back to article First Boeing 777 (aged 24) makes its last flight – to a museum

The first passenger Boeing 777 built is being flown to a museum today, having spent the last quarter of a century ferrying bods from A to B. Boeing is still building the 777 long-haul airliner to this day, albeit with more than a few tweaks to the original 1990s design. Techies, particularly those in the APAC region, will be …

Page:

  1. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

    Feeling old yet?

    Yes. Yes I am....

    1. GlenP Silver badge

      Re: Feeling old yet?

      So am I! I was regularly crossing the "pond" when they came out, a huge improvement.

      1. Edwin

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        Huge improvement over what? I hate the standard configuration of most triple 7s - just one long cabin front-to-back on teh -200s and a bulkhead or perhaps some lavatories breaking up teh endless tunnel on the -300s.

        The 747 is infinitely preferable as a long-haul aircraft - more space, more visual variety, etc.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Feeling old yet?

      Yes ancient, I remember spotting things like Viscounts, Handley Page Heralds, Tridents and VC10s in my youth.

      1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        Don't forget the Comets... and the Caravelle's

        Ancient? Probably but only in body.

        1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
          Happy

          Re: Feeling old yet?

          Anybody old enough to have spotted a Rutland Reindeer?

      2. ICPurvis47
        Gimp

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        And Fokker Friendships

      3. Ima Ballsy

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        Sigh .... Grew up a Military Brat and remember flying on DC-3's , Connie's and then the 707's as we traversed the world....

      4. oldcrab

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        Ancient - I flew in all of those!

    3. 0laf
      Unhappy

      Re: Feeling old yet?

      8-O I was just thinking, "but they're not old, did they not just come out?".

      Apparently not.

      1. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        I was a young single man in Elk Grove Village in the 90s, I remember waiting to catch sight of a 777 when they were new at O'Hare.

        Then last year I flew into O'Hare with my family of wife and 2 teens on a 787 and out again on a 777.

        That's old, an entire generation.

        1. Alan Brown Silver badge

          Re: Feeling old yet?

          "I remember waiting to catch sight of a 777 when they were new at O'Hare."

          Not long after 777s had been launched (about a year) I flew O'Hare to LAX on a two week old one that still smelled of new carpet. There were only 5 passengers on that leg (more crew than that), and a lot more when it flew on to Beijing. Meantime I got to take the Coral Route.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Feeling old yet?

      Although slightly more modern aircraft were the norm - Britannias, Comets, VC-10s etc, I'd occasionally still see DC-3s flying overhead, often on their way in to Stansted, in the early sixties.

      One memory, that is still vivid, is of lying in bed at night and listening to them slowly drone past, and seeming to take an age to do so - it was a lot quieter then, due to much less road traffic, both in general, of course, but especially overnight, and there was no double-glazing then either, so you'd hear them from a lot further away as they approached where I was, and then for a similar length of time as they passed overhead and carried on their way. I always wondered where they'd come from, where they were going and what the people on board were doing as I lay there in my bed - to the very young me it was all part of the wonder of the world, and somehow, just a little bit comforting.

      On a different note, with 20,519 flights totalling 49,687 flying hours we seem to be looking at an average flight time of ~2.5 hours, which seems low for a long-haul aircraft.

      1. Wellyboot Silver badge

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        >>>average flight time of ~2.5 hours, which seems low for a long-haul aircraft.<<<

        Like Japan there are really big birds doing the in country shuttle runs.

        1. John Doe 6

          Re: Feeling old yet?

          ~2.5 hours was what it took to cross the pond... back when I was young.

          1. 9Rune5
            Childcatcher

            Re: Feeling old yet?

            ~2.5 hours was what it took to cross the pond... back when I was young.

            and if you tell that to the young people today, they won't believe you...

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Feeling old yet?

            "~2.5 hours was what it took to cross the pond... back when I was young."

            Ah yes concorde - leaving a 3000 mile long trail of crap in the stratosphere just to save 3 hours. Personally I'm glad that enviromental nightmare is gone. Yes, go ahead spotters, mod me down.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Feeling old yet?

              >Personally I'm glad that enviromental nightmare is gone.

              The device you wrote that misspelt rant on is made out of used recycled toilet paper and powered by magic beans yes ?

