What Happened To The Led Zeppelin Boeing 720? “The Starship”

[@jamess5415]

Don’t shine a UV light in it 🤫

[@markgreco1962]

Thinking the same thing!!

[@dunhill1]

If you did, the entire interior would look like a Jackson Pollack painting. LOL

[@ramsfan709]

Lmao to funny 😄

[@wizardmix]

But smoke the carpet.

[@joekano1768]

A guy I worked with at Crestview Aerospace was a retired pilot. Said he was Zeps pilot for a couple tours. We said that's cool.. Next day George brought in 3 or 4 photo albums. Sure enough he was. 👍

[@jrhohensee3585]

That photo album would be awesome to see. I'm sure he has some awesome stories as well 👍

[@j0llyroger889]

That is awesome, Lucky guy

[@CriticalRider]

"Announced in July 1957 as a 707 derivative for shorter flights from shorter runways, the 720 first flew on November 23, 1959."

[@wandafisch4411]

Thanks for the info

[@julosx]

It was replaced by the tri-jet 727 in the Boeing range eventually.

[@wizardmix]

Read about it first in Levon Helm's book "This Wheel's on Fire." Like everyone likely feels, it's a shame the bean counters who scrapped it didn't see the potential as an attraction. How cool would it have been to see the Starship parked in front of the Rock'N'Roll hall of fame? (or) any one of the aviation museums around the world? I mean it was 70's bad taste interior saturated with every drug and DNA known to man up to that point but that's history...

[@blowshannabosssnitch4082]

No doubt, I'd pay big cash to go see an old plane covered in Doobie Brother spunk. Heck, Jimmy Page? I may have even rolled around in it. Maybe catcha whiff of Lori Maddox and Pamela Des Barres, ;) ;)

[@Paul-ew5st]

I doubt it would have generated any money as an attraction in the 80s. Bean counters aren't fans of potential that shows up 20 years later.

[@STONERJORDAN423]

Guess I don’t need to watch the vid..

[@wizardmix]

@@Paul-ew5st Not only would it have made money in the 80s where all the future grunge kids would have gladly drug their parents to spend 5 minutes in the jet that flew so many famous musicians, in the 70s, when the things was in service the owner of the jet could have charged $100 per person for fanatics to come on board and rub their face in the the rugs while whatever rock gods utilizing it were off doing what rock gods do. That would have easily payed for the fuel and possibly the crew salary for that trip. The real problem is that most bean counters have no vision or creativity.

[@randycrew]

Well, it looks like I get to be the first one on here that actually flew ON N7201U back in (I think) November 1978... I’m not a musician ... I was the Flight Engineer on a trip out of Luton that took “The Doctor” and 2 others to Cairo, ferried the airplane to Vienna then brought brought 1 person back to Luton. It was my only trip on the Starship... but it was fun. I even have pictures to prove it. The picture I have shows me, the captain and the copilot at the bar and you can actually see the reflection of the organ behind the bar in a mirror. I was 23 years old and I just resigned on the 13th from my job as a captain on the B744... 46 years of flying.

[@airtechmech6681]

Congratulations on your career and retirement. I am now working for the first owner of that aircraft and close to retirement myself. We are the same age.

[@Discosaturn]

A Zeppelin flew a Boeing. Nice!

[@sizzlemann]

Too bad it wasn't around to put into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame! That plane would be awesome to see.

[@jd14305]

Fun fact: The Boeing 720 is the first plane in its series to be not be name in the "7x7" trend. from simple flying website😉

[@StringerNews1]

Correction: there were many Boeing aircraft that weren't named "7x7". The 707 was the first, and the 720 was a derivative of the 707. Hardly a trend, especially after a long line of planes starting with the letter "B".

[@meauxjeaux431]

@@StringerNews1 Actually, he's right, because the "X" in 7"X"7 represents each successive model numbers such as 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, & 787 The 720 doesn't fit that definition, so it's not a 7X7.

[@StringerNews1]

@@meauxjeaux431 you're never "right" when you're factually wrong. As I already noted, the B720 was just a version of the B707, not a separate aircraft type. Before any 707 rolled off the production line, the 367-80 was the prototype for the 707/720, and the KC-135 that came before the 707 or the 720. So to say that the B720 was "first" in the series not to have a "7x7" name is just plain wrong. Instead of being obsessed with being "right" first and foremost, try learning something that's actually true.

[@CausticLemons7]

With the debut of the 787 Boeing only has 797 left to use, and after that they'll have to shut down since they can't name new products XD

[@meauxjeaux431]

@@CausticLemons7 They will probably start an "8" series.

