Question about 1960s Pan Am 707s in SYD

[Jack B]

Not sure if many members would have any information, but was curious as to whether Pan American flew the turbojet 707-321's into Sydney from 1962 to the late 60s after the introduction of the 707-321B/C's in around 1962? I know they flew the original Pan Am jet routes to Australia from 1959 but am not sure if it become a turbofan 707 route only after '62. That said, I don't know whether Pan Am flew the 2 variants parallel regardless of engine type, or had specific route allocations

[Anthony T]

Hi there

Sorry can't answer your specific question, however i do know that people rarely complained about the noise of the early jets.

These days it seems the NEW locals around SYD complain the modern jets.

It's sad to see that as jet aircraft have become quieter through modern engine technology, the people who complain about airport noise have gotten louder.

I used to live in Eastlakes on the approach to rwy 25 in the late 60's / early 70's, just ignored the aircraft as there was an airport just down the road, and it seemed like a sensible place for the aircraft to land.

Anthony T

[Ron C.]

Hi Jack,

Pan Am Boeing 707, registration N722PA, visited Sydney in 1961 around September if my memory and interpretation of the photo I took serves me correctly.

I was part of a group, of mainly high school students, who were investigating job opportunities at the airport, primarily as an ATC. This included a tour of facilities at the airport and a look through a Pan Am Boeing 707.

Useless trivia or a piece of the jigsaw?

Ron

[Jack B]

not useless at all!

Further research suggests Pan Am would have flown the -321's into Sydney throughout the 60s, however the turbofan would have been more common simply because there were far more of them in the fleet

Thanks very much for replying Ron! would have loved to have seen the photograph or been fortunate enough to see the cabin of a Pan Am 707

[Steve Crook]

I am sure somewhere I saw a photo of a Pan Am 707 that (I think) aborted a take off due to a bird strike then overshot the runway ending up nose down in the mud. Also in book on Sydney Airport publishd by SACL to mark he 80th anniversary of the airport's existence, there is a full page tail shot of a Pan Am 707. If it is any help with identifying the type there is a long fin running along the underside the fuselage immediately under the tail.

[Jack B]

In 1969 a 707 overshot 34L (just 34 then) after a bird strike. That was a -320B

I have the book with the photo of the 707 tail and it IS an early turbojet 707-321, however, in the background there is a Qantas 707-138 with the turbojets and short tail fin. This means the photo was taken prior to 1961, before the B/C series were delivered

[Ron C.]

Hi Jack,

I've managed to scan the photo and hopefully it is attached. You can only walk back so far to include a large jet in your photo taken with a simple camera of the 1960s.

Ron

[Lee G]

Here is a link to the ASIB Report conducted by the DCA on the Pan Am accident at Sydney.

http://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/books/552.pdf

[Jack B]

Originally Posted by Ron C.

Hi Jack,

I've managed to scan the photo and hopefully it is attached. You can only walk back so far to include a large jet in your photo taken with a simple camera of the 1960s.

Ron

Thank you very much! shots of aircraft in Sydney at that time are very scarce, and I consider that a very good photograph considering its age. Interesting to note it was before the addition of the ventral fin and taller tail which would have been added fairly soon after that was taken.

[Jack B]

Originally Posted by Lee G

Here is a link to the ASIB Report conducted by the DCA on the Pan Am accident at Sydney.

http://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/books/552.pdf

Interesting stuff, thanks for posting

I think a year or so later a PA 747 over ran on 25. I think the report is somewhere in the ATSB records