Popular Trijet: A Deep Dive Into Why Boeing Built The 727 

Calling 727 wisperjet is like calling a very close cannon blast totally silent.

My favorite 727 story was flying Chicago to DC on United back in 1975. My dad was a retired UAL DC-8 pilot and we were of course flying non-revenue so when one passenger showed up at the last minute of our sold out flight the 4 of us (dad, mom, me and my brother) were originally going to need to get off. My dad then disappeared for a few minutes and then came back to let us know he was going to ride in the cockpit jump seat! I’m sure that’s nothing that you could get away with today but dad had a great time flying up front one last time!

2:04 Intensely focusing view on the tail engine while talking about the innovative APU, which is in the main wheel bay.....🤣

The early 727 accidents were caused by pilots totally not used to the flight characteristics of the plane because it was just so different from other jet airliners of the day. But what really killed the 727 was the rise of the CFM56-powered 737 Classic models in the early 1980's, which offered the shorter runway benefits of the 727 but was much quieter and more economical on fuel.

As a middle class, suburban kid of the 80s, flying on 727s was pretty common for me, and I absolutely loved it! Chicago Midway was the best airport for the 727 to strut its stuff thanks to the short runways and nearby buildings. I recall several takeoffs in which the pilot set the brakes, revved the engines to max, then released the brakes, plastering all the passengers into their seats like no other airliner could achieve. The plane would hurtle down the runway, snap its nose into the air, and shoot off into the sky like a rocket. MDW takeoffs aboard a 727 were the closest a commercial passenger could get to flying in a fighter jet. The engines of course, were not quiet. I get why Boeing claimed otherwise. For those of us too young to remember first generation 707s and DC-8s with their pure jet engines and organ pipe exhausts, it's easy to mock the marketing; however, the 727 with its low bypass turbofan engines was remarkably quieter than its predecessor. I loved going to the lavatory in the rear because I had to walk past the outboard engines, and the rumbling whine they made at cruising speed sounded like an angry elephant from within the cabin. My last 727 flight was in 1997, when I flew aboard a TWA 727 round trip between ORD and MCI to visit my brother at university. On the return flight, the APU had failed, and so the flight crew had to use ground power to start the engines, and the tug couldn't push back against the thrust of those three mighty engines. So, the pilots just threw on the thrust reversers and revved up the engines for a couple of seconds for the only powerback I have ever experienced. Once the 737 Classic with its high bypass CFM56 engines and the even higher performance 757 took to the skies and ETOPS cleared the way for twinjets to go where they couldn't go before, the 727's career was over. Although taking off in a 757 is equally fast, it has never evoked the excitement that the 727 did because it was quieter and smoother. The 727 felt like a Shelby Cobra...raw, overpowered, unrefined, and unsafe in inexperienced hands. In comparison, the 757 is like an Acura NSX: ridiculously powerful, yes, but smooth, clean, quiet, and civilized. Plus, the pilots have a much more spacious flight deck. :)

The B727 are beautiful, no matter what you say!

compared to Boeing's other planes, the 727 is certainly an unusual plane featuring three engines all mounted at the rear but for the time it was built, it worked out well

I remember flying on them when I was younger. My favorite part was boarding and unboarding using the “DB Cooper” air stairs! 😁

I got married at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, CA last October. They have the forward section of an ex FedEx 727 called Brittney. My favorite wedding photos are of me and my husband sitting in the cockpit, smiling at each other at the end of the night. I was born 14 years after the last 727 was delivered and missed its heyday by quite the margin, but I’ve always been captivated by the engineering that went into that beast and the countless iconic photos from the era it flew in.

I flew on the 727 with United and Northwest Airlines. It's a beautiful plane and was comfortable from what I remember.

As a young child I remember going up the tail stairway on a PSA 727 (I looked for the smile under the nose and remember how fun I got to see it).

Less than two minutes in, and there it is, an Aerosucre 727. Not disappointed at all 😆

Flew the B727 the 1st time with my dad on a business trip in 1970. AA B727 JFK-->PVD; returned later in the day NA B727 PVD-->JFK. I was 7 years old, remembered the smell of fresh coffee brewing during boarding, and smell of jet kerosene. I was felt like the king of Queens! I flew on them well into the 2000’s. My most memorable B727 flight was in August 1978, SQ (my first time flying this carrier) between BKK-->SIN which at that time was the Paya Lebar Airport. Always special!