[@Dhiaw]

Keep up the content also happy new years to all people and the simpleflying team

[@arliesam948]

Happy New Year to you too

[@MauriceBatkin]

Please ⁸⁹⁸ . . .⁸ 50

[@skyhigh7203]

My father was a senior United Airlines Boeing 720 Captain until 1971. He most likely flew 7201U at one time or another I would imagine. I still have his Boeing 720 manual. =KL=

[@eyesofisabelofficial]

In Elton's biography author Philip Norman tells of Elton's 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour. US record label MCA hired a 707 to be centrally based at Atlanta thus removing the need for long bus journeys between gigs and a different hotel every night, an empty lifestyle, commemorated in his 1971 song "Holiday Inn".

[@j0llyroger889]

For the 134 USA shows played between August 1973 and 1976, Elton leased his own Boeing 720 registration N7201U the starship.

[@michaelporter2574]

I thought it might more likely have been called 'a flying brothel'. But then, what do I know about such things....!

[@charlesmoore3321]

They weren't missionaries ...in the classical sense.

[@boataxe4605]

No, Zeppelin didn’t have to pay women for sex.

[@Paul-ew5st]

@@boataxe4605 You either pay them in cash or they hoover up most of your coke. Either way you're paying.

[@andyhamilton8940]

Did Jefferson Airplane fly on the Starship?

[@donmunoz5324]

They decided against it since there was no where back.

[@flashesofblack4128]

The Rolling Stones band once owned Lockheed super Constellation. I was Western Union telegram messenger in Hawaii in the very early 70's. I had the Airport route one day so I had to deliver a telegram to the Honolulu International Airport. On the way to the terminal I spotted the aircraft that featured the mouth and tongue icon of the stones. At that time they held a concert at the Honolulu International Center and I saw their performance. I talked to the mechanic who had removed one of the airplanes engines for repair and he stated that the airplane was a "Pile Of Junk". I think the Stones rid themselves of the airplane and now I think it resides in some museum in South America.

[@dpm-jt8rj]

I flew on a 720 several times as a kid back in the 1970s with Ambassadair Travel Club out of IND, both "Miss Indy" and "Spirit of Indiana". They were wonderful aircraft. Ambassadair grew (eventually) into ATA Airlines which closed down around 2008. The B720 were wonderful aircraft and Captain George was still flying occasionally back then.

[@keithcurtis6671]

My Uncle worked for Garret AirResearch in the 70s and was involded in the overhaul of this plane after a Led Zeppelin tour and he said they left the plane a disaster inside.

[@boataxe4605]

How many bags of blow did he find?

[@keithcurtis6671]

@@boataxe4605 I was only 14 at the time. If he saw any he didn't mention that to me. He just had to let me know that one of my favorite bands was "A bunch of animals!" lol

[@ecclestonsangel]

That's the first time I even heard of a 720. I never even knew such a thing existed. Hmmm.....

[@CausticLemons7]

Imagine what it looked like under black light...

[@robymyles]

Ain't right, but it's funny.

[@the_cheese]

When I were a lad, I flew several times on Western Airlines' 720s from Anchorage to Seattle and back; likely Northwest's 720s, too. Thanks for the fun video, Simple Team!

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Very nice. Happy New Year to you.

[@derrickbunn9686]

Flew from LHR to Boston on TWA 720B - great trip, got snowed in at Prudential Center and watched the World Series final on a large projection TV.

[@evosagara]

Wow thats one luxury plane

[@trevorsmith7507]

Zeppelin rules

[@georgemallory797]

The latest and longest Boeing 737 is now 143.7 feet long. The Boeing 720 was 136 feet long and the Boeing 707 was 145 feet long. Crazy.

[@LeeAirVideos]

Flew on a Boeing 720 with Air Malta and Olympic airways in the early to mid 1970’s. Not quite as posh as the Starship but still a groovy way to travel back then!

[@jameswsomers]

It can be seen in several videos in Opa-Locka,Fla.as 77Z.Travoltas' 707 is at Brunswich,Ga.being dismantled as we speak,FYI.

[@stuart8663]

Pretty sure that Spinal Tap flew on that one.

[@mikentx57]

I heard that the drummer got stuck on the toilet in a pressurization accident and died.

[@j0llyroger889]

Led Zeppelin also hired Caesar's Chariot N7224U a Boeing 720-022 later in the 1970,s around 1975-77 belonging to Caesars palace hotel and casino Las Vegas (McCullloch)

[@Paul-ew5st]

It had a much nicer paint job than the starship

[@colinsmith6901]

Just missed out on flying on one with Air Malta many years back......UK Charter Airline Monarch had a few during 70`s and 80`s !

[@4orl2c68]

0:35 Check out those NO bypass turbojets, and there were four of them. Bet they were thirsty.

[@jimzeleny7213]

And loud

[@julosx]

@@jimzeleny7213 And smoky.

