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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 …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I never liked it.

    Done a few hauls across Mongolia in a 777; they bounced up and down like a pogo stick; and the innards were twisting completely out of shape on the run in and run out of Beijing.

    I did the same trip on a 747, A330 and a A380, and it was buttery smooth each time.

    Just booked a flight out there for December; KLM are flying 787's, but there isnt a good word anywhere for the seats; so I booked China Southern A330 flights instead.

    BTW, discount time for Long Haul flights over Christmas has started; got mine for £334 each; BHX to NNG via CDG/AMS and PEK.

    2 1 Reply
  2. JeffyPoooh
    Pint

    "...51,416 hours gracing the skies..." / 24 years = 25%

    51,416 hours is about six years. So about 25% duty cycle of being in the Wheels Up airborne state. Lowish, a result of 'too many' short flights.

    If I'm not mistaken, some of the newer long range planes on long routes (e.g. A380) are closer to 50% airborne over their life so far.

    0 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "...51,416 hours gracing the skies..." / 24 years = 25%

      I recall reading an article in the early 80s about utilisation of 747s and one of the oldest then flying, a Braniff aircraft produced in 1970 (N601BN I think), had clocked up an average of 13.1 hours a day since delivery. At the time it was the highest utilisation for an individual 747, and is more or less the same figure Airbus quotes for the A380 now.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "...51,416 hours gracing the skies..." / 24 years = 25%

      The CAA utilisation figures for the quarter ending Jan 2018 show these from BAs fleet:

      A320-200 - 8.5 hrs

      777-200 - 14.3 hrs

      747-400 - 12.6 hrs

      A380-800 - 12.2 hrs

      787-8 - 14.8 hrs

      2 0 Reply
      1. RPF
        Reply Icon

        Re: "...51,416 hours gracing the skies..." / 24 years = 25%

        Highest utilisation I've ever seen is CPA A340 fleet: 21.3 hours/day one particular year.

        2 0 Reply
  3. Ol'Peculier

    I'm convinced I remember reading articles in the Reg about the testing and promotion of this aircraft, when there was a flight that plummeted several thousand feet because the fly-by-wire systems had an argument with themselves? Never been able to find the article since, but do remember my first 777 flight and telling my friend this, who had never flown before. Heh heh heh...

    Came back to the UK on one yesterday, still prefer Airbus but you get what you pay for...

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  4. Toni the terrible Bronze badge
    Happy

    Recalling Airflights

    I once flew back from Singapore in a Britannia Turboprop, had to stop in Calcutta as apparently a lighning strike caused the nose to fall off - or thats what they said...

    0 0 Reply
  5. lardheppus

    I remember flying on 727s. I must be ancient.

    0 0 Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    24 Years!!!

    I was on the 777 flight controls dev team in Rochester, UK. I am feeling very nostalgic.... and old!

    0 0 Reply

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