While the Boeing 707 was not the first jet airliner, it was the most popular aircraft during the jet set era of the 1960s. First flying on 20 December 1957, it entered service with Pan American on 26 October 1958.

Typically seating between 92 and 189 passengers, the Boeing 707 saw service throughout the world. Selling 1,010 examples, the last one was delivered to a military customer in 1994.

Boeing 707 Video

Following on from last weeks video about the Douglas DC-6, this week there is a look at the Boeing 707. This video runs for a little over ten minutes and gives a good overview of the aircraft.

Back in the 1950s, Douglas was the main supplier of passenger aircraft around the world. All of this changed once the Boeing 707 came into service, as it and follow up products such as the Boeing 727 turned the company into a major player.

BOAC Boeing 707 Video

For those wondering what it was like to be a pilot or cabin crew on the Boeing 707, you can check out this video below. It runs for around 5 minutes and has interviews with employees who were there.

First class sounds like an unbelievable experience what with the Beluga caviar and everything else served. Things have changed quite a bit today, partly due to people’s tastes but also due to cost.

A Qantas Boeing 707-138B Video

The Boeing 707 was a vitally important aircraft for Australia. Volunteers restored the first Qantas aircraft back to flying condition and returned it from the UK to Australia in 2007, where it is now on display at the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach.

Running for 3 minutes, the video shows the aircraft’s arrival in Queensland. There is a flyby, a go around and then the actual final landing. Something to note is the sound of the early jet engines – they don’t make that much noise these days! The full story about the Qantas 707s and the restoration and return to Australia is at this fantastic web site.

Overall Thoughts

Pan American is the name most associated with the Boeing 707, and they operated over 100 examples with routes spanning the globe. This aircraft along with the Douglas DC-8 were really responsible for ushering in the jet age, which had been started by the British with their de Havilland Comet in 1952.

In a way, the Boeing 707 lives on, as the cabin cross section of the Boeing 727, Boeing 737 and Boeing 757 are all the same width as the original aircraft. I guess once you get it right, there’s no reason to change it.

Have you ever flown on board a Boeing 707? What was it like? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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Featured image by Peter Scharkowski via Jetphotos.net