Qantas celebrates 50 years in jet age with Boeing 707

[Slats7]

Qantas celebrates 50 years in jet age with Boeing 707 | The Australian

IT guzzled fuel and it belched black smoke on take-off, but when the Boeing 707 propelled Australians into the jet age 50 years ago it struck a decisive blow to the tyranny of distance.

Qantas is today celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first commercial passenger flight across the Pacific and the first service to be operated using its then ultra-modern 707s.

Well done Qantas!!

 

[Nigelinoz]

Qantas celebrates 50 years in jet age with Boeing 707 | The Australian



Well done Qantas!!

Yes well done QF but also well done to Boeing who built it.

 

[straitman]

Yes well done QF but also well done to Boeing who built it.

... and I believe the RAAF has finally retired the last of those 707's :!:

 

[Nigelinoz]

... and I believe the RAAF has finally retired the last of those 707's :!:

Yep,and there are still a few floating around in cargo service,there was one that spent a few days in Melbourne only recently.
A great aeroplane but expensive to run on diesel these days one would think.:shock:

 

[tuapekastar]

Flight EM774 left Sydney Airport at 3.55pm on July 29, 1959, bound for San Francisco via Nadi, Fiji, and Honolulu.

(My bolding) - EM774? Was QF formerly EM or is there some other reason for this flight number? The article certainly implies it was a Qantas flight.

And only 84 pax! They certainly must have strethed the plane for later series.

 

[moa999]

Nice youtube video from the thread on FT.

YouTube - 50 years of Qantas Leadership in Jet Services


On EM flight number, I assume that related to the fact that it was Qantas Empire Airways at the time.
The aircraft was VH-EBA (now VH-XBA sitting at Longreach)

 

[tuapekastar]

Nice youtube video from the thread on FT.

YouTube - 50 years of Qantas Leadership in Jet Services


On EM flight number, I assume that related to the fact that it was Qantas Empire Airways at the time.
The aircraft was VH-EBA (now VH-XBA sitting at Longreach)

Thanks, makes sense. Just a little surprised that they were EM that recently (relatively speaking).

 

[futaris]

http://airlineroute.blogspot.com/2008/05/flashback-1955-qantas-routings.html

From Wikipedia:
Also in 1967, Qantas Empire Airways changed its name to Qantas Airways, the name of the airline today.

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/history-jumbo-jet/global/en

 

[NM]

Yep,and there are still a few floating around in cargo service,there was one that spent a few days in Melbourne only recently.
A great aeroplane but expensive to run on diesel these days one would think.:shock:

And lots of KC135s still flying with the USAF ... and they will be for quite a while yet until the US government can make up its mind in their replacement (767 or A330, and now Boeing suggesting they may bid 777 in the next round).

 

[Slats7]

Well done to Boeing as well.

 

[Nigelinoz]

Certainly think that ordering the 707 was a turning point in the history of Qantas,I think it was the first of a long line of decisions to invest in cutting edge technology that has got them to where they are today.
A world class airline with a very modern fleet flying to destinations across the globe.

 

[straitman]

And lots of KC135s still flying with the USAF ... and they will be for quite a while yet until the US government can make up its mind in their replacement (767 or A330, and now Boeing suggesting they may bid 777 in the next round).

I have a few KC135 stories from my RAAF days next time I see you.