Tribute to the First Boeing 727 to Touch the Sky

        Water salute for the Boeing 727 prototype

On March 2, the Museum of Flight’s recently-restored Boeing 727 prototype made its first flight in 25 years; the flight also marked the airplane’s last flight ever. The Future of Flight at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. held a pre-flight ceremony while hundreds of enthusiastic fans and former Boeing  727 flight crew members awaited the plane’s flight and arrival at The Museum of Flight. The plane received a heartfelt welcome at the Museum when it taxied through the Museum’s Boeing Field gate at 11 a.m.

The Boeing 727-100’s final flight from Paine Field to Boeing Field lasted less than 15 minutes. Upon landing it taxied directly into the Museum’s parking area—through a celebratory arch of water created by water cannons on Boeing and King County firetrucks—where the engines were shut down for the last time. After the ceremonies, the plane was opened to the public, where they were able to tour for the remainder of the day as part of their admission. The Boeing 727 will also be open to the public this weekend, March 5-6, also free with admission (tours inside of the plane will only be available if it is not raining that day).

The Boeing 727’s brief trip from Everett to Seattle was flown under a special flight permit, with only essential flight crew onboard during the flight: pilot Tim Powell, co-pilot Mike Scott, flight engineer Ralph Pascale, and safety officer Bob Bogash. Powell, Scott and Pascale fly Boeing 727s on a regular basis; airline and corporate pilot Powell has over 10,000 hours at the controls of various Boeing 727s. Bogash is the Museum’s Boeing  727 project manager.

727 Open for Public Tours March 5-6.

This weekend, March 5-6, the plane will be open for public tours, free with admission to the Museum. Interior tours available only if it does not rain on that day.

The 727 will be on temporary display in the Museum’s Airpark through the summer. It will be moved for permanent display in the Aviation Pavilion in the fall.

N7001U, the Boeing 727 prototype, was the former aircraft of United Airlines. The aircraft was flew for the first time on 9 February 1963. Now the airplane is 53 years old.

Possible MH370 Debris Will Arrive in Australia Next Week for Analysis

Debris that found off the coast of Mozambique 

A possible MH370 debris will arrive in Australia next week for analysis by experts. The debris was found off the coast of Mozambique, last Wednesday. An early photographic analysis suggests if the debris is from a jetliner, most likely from Boeing 777’s horizontal stabilizer. If the debris is from Boeing 777 aircraft, it could be the missing Boeing 777-200ER, 9M-MRO that disappeared as Malaysia Airlines flight 370 when the aircraft was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March 2014, exactly two years ago. The debris was found by a Seattle lawyer, Blaine Gibson.

A Mysterious Debris Found in Mozambique

The mysterious debris, photographed by Blaine Gibson

2 March 2016, a mysterious debris was found off the coast of Mozambique. Early photographic analysis of the 11.7 inch-by-16 inch object suggests it could have come from the jetliner. 

“NO STEP” words on the debris

The object has “NO STEP” words on it and most likely the object is the horizontal stabilizer of Boeing 777. There was no Boeing 777 lost in the ocean in the history, besides Malaysia Airlines flight 370 that disappeared on 8 March 2014, exactly two years ago.

Blaine Gibson with the mysterious debris found of the coast of Mozambique 

Blaine Gibson, the person who found the debris, chartered a boat and organized a trip over the weekend at the coast of Mozambique. The owner of the boat and Gibson found the plane part washed ashore on a sandbar.

Now, the debris was being taken to Australia where it will be examined by international specialists and officials from Malaysia. If the debris is from MH370, it will be the second evidence of MH370 after a flaperon found in La Réunion Island on 30 July 2015. Will the mystery of the missing of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 along with 239 souls on board solved? Will the missing Boeing 777-200ER aircraft be found?