. To fly the jet smoothly from taxi and takeoff all the way to landing and taxi-in was extremely satisfying and gave one a very real, sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Thank you for the great video, sure brought back some great memories !

These pilots are heros !! Flying with fruits, vegetables and meat for humans to be fed in that part of the world and with an airplane many wouldn't dare to board !! May God bless and protect them !!🙂

This was fun to watch. Glad the captain got the chance to redeem himself on that second landing.

Africa my beloved Motherland. Sam thank you for putting Africa positively on the Map. Aviation is beautiful the way you present it.God bless you.

That’s the best Ryanair landing I’ve ever seen!

The cockpit was immaculate. I would fly with those aviators in a second. The combined experience on the flight deck was incredible.

I am a retired 727 pilot with over 15,000 hours in that awesome airplane . Flew it first on a passenger airline and after flying passengers went to fly the " 72 " for a big cargo carrier . Love the 727 .

No one appreciates the last ultra smooth Landing!

An analogue plane with old school pilot’s with years of skills and experience. The perfect combo 👍

Lots of dials, analogue instruments, paper charts, pencils and sweat. Love this 😀

Sam, I live in Mogadishu and I'm overjoyed that you came to my hometown. Mogadishu is definitely a unique place with so many different plane models flying in and out, specifically in local flights where a lot of Fokker 50s are in operation. I hope you come again and maybe go on a local trip in one of those planes.

Love the Garmin GPS sitting in the window to modernize the flight navigation.

The 727 was the best and most beautiful plane in the world...!

Many happy memory's working as an engineer with SAT flying routes out of NBO to Mogadisney, Mog North, Kismaiu, Goma before half the runway was lost to a lava flow, Kigali, Kisangani, Bujumbura, and many more interesting locations. Working there as an engineer meant you became very involved in everything to do with the operation. I recall a 727 crew once returned from Brazzaville after a poorly negotiated flight release and all three crew members only had their underpants on when they got back to NBO, that was all they managed to get out of Brazzaville with. We once collected three young Giraffes from Eldoret and flew them to Kidepo National Park on the northern border of Uganda, yes three Giraffes in a Lockheed L100. Beautiful country.

What ever Boeing 727-200, is the one of the best construction, durable and amazing plane to flight.

Old ones are the best, good to see 727s are still flying this one was new to Braniff Airways in 1976.

It’s funny and ironic that an oldster like me remembers so many flights, “Oh, another 727,” “Gee, another DC-9.” Those ubiquitous planes are now rare classics that everyone feels nostalgic about.

This is just wild on so many levels lol. It felt like being in a twilight zone seeing these guys from the opposite side of the world in central/south america flying cargo from Kenya to Somalia in a plane that is 46 years old. I agree... a 3 person cockpit is just special. Watching them working is like being back in time. Great video.

Im just glad to see the pilots doing there pre- flight checks properly, ive been watching to many of the air disaster shows where alot of major catastrophies could have been avoided simply by doing there checks properly before take off!👍

I flew in the 727 cockpit probably a hundred times when I was with DHL in Afghanistan. The pilots were all South American / Venezuelans . Always humble and nice . Miss the old days .

That second landing is really smooth... Great pilots!

boy what a classic love the 727. third man flight engineer handling the engines and throttles in this all analog aircraft brings me back 30+ years ago flying on American Airlines as a young teenager in the late 80s. I also remember during taxi the cockpit door would be opened until takeoff

My first flight was on a 27 when I was 6 years old in 1967. I was totally sold on flying! Didn’t ride another 27 for 30 years. It was a fantastic experience too.

Welcome to my country somali 🇸🇴 Mogadisho

Thank you so much Sam for the behind the scenes of flying cargo in Africa. Especially loved the pilot, so humble & friendly to you. Can’t wait for your next update, watching in San Diego.

I flew the 727, all three versions (Standard, Strech and Advanced). I started my civilian airline career as a 2nd Officer (Flight Engineer) with United Air Lines SFO. I upgraded to First Officer (Co-Pilot) after 18 months. I had a bid in for both 727 Captain and 747-400 F/O (First Officer) and was awarded the 747-400. I loved the "400" and flew on that fleet for 23 years...sadly never got to fly Captain on the 727, as United phased them out after a few years of me joining the 747-400 fleet.

I love the professionalism. I am proud to see this crew and all that have flown. God Bless

12:54 Thats the hardest Landing i've ever seen in my life. Even the Pilot looked stunned himself

Wow! that Mogadishu landing was so hard, I felt it from my laptop.

