Flying the World's Last Passenger Boeing 707

What is it like to fly on a Boeing 707? This video shares my memory of flying on the world's last passenger Boeing 707 flight of Saha Air in Iran.

The Boeing 707 is Boeing's first jet, designed in the 1950s, and is almost 70 years old. It was incredibly loud with 4 JT3D turbofan engines. The Boeing 707 left a long legacy for future aircraft design, especially in the cockpit and the cabin. You can still find many similarities in modern airliners today.

Flying on the original airliner, the B707 was an absolutely thrilling experience. My last B707 flight took me on an adventure from Tehran to Mashad. We took off with the B707s typical shallow climb. The Saha Air B707 has a simple interior with only open racks, instead of overhead bins. A big group of Iraqi religious pilgrims were sitting behind me, they were chanting Muslim prayers during take-off and landing. Saha Air B707 was originally converted from a tanker and then later, after it was retired from passenger service, it went back into service as tanker again. There are large refuelling observation windows onboard. Enjoy the B707 experience!

Thanks to Shahram Sharifi, Alireza Khodakarami, SpeedBird HD and Boeing images for the footage.

[nayakhkr]

Prayers are definitely required when flying on this one.

[sargentrowell]

1:17 - THAT is the iconic sound that we used to hear in movies!

[JerseyTom]

Wow that was a really long takeoff roll. Was starting to wonder if the pilot just decided to drive you guys there instead!

[chicobicalho]

The thing that really differentiates this plane from the modern ones is the small diameter of the fan blades. If it had two large engines, and the needle on the vertical rudder was removed, few people would notice it in a modern airport, especially if it had a current livery. This is to say how modern this machine still is after 65 years. To put it in perspective, 65 years before the 707 was flown for the first time would be 1895, eight years before the Wright brothers.

[mosesg]

I was privileged to work on this aircraft as a technician in late 1970s

[uuuppz]

1st Officer: "V1"
5mins later
1st Officer: "Rotate"

[chaoszombie]

The sad thing is.. the 707 that you flew on, crashed outside an Air Force Base in Iran :( (it was converted to a freighter and was transporting meat at the time of the incident in 2019).. this was the last 707 in commercial service

[thomaspackman]

As a 6 year old in 1967....Pan Am 707 from Los Angeles to Chicago. I still remember how huge it looked to me through the big windows at the terminal at LAX. Of course I was wearing a suit and tie with my mother in her best dress !

[barackobama]

707: we pay for whole runway we use whole runway

[marklindsey]

Me: How much runway do you need for takeoff?

707: Yes.

[RonBand]

Thank Tex Johnston for the enormous sales of the 707. He was the test pilot who did a barrel roll in front of the world's airline executives who were attending a boat race at Lake Washington. I actually saw Tex (in his later years) doing an interview about that special day.

[petercermak]

My dad was an international executive. Because of this, we traveled all around way back in the sixties through the eighties. DC9's, 707's, Prop planes, DC8's, 747's, and more, were all our planes. We were Pan Am Clipper kids. We got the Captain to sign our log books on every flight. Great food and service. Thanks for sharing!

[tenminutetokyo]

The original test pilot did a barrel roll in this thing.

[ezyrod]

My first flight on a 707 was in 1959 from San Francisco to Dallas. I was 15 and traveling by myself to a skating competition in Ft. Worth. I had new everything; new underwear, new sport coat, slacks socks shoes, tie . Everyone on board was dressed to the nines! The best part was with dinner which included a packet of 4 cigarettes! I didn’t smoke then and had to borrow some matches from the stunning stewardess ( that’s what you called them at the time) ! I smoked all four and felt like an absolute Prince, although a slightly nauseous one😎

[Noobixm]

Sadly, this particular aircraft crashed a little over a year ago. No passengers were onboard, as it was a cargo flight, but the incident officially ended the non-military service life of the 707.

[fratercontenduntocculta]

I love how the internet has intensified every aspect of my hobbies, from basic learning about them to being full on educated in a new thing. Like how I initially liked flying in planes to now being obsessed with the real sciences behind them.

[GlamorousTitanic]

My grandmother was a 707 air hostess on Continental during the 1960’s.

[maurochiarini]

The barrel roll that the test pilot did when they presented the airplane to the public is fantastic.

[msitto]

Sam, thank you for sharing this video. Love all of your aviation posts, and this one particularly brings fond memories as I was fortunate enough to have flown many flights sitting in the cockpit behind my father when he was 707 captain for kuwait airways late 70’s.

[TOMAS-lher]

My wife and I flew on a TWA 707 in 1977, from Canada to San Diego Great flight, plane was full and the pilot loved to tell everyone about things we were passing over, when we passed over Creatwer Lake, he even Banked the plane so both sides of the plane could see out at it, Everyone was sort of high from the drinks and when he made a perfect landing in San Diego, everyone on the planes Cheered reall loud !!