Five-O

Dec 20, 1957.

No, not my birthday. It might be yours, or perhaps someone you know. For the aviation world, the date is synonymous with an industry legend.

An icon.

The Boeing 707.

Today marks 50 years since the type first took to the air. The “Dash-80″ flew three years ealier, however, that model never went into service, but what followed was the 707.

The tradition of naming subsequent Boeing airplanes using the “7-7″ formula has been highly successful.

Well, afterall, who doesn’t agree that the lucky number will always be the number 7?

For those of you out there that recall it’s maiden flight 50 years ago today - the type spawned a new era of air travel to the world unlike any other airplane before it.

Fortunately, I’ve had the pleasure of countless trips aboard various 707 models, as I’m sure many will have had too.

For the newer generation of aviation enthusiasts, it’ll likely be very hard to find an operator these days who still use 707’s - unless you can convince John Travolta to give you a ride in his machine!

Regardless of peoples age, or indeed, the age of this iconic airplane - it has made its mark on history.

A legacy unsurpassed in a timeless classic.

(Images courtesy of Boeing)

2 comments December 20th, 2007