              As a member of the human race you are an environmental disaster, no such thing as zero emissions.

              Did you take a flight for your holiday or did you walk ?

          3. macjules

            Re: Feeling old yet?

            Actually around 3 hours 25 minutes for Speedbird London to JFK, although they could do it (in 1996) in under 3 hours JFK to LHR, using the jetstream.

      2. SkippyBing

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        'On a different note, with 20,519 flights totalling 49,687 flying hours we seem to be looking at an average flight time of ~2.5 hours, which seems low for a long-haul aircraft.'

        I wonder if that's in part due to its test role with Boeing? I don't think Cathay have many short haul routes.

        1. R J

          Re: Feeling old yet?

          Cathay has some of those quite big airplanes servicing the Manila - Hong Kong route, which takes about 2.5 hours, so my guess is it's been running there. Those flights are always fully booked, and quite a pain to ride. I always look forward for the next part of the flight (usually Hong Kong - London) where there's something resembling service, good manners and civilized behaviour ;)

      3. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        @LeeE

        One memory, that is still vivid, is of lying in bed at night and listening to them slowly drone past, and seeming to take an age

        This one is vivid for me too, lying listening to the twin engine aircraft cruising over with their synced props beating together a slowly modulated hum. I would imagine what it was like sitting in the cockpit, where it had come from and where it was going. To this day anything in our busy skies still gets my attention.

        Inspired me to go into flying as soon as I was old enough and had the cash.

      4. Potemkine! Silver badge

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        " I'd occasionally still see DC-3s flying overhead, often on their way in to Stansted, in the early sixties."

        I remember as a child seeing passing in the sky a B-17. They were used by the National Geographical Institute to map the country.. The sound was awesome.

      5. Matthew Taylor

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        "I'd occasionally still see DC-3s flying overhead, often on their way in to Stansted, in the early sixties."

        At least one of them was a regular visitor to Hurn airport in the late 70's early 80's, when my mum would take me there plane spotting. It, along with the Handley page Herald,ran freight to the Channel Islands, if I recall.

        A much rarer visitor was the Vickers Vanguard. I saw it at Hurn one time, parked far away, and apparently it was not due to leave for several days. The next week I was playing on the green outside our house when I heard an unfamiliar aircraft noise (I could recognise the "regulars" by their sound) and over it flew, nice and low, as if just for me.

        All ghosts now, these memories.

        1. werdsmith Silver badge

          Re: Feeling old yet?

          Air Atlantique still operate DC3s out of Coventry.

      6. Tomato Krill

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        " I always wondered where they'd come from, where they were going..."

        Unless I missed something, based.on the first paragraph at least one of the answers would have to be Stansted?

      7. MacroRodent

        Re: Feeling old yet?

        I'd occasionally still see DC-3s

        Living in a northern sub-urb of Helsinki, a DC-3 still regularly appears in the summer skies. Of course it is now a museum plane, operated by a volunteer association (http://www.dc-ry.fi/).

    5. ecofeco Silver badge

      Re: Feeling old yet?

      So am I. I have yet to fly on one. Never got to ride the 747 either.

      Old AND poor.

  2. Winkypop Silver badge
    Windows

    777?

    I remember the 707!

    <-- old

    1. Wellyboot Silver badge

      Re: 777?

      Dan-Air comets anyone?

      1. Martin an gof Silver badge

        Re: 777?

        Dan-Air comets anyone?

        They were regulars into Cardiff well into the 1970s - I've recently scanned a few old photographs of my dad's which prove it :-)

        At least, I think it's Cardiff. Mostly looks like Cardiff, but being dated 1976 I don't really remember, some of it doesn't look like Cardiff. Several Britannia and Aer Lingus 737s, a Transeuropa Caravelle, even a Hercules in the background in "camouflage" paint (odd) and a Dan Air Comet 4C, the "doesn't fall out of the sky" version.

        There's a Comet 1 at Cosford. James May's "Airfix" Spitfire is there too. Well worth a (free, apart from the car park) visit with some extremely well-displayed aircraft. My favourite is probably the Lightning - hung vertically so you can stand underneath and look up the pipes.

        M.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: 777?

        ”Dan-Air comets anyone?”