Flew from MEX to Cancun, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Zacatecas and Oaxaca in those amazing 727-200 from Mexicana all my childhood. A very special aircraft.

don't mean to nit pick, but boeing wasnt looking into a 3 engined jet airliner until it had walked around DeHavilland and saw a prototype Trident (later Hawker Sidderly Trident).

My favorite 727 story(s) was jumping from one at the World FreeFall Convention in 1992, 93, 94, and 95. This was one of the specialty jumpships they brought in for one day. I wore a suit and tie like DB Cooper. We exited from the rear, the airstairs were removed. Aircraft levels off above Quincy, IL airport at 13K, airspeed about 155 mph. This was a cargo type, no seats but seat belts on floor for all 200 skydivers, I forgot the company on first year (I have a video on that). Amerijet flew the other years.

First flight on a jet airliner in June of 1965 Eastern B727-100 Whisper jet JFK to St. Pete Clearwater PIE .. December of 1980 I became a Second Officer on a 727-200 (4 years) and then a First Officer (2 years) .. never checked out as Captain as the airline was phasing out the trijet in favor of the 737 and MD80 series. At the peak the fleet was over 100 of 727-200's. GREAT Airplane .. but a little tough to land well consistently .. no frills .. basic and ready to go anywhere anytime. Dual VOR/DME and ADF (and a paper chart) got you to where you were trying to go .. did get CAT II later in it's career. Surprisingly the straight 200 could not make it nonstop westbound from the East coast to the West coast .. the "A" models with an AUX fuel tank were required ... and cruise altitudes were always in the high 20's and maybe 310 if you were very light .. but it would do .84 Mach all day long .. with a total Fuel Flow of 9,000# PH (1350 GPH). Stiff crosswinds on takeoff might get you a compressor stall on the No. 2 due to the long draw down the S duct to the engine .. so you would advance 1 and 3 until you got some forward velocity .. then brought them all up to take off EPR. RIP my friend.

1986 MAH-MAN with Dan Air Impressive aircraft and I can remember it well! But at 2:00 you talk of the APU but focus on the No.2 engine. If I remember, the APU was situated in the belly and the exhaust port was at the trailing edge of the starboard wing 🤔

I lived in Alaska for thirty years and flew Alaska Airlines 727 as a passenger for many years to many different destinations. Great memories. Great plane.

I regard the B727 as the most beautiful aeroplane ever designed and built. As a teenager, I saw the 727 more like a rocket ship than an aeroplane. I was only able to fly on one twice - on Ansett-ANA's VH-RME from Mt Isa to Brisbane and from Brisbane to Sydney. It was under the command of veteran pilot Captain Arthur Lovell in 1968. A very memorable occasion that I will never forget.

Flew many times on Eastern, Delta, American, United and Northwest 727s. My first flight was June 1985 Kansas City to Washington National on Eastern and my last was August 1999 Salt Lake City to Minneapolis on Northwest. Loved that plane. The takeoff thrust pushed you back in your seat.

1968 was my trip on a South African airways 727 domestic flight from Johannesburg to Durban for the Christmas holiday. Disembarking from the rear exit ramp was a memorable experience.

I recall flying on the 727 several times during the 1970's and on occasion exiting the aircraft from the stairs in the rear. It was narrow bodied and a little tight, however I've always felt it was one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.

As someone who spent a few years working the flight line, the 727 was one of my favorite planes to work around.

I flew in a 727 from Miami to San Juan in 1986, and with Delta I flew on several 727s between 2000-2001. Great experience with all of them!

I flew the 727 many, many times, mostly with American Airlines. I loved it. It felt like a rocket ship, the way it rotated at a steeper angle before the rear wheels lost ground contact. Sitting in First Class really enhanced that feeling. I never liked the 737-100s and 737-200s. To me, they were just aluminum people tubes. The 727 flight experience was superior. But the additional costs of having a third engine and a third officer on the flight deck provided an incentive to airlines to replace them with 737s. So it goes.

I used to enjoy flying on the 727, usually on Iberia flights between London and Spain in the 80s. It felt quite roomy and I don't remember it's being noisy inside the cabin, except of course at the rear.

My first flight was on an Eastern Airlines 727 Whisper Jet. The flight was from Ft Lauderdale to Pittsburgh. That was in January of 1966. It's length of service and numbers sold show it was a great air craft.

