Now that just makes me want to puke.

 

Esso(teric):

Exactly. The DC-10s and "Rope-Start" 747s went slightly earlier. But the 727s and 737-200s were dumped pretty unceremoniously. Pan Am bought 24 or 25 727s; I think the rest were scrapped. Some Captain was making writing pens out of pieces of hydraulic line from the 727s. But at $200-ish a pop, I passed.

No, there is no air service to Victorville, CA, so that crew will have to take a bus, cab, or rental car to Ontario, CA or LAX. From there, they'll probably fly on someone else's 737 back to SFO.

 

If I remember correctly, 75 B727's and 22 B737-200's were parked on one day in early November 2001.

I was lucky enough to fly the B737-300/500's for United for a few years both on Shuttle and mainline (although I never wanted to fly mainline...forced on us after UA closed the Shuttle operation). I have fond memories of the plane. My last flight in a UA B737 was on 1/4/03 SAT-DEN. The captain let me have that leg.

Sad to see the aircraft retired. Even more sad is the loss of over 1,400 pilots. What has this done to their families? Their homes? Their car? etc....

What a sad decline for United. Ten years ago it was one of the best airlines to be at. Good pay and benefits, six figure pension, paid medical/dental for life, a no furlough clause.....

ATTN YOUNG PILOTS: This industry blows! Stay away at all costs! Your life will be turned upside down when you can least afford it.

GP

 

With the price of oil a little more than 1/2 of what is was when UAL announced they would park the 737's because of fuel costs, I think the letter by Captain Steve Wallach says it all.


"We shouldn’t consider this a day of celebration"

"This is not a transition but a further erosion of United Airlines’ history"

 

When the world economy recovers, oil will go right back to $150 a barrel.

I think that United management might be right on this one.

 

And let the ticket prices today reflect that, and cover if it ever does go back to those levels....THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE DOING!

 

Yes.... It is a whole lost faster on approach (high speed aborts too) and has half the brakes and half the tires the 757 does.