When I was a kid I was living near air bases as my dad was Army Communications. I'll never forget the first time I saw a 727. It was in Minneapolis Minnesota flying for Northwest Orient. Gleaming silver body with a Red tail accenting the mid engine, swept wings and pointing nose up higher than any other plane I saw taking off. What a beautiful sight streaking up into the Cobalt Blue Sky with popcorn snow white clouds!!! Like a dream! Flew on one to Alaska got to visit the cock pit and get some wings pinned on! Their smoked almonds snack was so yummy, still love them to this day!

Thanks for inviting us all on board this flying classic guys.

12:55 “Entré al planeta!” 😂 What a cool 😎 landing. So many connections here: Firstly, glad to meet a full Latin American crew: 🇵🇦 🇧🇴 Secondly, a 727 was the first plane I flew when I was just 5 years old. Sam, thanks for sharing this raw experience. Only someone who loves aviation can do it. Best greetings from Colombia 🇨🇴

Wow, that` s awesome. Your best video in my opinion cause I am a hugh B727 fan. Even the golden former Silk Way B727` s found a new home. Awesome!

Absolutely an excellent presentation! Great memories of my years as a B727-200 PFE out of MIA. Thanks for such great work, Sam!

The 3 holer Boeing is a delight to fly. Probably the most difficult Boeing of all to land due to its high wing loading. A quiet flight deck and 3 crew makes it the "best". A very nostalgic video well done.

Vamos con la tripulacion latina!!!!!!!!!!!! What a beautiful video. I flew a few times in the 727. Nice experience.

The “air stair” was a unique feature of the 72. I love these classic jetliners

spent 38 yrs in aircraft maintenance and the B727 was the best design for facilitating maintenance of the aircraft. well done boeing

That plane is as old as me!!!!!! I love the 727 its the first plane I few as a child from ONT to DEN on CT with the black meatball. Years later I was blessed to fly again on one from DEN to MOT. While working at UPS and USPS I was honored to be a load planner for this aircraft. I have always loved the High T stabs and the engines in the back. Looks so sporty. My other favorite plane was in fact the mad dog which I also flew a lot of with Northwest I got to fly every version except the 87 and the 90 but did get to fly the 95 with TWA. Love the work you do and so happy you are a pilot. Brett SBD CA

I'm mesmerized with all the 727's gauges. Awesome Sam. Thx for sharing. Experimented crew.

pretty awesome!! a panamanian pilot in Africa. represent!

Good morning Sam Chuí, I had the pleasure of flying this aircraft as Flight Security Agent (flight attendant) taking off from São Paulo with destination to Cancun for charter flights, it is a unique project aircraft amazing and it was the precursor of our also dear B757, unfortunately in a wrong move boeing killed this last project leaving without a medium long range plane of a single aisle,I know you were moved by the agility of this aircraft and its versatility, a big hug and God continue to bless your paths and projects.

so glad mr SAM YOU BACK IN MOGADISHU keep exploring aviation industry

Absolutely buttered it on the return leg! Bravo Captain Rafael!

As a kid in the 60's, I saw the first 727 delivered to UAL and it was a big party. Nice to see them still being used.

727 is a great plane---took many flights on that type back in the 80's and early 90's, mostly on TWA. Good times!

Sam! You may probably not see this. I'm a young Ghanaian woman and I'm a huge fan of yours! I've been following your content for a while now. I love everything aviation. It would be great to see you in Ghana sometime but unfortunately we do not have our own national airline. :( Nevertheless seeing you pass through our airport would be awesome! Cheers and enjoy the skies!

Qué orgullo ver a dos pilotos bolivianos. Exitos en su labor.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I spent several thousand hours doing maintenance on them. I saw many old friends in that cockpit. The 727 was one of my favorites! Great video!

A plane my age. Loved this video; the instrumentation would scare the hell out of me. Thanks for reminding us about the 727.

Sam, I have been following your channel for years. I’m glad you went back to Mogadishu, the city I was born in and gave us a good insight on the progress through it’s airport. I was smiling throughout the whole video. It’s definitely the Wild Wild West through all those different planes on the tarmac. It was awesome! Looking forward to your next video on Mogadishu airport. Keep it up brother!

Great level of professionalism amongst this flight crew. Thank you for sharing this video!! 🛫

It's fun to see this older airplane so we'll maintained after all these years and being used in such a worthwhile way. Hats off to the pilots who do this great work! It's very fun to see how it's done in the cockpit!

the B727 was my first jet aircraft as a co-pilot. Such an awesome machine!

I was a flight engineer on the 727 at Braniff 2. Great airplane! This video was nostalgic for me! Thank you! The engineer's panel taught me so much about jet aircraft, since I had no turbojet experience. Made transition into the 737-200, and eventually the 737-300-500 at United (except for the glass). Wouldn't take anything for that experience! JT-8D rock!