[@GeorgeMCMLIX]

They are the original Pratt and Whitney JT3C engines which powered all early Boeing 707s and 720s. During the early 1960s P&W developed the JT3D (ducted) turbo fan engine, much more powerful and fuel efficient. Many early aircraft were retrofitted with the JT3D but as the 720s were retired, being replaced by the Boeing 727, they were deemed uneconomical to modify.

[@bobboberson2024]

Excellent.

[@skyking6989]

Led Zeppelin didn't own it. It was leased

[@philipemma2359]

Yea but I'm sure there was many parties on that plane.

[@rickilynnwolfe8357]

They should have put the Star Ship away for many years it’s history to the greatest band to ever play on this earth . Can you imagine how many people would want this today and how much money it would have been worth . Hell yeah I would have loved to have LZs Star Ship !

[@terrymoran8383]

It's only ROCK AND ROLL BUT I LIKE IT

[@stefanconradsson]

There was one other Boeing as well.. it was called "Caesars Chariot" I think and was owned by .. you guessed it, a casino in Vegas. In 1977 Zeppelin hired this Boeing instead since the "Starship" was unavailable. Cheers 🍺

[@Transit-Gaming]

Simple Flying, you should do a video on why the Boeing 720 exists! Many of us are confused.

[@englandrose1]

I haven't heard of the 720 until this video!

[@wyattwilliams2457]

It was a regional version of the 707

[@ceilconstante640]

If it has been put on private land, it would have been the coolest rental imaginable.

[@AlanSF]

Happy new year everyone ❤️😁👍🙏

[@Cincinnatus1869]

It's a shame Lynyrd Skynyrd could not get an airplane like this one. I know they had co headlined with Frampton shortly before their plane crashed. I don't know about the difference in the money being generated , but it's a damn shame they had to travel in a sketchy aircraft .

[@boataxe4605]

They didn’t have Peter Grant managing them.

[@Paul-ew5st]

So they spent $800 grand on it and it only leased out for 4 years wonder if they made their money back or lost?

[@deweywatts8456]

Im a rock star, can I be first officer today cross country? Sure, nobody will find out anyway.

[@Bevrinton]

Airports always knew that Led Zeppelin were on board The Starship because the plane did a couple of victory rolls loop the loops and flew upside down past the control tower before landing.

[@thakurisohan7307]

Tell why lukla is dangerous Love from Nepal 🇳🇵

[@Think_Inc]

RealLifeLore

[@albondigas8270]

So much lovin on that plane

[@studioredband2686]

How could you scrap that? It should have been in a museum

[@airtechmech6681]

The L.A. Dodgers used one in the 80’s.

[@TheChiefEng]

The only thing I remember of the Boeing 720 is that it was pretty noisy compared to the airplanes of today. I flew about 10 times with the Boeing 720 at a time when it's life as a commercial airplane was reducing rapidly due to the emergence of the Boeing 757 and larger 737 models.

[@jimcrowley2054]

All the jets back then were fairly noisy. Like everything else, the jet engine improved with time and technological advances.

[@boataxe4605]

Jimmy just cranked up the Marshall and nobody noticed the airplane noise.

[@riliryrimaddyvia9630]

Anyone else who didn't know this band was like what, Boeing made a Zepplin?

[@cl5619]

It’s a shame it’s not around anymore. It would be great as a museum piece for something like Rock Hall of Fame

[@Eliteerin]

Rock and roll as hell

[@tomtrana3449]

0:35 What happened to the "Allman Brothers Band" Boing 720?

[@julosx]

The Allman Brothers one was the same 720, indeed scrapped in 82.

[@erikziak1249]

As well as many memories, not made, thanks to the plane. And its bar. :-)

[@meauxjeaux431]

Well THAT sucks ! It should have gone to the R&R HOF in Cleveland.

[@lakewoodil]

Flew UA B-720 several times but strangely, have never flown on the 707. The difference is probably not very noticeable.

[@akshatpandey4788]

What about Range Boi

[@ebarteldes]

It should have been preserved

[@grandsicko8580]

Was also painted up and used for the Bee Gees.

[@mikentx57]

oh great, thanks Now you ruined it all for me.

[@Perich29]

I flew on the 720 when I was a baby.

[@arliesam948]

Happy New Year everybody

[@anuclitz]

Power to remain 707 to 720

[@kirbygene]

So much hype and inaccuracy about Led Zeppelin and "their" jet. They just leased it-- first for the 2nd half of their 1973 American tour after a turbulence scare near San Francisco in a much smaller plane convinced them they needed a bigger one. They paid $100,000 the second half of that tour. But Elton John, Alice Cooper, and many other rock stars leased it, too. You just don't hear about that as much. The daily rate was $2,500 per day. I'm guessing that doesn't count jet fuel costs, crew, and private charter terminal fees.

