First Boeing 727 Completes Final Trip to Seattle's Museum of Flight

The first Boeing 727 ever built completed its final flight on Wednesday from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, to Seattle’s Museum of Flight.

"It brought back a lot of good memories, I had some great times on this airplane," said United Airlines Capt. Molly Flanagan, USA Today reported.

"Oh I loved it, it was great. It was fast, sleek, and challenging to fly," she added, explaining that she flew it in December 1984 before it was retired in 1991.

On Wednesday, the ferry flight was helmed by Capt. Tim Powell, co-pilot Mike Scott, flight engineer Ralph Pascale, and restoration manager Bob Bogash.

Technology website The Verge explained the background of the iconic flight, which drew hundreds of observers this week. 

"Washington's Museum of Flight has been restoring the very first Boeing 727 for years," it wrote. "The plane was made just airworthy enough to fly one last time for 15 minutes in good weather and only minimal crew aboard."

The N7001U was originally completed in 1963, and was delivered to United Airlines in October of 1964.

The Boeing 727 was built as a commuter jet for smaller cities, and 1,831 successors flew for airlines after the first one took to the air.

All told, the first 727 completed 64,495 flight hours, 48,060 landings, and carried 3 million passengers.

At its home at the Museum of Flight, the plane will be open to the public for a brief time outside, and will in time move to an indoor pavilion.

Related Stories:

• Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: New Debris a Breakthrough?
  
• Boeing's Lightest Metal Ever a Microlattice of 99 Percent Air