A Tribute To The Boeing 757
More than a number
Whether you know her as the pocket rocket, flying pencil, or just plain bloody gorgeous, there is simply no denying the success amongst avgeeks and airlines alike that the Boeing 757 family has enjoyed. Since her first flight back in February of 1982, the highly-versatile narrowbody has flown a total of more than 3 billion nautical miles, and carried many billions of passengers all around the world. The 757 is, in my opinion, one of, if not THE best narrowbody ever built, and it's time I told you why.
Firstly, looks. From her pointed nose and sleek engines, to her long, thin fuselage and high angle-of-attack, the Boeing 757 is simply stunning. Not yet, in my fifteen years, have I spoken to someone who dares to differ from that description. She is - to put it simply - a belter.
Then, there's the fact that she is an absolute machine. With her two either Rolls Royce RB211 or P&W2000 series engines, the insane performance delivered, particularly for a lightweight narrowbody aircraft, gives her the ability to demolish any runway - no matter how short, or long. The flexibility that an aircraft of her kind offers provides an airline with the opportunity to offer high-capacity flights to airports which may traditionally be served by a smaller aircraft.
The bonnie lassie herself at MAN - THEAEROSPACEGUYS
Furthermore, on the engineering side, her greater height than most narrowbodies gives her the look of having high-heels on, and certainly gives a more stylish impression than that of the 737-800. The long landing gear also provides greater suspension, meaning that even firmer landings feel buttery smooth, and in flight, the 757 is, for reasons unknown to basically everyone, particularly resistant to wake turbulence. This makes it extremely enjoyable to operate on, both as crew, and as pax.
As a passenger - and I believe I am qualified to say this, given 25% of my total flight time has been onboard this aircraft - the 757 is simply delightful. From the refreshingly retro overhead panels, and he strong, sweet smell of aviation fuel on takeoff, there is simply, in my opinion, no better experience while flying around Europe.
Winglet of G-OOBN - THEAEROSPACEGUYS
Meanwhile, some other airlines have also operated the aircraft on transatlantic routes; United, and Delta being examples. It should be noted that these aircraft are more commonly in multi-Class configurations, and as they are used primarily for long-haul, feature other mod cons not on the European workhorse variants, such as IFE, and reclining seats!
And my opinion, it seems, is shared widely by the aviation community.
Julie, for instance, is a frequent flyer. Throughout the 2000s, she spent a considerable number of hours onboard United, and US Airways examples of the type. Right off the bat, she agrees with me, stating "Takeoff was always smooth on the 757, no matter the length of the sector.", and that she "always enjoyed the roar of the engine which was much more like a plane engine than the A320 which replaced it."
She also recalls an occasion where, upon departure from PHL, the aircraft encountered a storm, and experienced turbulence. She commented that, "It was huge fun, especially as we were not long off the ground. Maybe FL100.", exemplifying the industry's opinion on the aircraft.
Another passenger, Lauren, distinctly recalls her TUI Thomson flight down to Boa Vista from Gatwick in 2013.
"What I remember most about them is the unique engine sound on takeoff of the engines. You just know it's a 757. The other noticeable thing was the acceleration. I don't remember any other aircraft where you were thrown back in your seat so much. The climb rate was special too and reminded me of the TU-154 flights I've taken. It's one of those experiences where you just know you're in a 757 because no other aircraft makes the same engine noise or performs in the same way. If you know, you know."
As a pilot, however, I have heard that the experience is even more magical. The sheer power generated is, for this size of aircraft, ludicrous, and almost unnecessary. The minimum safe takeoff run for the -200 was only 5700ft - 50 times the aircraft's length. It's closest replacement, the Airbus A321XLR, can only operate safely on runways sixty times it's own length - and while the XLR is most definitely more efficient, the versatility is not as evident.
Furthermore, on rotation, the pilot would find that, upon building enough speed, and with low occupancy, the aircraft is capable of near-vertical rotations, and if you can manage to find another narrowbody that performs it with that much style, you will have rightfully earned a pat on the back from me! I hope to goodness that either the MAX 10, or 797 does it like this - because if not, Boeing is well and truly stuffed.
Boarding G-OOBB - THEAEROSPACEGUYS
Don't just take it from me though; I also had the opportunity to speak to Sean, a former pilot on the type, and he had this to say:
"I love the 757. We operated it at Ghana International Airlines for a number of years and I spent many many hours flying on them while I ran our Gatwick and Johannesburg stations. My records actually show that I've flown 322 flights for 818k miles on 757s, so yeah I've spent a fair bit of time on them. Honestly, the 757 was so versatile that you sometimes forgot that it was a narrow body that so completely outperformed the role it was initially designed for."
And, on extension, in the words of Chris, someone who frequently worked with the aircraft on ETOPS checks, "[The 757 is] the most beautifully crafted bird. Head on, no other aircraft beats it." He was also keen to share his thoughts on its replacements, saying, "The new generation of avgeeks wax lyrical about the new NEO and MAX being a single aisle plane that crosses the Atlantic! The B757 has done it for decades.", and rounding off his response with, "From an airline's perspective, a wonderfully versatile aircraft to operate within a route network." I have to say, Chris sums it up very nicely.
Nose of G-OOBN - THEAEROSPACEGUYS
It's not just users that love the aircraft though - the fact that in forty years, over one-thousand of the type have flown, indicates that its order book was pretty well-populated right through its twenty-five year long production run.
Airlines favoured it, as it had greater capacity and range than smaller, more traditional narrowbodies, but also due to the smaller, lighter, and therefore more fuel-efficient, and cheaper to operate airframe than your standard widebody, such as its nearest cousin, the Boeing 767 (tribute coming in a few years), which continues to operate, albeit on high-capacity short-haul.
It should be clear, then, that the Boeing 757's popularity amongst all members of the aviation community is fair, and well-justified. With its extreme performance, insane versatility, and practically infinite beauty, it has rightly earned its place in history as the best narrowbody to date, and I am completely confident that it will keep that crown for a very long time.
RIP the flying pencil. Just as bonnie today, as she was in 1982.
Craig
Craig is the CTO of THEAEROSPACEGUYS; he's native to Glasgow Airport, and is a widebody connoisseur. A proud corporal in the Air Training Corps, he also has interests in technology and design.
