Urbex never ceases to baffle me. Before I was introduced to it all, if you’d have said to me that you could walk onto a live airfield, and board a 747 and take to the controls, I would have said you were a mental.
It’s 03:15 on a Sunday morning and I’m setting off through the driving rain to meet a total stranger, Ramsgatonian, 150 miles away who has done this very feat before.
06:15: Introductions and small talk made, and we’re through our first fence. We sprint across the long wet grassed run off area which surrounds the aperons. Our legs soaked up to the knee, rain lashing into out faces. Another fence down, and although we’ve barely met, we know the procedure and instinctively help each other, passing camera gear to each other in complete silence.
The 747 is huge, it never seems to get closer. It’s extremely well lit, bathed in floodlights, sat of the wet airport apron. It’s so wet, a perfect reflection of the plane on the apron is being battered by the driving rain. (This pic was taken on the way out)
We were in, despite it being so brightly lit outside, it was pitch black inside - all the window blinds were down. The next thing to hit me was the smell. It smelt like…a plane. I know that sounds obvious, but scent is definitely the most nostalgic of the senses, and immediately I was hit with my lifes memories of being on planes.
We made our way straight to the cockpit, the only place without window blinds. Ramgatonian leaned forward just in time to see the security land rovers pull up, about 30m from us, pointing straight at the cockpit.
We sat back and settled into our wait. To be fair it was an hour until the sun rose so we had no hurry. Eventually security disappeared, and we waited for the sun to rise.
We opened some of the blinds - we’d open them a slit, peek out to make sure there were no officials outside, then open it up as quickly as possible to avoid the movement being seen.
There’s just so many controls! The third crew member had this to deal with:
So the 747, probably the most easily recognisable passinger aircraft around today ‘The Jumbo Jet’.
This is the ‘200’ model, which is a Mk.2. They were pretty much the same as the Mk.1, but could carry more weight. The first -200 went into commercial service in 1971, and finished production in 1991.
The first 747 Freighter could easily carry 100 tons (90,000 kg) across the Atlantic Ocean or across the United States. Its operating cost was 35 percent less per ton mile than the 707 Freighter. The 747 Freighter has a hinged nose to allow cargo loading through front of the airplane. Weird.
Engines:
Four 64.5kN (14,500lb) Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9 turbofans.
If only I knew how to start them, they must have an instruction manual…
Performance
Advanced 727-200 - Max speed 1017km/h (549kt),
Max cruising speed 953km/h (515kt),
Range with max payload 3965km (2140nm),
Weights:
Operating empty 45,360kg (100,000lb),
Max takeoff 95,030kg (209,500lb).
Dimensions:
Wing span 32.92m
Length 46.69m (153ft 2in),
Height 10.36m (34ft 0in).
Wing area 157.9m2 (1700sq ft).
Galley:
Capacity:
727-200 - Max seating for 189 (at six abreast and 76cm pitch, (typical two class seating for 14 premium class and 131 economy class passengers.)
Premium class you say? Well I’m going to take a break from flying and have a mooch round then!
Cheers for looking, video coming soon.
Our time was up, we’d been in the plane far too long. So we reversed our access procedure, and made a break for the airport perimeter in broad daylight.
Massive thanks to Ramsgatonian for a fantastic full day exploring, and sharing his vast avionic knowledge! If anyone is umm-ing and arr-ing about meeting other DP members, I'd highly recommend chatting to explorers online on here then meeting up. There's such a community spirit here, and so many fantastic explores, you'll not regret it!
Cheers for looking.
It’s 03:15 on a Sunday morning and I’m setting off through the driving rain to meet a total stranger, Ramsgatonian, 150 miles away who has done this very feat before.
06:15: Introductions and small talk made, and we’re through our first fence. We sprint across the long wet grassed run off area which surrounds the aperons. Our legs soaked up to the knee, rain lashing into out faces. Another fence down, and although we’ve barely met, we know the procedure and instinctively help each other, passing camera gear to each other in complete silence.
The 747 is huge, it never seems to get closer. It’s extremely well lit, bathed in floodlights, sat of the wet airport apron. It’s so wet, a perfect reflection of the plane on the apron is being battered by the driving rain. (This pic was taken on the way out)
We were in, despite it being so brightly lit outside, it was pitch black inside - all the window blinds were down. The next thing to hit me was the smell. It smelt like…a plane. I know that sounds obvious, but scent is definitely the most nostalgic of the senses, and immediately I was hit with my lifes memories of being on planes.
We made our way straight to the cockpit, the only place without window blinds. Ramgatonian leaned forward just in time to see the security land rovers pull up, about 30m from us, pointing straight at the cockpit.
We sat back and settled into our wait. To be fair it was an hour until the sun rose so we had no hurry. Eventually security disappeared, and we waited for the sun to rise.
We opened some of the blinds - we’d open them a slit, peek out to make sure there were no officials outside, then open it up as quickly as possible to avoid the movement being seen.
There’s just so many controls! The third crew member had this to deal with:
So the 747, probably the most easily recognisable passinger aircraft around today ‘The Jumbo Jet’.
This is the ‘200’ model, which is a Mk.2. They were pretty much the same as the Mk.1, but could carry more weight. The first -200 went into commercial service in 1971, and finished production in 1991.
The first 747 Freighter could easily carry 100 tons (90,000 kg) across the Atlantic Ocean or across the United States. Its operating cost was 35 percent less per ton mile than the 707 Freighter. The 747 Freighter has a hinged nose to allow cargo loading through front of the airplane. Weird.
Engines:
Four 64.5kN (14,500lb) Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9 turbofans.
If only I knew how to start them, they must have an instruction manual…
Performance
Advanced 727-200 - Max speed 1017km/h (549kt),
Max cruising speed 953km/h (515kt),
Range with max payload 3965km (2140nm),
Weights:
Operating empty 45,360kg (100,000lb),
Max takeoff 95,030kg (209,500lb).
Dimensions:
Wing span 32.92m
Length 46.69m (153ft 2in),
Height 10.36m (34ft 0in).
Wing area 157.9m2 (1700sq ft).
Galley:
Capacity:
727-200 - Max seating for 189 (at six abreast and 76cm pitch, (typical two class seating for 14 premium class and 131 economy class passengers.)
Premium class you say? Well I’m going to take a break from flying and have a mooch round then!
Cheers for looking, video coming soon.
Our time was up, we’d been in the plane far too long. So we reversed our access procedure, and made a break for the airport perimeter in broad daylight.
Massive thanks to Ramsgatonian for a fantastic full day exploring, and sharing his vast avionic knowledge! If anyone is umm-ing and arr-ing about meeting other DP members, I'd highly recommend chatting to explorers online on here then meeting up. There's such a community spirit here, and so many fantastic explores, you'll not regret it!
Cheers for looking.
Last edited:
