The Boeing 757 is a narrowbody aircraft that was produced in Seattle by Boeing. Designed as a modern replacement for the very popular Boeing 727, it first flew on 19 February 1982. Typically it seated around 200 passengers in a six abreast cabin.
Powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce RB211-535C or Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engines, it could fly up to 7,250 kilometres. The launch customers were Eastern Airlines, starting with Atlanta to Tampa on 1 January 1983, and British Airways, who commenced services from London to Belfast on 9 February the same year.
Boeing 757 Video
Following on from the last video about the Handley Page Hermes, this time we head across the Atlantic for a look at the Boeing 757. This is produced by Skyships Eng and runs for just under 15 minutes.
The aircraft was developed in conjunction with the 767, and both have virtually the same cockpit layout. Originally designed for short routes, eventually it became ETOPS certified for overwater flights. This was a gamechanger and resulted in transatlantic and long distance use of the plane.
Lightly loaded 757s were renowned for their particularly sprightly take-off performance due to the powerful engines fitted. A stretched 757-300 entered service with Condor in 1999, but it did not sell well and the original version remained the most popular.
Over in the Soviet Union, a look-alike was produced, called the Tupolev Tu-204. While newer than the Boeing, it was not as technologically advanced or as popular.
A Vintage News Report
The next video runs for around two minutes and dates from 1983. The first aircraft had arrived in Europe for British Airways and this segment from a television programme tells you all about it.
Not only do you see the aircraft outside, they also do a lot from inside the cabin. The interior design is very on trend for the time but certainly nothing you’d see today. It’s a great report and shows you how it was at the time.
Overall Thoughts
There were 1,050 Boeing 757 aircraft produced, with the final ones rolling off the production line in 2004. Many are still in service today and there is a good chance you have flown on board one, especially if you live in the United States.
A direct replacement does not exist, with the closest being the Airbus A321LR, which perhaps accounts for that aircraft’s popularity. It is a shame Boeing has nothing in that space, but perhaps one day.
Have you flown on a Boeing 757 before? Do you remember anything in particular about it? What did you think of the videos? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Danny Grew via AirHistory.net.
I remember flying out of DCA to STL on one that continued on to LAX and KOA. We were actually prepared for departure at DCA when we had to vacate the runway for a VIP arrival, then we got right back in line. Took off like a rocket about 10 minutes later. Fun!
Sure sounds like it! The 757 can really move 🙂
Just a random question for anyone who wants to answer: why do the British (and I think Australians) refer to Boeing products as individual numbers, such as 7-5-7, rather than 7-50-7? To the best of my knowledge, they do not refer to the A320 as a 3-2-0. I noticed it for the first time several years ago being rescheduled in MEL and asked if the new flight was a 7-30-7, the agent responded “you mean a 7-3-7?”…um, yeah. Just curious if anyone has a rationale.
Yeah, you’re right, it seems to be only the Americans who refer to them as the seven fifty seven for example. UK and Australia do it the way you say. My guess is that it stems from the original 707. It’s said seven-oh-seven (obviously), so naturally we would progress to seven-two-seven, seven-three-seven and so on. Perhaps that’s how Boeing originally marketed them? Airbus has always been three hundred, three ten, three twenty, but I guess that’s how they marked them. Interesting question – maybe someone else will have more info on this.
It’s one of my favorite planes to fly on for short haul travel. I am so glad that DELTA still has the 757-200 and 757-300 models. I really wished that Boeing reengineered the aircraft and sold newer versions of it. It is always a pleasure to fly one.
Agreed, they are always a good ride! Nice to see so many still around, they should be for a while yet I guess!
Do I remember? Yes. I was on three last week.
Haha you must live in the US!
Beautiful plane, great engines !
Launch momento attached
Oh wow, that’s seriously cool! Thanks for sharing that 🙂
If you want to fly one of these, they’re not too hard to find here in the US! United and Delta both fly a fair number of them domestically (mostly on transcon routes and to Hawaii) as well as some routes to Latin America. American hard to fly a lot of them too but I believe they’re now retired due to COVID-19.
That’s true, they are pretty standard in the US. They were not so popular in Asia, so I never really came across them living in Australia for example. I’ve flown on a few of them with American Airlines before, but that’s about it for me. Certainly a well liked and popular aircraft!