        ‘If you dare, fly Dan-Air’. They had a retired Comet parked at Gatwick as a cabin crew trainer, affectionately known as the Wingless Wonder.

        1. wallaby

          Re: 777?

          Never flew on a comet but I did a few times on the Nimrod variant which I worked on at BAe Woodford, such a shame to see them take chainsaws to them the other year - I fitted the flight refueling probe to many of them.

          Dan Dare used to fly the first HS 748 for many years (G-ARAY).Gary was housed in the back sheds at Manchester airport.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 777?

      707? I remember the Comet, or "Plummet" as I think it used be called.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: 777?

        I still have a 706

        1. defiler

          Re: 777?

          I still have a 706

          I still have a 6502. Does that count?

          1. MyffyW Silver badge

            Re: 777?

            chmod 777 - for when you want the world to know your business

    3. Dave 32
      Pint

      Re: 777?

      Long live the 727!

      Dave

    4. Diogenes

      Re: 777?

      Old yep

      First ever flight was a 707 on Lufthansa as an unaccompanied minor ..

      Sydney Singapore Bangkok New Delhi Athens Rome Frankfurt. Still remember the awful stench about an hour out of New Delhi, forced to disembark at Athens for 3 hours so the toilets could be fixed and cleaned, but the stew who assigned to look after me was stunning bit of German engineering

      Home a year later same stops but a DC9 no issues

      Also remember being on beach near RAAF Sale when they still flew Neptunes as maritime recon. The sqn flew right over us, mum grabbed the 2 of us from 5m away, has a shell scrape dug and was on top of us shaking like a leaf in the time between the first sound and them going over - mum was a 10yo in Hamburg during Gommorah

      1. Milton

        Re: 777?

        "... mum ... has a shell scrape dug and was on top of us ..."

        You are ex-Forces, probably British Army, and I claim my tenner.

        1. Diogenes

          Re: 777?

          You are ex-Forces, probably British Army, and I claim my tenner.

          Close but no tenner. Ex Lieutenant (4 years) ( and pte, lance corp,corp& sgt - a year each) Australian Army Reserve, UNSW & RNSW Regts to be precise.

    5. James Anderson

      Re: 777?

      Bac 111

      Still flying Heathrow to Copenhagen in the early 90s

  3. Ben Cockburn

    Broken link to the A300 article?

  4. Wellyboot Silver badge
    Headmaster

    designed entirely BY computer

    Don't think so - Designed entirely ON computers - yes.

    Yes feeling I'm old, but not as much as I will next July when the Falklands victory (14Jun82) becomes nearer VE-day (8May45) than the present.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: designed entirely BY computer

      It's like one of Watson's monologues from Sherlock Holmes. "I remember it was back in the year of '82."

      It's just that I didn't imagine it would be me saying stuff like that. Still I've got a few more years on me, in which I can bore these young people, who ought to get a bloody good haircut and start talking properly! And stop listening to these modern music hall ballads...

      1. AndrueC Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: designed entirely BY computer

        And stop that incessant snapping of their whips. Bloody keeps me awake all day.

    2. wallaby

      Re: designed entirely BY computer

      Falklands seems like yesterday, 36 hour shifts converting Vulcans into flight refueling platforms

      Still got my tie somewhere - I guess if my ex boss is alive he will still have his OBE

  5. DrXym

    Still have the book

    21st century jet which was about its design. It was actually very interesting reading as was the accompanying TV series.

    1. David Harper 1

      Re: Still have the book

      The wing deformation test on the first prototype was both spectacular and reassuring. They clamped the undercarriage down, then put a hydraulic jack under one wing tip. The wing was at around 45 degrees to the horizontal before it finally failed.

      It was also reassuring to know that the 777 could fly for a couple of hours on a single engine, especially when my wife and I were on a Chicago to London flight that was suddenly diverted to Bangor, Maine after the captain had to shut down one engine. Having seen the documentary, we weren't in the least worried about making a safe landing.

      1. DrXym

        Re: Still have the book

        The engine stuff is ETOPS certification. Originally trans-Atlantic / trans-Pacific jets had to have 4 engines in case one flamed out but the 777 only has two but had to prove it could fly on just one engine for 120 minutes if there was a problem.

Page:

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like