My first ride in a 727 was a Delta flight from Salt Lake City to San Francisco in 1987. As I recall, the cabin interior was quiet (probably because I was in the forward part of the plane), and my seat was comfortable. But what really impressed me was how fast the plane took to the sky.

I worked on these as an avionics mechanic at United. I actually worked on the UAL aircraft (N7001U) while in SFO. One of my favorite airplanes.

I flew the 727 for 14 years. Engineer, first officer and captain. Great aircraft!

I had flown on many piston engined and turboprops before the B727 came into service. Also on the first five widebodies B747, DC-10; L-1011, A300 and A310, plus the DC-8, DC-9, and B737 BEFORE i ever had the opportunity to fly on the Boeing B727. My first ever of several roundtrips on the same route, was with First Air (''The Airline of the North'') from Ottawa Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 (C-YOW)) to Iqaluit Nunavut (C-YFB) during April of 2004. It was quite a novelty for me to board from the tarmac at Ottawa via the rear airstairs and deplane at Iqaluit at a chilly -20 C! The Indigenous owned (First Nations in Canada) First Air flew both passengerand 'combi' B727s until about 2008 as I recall, as well as a large fleet of 'gravel kitted' B737-200s. I took also off and landed on ice, snow and gravel runways in Arctic Canada many times in ATR-42s and DHC-8s flown by First Air and by Canadian North Airlines. Those two airlnes serving Arctic Canada merged about four years ago. Many of the communities served by Canadian North Airlines today are located far above the Arctic Circle. 🔵 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🧊 🍨 ❄️ 🧊 ❄️ 🏔 🌨 ☃️ 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦

I flew the 727 with DELTA back in 1976. Enjoyed the flight.

Finally I’ve been waiting for a 727 long haul video

I flew on a Delta 727 from W. Palm Beach, FL to LaGuardia in NYC, in 1981. It was a very enjoyable flight.

Yes, the 727 was a fantastic and reliable aircraft. I flew on it many times with various airlines: PAN AM, Lufthansa, IBERIA, TAP (Portugal), Air France, Royal Air Maroc, American Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, Air Canada, ACES (Colombia), Ladeco (Ecuador), AVENSA (Venezuela), VARIG (Brazil), VASP (Brazil), Mexicana (Mexico), Lloyd Aero Boliviano (Bolivia), Lacsa (Costa Rica) - as you can see, I flew on the 727 with many many different airlines, I actually don't remember them all ....

I recall flying on the B727 with Air Canada in the 1980's between Ottawa and Edmonton, it was one of the last aircraft I flew where the flight deck accommodated three active staff rather than two.

I flew to Aruba and back in 1999 in a UPS 727 cargo plane with a passenger conversion kit installed. They used these temporary kits in their cargo planes for a short time and operated a passenger service as UPS Airlines.

Flew my first three flights ever on 727’s…1978 to Orlando on National Airlines, 1979 to Cancun on Pan-Am, and 1982 to Miami on Eastern…LOVED the plane! Very comfortable

Flew on the 727 with both Pan Am and TWA during my childhood in the 1980s. Comfortable, fun planes to fly on.

I remember flying on one as a little kid in the 60s. At smaller airports without jet bridges you could board the 727 via the tail stairs

As a controller working LGA in the 70s, the three holer as we called it was one of the best performing aircraft we controlled

That plane was an awesome hot rod up here in Alaska in the 70's. Wonderful aircraft and the first plane I ever flew on.

The Boeing 727 was and still is the most beautiful commercial airliner ever made. A work of art and a workhorse, few competitors could match her many capabilities to serve under developed airports with shorter runways. Her iconic design represents the pinnacle of American postwar engineering prowess.

Never got to fly on the 727 but, I grew up around them. Beautiful aircraft.

I'm showing my age a little bit here, but I flew on a 727-200 with TWA and Northwest Airlines. Now that was a long time ago

Between 1973 and 1988 I flew several times on the 727 with American, Braniff, Continental and United. I was 10 the first time in 1973. The thing I liked about it was they were fairly quiet with the the engines in the tail and they were also quite comfortable bit some of that, I think, was the seats were bigger back then and the configuration also had good leg room as well.

BP-ARCO used 727's for Alaska North Slope oil field crew change flights in the 80's up until the early to mid-2000's. The big advantage of the 727s over the 737s that replaced them was the certification for use on gravel air-strips with no modification. I was told it cost about $1M each to retrofit the 737s with gravel guards to be certified for that service. Loved those 727's!

