Boeing lined up one of each of their airliner models at Boeing Field. Photo by Boeing.
The other day I had an interesting conversation with @JetCityStar via Twitter about aircraft and museums. It turned into us asking each other if we could have one type of each aircraft Boeing made, which ones would we want. Yes, we are both airline nerds and proud of it.
Although the conversation is a bit on the nerdier side, I felt the conversation was worthy of a larger audience and was interested in what other people thought about which aircraft best represented a certain type. So I put the question to you. If you were a museum and could one of each Boeing airliner made, which would you choose?
Please put your answers in the comments. Here are mine:
Boeing 707: Test aircraft that Tex Johnson did a barrel roll in.
Boeing 717: Eh.
Boeing 727: Very first Boeing 727-100 made (which is being restored at Museum of Flight)
Boeing 737: Don’t ask me why, but I would really want a USAir 737-200.
Boeing 747: First Boeing 747 that was delivered to Pan Am. I just love the Pan Am livery on the 747, it just seems right at home.
Boeing 757: Probably one that was for the Vice President.
Boeing 767: The Spirit of Delta, which is housed in Atlanta.
Boeing 777: I am not even sure.
Boeing 787: ZA001 in her livery. Entering a new era or airliner.
Ah Meiegs Field in Chicago. Any of your Flight Simulator fans you will remember it as the default airport. There was quite a bit of controversy surrounding its closure. The Chicago Mayor at the time, Richard Daley, wanted the airport closed and a park made. Although people were trying to fight and keep the airport open, Daley had crews destroy the runway in the middle of the night, stranding the airplanes that were parked there. The aircraft were later able to take off using the taxi way, but it was an end to a special era.
This video takes a look at a Boeing 727 that was flown in to Miegs field to be barged to the Museum of Science and Industry. The issue is, the runway was never made for such a large plane, so the pilot had to be careful in his landing.
Boeing had this ad stating that the Boeing 727 is the best-selling air bus
Yesterday I posted the corner of the ad showing “World’s best-selling airbus,” and asked what ad did it go to. A few people guessed (mostly via Twitter) that it was an Airbus A300, Boeing 737 or Boeing 747. Only two people (@CraigSymons and @SkippysCage) guessed it correctly: the Boeing 727. This was the best quality of the ad I could find and it is difficult to read the text, but I am pretty sure it says:
“More than 1,000 Boeing 727s have been sold to date. It is the best-selling jetliner in aviation history.
And it has been the best-selling jetliner during the past two years — the years when the new airbuses were supposed to dominate the industry.
Why?
Because the Boeing 727 is the original airbus.
It has the lowest investment, cost per seat of any airbus. And you can buy two 727-200s for the price of one of the bigger airbuses.
The 727-200 gives more flexibility than the bigger airbuses. Its capacity of 125, up to 189 (all coach), passengers makes it ideal for ??? on intermediate routes and in scheduled services where frequency is essential.
The 727s passenger appeal and operating reliability and efficiency are well known. Everyday, Boeing 727s are earning profit for more airlines than any other jetline.
That’s why it is the world’s best-selling airbus.”
Obviously a jab at the new Airbus Industry, but I find it quite humorous.
Last Saturday, I decided to drive around Paine Field located in Everett, WA. I have done it before, but not since I started my blog. I wanted to see what planes I could see and how close I could get before hitting a fence. I was quite surprised with some of the views I found.
I took my camera and iPhone along and took pictures and thought you might be interested in what I saw:
The best part, it was all free and anyone can access all the areas I went. The day was gray and rainy, but well worth it. Turns out a Twitter follower, Kevin (@TxAgFlyer), followed the same path on Sunday and got some pretty nice pictures with the sky being blue and purple, instead of gray.
