I remember watching early Boeing 707's at Los Angeles International Airport in late 1959. They had less powerful engines than the later turbofan versions that came in the early 1960's. At takeoff, water injection was used to give a temporary increase in power, and because of this the exhaust stream was filled with heavy black smoke. This was very impressive to me, being just nine-years-old at the time. The power, the noise, the heat of the exhaust and the the sleek lines of the 707's helped to spur me into become a pilot myself. This I did at age 17, by completing private pilot training and licensing. I will always think of the Boeing 707 as a great airplane, and for guiding me into a life-long interest in aviation.

--Bruce Pasarow

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I'm a native of Phoenix, Arizona and I recall when Phoenix's Sky Harbor airport made the necessary changes to accomodate the Boeing 707 in 1961. Back then I was 4 years old and I remember hearing a loud thunderous noise above us and my dad would say "It's that damned new jetliner they're using these days". He was referring to the early versions of the 707, and it was loud. We lived quite a ways away from the airport, but airplanes still flew about 7000 feet above our house and it was still loud.

The very first time I've ever flown on a Boeing 707 was in 1964 on a flight from Phoenix to Chicago. The last time was in 1979 on a flight from Phoenix to St. Louis. The only thing I've always disliked about the 707 was the wing flutter in turbulance, for some reason, the weight of the engines accentuated the effects of turbulance.

The 707 will always be remembered as the jetliner that brought the entire world closer.

--Mike S.

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I'm proud to fly the Boeing 707 today. I belong to the U.S. Navy and am a reel operator on the Navy's version(E-6B). Great plane. We have bigger engines than originally designed, but most of the 707 is still here. Go Boeing.

--Anonymous

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The Boeing 707, a wonderful aircraft. It brought me all over the world in the almost 6000 hrs I was sitting in the cockpit of a 707, without experiencing any major emergency. It is a men's aircraft and fantastic to fly. It flies as high and as far and at he same speed as the modern planes, without all the fancy stuff of now-a-days. I enjoyed it a lot!

--Hans Beunk

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I'm very proud of flying the 707 as a flight engineer, and I hope to keep flying this fantastic bird for years to come. I started flying it in 1992 with the Italian Air Force tanker transport 707s (3F5C and 382B) and I'm now flying the NATO 707s (307C and 329C). It is getting more and more difficult to keep these planes flying but when the last 707 will eventually land for its last flight wherever in the world it will be a very sad day for the people that enjoyed like me flying this great machine.

--Anonymous

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My father, an American Airlines crew chief stationed at Kennedy, worked on these planes from the beginning and while they were still in the AA fleet. This was a very reliable airplane and the crews liked to fly them. Many of the pilots came out of the military and knew the aircraft well. The combination of seasoned, well trained crews together with a comfortable and durable aircraft made flying for AA's passengers a memorable experience.

--Mitch Blackman

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One of my first flights aboard a Boeing 707 dates back to June 1969 on BOAC from Boston to London. We took off during a thunderstorm, and as a kid, you couldn't imagine what would happen if you flew in this type of weather. I recalled seeing a lightning strike off in the distance as we flew through the clouds. It certainly lit up the skies. I felt much better after we ascended above the cloud layer and into the crystal clear night sky. The flight was smooth as it was comfortable. All BOAC 707s were equipped with Rolls Royce Conway engines unlike the other 707s that were powered by the Pratt & Whitney JT3Ds. Both engine types were equally efficient at that time.

My last trip aboard this magnificent jet was on an American Airlines flight from San Francisco to Toronto on August 6, 1978, and returning later on another the last day of that same month. I learned a few years later that another American Airlines 707 on the same flight - I believe this was August 7, 1978 - was on its way to Toronto, taking-off from San Francisco International Airport (a day after I left) and had just gotten airborne when three of its engines stalled and the fourth one idled. The flight crew quickly restarted the engines, bringing them back to a roar where the crew could make the turn and return for a safe landing back at SFO. I could imagine all those aboard almost panicked, thinking they could have crashed into the bay if it weren't for the quick thinking of the crew to return the plane in one piece. The passengers on that flight were placed on other flights. Still the 707, being the first American-built passenger jet since starting service with Pan Am in October 1958, remains a milestone for long distance passenger jet service, and over the years it provided a lot of backbone service. The plane was a real workhorse until its last flight with a major U. S. air carrier, TWA having the honors, on a flight from JFK to Miami in 1982. For the passengers and crew aboard this flight this was a sad moment. The captain was later interviewed after the flight and said it was like saying good-bye to an old friend. The passengers had a field day, stripping the plane of anything that could easily be taken as souvenirs. One of the flight attendants wrote a message with her lipstick, 'we'll miss you. '"

--Harald A.

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