- Right next to me is a Boeing 707, which is the first jet Boeing ever made. - It was incredibly exclusive. (dramatic music) - My first flight with Saha
Boeing 707 was in 2004. - The most exotic ticket in the world. - [Sam] And some say it even looks like a Star Wars spaceship. - [Charles] There's no fly-by-wire. A very, very pure, very
authentic flying experience. - No overhead bins to cover the luggage. It was a military tanker. That window is actually for
the refueler to observe. The 707 is a significant
aeroplane that changed the world. So welcome back to another video. Right next to me is a Boeing 707, which is the first jet Boeing ever made. By year 2000, most passenger
707 has disappeared in the sky. There was only one operator,
it became very rare. It was Saha Air of Iran. So I want to create the
video experience again to share with you what
is flying a 707 like. (engine roaring) (radio chattering) (funky music) - When the 707 first went into service it was incredibly exclusive. A round-trip ticket
from London to New York was 250 pounds in 1958. A house in London was 1,800 pounds. It's incredible how right
Boeing got it the first time. This is an aeroplane is
now a 70-year-old design, but still, the overhead
panel much of the cockpit and the exterior shape is exactly the same as a brand new 737 today. - So my first fight with Saha Boeing 707 was in 2004 from Tehran to Quiche, and since then I've flown
about a total 12 times. - I think after the
retirement of Concord in 2003, the Saha 707 was the most
exotic ticket in the world, bar none, and probably just as
smoky and loud as a Concord. (engine roaring) - My last flight with
Saha before they retire was very interesting one. I was sitting just on the forward wing looking at the engine. (engine hissing) The 707 interior was
very basic on Saha Air. It has racks. There's no overhead bins
to cover the luggage. Behind me was a large
group of Iraqi pilgrims who had never flown an aeroplane before. They're very lucky, I think, the first time they flew
on a plane was on a 707. They were on their religious
pilgrimage to Mashhad. They chant their Muslim prayer very loud during the take-off, so it was a very surreal experience with a large group people
chanting Arabic prayer behind me. (chanting foreign language)
(engine roaring) The 707 take off usually come
with a very shallow climb. Once it reaches a cruising altitude, fairly low, like flight level 270, 290, it's fairly heavy. You can feel the aeroplane,
it's very sturdy. (engine roaring) What's so special about
a 707 is the engine. I think the 4JT3D engine was striking, the look of the engine outside. Some say it even looks
like a Star Wars spaceship. The original engine looks really different to the modern airliners. Some even feel very scared
by looking at the engines. - The 707 is powered by a
very low bypass turbo fan. Incredibly noisy. (engine roaring) Very inefficient, very,
very heavy on the controls. It's all cables. There's no fly-by-wire. There's no hydraulics. It's mandraulic and very, very pure, very authentic flying experience (engine roaring) - 707 on Saha's an interesting one because it was a military tanker then converted to a passenger. But it's rare there's a
huge window in the back. That window is actually for
the refueler to observe, refuelling mid-air to other aircraft. Saha Air do provide decent food on a short one hour, one and a half hour domestic flight in Iran. The crew were very accommodating. Usually they understand
why we came a long way, to film, to travel. (engine roaring)
(people chattering) (chanting in foreign language) (speaking foreign language) - Because of the military
background of the pilots, they always landed fast, they
taxied fast, always on time, always putting on a fantastic
show for the av-geeks. (engine roaring) - Well, I hope you liked my footage on the 707 take off and landing. These are very old footage, but they're very precious memory to me. The 707 is a significant aeroplane that changed the world in aviation. It changed the way we fly. It's such a beautiful aeroplane. Here, I'm paying my tribute to the 707. (engines roaring) (air whooshing) (bell dings)
