teddybear99

Looking at the photo of the AA and the explanation provided, I would also posit that the exit "window" of the AA model appears to be larger that the one on the USAir and the Taca picture which was the next one if you clicked the right arrow on the linked picture. That may have been another reason for the reinforcement around the wing area as well.

WHBM

I'll just offer a commentary on the One-Eleven 200/300/400 series.

When designed, there was an FAA restriction on 2-crew operation, that it could not be on aircraft over 80,000lb gross weight. This had been introduced some years previously for quite a different reason, to deal with secondary operators getting hand-me-down DC-6s and reconfiguring what was mechanically quite a complex aircraft to eliminate the flight engineer position. The One-Eleven was designed for 2-crew from the start, but the -200 was then cut back in the paperwork quite arbitrarily to 79,000lb gross weight, which was achieved by having either full passengers or full tanks, but not both. This didn't matter to early purchasers like Mohawk or Braniff.

The UK CAA had no such restriction so the -300 came along, no engineering difference but just you could fill both the cabin and the tanks more. Not certified by the FAA. Laker used to manage to get London Gatwick to Las Palmas out of them, by restricting the passengers to 28lb baggage

Then the DC-9 was designed. Douglas probably tried, but couldn't get below 82,000lb, so the fix was some people went to DC and met a few other people - and the restriction was removed. This gave more range, which American wanted, so BAC presented it again to the FAA as the -400. The aircraft had always been designed to these weights anyway. American specified Honeywell avionics, for the other customers it was a mixture. Braniff and Mohawk continued to live with the shorter range.

So, the American One-Eleven order was facilitated by, of all things, the arrival of the DC-9 !!

KT550

The first batch of United 727-200s, registered N76**U, had an extra exit door just forward of the wing on both sides.
Presumably this was to meet some regulation re the number of passengers.

However, their later 727-200s didn't have these exits and they were out of use on the early aircraft by the 1980s.

Did UA permanently reconfigure the aircraft or did the regulations change?

Tks

Photo of N7640U here:
https://tinyurl.com/y24n37ub

jlemon

37. Well, I will assume this was a nonstop flight between New York and Las Vegas. My first thought was this may have been Midwest Express operating an MD-80 between LGA and LAS.....but that service (if YX was even operating it) would have then stopped in Milwaukee or perhaps Kansas City. So back to the nonstop flight.....

I'll guess this was Tower Air with a B747-100 flying between JFK and LAS.

BTW, I think someone had mentioned Tower Air in response to another quiz question with the equipment being a B747-300. However, I do not believe Tower Air ever operated the 747-300; only the 747-100 and 747-200. And I cannot think of any U.S. based air carrier that operated the 747-300.

Seat 2A

I have flown all but one of United's 104 strong fleet of 727-200s (Damn! Getting that last one wasn't for lack of trying. Too bad flightradar24 wasn't around back then) and by the mid-eighties when I logged most of my flights it would seem that tis door had been sealed off. As to why it was there, the only story I've heard behind door configurations on commercial aircraft has to do with FAA regulations governing exits related to the total passenger configuration. And not just the FAA. You may recall Dan-Air's high density 727-100s with an extra door back by the engines (a la the 727-200). Early on, United used to operate some of its 727-200s in an all K Class configuration on its west coast flights. I don't know what the seat pitch was but the standards of the day would likely have called for a minimum of 34".

Seat 2A

Seat 2A

Please limit your response to no more than two questions per day so that all may participate. And as always, we are looking for complete answers here. Aircraft types must be specific including variant, i.e. 727 NO, 727-200 YES Thanks!

9. (1985) You’ve found a great opportunity to fly from Seattle to Las Vegas aboard a pair of baby DC-9s – the -14 models – each of which is operated by a different airline. You’ll have an hour and fifteen minutes at the connection point, well within minimum guidelines. Identify each airline as well as the connection point.
Sunworld is one of the airlines. Horizon and Republic and Continental are not

10. (1990) You’re in Jacksonville, FL and need to get up to Montreal, Quebec to catch your seven day cruise up the St. Laurence Seaway and out around the Maritimes. On the downside, you’ll probably have to connect at one of those big crowded airports in the New York City area. But NO! As luck would have it there’s a single one-stop direct flight departing JAX each afternoon, arriving at Montreal Dorval in the early evening. Perfect! Book it! Forward cabin, of course. Airline, enroute stop and aircraft type please.
A N S W E R E D

12. (2003) What a night! That little white ball was practically on fire as you burned up the roulette tables at Mandalay Bay to the tune of over $38000.00! So what the heck – why not fly back home to Burbank in First Class? As things turned out, there’s just one flight a day that even offers First Class between Las Vegas and Burbank and you’ve called just in time to purchase the last available seat. Book it, Danno! Identify the airline and aircraft you’ll be flying upon.

