How different is flying a Boeing 727 than a Cessna 150?

Question

I only have experience on the latter.

Answer 1

The Boeing 727 is more difficult to fly. they have more instruments and is a tri-reactor. The Cessna 150 is in line of production and the Boeing 727 is out of production.

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Answer 2

About 500,000 lbs and 450 miles.  over 70knts and 1500lbs

Answer 3

I don't have any "real" time in a 727 but, as luck would have it, I flew a 727 sim today as part of my interview with Compass Airlines.  I also have quite a few hours in a Dornier 328 (32 passenger regional jet).

The main difference I've noticed between flying the 328 (and 727 sim) is that you have to pay a lot of attention to the pitch attitude of the airplane.  Because of the higher true airspeed, even one half of one degree of pitch will have you climbing 500 fpm or more.  You can't just look out the windshield and fly level the way you can in a light trainer.  Even in VFR you need to keep one eye on the attitude indicator.

Even so, it's not really that hard.  I've used the autopilot for about an hour during the past 3 months and the rest has been good ol' raw data.  I can't speak for all jets but as far as the 328 goes it handles just fine when flying it by hand.  Not that much harder than a 150 but it is different.

I hope that helps.

Answer 4

well the 727 is being phased out of most airlines and fedex will be removing them from service in 2009. so there is not a good outlook for a chance to fly a 727- which is just as old as a cessna 152

Answer 5

Very different...Cessna needs 1 pilot, 727 needs 2 plus a fight engineer, lots going on in there.. As far as handling the aircraft, I find the heavier the better in terms of landing the plane....Had some rough times in the 150, but fun times...

Answer 6

Usually the bigger it is the easier it is to handle. The key word here is "Handle". Now you have a heck of a lot more buttons, switches and other things to take into consideration but the actual flying is a little easier.

I can tell you it's a lot easier to land a DC-3 in a gusty cross wind than it is a J-3.

Answer 7

If you fly them right and are properly trained, there is virtually no difference (and I am talking about just flying, not balancing fuel loads and tying generators, setting cabin pressurization,  turning anti-ice on etc that the other crew members do).

Now, I've never flown a 727 (except a sim) but I've jump seated a few times and the pilots say it handles it much the same way as light aircraft.  It is very responsive to control inputs.  

The big differences are the speed and momentum.  You have to think further ahead with the big jet and and fly a specific profile for takeoff, approach, and landing.   If you want to fly a 150 well you do the same thing, but the 150 is more forgiving of an unstabilized approach or a low altitude (~1000ft) stall.  

If you put the thrust levers to idle on a 727, you are going to wait a while for the plane to slow down and if you want power you have to wait a few seconds for those old JT8Ds to spool up (although I've had an O-200 cough and sputter for a few seconds before it wound up too on a 150).

The 150 is more sensitive to gusts while the 727 is pretty solid which makes it a bit easier to stay on the numbers.

Answer 8

Well then you need to go buy  yourself a 727 before they all get scrapped...

The three-holer offers alot more pitch variation with power changes....

Other than what JETDOC said, thats pretty much it.

Answer 9

In a sense it is "easier to handle" a larger airplane than a smaller one, IF -- and it's a BIG IF -- you have experience in handling airplanes of the same general class and weight.

The 727 weighs more than 100 times as much as the Cessna 150, and the difference in momentum makes it handle in a completely different way.  If you had handled only light planes before, you would lose control in a matter of seconds.

But you might very well begin to have the feel of it in a couple of hours flight time.  Also, the procedures for landing a jet airplane are completely different from those for a piston-engine airplane.  The short final approach is conducted in a different configuration entirely.

Finally, though the basic flight instruments and controls are similar, you have about 20 times as many small controls within your reach in the Boeing.

Having said that, of course people make the transition every day.  The first jet airplane I ever flew was a 727, and I am still here to tell about it.  It was not difficult except it took a while to get used to the deck angle on short final.  I had previously flown heavy piston-engine airplanes for a living (Douglas C-54 and C-118, and Convairs) so I was accustomed to the weight.

The more difficult transition was from single-engine trainers to light twins.  Lots of surprises.

The last 727s are being phased out by the majors, but small cargo operators and corporate operations will be using them for many years to come.

Answer 10

About the same difference between driving a row boat and and a cruise ship.

Answer 11

Most of the above answers are good. I would add that they all fly about the same once in the air just different pictures out the window like for pitch and the controls feel heavier. The big difference is you have to think way out in front of the B-727 and all jets for that matter. Things happen much faster in a jet as you can imagine.