First time I ever flew, as a teenager in 1997, was on a United 727. I was enthralled by the takeoff and the view through the window.

First jet I flew on in 1968 - South African Airways. Loved it!

We had them in Australia too. Our 2 major airlines in the 1960s Trans Australia Airlines, TAA and Ansett Airlines. They both also flew the DC9.

Loved flying on Eastern 727 from Toronto via Philly or Pittsburgh to Fort Lauderdale back in the 80's.

Some 10 years ago I saw a old cargo 727 take off. Loud and smoky is what I call it, a far cry from modern jetliners today. But in its day, it was a marvel of technology.

Flew on them with DanAir back in 1986 from MAN to Malaga and back. I thought they were quite quiet as a passenger with the engines being in the tail. Boarded via the rear stairs both times.

This aircraft also had a ramp leading straight out of the back end. In the 60s, airports even as big ours didn't have jetways and this ramp was used. A friend at school lost his mother in the 11 November 1965 crash. I flew at least once years later when I grew up.

I flew on one as a kid from Ljubljana to Dubrovnik with JAT in 1989.

I first flew on a 727 in 1965 from IAD to STL on American. I’ve flown on 727-100 and -200 on American, Eastern, Delta, Northeast, Northwest, TWA, Continental, Western, Alaska, United, Hughes Airwest, Lufthansa, and Cayman Airways. My shortest flight was SJC to OAK (which was on the SLC-SJC-OAK-SLC route) and the longest was MCO to SLC. Marvelous aircraft.

Grew up in the back of 727s - flying to Florida and back. Last flight on one was Navy Separation in '89 - the flight back from MGU, saw the green flash as we descended into Norfolk. We smoked in the back of these birds. A lot. 727 is such an iconic looking bird that George Lucas took design elements from it to create Luke's Land Speeder. It is the fastest looking subsonic airliner - even standing still.

I few on Royal Airlines 727 once on a round trip from Toronto to Barbados. It was cool boarding the plane via the rear stairs on the tail of the plane.

I loved flying in the 727. Back then at some of the less sophisticated airports the rear boarding ladder was a smart way to disembark. The tail section shelter you from the sun and the rain.

I flew on the 727 several time united and delta. Delta being last in 2002. Red eye from PHX to TPA

I worked many heavy checks on 727. It is an excellent aircraft.

A 727 was the first type of plane I ever flew on, an Eastern Airlines flight from Miami to Tampa. Also, flew several times on Eastern L-1011s, the longest of those trips was from Seattle to Atlanta Those were the best, in my opinion. Huge, comfortable and smooth.

I flew many times with Iberia's shuttle between Barcelona and Madrid. Iberia keep those planes many years and were replaced by 757 which was a more comfortable airplane. I remember once flying from Madrid to Barcelona (quite late) being the fastest journey, the captain almost avoided the final approach, in 35-40 min I was there.

I flew the 727 (as pilot) for nearly 10,000 hours (primarily cargo), it was a fast, dependable, solidly built aircraft.

Flew on them all the time, on United, back in the '90s. Actually, my first ever flight was on one, on Delta when I was five years old in the early 70s. Portland, ME to Boston, MA, on Delta, then connecting on to Newark, NJ on another one. I sill have the pair of plastic wings the pilot gave me. Up front, they were lovely, but they were super loud in the back of the cabin with three engines howling around you.

I had my first flight ever in this plane back in the early 90's. Avianca used to have a bunch of these, together with MD-82 (or 83)

It was a workhorse for Alaska Airlines here in the state. Flew it all over in the 80’s and 90’s.

Beautiful airplane for it's time. I had the pleasure of working with Jack Steiner's son John at Boeing. Heard many fine stories about the struggle it was to launch the 727 and get Boeing's board of directors approval. Jack has been called the Father of the 727. Whenever flying the 727 into smaller airports, it was nice to exit using the rear stairs...on the tarmac. Same rear stairs that DB Cooper used to parachute out of.

the last 727 off the line was S/N 22938 727-2S2, for FedEx and now fly's the oil response, got many hrs on the other last 2 72`s/n 22936 & 22937 both were fed-ex purpose built freighters with the Boeing cargo door.

First commercial airliner I flew was an Eastern Airlines 727 from New York to West Palm Beach Florida as I recall. She was a beauty then and is a beauty now - put new engines on that airframe design and bring it back!

