A Technical Perspective: SOAR Makes First Boeing 727 Airworthy Again
Newport Beach, California - March 2016 – Seattle Washington’s Museum of Flight recently contracted SOAR to be the primary technical entity to restore the first manufactured prototype 727 for ferry flight from Everett, Washington to permanent display at Boeing Field, Seattle.
The aircraft had been parked for 25 years. SOAR was contacted in early 2015 by Bob Bogash, Chairman of the Museum’s Aircraft Acquisition Committee, to evaluate whether the first 727 could be made airworthy for its last flight to the field where it would be formally displayed as a historic prototype.
Contracted for its commercial evaluation and repair capabilities, SOAR’s expert team provided a detailed examination of the aircraft for damage. During the evaluation, the SOAR team found that the volunteer team working under Terry “T.C.” Howard had done a very good job of restoration for the items they were able to work, including the all-important documentation, however significantly more was needed to make this legend airworthy again. Repair work to acquire an FAA Special Flight Permit was underway by early January.
SOAR via its Project Management, David Wittrig and Kenn Finister and team, provided extensive restoration services including horizontal stabilizer replacement, stabilizer trim system repair, engine reconfiguration and installation, fuel system restoration, flight control rigging, establishing flight position of the flap system, lubrication, various systems testing, wheel brake and anti-skid testing, cockpit control restoration, AC and DC power restoration, troubleshooting of multiple functional systems, weight and balance calculation, flight support as well as post flight de-servicing and preparation for exhibit.
Once repairs were complete, SOAR coordinated with the FAA, using an AvSource DAR, to obtain airworthiness certification. The Boeing 727 E1 aircraft was ready for its last historic flight in time for the March 2 ferry flight and celebration.
Jim Jijawi, SOAR Managing Director, is familiar with commercial aircraft restoration—he was responsible for delivering the DC-8 to the Los Angeles Museum of Science and Industry—so assisting the Museum to restore the historic 727 prototype was an appropriate decision. In addition, SOAR’s extensive portfolio of remote repair and modification capabilities were well aligned with the technical services required to return the aircraft to flight.
SOAR acknowledges all the participants it took to secure the B727 as a historic exhibit, including the numerous volunteers and entities providing additional parts and services.
SOAR is a global Aircraft on the Ground support company that provides aircraft recovery, damage evaluation, field-repair, modification, aircraft brokerage, and logistics for all forms of commercial aircraft. Core services include expert aircraft incident recovery anywhere in the world, responsive and cost-efficient incident repair 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and inspections including damage evaluation, insurance claims assistance, hull surveys and valuations with a response time between 24 to 48 hours of a request. www.SOAR.aero
