According to Robert Serling's book about the Boeing Company, three Boeing 727s were acquired by Air America, which was operated by the CIA. Indeed, the head of Air America inquired about how much cargo could be dropped down the rear stairs before Air America purchased its 727s.

The program faced a number of challenges in its birth--the design of an aircraft that could get into airports with short runways, yet be flexible to fly both short routes and long, stiff competition from other manufacturers and the struggles of a company coming out of its experience with the Boeing 707, among other things. Nonetheless, the Boeing 727 became established as a classic aircraft, up there with such transports as the Boeing 707, the 747, the DC-3, the Lockheed Constellation and the A-320 Airbus (which introduced fly-by-wire controls).

I have read Harold Mansfield's excellent account of the development of the Boeing 727 aircraft, BILLION DOLLAR BATTLE, and recommend it to anyone who is curious about the early history of the 727. Serling's book LEGEND AND LEGACY, which deals with the Boeing Company through the early 1990s is also good. A third book, WIDE BODY, by Clive Irving, which focuses on the Boeing 747, also has some fascinating details on the Boeing 727 and the head of the 727 project, Jack Steiner.

--Anonymous