Tips to flying the Boeing 727

[XTW]

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[mt2]

Be patient on rotation. Don't "yank" it off the ground, fly it off, especially on hot days unless you want to get the tail. Easy on the ailerons on final, it's not good form to dutch roll from the marker all the way inbound. Keep the power on until the last second -- once you pull it off you WILL land shortly thereafter. Greasers are very tough at Flaps 40 and light weights. After a little time in the airplane you'll perfect the trick I learned from an old Eastern pro -- relax back pressure just before touchdown to get a smooth landing. If you pull back too much in the flare you'll drive the mains on - and bounce - because the mains are aft of the center of pitch rotation.

The jurassic jet, scooter, 72, etc is a great airplane, enjoy the .84 cruise on those commuting legs and the fact you can make any runway you see over the nose. Enjoy your time in the 727 -- I remember mine fondly.

 

[SELCAL checks]

What's the only letter of the alphabet not on the FE panel?

How many pieces of wood in the cockpit?

 

[jimcav]

Any oldtimers here have any general tips or gotchas for flying the Boeing 727? In particular landing? Whats a good technique to use to grease it on?

No flamers please. Might be getting some time in one and just want to be prepared.

Never flew it, but I wish I did. ENJOY the opportunity to fly a REAL airplane!

 

[Dan Roman]

Best grease advice...Check and roll. Check the rate of descent with the flare and just before touchdown slightly lower the nose (roll). The landing gear are aft of the center of rotation and that little push will cushion the landing nicely.

I'll second that. All my time was in the 200 and used to have good success by using that exact technique. I heard that doesn't work with the 100's though. Like fubijaakr said, stop the rate of descent and than roll it on kind of like a wheel landing in a conventional gear aircraft.

 

[727gm]

What's the only letter of the alphabet not on the FE panel?

How many pieces of wood in the cockpit?

"J" & 2 places (FE Desktop & inside Dump Panel door)



And from "tomgoodman" post re: Flaps 40:

"Some airlines actually blocked off that flap position. "

ALL airlines that need to be Stage-3 (ALL US Airlines) are blocked-out to Max Flaps 30, or in the case of smoke-and-mirrors-Raisbeck Stage-3, Flaps 25. You will probably not see flaps 40 outside Africa.

Rotation: Smoothly over 5 seconds to achieve 10 degrees, then ease it up to about 15 degrees after you hear the "click" of the air/ground switch.

Use low-speed trim after flaps up. Wonderful, a light, a rotating trim wheel, and the quiet sound of it in motion. These planes aren't going to be around much longer.....do you want to waste your time on autopilot? Wish I was still flying it.

Flaps 30 Landing Vref is 1/2 the thousands of pounds GW above 100000 lbs + 7 knots. (Flaps 40 was the same except + 4 knots)

JT8D-7 & -9 airplanes cannot outclimb the wing.

JT8D-15 airplanes' FL-altitude capability from brake release is 500 minus the thousands of pounds at same....

Landings in the 727-200 - ya never know; They say 727 stands for 7 bad landings, 2 good landings, 7 bad landings, etc.....Pull power @50 ft like usual; unless over ~140000 lbs, then ONLY after round out(transitionally, use your judgement) Real light weights it's the usual 7-2-7-thing, unless you have the runway to milk it.

In the 727-100, like a C172...easy.

In strong crosswinds, advance the center(No.2) engine to T/O Thrust after you have some forward speed to prevent compressor stalls. If you're pretty high for your weight, and hit turbulence, you'll sometimes get a "bang" from the center engine, also.

Only remember using Wing Heat 4 or 5 times in 10 years of US domestic flying. Greased it on with ice all over the wind shield wipers & window frames, and the wings with Heat ON were clean except a trace right around the lndg lights on the #1 & #6 Krueger flap, none on stab(unheated), and a row of little ice "marbles" up the Vertical Stab leading edge (also unheated).

There are 35 VG's on each side of the vertical stab. Had to count them during my FE Rating check.

Roughly 3000lbs FF across is a good starting point for the Sim 3-engine Flaps 30/gear-down FF, 4500lbs 2-engine Flaps 30/gear-down , 9000 lbs FF 1-engine Flaps 5/gear-down on approach.

I think I remember that if you could maintain M.80 at 1.8 EPR, you were good for the next step-climb???

If you're using fuel-burn schedules that have you burning the center tank down to 6000lbs as a matter of course before using wing fuel, and are now ferrying empty, make sure FE doesn't burn up all the "ballast" fuel.

Make sure FE doesn't leave fuel control heat "on" after checking.

Make sure the FO doesn't

In the Nine-Light-Trip, the "brave" airlines recycle the battery switch, the "chicken" airlines pull-and-reset the 3 DC Control C/B's.

 

[carl p]

Fuel flow = airspeed clean (2500 lbs ff = 250kts), and don't pull the power until 20 ft or you'll regret it. Speed brakes are your friend and can save you from your own poor planning. Ballpark, use 2.5/1 for descent planning on the -200 and 3/1 for the -100. Landing weights less than 120K it will try to float on you. You'll love it, a wonderful airplane!

 

[NEDude]

Sit back, relax, and relish the fact you are flying the coolest airliner ever built. And realize there tons of us out there who are jealous.

 

[ChinaClipper]

Drag #2...or else.....

 

[Lear70]

At 100 feet trim 3 seconds of nose-up trip and let the airplane settle gently into the flare.

As the nose comes up during that trim, slowly pull #1 & #3 to idle, leaving #2 up at approach power.

At about 50 feet, give a smidge more nose up pressure, pull #2 to idle, and right before you think it's going to touch down, "unload", by pushing forward smoothly on the yoke, bringing the nose down and rotating the main landing gear up behind the center of rotation, and wait.

Do NOT pump the yoke forward and backwards trying to find that spot. Pick a spot and hold it. Eventually you'll get good at figure out exactly where that is.

If I'd make the same money, I could be happy flying that aircraft my entire career... My favorite of all time. Enjoy!