[@StringerNews1]

Fact check: the first OPEC oil embargo was in 1973. The Starship was purchased in 1973. Led Zeppelin didn't use the jet until their 1975 tour, so while the oil embargo may have been enough to get B-lister Bobby Sherman off the plane, it certainly didn't have anything to do with Led Zep's use of the plane. The second embargo was in 1979, and they toured through 1980, when John Bonham's death broke up the band. Surely that had far more to do with ending the band's use of the plane, for reasons that are obvious! The plane sat at Chicago O'Hare airport's Butler Aviation terminal. I know, I saw it there regularly. Please do _something_ to get your facts right!

[@cubby8873]

Zeppelin rented the Starship for 30,000 dollars for the final 3 weeks of the U.S. 1973 tour. They again used it in 1975 but not in 77 as there were mechanical issues at the time and they used Caesars Chariot for all the 77 date's.

[@StringerNews1]

@@bmurphy569 and all of your unsubstantiated claims are germane to the claim about the OPEC oil embargo that I addressed...how?

[@boataxe4605]

It’s shown being used by them on the 73 tour in their movie The Song Remains The Same.

[@ZOrdZ]

I was born when they dissembled it. Hum... Born a star....

[@karlepaul6632]

I think the band Starship bought it because it just made sense.

[@thomasosterloh8247]

I may have flown in this one.

[@godozo]

Peak Rock and Roll + Peak Oil in the USA = The Starship.

[@djhoneylove5710]

Dismantled in 1982.

[@johnward9593]

John Magnet Ward

[@Jordan6002]

Elton John also used "the starship"

[@rcprojects1229]

What are the differences from a Boeing 707 to a Boeing 720?

[@johnhartsell8697]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_720#:~:text=The%20Boeing%20720%20is%20a%20four%2Dengined%20low%2Dwing%20cantilever,thinner%20fuselage%20skins%20and%20structures.

[@TheGlssr60]

13?

[@commerce-usa]

@@johnhartsell8697 thanks for the link. Nice additional background. Flew on a 707 as a kid. Never knew the 720 ever existed.

[@georgemallory797]

720 is 9 feet shorter. Designed as a shorter haul, lighter weight, higher density version.

[@Kalvinjj]

Kinda ironic how Led Zeppelin didn't have an airship instead

[@Discosaturn]

Well, that's because Zeppelins stopped flying following the Hindenburg disaster so that explains why.

[@Kalvinjj]

@@Discosaturn well, yeah, the logical side is obvious, that was just a joke

[@aviation1912]

wow looten airport in England???? Iive near there

[@wasted-blaster.]

You mean luton?

[@aviation1912]

@@wasted-blaster. yes

[@suneagle123]

I never flew on a 720 because I was born in 1997.

[@timothycook2917]

was born in '68 and never flew on one. But then again, never flew on a 747 until 2013 😊😁

[@TheGlssr60]

Ah, but was the Starship ever utilized by Starship?

[@backslash68]

and was ever a Zeppelin used by Led Zeppelin?

[@arunashamal]

What was wrong with people's eyes in the 70's that they had to paint everything beige and brown??

[@johnathansalvador4042]

So Nice 💘💘💘💘💘💘

[@827dusty]

It's a 727 dude. Boeing doesn't make a plane with the designation "720."

[@jayoneill1533]

Sorry, but you’re misinformed on both points.

[@SimpleFlyingNews]

Hey Dusty, you can read more about the Boeing 720 here simpleflying.com/boeing-720-what-happened/ - TB

[@RevJim-qc2ry]

A grand Boeing legacy for a grand rock legacy. Timeless awe.

[@christoohunders5316]

They probably peed in the vanity basin !

[@indranilchakrabarty4196]

Never flown on a 720.

[@DoctorEnigma01]

Nobody cares if you people flew on a Boeing 707, unless you flew on that one. Too bad it was dismantled, it’s should be a museum

[@stevesauriol662]

Flew one from Dublin Ireland To Boston USA

[@GetInGarage]

and not one interior shot

[@SimpleFlyingNews]

If you'd like to supply one that's copyright free, please feel free :) - TB

[@boataxe4605]

No, not one, but at 1:30 there’s three.

[@bogdananderson1472]

hmmm..... Another lolita express ?

[@somerville_official8120]

Thanks for posting! If you have a second, we tried our hand at a cover of Van Halen. As fellow music fans, we'd love if you would check it out. It's on our page. Don't be too tough on us :)

[@nickdryad]

Led Zeppelin is the reason punk music happened. Self indulgent bullshit Rock Stars.

[@mann2520]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@label1877]

My uncle said the Starship would be worth 7 million dollars today if in good condition.

[@_TJ97]

By 'good' do you mean flyable? Because 7 million is nothing, especially in dollars.

[@label1877]

@@_TJ97 7 million dollars is substantial for a non-flying collector plane.

[@rayferraro7292]

Would have sold my soul to be on that plane

[@ellidellagian8921]

Need lovely 😍💋 💝💖❤️

[@InfiniteHorizons]

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