Worked for a company that partnered w/FEDEX for the re-engine STC; still a trijet but much more efficient. We sod over 500 kits (each kit serviced one a/c).

My favorite airliner. Flew on them several times as a kid and was heartbroken to see them go.

First time I took a flight in my life was at the age of 12 and it was in an American Trans Air B727. Route was SJU (San Juan,Puerto Rico) to MCO(Orlando,Florida). It was a good flight overall. Just some light turbulence due to bad weather.

The 727 was a favorite of mine. Inside it was relatively quiet towards the front of the cabin. Especially compared to the 720B and Electra that came before it. I flew in them with PSA and United from the 1960s until shortly before United stopped flying them.

Never been on a 727, even never seen one on local airport. Though I think it is the most beautyfull Boeing, from both technical point as well as good looks

It was designed to serve much less well equipped secondary airports. Back then such airports in the United States were extremely basic. Hence the built in air stairs pretty much was required.

Loved flying the 727...a little bit cramped seating wise but a nice smooth flying airliner! Flew AA Oakland, CA to Baltimore, MD

Flew on 727's (and DC9's) many times. Great aircraft.

Having been involved with the 727 at Eastern Airlines. I was a great reliable workhorse. The initial problem with the crashes was to rapid of a decent ans slow spool up time for the JT8D's. It was rectified buy keeping the plane in a higher drag configuration and no power to flight idle approaches. Great airplane

I used to love the 727, and thought it vastly superior to the DC-9. The thing took off like a rocket and had far greater passenger comfort. As the 727s began to disappear, they were replaced by the McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 series, which were a great improvement over the earlier DC-9s, even though they were the same basic plane.

I was too young and wasn’t into aviation at the time, but I am positive I have flown in one back in 1993 or 1994.

The parallels between the early 727 accidents and the 737 Max are eerie.

My first ever commercial flight was on a TN 727-276, CNS to BNE, in 1981. I connected to the then brand-new TN A300 onward to MEL; I did the same in reverse three weeks later. I remember around 1990 being on a vantage point at CNS airport, and seeing an AN 727-277 take off, followed by the then-new QF 747-438. The 747 was almost silent in comparison to the absolutely deadening roar of the AN 727-277.

April of 86, my family and I flew on a Varig 727 from MVD-GIG. The first and last time I flew this type of plane. It was loud plane. We would board from the tail.

Bahamasair had two 727-200 series in the late 1980s. They were eventually phased out in my country in favor of the 737 and the Dash 8-200. I flew on a 727-200 with my dad in the late 1990s with a loaner aircraft working for Bahamasair. It was a rugged and solid built aircraft.

My first ever flight was on a PSA 727 in 1978; I loved it. A real hot-dog aircraft.

The 727 is the most beautiful bird from those people

my first plane ride was from Detroit to San Antonio via St Louis on a TWA 727 on my way to Air Force basic training, november 1985

Since it's Throwback Thursday I did board once a Boeing 727 aircraft from San Andres Island bound for Cali, Colombia which was operated by Aero Republica which was sold to Copa Airlines Colombia and now rebranded as a low coat carrier Wingo.

Aged about 12/13 flying on an SAA 727 from Joburg to Durban, beautiful a/c.

... while avoiding obstacles like buildings... an Aerosucre 727 slews into view!

When I was a kid we lived next to a major airport we always knew when a 727 was taking off because they were so LOUD!

Flew it back in the day with Ethiopian Airlines, Jugoslovenski Aerotransport (JAT) and Delta. Still my favorite design-wise.

The mechanics of the flap system is really impressive! There are videos on YT that demonstrate its extension 😮

The most beautiful aeroplane ever. I flew on an Aerocontinente B727-100 in 1999, between Lima and Cuzco, in Peru.

I actually loved the 727, I flew on a newer 727 with Ansett of Australia, then a brand new one in Canada with Air Canada, I also flew a charter 727 which was older for Nation Air. That plane was a tank and we went through the worst lightening storms the pilot had ever seen. I flew from Ottawa to Vancouver with a stop over in Calgary for fuel. So my opinion I never felt unsafe in it. Iiked it for shorter flights. But my favorite was the L10-11. 727 was second and DC 10 third

First flight I ever took, when I was 13 from Memphis to Atlanta, was on a 727

Flew on the 727 many times. Braniff had quite a few at one time. Good bird if a bit narrow.

I flew with a PanAm 727 from Stuttgart to Berlin in Germany. My first flight ever.