Aircraft – Boeing 727-200

In the 1970s and 1980s the ultimate domestic mainline workhorse aircraft type in the United States was Boeing’s 727-200. Whether operating short-haul shuttles, or hub-to-coast long hauls, the type’s capacity, flexibility, and performance made it a scheduler’s dream – as it could reliably and economically handle almost any routing, into almost any airport, that an airline could throw at it. High-altitude airports like Denver; short-runway operations like New York-LaGuardia; hot conditions like Phoenix; and milk-run stops like Fargo, Billings, and Spokane could all be handled by a common machine. It is probably not over-exaggeration to say the modern hub-and-spoke network configuration perfected after Deregulation could not have been accomplished without this particular aircraft type. No wonder that the 727-200 was Boeing’s best-selling design all the way up to its ultimate replacement, the 737 Next-Generation series.

NWA, Hughes Airwest, and Republic all operated the type, with a mix of new-build and used frames. For each carrier, the added benefit of engine commonality with the Douglas DC-9 was key to operational sustainability.

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Northwest

NWA had acquired the Boeing 727-100 to supplement and then replace its Lockheed Electra 188 propjets on short-to-medium haul routes in the 1960s. The type’s solid performance made it a favorite of flight crews; its commonality with the 707 and 720, rugged construction, and reliability of its Pratt & Whitney JT8D powerplants was appreciated by maintenance teams; and its productivity was of course treasured by headquarters.

Boeing’s sales team found a ready audience in Minneapolis for the stretched version of the 727, pitched to replace the Boeing 720 and 707-320 on domestic services. With a similar payload but three engines to maintain instead of four, and interchangeability with the 727-100 for both parts and crews, the cost savings made an order a foregone conclusion.

Northwest’s first -200 series entered service October 27, 1968, and the type enjoyed a long and reliable run with the company, finally being phased out in 2003.

No 727s made it into the 2003 “silver bullet” scheme. If any were, there is question to where the red on the vertical tail would start: above the #3 engine intake as on the DC-10 (also similar to the original “red tail” configuration in the 1960s)? Or leaving the intake metallic but bringing the red down to visually follow the top of the roofline? Either way would have yielded a jarring result…

North Central

As North Central entered new trunkline and sunshine markets in the late 1970s, and continued to build traffic on core routes, the carrier needed an aircraft larger than the DC9-50 with longer range. The 727-200 was an obvious choice for engine commonality and a pool of labor and parts supply in Minneapolis already familiar with the type. NC placed an order for three just before executing the merger with Southern in 1979, but these would be delivered in Republic colors.

Hughes Airwest

While Air West received 727-100s via Pacific, they were unable to use them effectively on their own system, and after lease-outs to other carriers, finally sold the sub-fleet to concentrate on the DC-9. However, by the mid-1970s, traffic on RW’s trunk routes and Mexico holiday destinations, plus new route authorities to Calgary and Edmonton, and requested authorities to the eastern U.S., pushed the board to approve purchases of new-build 727-200s. Ultimately ten of the -200s would make their way into the Republic fleet.

Republic

North Central’s three 727s came on property in February, March, and June 1980, with a follow-on order for four more arriving in late 1980-early 1981. These were pressed into service on sectors like Minneapolis-Denver-Tucson and Detroit-Toronto. Ten more arrived via the Hughes Airwest merger, and three more were acquired in 1985. Until the arrival of much-needed 757-200s, the 72S fleet saw high utilization on Republic’s longer-range sectors such as Detroit / Minneapolis – West Coast; California – Phoenix – eastern destinations; as well as deployments to major East Coast and Florida markets.

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