I am also from Bolivia! Good to see compatriotas working abroad in these wonderful aircraft. Enjoy all your videos Samuel Chui. Thank you.

Brings back so many memories. Worked in logistics for humanitarian aid in Somalia in the early 90s and flew aboard King Airs and Hercules. Always loved the rear-engined planes (VC10, DC9 and 727)!

Fabulous you managed to get access to this Sam, a Boeing 727, running and alive and well in Africa. TO gain access like this is really, really special well done for getting it. To see the 3 pilots all getting into it and decisive actions, like the run in from the sea, great. Over the waves of somalia and into the airport wow. And a funky Autopilot too. What gem Sam well done.And youre seeing the country booming once again. Fingers crossed for them ehh. Two landings but both you can walk away from.

Wow. Welcome to Kenya. I notice in a b727 it is the engineer issuing the command and the crew replying check. That is different from a two crew aircraft. But damn that flight deck is old school.

727 was always my favorite plane as a kid, I love that there are still some flying and they havent been completely retired yet.

The 727 is far and away one of the most beautiful and outstanding commercial aircraft of all time.

I remember flying in 727s as a little kid in the early 70s. Also the DC-9. I grew up in Southern California and we'd fly on family vacations from LAX to Texas in the summer. Usually American Airlines or Continental.

Sam, you're the man! Thanks for bringing back some great memories of the 727. I flew on it many times, and I miss not seeing it in the skies. 👍

Thanks so much to you and the Captain for making this video possible. I was smiling ear to ear watching this. Soooooo awesome!

Ol' Boeing, Mogadishu...man, this gives me memories of the Lufthansa 737 "Landshut".

Man, that 2,000 knots max on missed is pretty generous! 😀

Every time I think your videos can't possibly get more interesting, you come at us with some wild new one! You're the aviation video G.O.A.T., hands down! Thank you for all the effort you put into compiling these. I love to see you get access to areas that no one else does. 👍🏆‼️

I love the Navman on the dash....nice touch

Very interesting seeing how cargo is packed very full. Thanks for sharing!

Absolutely stunning video. I really enjoyed the coverage given to cockpit procedures. Thanks Sam for making this video interesting. Well done to the flight crew as well for being cooperative and allowing us to see how they pilot professionally.

The flight engineer litterally spent like almost 2 years non stop flying this plane in his life 😍😍😍

From my beautiful country Kenya KEKEKE to our good neighbors Somalia! What an experience. The B727 is one classic plane very few of us will get to experience. What I and some other upcoming pilots can achieve is just a cockpit view, maybe. Immense experience and knowledge in that cockpit - Thousands of flight hours combined!

Great remembrance, thanks guys. A real airplane.

Thank you Sam for taking us on a trip to Mogadishu in Somalia. It would be wonderful to fly on an old bird like B727. I still remember I had once flown on the same as a passenger for a short trip (Hualien to Taipei Songshan) in 1980. The airline company was Far Eastern Air Transport.

Great old plane, wonderful highly experienced crew! Love the good old round gauges, makes me feel right at home, the time when flying still was great. Loved the typical 727 landing firm but sound!😄 Great video, thank you!

Joining a UH team to research Micronesia In the summer of 1968, I flew an 11-hour flight from Honolulu, hopping through the Marshalls and the Eastern Carolines before arriving on Truk with a Boeing 727. Though we adjourned our trips here, the plane continued its regular route to Yap and Palau in the Western Carolines; Saipan, Guam in the Marianas until completing the loop in Honolulu. That was one of the most heart-blowing and memorable journeys of my life.

Seeing the remaining few 727s still going strong is such a delight! Built to last!

Also, love the paper details + the cell phones w/routes! This was a wild ride!

Great to see this aircraft still going strong. Flew this one a few times in the 80s and 90s when it was with CO.

Everyone should find sources of pride in their home country. Being from the USA, I have always felt great pride for the remarkable airplanes that have been built here…many still in the air all over the world….after many decades…a testament to everyone who had a hand in designing, building..and maintaining them. Thank you for another great flight Sam. This crew was professional and extremely generous.

Beautiful plane and great job pilots and flight engineer!

Managed to get a few hours in the 727 year ago, brings back great memories and makes you nostalgic for classic flying.

Wow! An actual flight engineer! I wonder, of all the remaining flight engineers working today, how many of them are under 65 years old?

What a wonderful feeling to see my home town, and so many planes landing and taking off. Mogadishu is soon becoming a hub for East Africa. Thank you Sam.

Excellent Captain Rafael Reyes, a lot experience, my best wishes form Panama

I was a flight engineer from 2000 to 2007 and loved it! Awesome video!! Thanks.

This is the type of videos I prefer !🙂 With sens of discovery and adventure !👍🙏🙂