Boeing Stratoliner Flies Again
The plane was a trendsetter, the world's first pressurized airliner, getting passengers above the turbulence found at lower altitudes.
"To me it's like taking a ride in a time machine," says pilot Buzz Nelson.
Only Nine Delivered
The glistening 307 looked sleek and futuristic on the outside, but it was classically old-fashioned on the inside. The plush seats, fabric-covered walls and elegant decor gave it the feel of a luxurious train car.
"Pan Am and people in TWA were trying to attract those kind of people and wanted them to fly in airplanes instead of riding trains," says Boeing flight test manager Mark Kempton. "And so our interior kind of emulates what you would see in a Pullman car of that era."
World War II pre-empted this promising airliner's career and just nine were delivered.
After rescuing the Stratoliner from the Smithsonian's desert storage lot in Arizona, volunteers scrounged everywhere for rare parts. They even found a pair of original compasses on E-bay.
'I Remember The Tears In His Eyes'
Their work has been a labor of love, but for pilot Nelson the emotions run deeper. His father helped design the Boeing 307 in the 1930s, and lived long enough to see his son fly the only surviving Stratoliner back home.
"And he met us when we landed at Boeing Field, and I still remember him, uh, coming to the airplane, looking around and pointing out some of the design features that he made. And I remember the tears in his eyes," says Nelson. "So it's still an emotional thing for me to be a part of this project."
The 307 becomes part of the new National Air and Space Museum's display at Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C., in 2003.