The Boeing 247, finally restored, does it's final tour. Retractable twin, de-icing. Last flight for oldest Boeing flyable 2-engine airliner - CNN.com
In 1933 when the Boeing 247 made its appearance I was living on a defunct farm in Potomac, Md. There because our dad had lost everything in the crash. I watched that amazing modern airliner fly over after departing Hoover Field outside of Washington, DC. We were on the route to places like Pittsburg and Cleveland and the 247 was a part of the parade of airplanes that came over. Stinson Model U, Ford Tri Motor, Pilgrims, Condors, Fairchild Tri Motor, and even DH-4's passed over then. It was exciting to see the modern airliner at Hoover Field that had only one wing and a retractable landing gear. Thirty -three years later I was in the right seat, flying 247 NC13347 with my friend , Jack Leffler, who had just purchased the 247 from an aerial spray company in Bakersfield, Ca. In 1968, when the 247 was 35 years old and I was 42, I was taking off in formation with another airplane behind it after the Abottsford Air Show when my son, Dana, yelled DAD!. The right wheel of the Boeing was shimmying to the point of leaving a cloud of tire smoke. I was airborne and I broke to the right and the other airplane broke to the left because it appeared that there was going to be an incident. But the 247 lifted off with the right landing gear dangling from the axle strut. The inner cylinder separated from the outer cylinder. We watched it fly away and knew that the landing at BFI wasn't going to be good and when we arrived at Seattle and over flew the field, there it was down on one wing. In the sub assembly area of the Everett plant I saw parts of the empennage being restored in the 70's and yesterday I witnessed the last flight of 247 NC13347 that seemed to be following me to wherever I was going. Now I will visit it at the Museum Of Flight until I'm grounded.
It would be interesting to compare the last flights of the 727 (a few months ago) and the 247, between the same two airports, and for the same purpose!
Bob- Wish you and my father could have gotten together to tell war stories. Both of you would have had a great time.
Thanks Taz, I think that he would be the one with the most important stories...and I would have enjoyed every one of them.
Nice recollection. My great grand father would have worked on them back in the day. Aircraft mechanic. He worked for an airline that was taken over by Boeing in the 1920's. So they used Boeing aircraft. In 1934, due to new anti trust laws. Boeing combined their airlines into one company, forming United Airlines. The president of Boeing got into a little trouble from the government over U.S. air mail contracts. He was barred from running a U.S. company for a few years. He took a job as VP of operations at Canada's new government owned airline and recruited a few Americans from Boeing airlines that lost their jobs when the airlines got combined. It was the great depression when you are 40 with five kids and get offered a job with a government backed pension, you immigrate.
Oh the Boeing owned airline my great grand father work for was Varney. The new Canadian government owned airline was Trans Canada, now known as Air Canada.
They merged and split them, some became Continental and the rest became United. I forgot who became what and just remembered United. I was five when he died. Most of his history came from my great grand mother and my great aunts over the years.
Boeing gobbled up Varney and Pacific Air Transport and joined them to Boeing Air Transport and then Boeing bought a bunch of aviation associated companies like P&W, Hamilton Standard, etc. and the consortium became United Aircraft and Technologies. After this conglomerate was broken up by Roosevelt, the flying part of the company in the east became United Airlines. If you can't understand all this, don't worry, I just made it up.
Sort of: Researched. Walter Varney formed two different airlines. Varney Air Lines was purchased by Bill Boeing. Became United. The other, Varney Speed Lines was purchased by Robert Six and a partner and became Continental. From what I found. I was familiar with Continental's history, met Robert Six once a long time ago. Did not know that about Varney's 'other' airline. Now, finally, they are the same airline.
I had no thoughts or intension to make a big deal out of a small piece of my past when I recalled some things about the 247. So many of you have accomplished much more than I did and I know that there are many good stories out there.
When they were restoring that in Everett, I went over and checked it out and sat in the pilots seat. That blue leather cushion was the most comfortable I'd ever sat in. Later when it became airworthy, My neighbor and friend Ed Hoit flew it around from time to time because at the time he and Buzz Nelson were the only two pilots at Boeing with any time in one. I know these things can't go on forever but I don't understand why after such a lengthy restoration would they put it out to pasture with no more flying time than they got on it. Just seems early to me.
Maybe lawyer issues, funds, and 83 year old parts had a part in it. The landing gear failure was due to a retainer ring that came apart 48 years ago and possibly there might be other Gremlins in the mix.
Bob- Correct. Too many very scarce aircraft completely written off because they were flying with ancient, NLA parts. Safest for them to be in a museum where they can be enjoyed forever. I really appreciate that they restored her to flying condition and then flew her to her final resting place. They could have just trucked her over and assembled her at the museum, but they went all the way on the restoration.
Most of my great grand fathers history came from my great aunts and grand mother. I guess he picked up mechanics in the army during WWI. He was from South Dakota, not much in the way of jobs, unless it was agriculture. If you had skills in labor most went west like he did. The college business types went east. By the middle 1930's, you had 30% unemployment. Scandal in the air mail contracts, plus the merger of airlines. The average worker feared for the job! Guess Air Canada being based in Manitoba neighbor of his home state, was the biggest reason, followed by a government backed pension. I was mostly wondering why great grand mother had free air travel on Air Canada when I was a kid. So was told some of the history.
