707 and 720

thanks i’ve been wanting to clear that up for ages

Yeah I love Waddo with its Awacks and Nimrods plus if you wanna hang around their in the early hours you might just see the odd black project flying around.

Kicking the cat off the control tower???

“You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” – Joni Mitchell was right.

I think Eric hits the nail on the head. You don’t know (or at least hardly) realise what you’ve got until it’s gone. With the rate of thnigs going over the last fifteen years or so, it’s a bit strange to realise that the mundane stuff of sometimes just ten years ago now suddenly is something really exotic and nostalgic.

It was only some fifteen years ago when the skies over here were filled with Phantoms, Mirage Vs, and very regular visits of Buccaneers, Canberras, Victors, Wessexes or Jet Provosts (typically coming in side-by-side with three, impossible to read if you were all by yourself).

I didn’t check the thread before, because a 707 doesn’t float my boat. However, if Travolta’s Qantas painted machine showed up, I’d enjoy the sight.

Guess a personal connection helps. A flight in the ‘last’ Comet (Boscmombe’s machine, Canopus) made me realise how rare this type has become, and I’ve been paying better attention since.

Cheers

Familiarity does breed complacency. It’s only when a type is completely withdrawn that one realises how much it may be missed. When I was young, Vickers Viscounts were ten a penny – now I really miss the high pitched whine of those Darts.

As for 707/720s – although there may be some military ones floating about – as a civilian aircraft, they are becoming very rare, especially in Europe. Indeed, all the original pure turbojet versions have now gone.

Comet

G-APME

Historic Aircraft

The 707 is one of thee– Most Historic aircraft in the world today,
along with the Comet.
Phil.

Bah… if you want to see a 707 fly just pop over to RAF Fairford, or RAF Waddington!

Yeah I love Waddo with its Awacks and Nimrods plus if you wanna hang around their in the early hours you might just see the odd black project flying around.

I agree they are historic. But having them come over my house on a daily basis (Geilenkirchen’s E-3As, domeless 707s and temporarily deployed KC-135s) did make me lose interest some time ago…

John Travolta is running a 707 privately.

The 707 IS a historic aircraft – it was the first “large” jet airliner and was the ‘plane that really opened up long range jet travel.

I like classic jet airliners almost as much as classic warbirds or classic ‘propliners.

Coventry Aviation put many older prop-liners to work, and (used to) show them off every so often. Don’t know if their airshow is run any more.

Yes, yes, I know, these don’t have props – but – well I think it shows that older aircraft can be run profitably.

Yes,, I see them as historic, but I will not go to a airshow to see one fly. I do prefer the props and old jets as L29-Delfin, T33, Jet provost, DH-Vampire, …

These airliners are historic. I think they will be great as extra (mostly static) frames for some museums. Look at duxford which has several static classic jetliners such as DH Comet, Concorde, …

By the way, who is going to pay the huge cost to operate a big jetliner as a flying airshowparticipant for several years?

I’d say yes, they are both genuine historics.

Not very interesting ones to those of us who prefer props on the front, but still historic.

Moggy.