727 Meets the End of Life

Getting cut up for beer cans.
Second picture taken two days later. Wing off and working on the tail.

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Where is this? It's always odd for me to see images like this one. Something so large being "tossed" to the side like it's nothing...

It is in Guayaquil, Ecuador and I shot it today. Don't worry, they got all the good out of it. They just get too costly to maintain after they get very old and tired. Like a forest creature, new life will be generated from the old.

Thanks. Yeah, I'm sure it was used as much as possible, but it's just odd to me.

Man that hurts to see, and old bird going away like that. Noisier then anything upon takeoff, but still, these planes had some get up and go. I still think it is one of Boeing's nicer designs. Stuff like this just reminds me I am getting up there in miles too. Cheers!

Yup that likly is old. 727 was the first plane I flew in I was about 8 yrs . I'll be 50 in a few weeks.
Sam

I live in the flight path of O'hare airport and know just how loud 727's used to be. They would switch to take offs on the flight path around 7pm and you could not hear the TV or talk on a phone when these went over

Man, what a different perspective! I guess we should be thankful they pull them from the sky when they get this age.

Cool shot!

Croasdail wrote in post #2578507
Man that hurts to see, and old bird going away like that. Noisier then anything upon takeoff, but still, these planes had some get up and go. I still think it is one of Boeing's nicer designs. Stuff like this just reminds me I am getting up there in miles too. Cheers!

Wow.. I feel the same way I miss seeing those old birds too. When I see an Fedx 727 going into ATL it alway's brings me a little smile I'm still glad to see one even if it's a Fedx one which isn't often enough. I really do miss seeing the American and Delta 72s going into ATL. 727s Forever...

Plenty of 727s are still at work in countries that don't have stringent noise restrictions. The 727s still seen in the US have had "hush kits" or turbofans installed so they may still ply the skies for many more years.

A great A/C. I can remember the days of Braniff and the multi colored 727's. But then I also remember being on the DC-6's they flew.....

Lynn

MMMMMMMMM, imagine all the beer you could fit in that can.

Yeah, that is terminal as the sign says

The rest looks like a giant cigarette -- and I do't even smoke!

Last time I flew on one it was a TW 72 taking off from St. Louis (I was an employee at the time). I was sitting next to a TW pilot. The takeoff roll began... slowly....slowly....sl​owly...a little faster...a little faster.
2/3 of the way down the runway, the pilot turned to me and said "I think we're going to drive to Kansas City today." We made it.

They get cut up like that after they exceed the maximum allowed pressure cycles for the vessel. Everytime the plane gets pressurized it stresses the joints, fasteners and the aluminum itself. Each airframe is certified for a finite number of pressurization cycles. When that number is reached, its off to the smasher.