16. (1970) Fresh off delivery of a catamaran from St. Thomas to Ocho Rios, you now need to fly back to Miami. From the closest major airport, you see there are two airlines offering nonstop flights to Miami. Identify the airport, the two airlines and the aircraft type each operates up to Miami.
A N S W E R E D

17. (1985) Per schedules available in the 1985 North American OAG I used to reference these questions, only two airlines still offered service to Toronto’s Lester Pearson International Airport with McDonnell-Douglas DC-8s – one with a standard DC-8 and the other with a stretch DC-8. Identify each airline, the DC-8 variant it served YYZ with and where each flight came into Toronto from.
AeroMexico was one of them...

18. (1989) Per schedulesin the 1989 North American OAG I used to reference this question, Honolulu is well served by DC-10s and L-1011s. Each aircraft type is operated by five different airlines. Identify the five airlines operating each aircraft type.
See Post 19818

30. (1990) As a lifelong resident of south Florida, you’ve often had occasion to visit Mexico’s Caribbean coast via Merida and Cancun. This time however, you’re headed for the other side of Mexico, to Guadalajara in the western state of Jalisco. And this won’t be a vacation trip either. No – you’re looking to invest in a new boutique tequila operation being fronted by your friend Guillermo Paz, a well-known star of Mexican stage and cinema. Guillermo knows his agave and you’re looking forward to learning more about the operation. Although you were expecting to make at least one connection, you’re surprised to discover a single daily one stop direct flight. Ay yi yi! Vamanos!! Identificar la aerolínea, la parada en ruta y el tipo de avión.

33 . (2003) You had a helluva time getting from New York down to Los Cabos, what with a broken down airplane and a missed connection, but your travel travails were well worth it given the wonderful week of sun and fun that you’ve enjoyed. And, as if things couldn’t get any better, you’ve been upgraded to First Class on your two-stop direct flight back to JFK. Identify the airline and aircraft you’ll return home on as well as the two enroute stops.

KT550

Yes, I remember seeing 727-100s with the extra emergency exits newly installed prior to service entry with DA.
I have to admit, I thought it was a requirement for all 727-100s to join the U.K. register but checking pictures now, I see that only some had them, so Dan-Air must have had high and low density configs as you say.

I've asked a couple of ex DA staff for clarification.
Unless WHBM replies first!

WHBM

Dan-Air did have high and low density 727 configs. The "low density" ones (I think just a couple) had extra fuel tanks installed in the freight hold to allow Berlin-Canary Islands flights, to keep within allowable weights they had I think had about 20 seats less installed, so 129 instead of 149. Given this, they likely would not need the extra door, although I never noticed before. Among other things, they provided better legroom for the German passengers than the 28" on the UK holiday flights. The extra doors were added when the aircraft arrived secondhand from JAL. Had a quick look at some photos, it seems the ones they bought later from Delta (originally Northeast) are the ones with no rear door.

You also needed further extra fuel on flights to/from West Berlin because the Corridors had a maximum height of 10,000 feet, as they had been defined in pre-pressurisation days, and of course never varied since. Departures had to run at this low level until clear into West German airspace. Inbound you needed reserves to approach at this lower level, do a missed approach, and go back along the corridor again at low level diverting to Hanover, the nearest West German airport.

jlemon

16. I think Kingston is a bit closer to Ocho Rios than Montego Bay so I'll guess the major airport we would depart from is KIN. And as for the air carriers, let's go with BWIA ("Bee-Wee") operating a B727-100 "Sunjet" and Pan Am operating a B707 "Jet Clipper".

jrl767

10- we also know it isn't Eastern ... Republic via Detroit/DTW is about the only other possibility that comes to mind

Seat 2A

Seat 2A

jlemon

10. Wild guess time......Continental with a DC-9-30 via Newark.

16. Half way there with a BWIA B727-100 "Sunjet" nonstop from KIN to MIA......and for the other air carrier, let's try BOAC with a Vickers VC10.

Seat 2A